By-Product

Written by cycleguy on February 18th, 2013

Growing up near Pittsburgh I saw enough steel mills to last me for a long, long time.  There was a time before the Clean Air Act kicked in when it was 2-3:00 in the afternoon and it looked like midnight because there was that much mill dust in the air.  My mom once had a book with pictures showing a Before/After cleanup.  It was of the Mellon Bank Building- sort of “this is your white building before” and “this is your white building (that now looks white) after.”  It was nasty. We would clean our cars at 10:00 in the morning and by 2:00 they were covered in mill dust again.  Yeah, it was bad.

But, and this is a big but, there were advantages to all the steel production.   It is a by-product of that steel called slag.   We used to drive past a place that was nothing more than a huge, and I mean really huge, slag dump.  Year after year it was nothing but an unsightly black thing.  Then one day they started working on it.  I don’t know how many years it took but eventually it became known as Century III Mall, at that time the largest mall east of the Mississippi.  (That link explains everything).

Slag was a by-product of steel.  The mall, in a sense, is a by-product of the slag dump.

As I worked through my first day of Craveable, Artie brought up an interesting thought.  We will often try to impose our morality upon others.  “If you want to be acceptable then you will act like this or that.”  But when we think about  being craveable to others, morality is not what is craveable.  Consider what runs through so many peoples’ minds.  How do you measure morality?  Do we honestly think people will be drawn to how moral we are?  Really?  Muslims are moral.  Well, they’re supposed to be.  (I’m not sure how moral it is to blow up people for no reason at all).  Some of the cults are filled with moral people.

Morality is a by-product of our faith.  Like Spam.  Personally, I didn’t mind the taste of Spam.  My arteries weren’t crazy about it for sure.  But I know people who despise it. Spam was a by-product of pork left-overs.  It should never be our morality that sets us apart.

WHAT SETS US APART IS JESUS BEING SEEN IN US.

Until He does, people will not be interested in Him.  Their view of Him won’t change, and therefore they won’t change.  I have to admit that this rocked me Monday morning.  In fact, what a rude awakening!  Unless I go beyond morality I am no better than a Pharisee in Jesus’ day.  And we already know what He thought of them!   Artie put it this way: “Being craveable is me being like He.”

So, what do you think?  I’d like to hear your thoughts.

 

17 Comments so far ↓

  1. Love this thought. Too many moral people will find themselves in Hell. I want to spend time with Jesus and let Him rub off on every area of my life.

  2. Daniel says:

    Spot on with your points about morality. I know several folks who are great friends, loyal, supportive, and decent. They are not Christians.

  3. Jeff says:

    I think what screws up most religious people is that they don’t understand the difference between morality, sin, and legality. They may overlap but they are not the same things. There are sins which are not immoral. there are immoral behaviors that are not sins. And there are illegalities that are neither immoral or sins. Definitions: Immorality is a set of behaviors that all rational peoples would agree are harmful and need to be avoided. Sin is a religious concept that does not adhere to certain behavior as put forth by some supernatural being. And Illegality is just not following societal laws as passed by governments.
    Those things which are sins but not immoral are the areas religious people need to be very careful about. Example: Drinking may be a sin but it certainly is not immoral. Homosexuality may be a sin but it is not immoral.Marrying a nine year old girl may not be a sin(In some religions)but is generally considered immoral and illegal.
    I think this confusion of trying to make sin and morality agree is the main difference between deciding who is moral and who is not. It is possible to be a major sinner and very moral. It is also possible to be a non sinner and very immoral.(ex. Slaveowners)
    Just my thoughts

    • cycleguy says:

      I am not avoiding answering your comment jeff. I have read it three or four times now and while I agree with some of it, I would disagree with some of it. You do make a correct distinction I think on the difference between the three. As for sin being a religious concept by a “religious being” I will agree. However, because our worldview is different I would say sin is established by that religious being i.e. God. I don’t know if I would absolutely say drinking is a sin, but would say homosexuality (your example) is both a sin and immoral. I know you see differently than i do on that. Illegal would be speeding but sometimes even sticking to the posted limit is “immoral” (for example, going down a street where tons of kids are playing with total disregard for that fact although one is driving the speed limit). As for your last line/example. We are all sinners so I am not sure about that non-sinner phrase. 🙂 Also i am not sure about being a major sinner but moral. Morality should be a by-product of our character. I my case, a by-product of my relationship with jesus.

