A friend and I were throwing around ideas about titles for the book I am working on. I was wondering out loud how to concisely communicate that I am a messed up, broken, often immature girl with a lot to say….hmmm. After a few ideas that might offend, she said, “How about ‘Twisted Sister’?” It may not win, but the idea is definitely worth writing about. It only took us a couple minutes to relate this to Jesus (nothin’ like mentioning Jesus to silence a room….). I am not like Him in more ways than I can count, but I am like him in a couple areas. We are both a little twisted. I don’t mean to be disrespectful of Jesus. I don’t mean to call him psychotic or anything. He just approaches things with a “twist” that was unheard of in his day and age. My writings are not that earth shattering, I realize. But I do see our “twisted-ness” relating in a couple ways:
1) We both like to twist/challenge the way people have always done it–or thought it. He is sort of famous for using the phrase, “you have heard it said (fill in the blank with something like “do not murder”) but I say to you (fill in the answer with something like “anyone who hates his brother has already murdered him in his heart).” He raised the bar and addressed the sins of the heart. The yucky stuff you can try to dress up and cover up but still lurks in the dark places of the soul. You might have read my blog “On Cussing”. That’s exactly the kind of thing I am saying. And hopefully, what I say lines up with Jesus when, even as he is calling people on the carpet, to live authentically, he also extends exorbitant amounts of grace and compassion.
2) We both interlace (or twist) truth and spiritual principals together with everyday life. Just look at all the parables that Jesus taught on. He used examples of people, places or things around him to make his point. He referred to scenarios that any person in his circle of influence would relate to. He shared how we should live by talking about a lost son, a lost coin, a lost sheet, a good citizen, a shrewd employee. I am pretty sure Jesus would have used squirrels (see my blog on “squirrels”) to make his point if he saw one running around Galilee. I have written on topics such as blood, platelets, Neil Diamond, Seinfeld, and going to the Dentist (that’s hard to make interesting, right?). If we are looking, God and His spirit can be “twisted” into everything that happens in any given day.
So there. I am not afraid to admit it: I am one “Twisted Sister”. But it seems I am in good company.
Sign up to receive Soul Selfie updates by email
