I love coming across a new adjective for God that I haven’t seen before–I get tired of “omnipotent” and “omniscient” all the time! So, it was a nice surprise when reading Practice in Christianity by Søren Kierkegaard to read about God’s recklessness, specifically as it relates to the radical nature of God’s love.
I think we have something to learn from a reckless God, particularly as revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus–he who risks eating with prostitutes, talking with strangers, touching lepers, and befriending outcasts. In Jesus we see a radical God who loves without boundaries and forgives without measure. Jesus wasn’t afraid to challenge the societal norms of his time, to flout religious laws when they got in the way of healing and grace, and to forgive the unforgiveable—even from the cross, in the shadow of his own death. And all this with no thought of self-preservation, no worry about what others thought of him, no attention to power, wealth and privilege. Pretty reckless, when you think about it.
So maybe we are called to be a little reckless too—not for the sake of our own gratification, but for the sake of the gospel in general, and for the neighbor in particular. I think we are called to risk the world’s scorn by standing up with the bullied and the vilified; I think we are called to challenge societal norms that say that some people are not as valuable as others because of their sexual orientation, religious affiliation or immigration status; I think we are called to risk our standing in the world, our possessions, our good name for the sake of those who have little. And all this with no thought of self-preservation, no worry about what others think of us, no attention to our own power, wealth and privilege. Pretty reckless, when you think about it.
The church could use a little more of God’s recklessness—and so could the world.
Happy Lutheran 