      • Jeff says:

        I agree that sin is established by a religious being. Thus for some eating pork is a sin. And not for others, whose God doesn’t have a problem with ham sandwiches. In neither case is it immoral. The same is true for homosexuals. All rational people,like you and me, do not agree that it is harmful. I just see it as someone who is not heterosexual by design. A difference but not an immoral one.
        In my worldview there is no such thing as sin. As I don’t believe there is a supernatural force in the mix. There is only morality and immorality. Sinfullness is a byproduct of your belief in the supernatural. Morality is the degree with which your actions conform to what all rational people determine is harmful or not harmful to society. It is not a byproduct of your character. It is your character.
        Morality evolves whereas I suppose sin does not. Slavery used to be moral and now it is not. Owning slaves never was a sin and I suppose still isn’t.
        For Christians to be more craveable they need to understand morality and sin are two different things. That was my only point. Holier than thou has nothing to do with more moral than thou.
        A Muslim that eats a pork chop is a sinner. But no less moral than if he never ate a pork chop. A homosexual is a sinner. But no less moral than if he were a heterosexual.

        • cycleguy says:

          You caught me on one thing Jeff. I should have clarified. Homosexuality is not immoral. Actions are. Wrong expression on my part. Still different worldview than yours. 🙂 thanks for the discussion.

          • Jeff says:

            Two gay guys having sex is no more immoral than two heterosexuals having sex. One may be a sin and one not. But moraly there is no difference. Definately different worldviews. But I have the utmost respect for your view and the positive things you are trying to do for people. I just caution you on labeling and excluding and talking down to the gay and lesbian children in your sphere of influence.

  4. Susan says:

    That’s why I take issue with this thought: “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” To me, it sounds condescending. I much prefer what Jesus said: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” All of us have sinned, and continue to sin. Simply loving your neighbor gives Jesus and the Holy Spirit room to work.

    • cycleguy says:

      I used to always use the phrase Susan. I am becoming discontented with it also for the same reason i reckon. I know those it is used against dislike it.

    • Jeff says:

      Susan I agree it is condescending. Much as if someone said they “Hate the belief but love the believer” I think Confucious had it right when he said to “Treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated yourself.”

  5. I think that morality was never really intended to be our sole method of being salt and light in the world. It surely is intended to be a part – a huge part. But ultimately we need to bring the content of our message into the equation. If I act moral, that doesn’t save anyone. I think, though, it buys me credibility to talk about why I’m different – and that’s when I get to talk about the gospel. And that’s what saves.
    I think it’s the same with letting Christ shine through me, or being craveable, or however it’s worded. The world is startled by our morality, our hope, our love, our joy – but ultimately all that does is buy us an interested audience. They need to hear WHY we’re that way.

    • cycleguy says:

      Totally agree with you about the credibility issue Loren. To call myself a Christ-follower but then have lousy morals closes the door. it should be a by-product of our following Jesus and gives us credibility.

  6. floyd says:

    Good stuff. Too often we want to “act” like the Pharisees and not take into account the inside looking like “dead men’s bones.”

    I got to catch up on my reading!

  7. Debbie says:

    This is really good .. .thank you for sharing Craveable with us as you read. 🙂 Just from the little experience I have with my hubby (not a believer) I’d say it has to be more than morality too. That alone can kind of put him off. I think if you aren’t living a particularly moral lifestyle, you aren’t going to be drawn to others who are. God bless you as you go through this book!