Last night Anita and I went to a small dinner party. There were four couples. It was a good night. Tasty food. Laughter. Some really good conversation.
I want to talk a bit about that really good conversation piece of the evening. Of late I’ve been lamenting the lost art of conversation. Last night I found it again. Here’s what happened. People kidded each other. Questions were asked. Tough subjects were covered (the mosque, the essence of democracy,terrorism, how to find meaning in life, children, faith, etc.). Smart and kind people were discussing some dicey issues and if truth be known not everyone agreed on everything. But there was no scurrying for cover, no fear of thinking out loud (at least I think not) and no need to convert someone else to a particular point of view. There was a nice exchange of ideas. It felt good. It was free and easy.
I've been at other gatherings where the food was tasty and people were happy. But it wasn't free and easy. No way was I going to talk about the mosque, faith, the care and feeding of children or the meaning of democracy. Why? Because it wasn’t safe. There was an unspoken party line that everyone was adhering to. Conversation was stilted, polite, but frankly boring. Everyone was on their best behavior so there were no contrary opinions or even gentle probing of issues and ideas. For sure, there was no invigorating give and take. Most people kept relatively quiet, smiled nicely, talked about the Cubs and the Bears and when it was all said and done were probably thankful that they had walked through a minefield and walked away relatively intact.
Over the past couple of years I’ve learned, that for the most part, most people don’t want good conversation and the thrill of the engagement. We have entrenched positions and are not eager to hear what others have to think. It’s a sign of the times. Additionally, I think most people have forgotten the value of a good question and the probing that’s necessary in order to discover what another really thinks and feels.
Christians stifle conversation all too often. In some faith circles there is a certain ‘group think’ everybody buys into. Whether that ‘group think’ tilts to the right or to the left doesn’t really matter. It pervades the culture of faith and anyone who does want to think ‘out loud’ and take a contrary point of view usually finds out its best to get along and go along. Too bad. We miss out on the variety within the body of Christ. And without hearing the other point of view we never get to that messy 'iron sharpening iron' the Scripture talks about.
I’ve often thought that the most interesting place to have ever been would be around a campfire with Jesus. I bet it was a rich conversation. Good questions. Some interesting give and take. Laughter. Moments of deep silence. I just have a hunch that Jesus loved the probing insight, the practical application question, and even the impetuous comment. It was part of the discipleship process.
So, last night was a good night. No world problems were solved but I felt listened to and taken seriously. I think others did too. How good is that?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thinking about Elections
If the news last night was accurate indications are that Tea Party’ candidates are catching some wind. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in November. Those elections and the next Presidential campaign should be interesting.
The GOP can't be happy that the right is getting crowded with splinter groups and the Democrats can’t pretend the deep discontent brewing across the nation is just a right wing skirmish. Maybe that crowding and that discontent will be the beginning of the end of business as usual. I'm not all that hopeful however.
It would be nice if both the GOP and Democrats started to realize that the 'same old-same old' is ticking people off. Playing to the cameras, lack of win-win solutions, brow beating, and name calling are taking its toll on the electorate. Unfortunately, it's giving life to 'haters'. It's scary to think that big mobs of people, all lacking impulse control, want to take back the government. Out of the frying pan into the fire, heh? Unfortunately, the existing political system plays to that hate and in their own ways encourage it.
The President began his term with great hope and optimism. I’ve got to give him ‘props’ for dealing with tough issues and handling a fair amount of heavy abuse. Charisma and perseverence isn’t going to be enough from this time forward, however. The administration has got to figure out a way of building some legislative coalitions to get the job done. Of course, that’s been the problem from the get go. No one has wanted to build coalitions and so we’re in this tedious position of trying to persuade heavily entrenched ideologues to compromise. Ain’t going to happen.
My guess is that the net impact of the fall’s election will hurt both parties. The Democrats will lose some congressional ground and state houses for sure but the GOP will also find itself playing in a congressional ballfield where some of their 'would be' teammates won't want to play by the existing rules. It could result in a do nothing congress of mammoth proportion. Of course, it could also lead to needed reforms. Those reforms are needed.
