(note to new readers, one of my favorite devotional readers was a Roman Catholic priest of the last century.  Don’t agree with everything he says, but much of it is profound and the discussions that come from quoting him and commenting on his quote can be beneficial. Such is today’s devotion!  Please comment away!)

“Take not of the words of that working man who commented so enthusiastically after he had attended a gathering you had organized.  “I had never heard people speak as they do here, about being noble, honest, kind and generous…”  And he concluded in amazement: “Compared to the materialism of the Left or the Right, this is the true revolution.”
Any soul can understand the brotherhood Christ has established.  Let us make a point of not adulterating that doctrine”  ( J. Escriva – Furrow)

My thoughts:
It may seem arrogant to claim that those who live in Christ are more radical, more revolutionary than the extremes in politics.  Until you realize that the revolutionary thought, the radical difference, is found in sacrifice, in having a mindset that means we embrace discomfort – it it will lighten another’s burdens, bring hope to those without hope, mercy to those who think they are past it, and joy in the midst of sorrow.

Let me be honest.. and blunt.  Christians are people of superior morals, or of some high caliber of character that shines brighter than everyone else.  We can be hypocrites, jerks, and yes, we still sin.  But what is revolutionary, radical even, is that as we place our confidence in Christ’s work, in His ability to fix, heal, forgive, love, that sacrifice of His, that work of His, becomes part of us.

That means we can be honest – and caring, as we confront the situations we find ourselves in – even those of sin.  1 John 1 tells us not to hide what we do wrong, but to bring it before God – let Him forgive it, let Him cleanse and heal us.  That brings relief, and peace, freedom from the anxieties of “getting caught” or what sin does to our understanding of who we are.  We see Him fix our brokeness, and then we learn to desire that He does so for others…

and that radically changes things… its a revolutionary concept…because we don’t promise to fix a broken world – but to bring healing to those in it – even while we heal ourselves.