I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it but I just had the phrase “Be excellent to each other!” go through my mind. For those of you over the age of thirty, you will recognize this iconic quote from the movies of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures. Now I will agree that these are probably the dumbest movies ever made. (And that’s why I would watch them) But if you look into the characters and what the movie was about you can start to catch some great principles of the Bible and to live life by.
Now just relax, I’m not going to start saying that Hollywood is a great place to find Biblical principles because it’s not. But I will say this, even Hollywood can not escape the natural principles of life that were originally instituted by God, no matter how hard they try. Let’s be honest, Bill and Ted got the expression from what we might know as the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one’s self would wish to be treated. The Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 b.c.) stated it negatively, “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you!” Jesus in turn, was not quoting Confucius but rather was giving us a summary of the Old Testament and what God wants us to do with the New Testament in one line. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Mt 7:1-2) At the center of this is a simple principle that Jesus gave to us. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. You can find this is Mt 22: 37-40.
Another line from the movies is this, “Ted, you and I have witnessed many things, but nothing as bodacious as what just happened. Besides, we told ourselves to listen to this guy.” I can totally see the story of Jesus and the disciples being made by a Bill and Ted remake with this quote in the story, Bill and Ted go back in time and meet up with themselves and tell them to listen to someone they have just met. How awesome… I mean How totally tubular of a story would that make if Peter and John were standing there when they met Jesus and a voice told them to listen to this guy! O wait, it happened when Jesus was baptized by John and God opened the heavens, a dove descended and He told them that this was His son with whom he is pleased with and that we should listen to him. Ok ok, that’s enough quotes from Bill and Ted for now but let’s think about these two things for just a moment.
One, BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER. Some people think that this means to just put up with whatever happens and keep the peace. Others think that this means to never have an agenda or set of thoughts and in doing so you will never be offended and can always be excellent with one another. Neither one is true and both ideals take a defensive posture. The statement to “be excellent to each other” or “do unto others as they do to you”, needs to be flipped into an offensive posture. Now pay attention here. We are not to offend and therefore be offensive but instead, we are to bring this attitude to others instead of just reacting to them and therefore we are on the offense, not the defense. Hang with me here, in the NIV Commentary by Mike Wilkins he says this “In other words, to fall into a pattern of life in which we judge others is to show that we are not true members of the kingdom of heaven. Absolute judgment is a categorical pronouncement of the guilt of another person as though this is the final word on a matter. At fault is a person who makes himself and his way of doing things and his opinion the absolute standard. He or she has usurped the place of God because only God can judge in this way.” So instead of judging try getting to know someone. Have a meal or a cup of coffee with them and really get to know them without thinking of all the ways they are screwing up and instead encourage them through how you live your life FOR God and not Against God. See what kind of a difference can be made when someone starts to have a hope in a prefurred future that includes doing life God’s way for a change.
Second, YOU AND I HAVE WITNESSED MANY THINGS, BUT NOTHING AS BODACIOUS AS WHAT JUST HAPPENED can and should take us back to the beginning. Our story as a human race does not really start at Genesis 3 but back at Genesis 1. We can not forget that before the first sin and all of the world as we know it went off the rails there was a creation. A beautiful and loving creator started everything with good. You, me, everyone else all came from a loving God that wants to have a relationship with you and I. And in all of this God wants for us to be excellent to each other and to him. That’s it. It’s not about a big set of rules. Although they do come into play to help us and not hurt us. Following God’s rules will help you stay out of some sticky situations and bad relationships but rules are not all that life is about. It is about living, living toward something and not just trying to get away from something. Spoiler alert… that something you’re looking for is God. Start today in chasing after how God wants you to live (you can find this in the Bible and also adding to that your ETHOS) and just start today. A farmer friend of mine tells me that the only way you can plant in a straight line is to look forward and not behind. Give it a try and see what happens.
In taking this year away I have had some of the most excellent adventures. From getting to see some of the most beautiful and interesting things our country has to offer to also have some of the most unexpected conversations I have ever had. I have been learning, filling in blanks of past mistakes and misunderstandings so as to learn from them and try not to repeat them, and dreaming of a preferred vision and future as God lays it out in front of me. Thanks for listening!
Now go Be Excellent To Each Other!
ETHOS 4 LIFE 