Democrats and Republicans alike have forgotten how to work together to the betterment of the country. That's already damaged our country and if the rhetoric doesn’t cool off in the next few years we’re going to be faced with a very divided country that doesn’t know how to ‘reason’ together. That’s what’s most scary to me. When we loose our ability to gain consensus then the lunatic fringes will fill in the gap.
I'm a big believer in America and our innate sense of goodness. We're losing our grip, though, on goodness. We don't know how to reason together anymore and civility is a lost art. We're dealing with very difficult issues and the discussion has been hijacked by too many who are acting only out of their self-interest and lacking the wisdom of history and the desire to look at something beyond their myopic point of view. Thus, we have too much posturing, finger pointing, and shouting instead of reasoned argument by people who seek first to understand.
Institutions, like the church are going to have to step up in major ways. More pulpits will have to have the courage to call their people to civic engagement without the limiting agenda of one or two issues that someone in Christendom has labeled as 'the issues' of the day. Are there enough faith leaders willing to lead beyond narrow parameters? And even if they're willing to lead is there anyone out there who has learned how to follow?
For people of faith I think we lead in the days ahead when we seek first the kingdom of God instead of trusting in the latest and best sound byte or headline.
The next couple of years should be very interesting.
The GOP can't be happy that the right is getting crowded with splinter groups and the Democrats can’t pretend the deep discontent brewing across the nation is just a right wing skirmish. Maybe that crowding and that discontent will be the beginning of the end of business as usual. I'm not all that hopeful however.
It would be nice if both the GOP and Democrats started to realize that the 'same old-same old' is ticking people off. Playing to the cameras, lack of win-win solutions, brow beating, and name calling are taking its toll on the electorate. Unfortunately, it's giving life to 'haters'. It's scary to think that big mobs of people, all lacking impulse control, want to take back the government. Out of the frying pan into the fire, heh? Unfortunately, the existing political system plays to that hate and in their own ways encourage it.
The President began his term with great hope and optimism. I’ve got to give him ‘props’ for dealing with tough issues and handling a fair amount of heavy abuse. Charisma and perseverence isn’t going to be enough from this time forward, however. The administration has got to figure out a way of building some legislative coalitions to get the job done. Of course, that’s been the problem from the get go. No one has wanted to build coalitions and so we’re in this tedious position of trying to persuade heavily entrenched ideologues to compromise. Ain’t going to happen.
My guess is that the net impact of the fall’s election will hurt both parties. The Democrats will lose some congressional ground and state houses for sure but the GOP will also find itself playing in a congressional ballfield where some of their 'would be' teammates won't want to play by the existing rules. It could result in a do nothing congress of mammoth proportion. Of course, it could also lead to needed reforms. Those reforms are needed.
Democrats and Republicans alike have forgotten how to work together to the betterment of the country. That's already damaged our country and if the rhetoric doesn’t cool off in the next few years we’re going to be faced with a very divided country that doesn’t know how to ‘reason’ together. That’s what’s most scary to me. When we loose our ability to gain consensus then the lunatic fringes will fill in the gap.
I'm a big believer in America and our innate sense of goodness. We're losing our grip, though, on goodness. We don't know how to reason together anymore and civility is a lost art. We're dealing with very difficult issues and the discussion has been hijacked by too many who are acting only out of their self-interest and lacking the wisdom of history and the desire to look at something beyond their myopic point of view. Thus, we have too much posturing, finger pointing, and shouting instead of reasoned argument by people who seek first to understand.
Institutions, like the church are going to have to step up in major ways. More pulpits will have to have the courage to call their people to civic engagement without the limiting agenda of one or two issues that someone in Christendom has labeled as 'the issues' of the day. Are there enough faith leaders willing to lead beyond narrow parameters? And even if they're willing to lead is there anyone out there who has learned how to follow?
For people of faith I think we lead in the days ahead when we seek first the kingdom of God instead of trusting in the latest and best sound byte or headline.
The next couple of years should be very interesting.
Achy Day
Sick. All through the day yesterday I was starting to get achy. Last night I was just so tired. Laid down and then the chills hit. Of course, that’s a precursor to high fever. Thankfully, the fever broke after a few hours. Today, I’m recovering. Napping. Taking it easy. Beat. I’m sure I’ll be fine tomorrow but today is one of those ‘blah’ recovery days where energy and desire are both low.
