Disciple James log: African-American Pastor Anita said, james, you love Justice more than anyone I've ever known.

 

Anita was the associate pastor, african-american, in affluent White Church in the Philadelphia suburbs. James, you love Justice more than anyone I've ever met. She was clearly mystified.

At about that same time I had left industry and was in a masters of psychology program, and the professor of the Multicultural class ridiculed me for saying that I identified not with any group, but as a human being.

Only in recent weeks have I understood that Jesus refused to identify himself as anything other than, a human being. I am the son of man.

Virtually every unpromatized young child identifies themselves as a human being though they don't use words to do so.

We are born human beings. We are born in creators image. Creator is the spirit of humanity.

When Anita said, james, you love Justice more than anyone I've ever met, it was an encouragement to me, but I recognize that somehow it fell short.

At Standing Rock, faced with 5 years in prison if I refuse to leave the reservation land, unseeded treaty land, I realized, I love what is good more than life itself.

Written on my forehead is, start loving. Written on my cheeks is, wage love.

But each of these fall short. Why? Because what I most revere, is humanity, the spirit of creator, the image in which we are created. And each of these wonderful things is an aspect of humanity.

That's what Jesus knew.

James is far from at the end of his experiment with Jesus instruction and example. All indications are that it is the superior path to life. Why? Because it is the superior path back to our humanity.

Jesus said, where are your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Only today is James realizing that he wants his heart to be completely aligned with humanity, his reason for being alive, to Foster humanity, first of all in himself and in others. And to avoid fostering other values.

And disciple James here believes that that was Jesus mission, to Foster The Rebirth of humanity. Being followed was not his mission, getting people to follow him, was not his mission, fostering Humanity was his mission. And he understood that his instruction and example was the most promising way of doing that.

And so it is with james. James mission is not the proliferation of Jesus teaching an example. It is the fostering of The Rebirth of humanity in himself and others. That is the Strategic goal. But the Strategic message is reestablishing the focus on jesus' instruction and example that he attempted to get going 2000 years ago, as the best means of achieving the mission.

James, pay attention to where you let your eye focus. If it is not on Humanity in any particular breath, ask yourself if that's really what you want?