The lyrics of "Last Kiss" (J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers, 1964 release) have been knocking around in my head the last 24 hours. Not sure why. The chorus goes like this:
"Oh where oh where can my baby be
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world"
It ain't good theology, but it did have a beat. And a sad narrative. Kid on a date...daddy's car...they didn't get very far...rainy night...squealing tires...You get the drift. One final goodbye kiss, then the call to be good for the next 70 years, so "...I can see my baby when I leave this world."
When we're honest, we know it's impossible to be good for seven hours, never mind 70 years. Good as in "good enough." Good enough to be acceptable to a perfect God. But we still want to believe it, don't we?
I do. When I was a child, I liked "Last Kiss." I'm supposed to have put aside childish things many years ago, yet there are still times when I live by the beat and lyrics of that 1964 vinyl. To just be good enough. To get the ball of my salvation across the celestial goal line. To contribute to God's grace by toting up some good deeds as an input to my redemption.
There's a popular misconception about Christ, and what his atonement really means. And it plays exactly to what the human head wants to believe, the theology of Last Kiss. It goes like this: "Christ did a lot." Christ did a lot. Sounds like gospel, but it ain't. "Christ did a lot" means just that--He did a lot, but not quite enough. There's still space remaining for my own dollop of performance to get me square with God. Sounds appealing...perfectly suited to what we want to hear, to believe...but a lie all the same.
As Randy Pope reminds us in The Answer, Christ did it all. Not just a lot. Our role is simple...accept that truth. Accept Him. And then live out of that truth.
When I am moving to my Last Kiss rhythm, I can see the angels looking down. "Give it a break, man. Stop trying to rewrite the gospel, for heaven's sake. Just accept the good news, and rest in Him." Imagine all the space, energy and ego that would free up in my head--and my heart--if I actually did just rest in Him. My savior. My King.
And put aside those childish things.
Chris Joyce
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