Not too many years ago I would have forged ahead and gutted ‘today’ out. I wouldn’t have adjusted my schedule but instead forced myself to go ‘full steam ahead’. Perhaps age and wisdom have truly wedded together somewhere deep inside me. If so, it’s certainly taken long enough.
It’s funny though. I have so much to do. Seriously, a lot. My to-do list is as long as my arm and both legs. And even though I know I don’t have the energy to really deal with much of anything (except writing my blog of course) I’m feeling discouraged about my lack of productivity. Instead of cutting myself slack, I’m heaping on guilt.
Maybe it’s shades of my Catholic upbringing and evangelical nurturing. “ If nothing else works,” I think I was taught,” start feeling guilty about something. “ Then, if memory serves correctly one is to “beat yourself up for not living up to expecations.”
I’ve been taught well how ‘to do’. I’m learning how ‘to be’.
If life has taught me anything it’s that ‘to do’ never ends and is a very exacting taskmaster. ‘To be’ is an art form that is only taught by the Spirit. “Come to me”, the Scripture says, “and learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Sickness is a show stopper and it’s a reality revealer. When I just can’t summon the energy ‘to do’ I’m reminded about how much of my life ‘doing’ has consumed. And in the ‘doing’ I lose touch with just ‘being’.
I’ll get to my ‘to do’ list I’m sure. Hopefully, I won’t disappoint too many people in the process. But in the present moment which is all I’m really guaranteed I need to deal with what is immediately before me and the good God who is here with me. In truth, that’s all any of us can do. We practice the sacrament of the present moment. And then we let tomorrow deal with tomorrow.
Not too many years ago I would have forged ahead and gutted ‘today’ out. I wouldn’t have adjusted my schedule but instead forced myself to go ‘full steam ahead’. Perhaps age and wisdom have truly wedded together somewhere deep inside me. If so, it’s certainly taken long enough.
It’s funny though. I have so much to do. Seriously, a lot. My to-do list is as long as my arm and both legs. And even though I know I don’t have the energy to really deal with much of anything (except writing my blog of course) I’m feeling discouraged about my lack of productivity. Instead of cutting myself slack, I’m heaping on guilt.
Maybe it’s shades of my Catholic upbringing and evangelical nurturing. “ If nothing else works,” I think I was taught,” start feeling guilty about something. “ Then, if memory serves correctly one is to “beat yourself up for not living up to expecations.”
I’ve been taught well how ‘to do’. I’m learning how ‘to be’.
If life has taught me anything it’s that ‘to do’ never ends and is a very exacting taskmaster. ‘To be’ is an art form that is only taught by the Spirit. “Come to me”, the Scripture says, “and learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Sickness is a show stopper and it’s a reality revealer. When I just can’t summon the energy ‘to do’ I’m reminded about how much of my life ‘doing’ has consumed. And in the ‘doing’ I lose touch with just ‘being’.
I’ll get to my ‘to do’ list I’m sure. Hopefully, I won’t disappoint too many people in the process. But in the present moment which is all I’m really guaranteed I need to deal with what is immediately before me and the good God who is here with me. In truth, that’s all any of us can do. We practice the sacrament of the present moment. And then we let tomorrow deal with tomorrow.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Mosque
There’s lots of talk about the mosque near ground zero. Should it be built or not? It sounds like the proposed center has every legal right to be built. The big question is whether it’s wise to break ground.
But bigger questions and issues swirl through my mind.
I get e-mails. I view Facebook postings. Most are from people calling themselves Christian. There’s a disturbing message coming through. It goes like this.
Terrorists caused the destruction of the Twin Towers and huge loss of life.
Those terrorists are Muslim.
All Muslims are terrorists.
Flawed logic. Coming from people of ‘faith’ it’s disconcerting to say the least. And out of this flawed place comes far too much rumor, innuendo, misconception and flat out lies.
