“18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” (1 Cor 1:18-31 ESV)

Probably the life of the disciple interacts with stellar ambitions, cruciform signs, won gambits: all this, and not becoming dullened. Because to accept anything less than Grace: this will spell Compromise and bleary-eyed dull frustration. We get frustrated because we were looking for the wrong thing. We get frustrated because we hadn’t quite gone All the Way with all we were bringing to the table. We get frustrated, just because sleepiness and pressure commingle to leave us torn.

Scandal and license, these also circle around the Disciple menacingly. Scandal, because our trust fall and walk on water is just an illusion, from the world’s eyes. So we lose sight of the fact: we are making utterly presumptuous claims to banter about Christ-things. And if we forget… if we allow the devilish audience member to coax us into compromised Theology, well God will mock our pride and lack of humility.

This to say: He doesn’t want us theologizing? On the contrary! Yet the scandal arises when we settle on some platform of human, tangible, evidentiary means. We somehow Forget: never lose sight of… let’s here call it respectfully, the “Cross”. Never lose sight. That we used this Cross during our ongoing discipleship—still use it—because it is a shot in the dark, a lancing forth against any dullened composure, a stark and mesmerizing Ploy. We Engage. Christ Engaged humankind with this nefarious Gambit: “Do like I did!”. 

Grace is therefore held in the hands of those who nod understandingly even to the scandal-beset pastor. It was after all a quieter climate we learned the ropes in. It was a deep reassurance, Pa, Ma won’t go down as sophists and hypocrites… because of scandal. We found a special climate that learnt to spell Grace for All, a void, a chasm, a Fact: God… let us empty ourselves of plausible reasoning and say: God is for us; God is not out to mock our decisions or lead us down a tantalizing path in order to say, “Gotcha”. He “gets us” because our league is with the poor in spirit, our invented class distinctions are only reminders that the lesser in our company is the better at preaching or teaching. We each of us Strive to know Him through His chosen means, Grace for those who forget: sin is ever knocking at the door, and some internal divine compromise is suggested, tempting us, almost asking us to concede and sign on the dotted line: I am, after all, inadequate. But! Kimosabe! You said that already, when you spoke up on Grace! You said you were living on the radical Other side, colors inverted, images reflected, orientations reversed, of God things. Of God’s Cross. Of God’s alacrity and Sharpened discipleship.

No duller or worse for the wear, we only pray we have the composure to Testify in all we do. And we murmur there but for the grace of God go I, around scandal and around half-theology. Half-theology, half some kind of compromised truth claims. God is for us. And we, His people, are invited today to know Him in ways Forbidden and yet Offered Up.