I've seen some Edelsteine (jewels)...

I've seen some jewels in life:

Fog rolling down a lonely mountain range

Raindrops like tears watering forgotten New Hampshire towns

Waking up in a western-style motel

After riding lightning lit Wyoming canyon roads late into the night

I've seen precious stones extricated from their plain surroundings

Their rainbow brilliance and sheen being revealed for the first time to man's eyes

I've seen them become skillfully set and attributed ethereal beauty

Reflective of another time or realm

And I am asked the question:

What does your faith mean to you?

My answer to the question is this:

I would trade every last jewel and beauty in this world,

For the beauty, loneliness, regality with humility, and fire who is Jesus

I wrote this poem after visiting a few dating websites and seeing the question "What does your faith mean to you?". I have thought and prayed a lot about marriage and in that process have thought about what the most important things in my life are. I find that question interesting because even though it may not be meant this way, it often comes across as something akin to asking how important my detox routine or going to the dentist is. I am sadly lazy in both of those categories (I have great teeth though;)). When I think of following Jesus I think "how can I get closer to him?" not about how closely I have followed traditions or have gone to church. I get that people often point that out to show that it is about relationship and not religion. I think I just want to make it clear that I'm obsessed with Jesus. I get that it's useful to ask that question because those who go to church often are more likely to have healthiness in their spiritual life. I know many though, who go to church all the time and are not ruined by Jesus. They are nice people and very involved with church activities but like the rich young ruler haven't given everything to follow Jesus. Sadly, from churches to christian dating sites there are so many who simply do not burn for Jesus. I'm certainly not trying to be judgmental but in terms of finding a partner or just people I can relate to sometimes I can feel so close and yet a million miles apart. 

I also think it's so hard to distinguish between someone who is religiously zealous and someone who is obsessed with Jesus. It's hard because so often the one who is following Jesus will take on zealous religious practices as a result of a combination of their own past and their desire to know Jesus. I am guilty of having done this and at times of still doing this. How many times did I say something "spiritual" under the burden of making sure I didn't leave anything out? I think though, that over time with the continued work of the Holy Spirit the people around a Jesus-obsessed person will start to see a humility and others-serving attitude that characterizes those who have been with him. People who fight for social justice and yet are ready to fight from the perspective of the current zeitgeist though, fall under "religiously zealous". It's difficult not to get pulled into that because as a follower of Jesus I'm supposed to care about the downtrodden. When the message fails to bring people to the cross and our absolute need for him however, then it is just another form of the zealousness or self-justification that characterized the rich young ruler or the religious leaders at the time of Jesus.

I think this is why it's not always those with the "right" answers who are the real-deal. I hope to find a godly wife at some point and someone who demonstrates this work of the Holy Spirit. I really think I have to rely on God to do this because I can't always tell the difference between the real and the fake.