I wrote on a Facebook thread recently that if I ever died in a terrorist attack I’d want to be remembered by friends and family with fervent bridge building efforts towards those who killed me. I wouldn’t want my memory to be tarnished by finger pointing, taunting, and exclusion. I certainly wouldn’t want a holy war to erupt. Christ beckons us to travel a more costly path.
Listen, I know there are extremists in the Muslim camp. They are ugly, ugly tools of Satan. We need to be ‘wise as serpents’ in strategizing against the dangers they bring. But we dare not put the label of extremist on all who pray to Allah. And we’re doing that. In the process we are creating an even greater divide.
Throughout history we have labeled certain people groups as ‘them’. Ask the Jews, ask African Americans, the Irish felt it, so did the Italians, certainly Hispanics. ‘Them’ are always portrayed as the enemy of 'us’. And we have paid the price for doing that. We will pay the price for doing that now.
Could it be that a whole lot of folks are just flat out afraid of the world that is changing before their eyes? We now live in a pluralistic culture. What was will never be again. The times have changed. And they are changing rapidly. But our Jesus hasn’t. He says:
Love your enemy.
Forgive.
Go the extra mile.
Don’t be surprised when you encounter evil.
Do good.
Pray for those who persecute you.
I don’t know what the right solution is regarding the ‘mosque’ in New York City. All I know is that there’s a lot of ‘hate’ being wrapped in red, white and blue. Hate isn’t the American way. It’s certainly not the way of Jesus.
If I was a Muslim listening to the rhetoric of recent days I’d be defensive and afraid. I certainly would not be open to embracing the Christian God. And I’d be very wary of even those who say “We don’t mind that a mosque is being built. Just not there.” America has a long history of NIMBY (not in my back yard). And so how close will be too close to ground zero …five blocks, a half mile, a different borough, a different state, or a different country.
I lost a colleague in the terrorist attack on America. Our church staff watched in stunned silence on 9/11. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for families who sat horrified knowing a loved one was dying and they were helpless in doing anything about it on that horrible day. So, I’m not trying to be cavalier about all this and it might be the wisest and most healing thing to not build that particular mosque in that particular place. Frankly, I don’t know. All I know is that a lot of the discussion around the issue is not the most uplifting.
‘Hate’ keeps us in a prison of bitterness. That’s not God’s place. And that’s not where we should land. I’m just thinking that the people of God need to have a different perspective and a different attitude. I’m not seeing that in the e-mail barrage of late. Hate is winning and it’s trying to disguise itself as the ‘cross of Christ’ wrapped in patriotism. Nope. Don’t buy it for a minute.
But bigger questions and issues swirl through my mind.
I get e-mails. I view Facebook postings. Most are from people calling themselves Christian. There’s a disturbing message coming through. It goes like this.
Terrorists caused the destruction of the Twin Towers and huge loss of life.
Those terrorists are Muslim.
All Muslims are terrorists.
Flawed logic. Coming from people of ‘faith’ it’s disconcerting to say the least. And out of this flawed place comes far too much rumor, innuendo, misconception and flat out lies.
I wrote on a Facebook thread recently that if I ever died in a terrorist attack I’d want to be remembered by friends and family with fervent bridge building efforts towards those who killed me. I wouldn’t want my memory to be tarnished by finger pointing, taunting, and exclusion. I certainly wouldn’t want a holy war to erupt. Christ beckons us to travel a more costly path.
Listen, I know there are extremists in the Muslim camp. They are ugly, ugly tools of Satan. We need to be ‘wise as serpents’ in strategizing against the dangers they bring. But we dare not put the label of extremist on all who pray to Allah. And we’re doing that. In the process we are creating an even greater divide.
Throughout history we have labeled certain people groups as ‘them’. Ask the Jews, ask African Americans, the Irish felt it, so did the Italians, certainly Hispanics. ‘Them’ are always portrayed as the enemy of 'us’. And we have paid the price for doing that. We will pay the price for doing that now.
Could it be that a whole lot of folks are just flat out afraid of the world that is changing before their eyes? We now live in a pluralistic culture. What was will never be again. The times have changed. And they are changing rapidly. But our Jesus hasn’t. He says:
Love your enemy.
Forgive.
Go the extra mile.
Don’t be surprised when you encounter evil.
Do good.
