I’ve been thinking about the Apostle Paul lately. His role as a government official and a church leader meant he had to establish laws and disciplines for his community. But still… “Slaves obey your masters” doesn’t sit well with me.
I’m sorry, but this command, along with “Children obey your parents,” and “Women obey your husbands,” is hard for me to accept. It just doesn’t feel right, especially considering the pain that can come from abuse in these relationships.
I know we have to understand two things here:
- Paul was speaking to a different culture than ours. He wasn’t talking to abused children or oppressed women.
- What God speaks may not always sit well with us because His thoughts are higher than ours. So, we need to humble ourselves and accept His Word.
But I have to ask: Paul was quoting Christ, speaking to him through visions. Does that mean God changed his mind? I know that God’s wisdom is all-powerful and all-knowing, but there’s something about Paul’s words that makes me question. Christ’s wisdom in the Gospels is untouchable, while Paul’s can feel a bit… off.
Here’s where it gets personal: Paul’s descriptions sometimes sound eerily similar to schizophrenic episodes. I know because I’ve had them. Yet in my paintings, what I capture with grace is Christ on the cross because it shows that God suffers too. That’s how I know He empathizes with me, even now, in my hardest of trials.
It is Christ—and only Christ—who is giving me strength. Despite everything, I’m more alive and full of vigor than ever before, even as I sit here starving. You, pastor, are a man, and as such, you haven’t even bought me a burger.
What I do see is modern Christians and evangelicals quoting Paul more than Christ, often for political purposes. Christ wasn’t politically correct; He was political purity. He didn’t come to save the world but to save our souls, which made Him untouchable. The Pharisees, who thought they knew the Word so well, couldn’t even recognize Him when they looked Him in the eyes. Today, many churches make the same mistakes as the elder Jews of Christ’s time.
I apologize for my harsh tone. That’s just the mortal in me, and probably too much arguing on Facebook, lol. May I have your forgiveness, Pastor?
I’ve written two books that contain the red letters of the Gospel and my daily journaling on faith. The first, Allison Jolley, explores the book of Matthew. The second, The Tears of God, covers Mark and Luke, as well as documenting the death of my father. I haven’t completed the third yet, as I need to find a place to paint.
ALLISON JOLLEY - CLICK THIS LINK
THE TEARS OF GOD - CLICK THIS LINK
The book of john is covered in the final of the series. In the end of this trilogy, I leave the church, never to set foot in it again. But I would like a better ending—where I meet a kind and caring pastor like you. You prophesy in foreign countries, but surely you’ve been told that people in America are suffering too.
Purchasing these two books will ensure that I am fed for the month. You’ll also have a deluxe coffee table series with art, stories, poetry, and the Bible—everything people put on a coffee table. Please, pastor, have mercy. I can’t fight this alone, and according to you and others, I shouldn’t be fighting at all.
If you read and like them, I’d love to sell them at the church to raise money to feed other impoverished members of our community. But don’t think I’m dying; I’m fighting a strong fight, and there is much light in my tunnel.
Once again, I deeply apologize for my aggressive tone. I’m living with gangsters in a shelter, and I’ve had to adapt just to survive. This is no lie. I am not from this culture—I was born of the bourgeois in Fullerton. My story is kind of like Che Guevara, except I believe in God.
You’re completely forgiven… don’t let it bother you, Dan.
Thank you, Pastor.
by Dan and Bonkers
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Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?