1st. Buchanan encourages believers to "Find a person, or three, who resemble Jesus more than you do. School yourself on them.... He's talking about people who, in season and out, in harvest and famine, id daylight and darkenss, do good because they are good. Only one thing explains such people: they're Go-watchers. They've seen his glory. Become like them."
Over last few years, I've found that I want to be like other people - and that's not even the best or true way to say it. I want to be like Jesus in other people. I feel blessed by how many people surround me that show me Jesus, show me love, kindness, mercy, truth. Really the number is few (less than the number of fingers I have), but I wonder sometimes if that isn't so many more than others get to experience.
People have asked how this first year of marriage has gone and how it's wrapping up - and I can say in summary it's because of Jesus in me.us and surrounding me/us in others that it's been wonderful. I feel like I am a totally new person - stretched to love, give, work, serve, and share beyond myself.
2nd. Buchanan is addressing people who are "good" in their own strength - who use good works to try to hide who they really are.
"We are sheep in sheep dog's clothing, concealing our docility and waywardness beneath a disguise of master-pleasing eagerness. We look better than we are. Over-performance becomes a subterfuge, a showcase of energy that hides a mother lode of apathy. A display of virtue that is just that, a display. But at some point we run out of steam for this. If we're deep down lazy, or greedy, or mean, or just bored, sooner or later that breaks through the skin. It's exhausting to keep building the edifice of good behavior on the foundation of sticks."
Buchanan uses Peter as the example. That Peter followed Christ and was so ready to work and do good things. He always jumped to do something, including promising to always stand by Jesus, even when Jesus told him of the denial to come. When the denial came:
"[Peter] was deadlocked. He'd reached the outer limits of his bravado. He was despondent over the distance between the man he wanted to be and the man he actually was. He felt unworthy and disqualified. Good for nothing. Which is often the place, maybe the only place, we learn to be truly good for nothing: good, not just when the eye of man is on us, not because we seek the applause of the crowd, not to reap any earthly reward, but only because the God who is good called us out of darkness and into his wonderful light."
I love this section. Probably because I feel like this was me. I love that our God knew I'd/we'd screw up, and yet made a way for us to heal and be good - better even - real. I love that God put men like this in pivotal roles ministry, knowing that this is what people are really like inside, and only God can fix it. Only a real experience with God can change our hearts and make us good for nothing.
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