Pray for those who persecute you.
I don’t know what the right solution is regarding the ‘mosque’ in New York City. All I know is that there’s a lot of ‘hate’ being wrapped in red, white and blue. Hate isn’t the American way. It’s certainly not the way of Jesus.
If I was a Muslim listening to the rhetoric of recent days I’d be defensive and afraid. I certainly would not be open to embracing the Christian God. And I’d be very wary of even those who say “We don’t mind that a mosque is being built. Just not there.” America has a long history of NIMBY (not in my back yard). And so how close will be too close to ground zero …five blocks, a half mile, a different borough, a different state, or a different country.
I lost a colleague in the terrorist attack on America. Our church staff watched in stunned silence on 9/11. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for families who sat horrified knowing a loved one was dying and they were helpless in doing anything about it on that horrible day. So, I’m not trying to be cavalier about all this and it might be the wisest and most healing thing to not build that particular mosque in that particular place. Frankly, I don’t know. All I know is that a lot of the discussion around the issue is not the most uplifting.
‘Hate’ keeps us in a prison of bitterness. That’s not God’s place. And that’s not where we should land. I’m just thinking that the people of God need to have a different perspective and a different attitude. I’m not seeing that in the e-mail barrage of late. Hate is winning and it’s trying to disguise itself as the ‘cross of Christ’ wrapped in patriotism. Nope. Don’t buy it for a minute.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Saturday Afternoon Rant
I’m not an end-times nut. I have some aversion to the “I’m not predicting the end is coming but I’m packing my bags” type of folks. Some days though I wonder about the end of days. But I don't think I'm supposed to sit on my back deck, eyes to the heaven, waiting for the final trumpet.
It’s going to surprise me, I think, if we don’t end up just killing each other. There seems to be no end of stupid extremism all over the globe. The leadership of North Korea isn’t playing with a full deck, the Taliban are nasty, nasty fellows, and even in our country liberals and conservative don’t want to play anything less than win-lose games that ultimately will make us all the losers. Add to this all the climatic issues erupting all over the globe (anti global warming people take your shot) plus a growing mistrust of institutional power and we’ve got some real issues in our midst.
So, what do we do? We could shrug and say "Well, that's the way it is. Out of my control. Nothing I can do." But I think there is. If I read Scripture with any degree of discernment I still think God's people have a key role to play even in the most depressing of time.
Let me suggest three things.
Don’t give up. Fatalists abound. You see them and hear them all around us. The religious ones often wrap themselves in prophetic literature and just can’t wait for the next bad report on the news. Then they text and post to their little club of end-timers and look to the sky for their rapture and they're appointment with Jesus. They bide their time by listening to people just like themselves, finding support for myopic points of view.
Non-religious fatalists often wrap themselves in their apathy and indifference. "It's all going to hell in a handbasket" you'll hear them say but when asked to make the world a better place they check their smart-phone and mutter "I'm busy." Ugh. What a horrible way to live. They’ve given up.
Here's the deal. The Kingdom of God is here. We are to live into it with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. If we play little theological games that nobody really cares about and/or buys season tickets the 'Wide Wide World of Apathy and Indifference' all kinds of nasty things will happen to the good people God loves. We can and must continue to make a difference.
So, get on the solution side of something you care about. And if you don’t care then pray to our good God for both a pulse and a conscience. There’s plenty of solutions needing to be discovered and constant care that needs to be given Pick an issue ..the environment, orphans, abuse, poverty, slavery, hunger, injustice, education, immigration, etc. etc. Those are big things. Sure, you might be in charge of choosing the paint for the walls of your pre-school and think you’re busy but I’m saying we’ve got to attach ourselves to a bigger vision. We can do the normal things of life with our eyes closed. Of course, we coach our kids team and we support the PTA and we clean up the neighborhood park. And that might be the season of life you're in. If so, do it well and to the glory of God. But for many of us there is a growing sense of outrage about something happening in this big world of ours that is driving us absolutely crazy. I'm saying we need to dive into that deep discontent and then see what God does.
Get radical in your love of God. I think we play around with this thing called faith. At least I do all too often. I want to go deeper. So do you I bet.
