A popular word picture in Christian circles is the vessel. We're jars/vases/cups/vessels made to hold God's love inside of us. God pours in until we're full and tops us off if we get a little low, like a waitress walking past booths with a coffee pot. (Only I bet God doesn't wear orthopedic shoes or an apron.)
The trouble with this vessel talk is the implication that God's love has a limit--it pours until you're "full." If it gets out? You're "empty." Consequently, I believe a lot of Christians run around hogging God's love inside of them, clinging to His grace, mercy and peace with fear that it might get out and they'll somehow lose it. And this fear? Leads to some pretty embarrassing self-righteous behavior--by hogging all that love, we seal ourselves off from other people. And this self-righteous behavior? Makes evangelical Christians a pretty unpalatable bunch--hateful, spiteful, mean-spirited and angry. Ask anyone, they don't like the evangelical crowd.
Yeah, the whole vessel thing just isn't working for me. I'd rather be a sieve. I believe God's love is limitless, it'll keep pouring over me--but more importantly--if I'm a sieve it'll pour through me. It'll wash over other people right out of me. And as that love pours over and through me, it'll wash away my impurities (of which there are several, including a propensity for pride and cussing and lusting after Colin Firth) because a sieve has holes through which all these things can pass.
Jesus was pretty straight up about what He wants of us. When asked what the most important commandment is (John 12:30-31), He answered "Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself." This commandment lends itself quite nicely to being a sieve instead of a vessel. We're supposed to be outward focused--not inward focused. More Mother Theresa, less Phyllis Schlafly.
I'm aspiring to sieve-hood.
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