We've abdicated 'faith' and let it become the playground of the nut-job, the apathetic, and the institution. That's why so many are walking away. They can't handle the anger or the lack of focus. Let's take it back. Let's quit praying to the God we've created and instead allow the the real God to shape us into what He wants. Too many people piddle around with stuff that doesn’t matter and ignore the radical call of God on their life. God loves us with a radical kind of love. Why wouldn’t we think He wants us locked in and focused on the Kingdom agenda He’s laid out?
It’s going to surprise me, I think, if we don’t end up just killing each other. There seems to be no end of stupid extremism all over the globe. The leadership of North Korea isn’t playing with a full deck, the Taliban are nasty, nasty fellows, and even in our country liberals and conservative don’t want to play anything less than win-lose games that ultimately will make us all the losers. Add to this all the climatic issues erupting all over the globe (anti global warming people take your shot) plus a growing mistrust of institutional power and we’ve got some real issues in our midst.
So, what do we do? We could shrug and say "Well, that's the way it is. Out of my control. Nothing I can do." But I think there is. If I read Scripture with any degree of discernment I still think God's people have a key role to play even in the most depressing of time.
Let me suggest three things.
Don’t give up. Fatalists abound. You see them and hear them all around us. The religious ones often wrap themselves in prophetic literature and just can’t wait for the next bad report on the news. Then they text and post to their little club of end-timers and look to the sky for their rapture and they're appointment with Jesus. They bide their time by listening to people just like themselves, finding support for myopic points of view.
Non-religious fatalists often wrap themselves in their apathy and indifference. "It's all going to hell in a handbasket" you'll hear them say but when asked to make the world a better place they check their smart-phone and mutter "I'm busy." Ugh. What a horrible way to live. They’ve given up.
Here's the deal. The Kingdom of God is here. We are to live into it with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. If we play little theological games that nobody really cares about and/or buys season tickets the 'Wide Wide World of Apathy and Indifference' all kinds of nasty things will happen to the good people God loves. We can and must continue to make a difference.
So, get on the solution side of something you care about. And if you don’t care then pray to our good God for both a pulse and a conscience. There’s plenty of solutions needing to be discovered and constant care that needs to be given Pick an issue ..the environment, orphans, abuse, poverty, slavery, hunger, injustice, education, immigration, etc. etc. Those are big things. Sure, you might be in charge of choosing the paint for the walls of your pre-school and think you’re busy but I’m saying we’ve got to attach ourselves to a bigger vision. We can do the normal things of life with our eyes closed. Of course, we coach our kids team and we support the PTA and we clean up the neighborhood park. And that might be the season of life you're in. If so, do it well and to the glory of God. But for many of us there is a growing sense of outrage about something happening in this big world of ours that is driving us absolutely crazy. I'm saying we need to dive into that deep discontent and then see what God does.
Get radical in your love of God. I think we play around with this thing called faith. At least I do all too often. I want to go deeper. So do you I bet.
We've abdicated 'faith' and let it become the playground of the nut-job, the apathetic, and the institution. That's why so many are walking away. They can't handle the anger or the lack of focus. Let's take it back. Let's quit praying to the God we've created and instead allow the the real God to shape us into what He wants. Too many people piddle around with stuff that doesn’t matter and ignore the radical call of God on their life. God loves us with a radical kind of love. Why wouldn’t we think He wants us locked in and focused on the Kingdom agenda He’s laid out?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Reunion
I went to a family reunion a few weeks past. Lots of driving for four hours of family time. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
There are people in our life who anchor us. There are places we remember that call us back. I needed to find that anchor and those memories again.
The Murphy clan is not an ushy, gushy share your feelings type of people. Like many with Minnesota roots feelings are acknowledged to be part of the human condition but just not shared in public. Our family isn’t particularly nosy so gatherings are relatively safe and tempers only flare up when contesting who’s closer in bocce ball or whether one is safe or out on the softball field.
But they are my people.
We gather together where we’ve always gathered. We go to Hermantown, to Mary’s place. Mary is my aunt. She’s lived in the same house all of her life. She's never wanted to live anyplace else. For me, it evokes a 'sense of place' that is sacred in my memory.
The simple brick home was built in 1937 as part of FDR’s plan to help end the depression. The rules were simple. The head of household needed to be working but the family still needed to qualify as being poor. And the family had to be willing to ‘work’ the ten acres allotted them. So my grandfather and grandmother and their four boys found a home. A few years later my aunt Mary was born. The original 1,000 sq. ft., three bedroom home has seen no expansion. It is what it was for the most part except for some needed interior remodeling.
The family is larger now but only four live in Hermantown. And the rest of us are scattered. We’ve had marriages and divorces, births and deaths, disappointments and intrigue. Mary Murphy is running for her eighteenth consecutive term as a state legislator. My family consists of pipefitters, ski champions, a liquor store owner, ministers (that’s me), teachers, principals, government workers, milk truck drivers, financial planners, a lawyer, business people, a school counselor in training, executive assistants, a social worker, a nurse, bartenders, a realtor, writers, a radio talk show host …and more.
Out of a tiny home in a tiny place in northern Minnesota our family has degrees of varying stripes from St. John’s, St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, American University, Fairfield, St. Louis, Wisconsin, Georgetown, Loyola Chicago, Illinois, Hope, Missouri, National Louis, Bowling Green, UNLV, and Moody. In the next few years we'll have a UMD and Minnesota grad.
Our family is filled with athletes and musicians, readers and wonderers. My aunt would die if she thought we had spawned Republicans (she introduced me to Hubert Humphrey back in the day) although I'm quite sure both red and blue our represented in our midst. We have stay-in-one place types and those who like to wander. Some love God deeply. Others probably not. It's a Catholic family for the most part but some, like me, have chosen other Christian pathways.
It's not about the degree or the job as we all know. It's not about political persuasion or sense of adventure or not. All this is part of the ongoing story of a family on the move. I just find it fascinating to think about the diversity of vocation, avocation, conviction and education. Kind of amazing when one thinks about it. And the good news is that, for the most part,we appear to be pretty solid folk making a positive footprint in today’s world. Not all families can claim that I bet.
So the reunion was good for me. It reminded me of my roots and gave me a greater appreciation for my own journey of faith and life. That always has value.
Sometimes when we think of America we get caught up in the big issues of the day and age. And these are things we need to be paying attention to. Sometimes, though, it behooves us all to just stop long enough to see the bigger picture. It’s helpful to remember and to return to those places and people that have meaning. It helps give perspective. And it reminds us that there is an awful lot that’s good and beautiful in this world of ours. And the Murphy family from Hermantown is one of those good and beautiful things.
There are people in our life who anchor us. There are places we remember that call us back. I needed to find that anchor and those memories again.
The Murphy clan is not an ushy, gushy share your feelings type of people. Like many with Minnesota roots feelings are acknowledged to be part of the human condition but just not shared in public. Our family isn’t particularly nosy so gatherings are relatively safe and tempers only flare up when contesting who’s closer in bocce ball or whether one is safe or out on the softball field.
But they are my people.
We gather together where we’ve always gathered. We go to Hermantown, to Mary’s place. Mary is my aunt. She’s lived in the same house all of her life. She's never wanted to live anyplace else. For me, it evokes a 'sense of place' that is sacred in my memory.
The simple brick home was built in 1937 as part of FDR’s plan to help end the depression. The rules were simple. The head of household needed to be working but the family still needed to qualify as being poor. And the family had to be willing to ‘work’ the ten acres allotted them. So my grandfather and grandmother and their four boys found a home. A few years later my aunt Mary was born. The original 1,000 sq. ft., three bedroom home has seen no expansion. It is what it was for the most part except for some needed interior remodeling.
The family is larger now but only four live in Hermantown. And the rest of us are scattered. We’ve had marriages and divorces, births and deaths, disappointments and intrigue. Mary Murphy is running for her eighteenth consecutive term as a state legislator. My family consists of pipefitters, ski champions, a liquor store owner, ministers (that’s me), teachers, principals, government workers, milk truck drivers, financial planners, a lawyer, business people, a school counselor in training, executive assistants, a social worker, a nurse, bartenders, a realtor, writers, a radio talk show host …and more.
Out of a tiny home in a tiny place in northern Minnesota our family has degrees of varying stripes from St. John’s, St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, American University, Fairfield, St. Louis, Wisconsin, Georgetown, Loyola Chicago, Illinois, Hope, Missouri, National Louis, Bowling Green, UNLV, and Moody. In the next few years we'll have a UMD and Minnesota grad.
Our family is filled with athletes and musicians, readers and wonderers. My aunt would die if she thought we had spawned Republicans (she introduced me to Hubert Humphrey back in the day) although I'm quite sure both red and blue our represented in our midst. We have stay-in-one place types and those who like to wander. Some love God deeply. Others probably not. It's a Catholic family for the most part but some, like me, have chosen other Christian pathways.
It's not about the degree or the job as we all know. It's not about political persuasion or sense of adventure or not. All this is part of the ongoing story of a family on the move. I just find it fascinating to think about the diversity of vocation, avocation, conviction and education. Kind of amazing when one thinks about it. And the good news is that, for the most part,we appear to be pretty solid folk making a positive footprint in today’s world. Not all families can claim that I bet.
So the reunion was good for me. It reminded me of my roots and gave me a greater appreciation for my own journey of faith and life. That always has value.
Sometimes when we think of America we get caught up in the big issues of the day and age. And these are things we need to be paying attention to. Sometimes, though, it behooves us all to just stop long enough to see the bigger picture. It’s helpful to remember and to return to those places and people that have meaning. It helps give perspective. And it reminds us that there is an awful lot that’s good and beautiful in this world of ours. And the Murphy family from Hermantown is one of those good and beautiful things.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Why worry?
I know what worry can do. A couple of years ago I had a heart attack. After clogged arteries and other physical things were ruled out it didn’t take a genius to figure out that stress had been wreaking havoc on my life. I had made some tough ministry calls, made enemies of the wrong people, doubted my judgment in a few areas, and made some relational and leadership missteps. It wore on me. And instead of seeking the kingdom of God where everything was still AOK …I decided to worry. And worry took it’s toll. The doc said “It’s a shot over the bow of your ship.” Don’t ignore it.
And so I had a choice. I could go back to what got me into trouble in the first place …the worry that led to my stress that effected my body or ….seek first the kingdom of God.
There’s a cultural narrative that many of us buy into. It goes like this.
If I keep my nose relatively clean, work hard, go to church, pay my taxes, contribute to charity and involve myself in the community I deserve a good life. In other words if I keep the rules I like to keep then I should get rewarded for keeping them. I bet you buy into it in one way, shape or form.
The problem is that life gets rather discouraging when someone gets a bad medical diagnosis, denied a promotion, or don’t make the A list or A team That’s not the payoff we’re looking for. We feel entitled to a smooth road. And when we don’t get that smooth road we get ticked, angry at times. We point fingers, worry a lot and decide not to trust a God we really don’t know very well.
This is an entitlement narrative that clashes with an even cursory reading of Scripture. The biblical narrative shows us rather conclusively that bad things, do indeed, happen to good people and that God’s ways aren’t our ways. When push comes to shove the ‘entitlement narrative’ can’t help us in both the tough and eternal places of life.
The apostle Paul points to a biblical perspective that can shape our lives in helpful ways. It’s a theology of the kingdom of God. Paul was able to withstand much because He knew who is was and what kingdom was shaping him. And it wasn’t the kingdom of the Roman culture. Nope it was the kingdom of God. He says in Corinthians 2. We will be afflicted, perplexed, struck down and even persecuted in this life but affliction doesn’t have to crush us, being perplexed doesn’t have to lead to despair, being persecuted and struck down doesn’t mean that we’re forsaken or destroyed.
Paul can say this because who he is and where he lives his life isn’t rooted in self-serving personal philosophy.
Paul had his identity as a child of God. He knew Christ dwelt within him and that he was living in the unshakeable kingdom of God where God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
If, like Paul, we can live in the reality of God’s kingdom knowing we are loved and cared for by a good and gracious God then life begins to make sense and many of the things that occupy our thoughts and dreams and cause us stress, strain, and hour after hour after hour after hour of worry begin to get smaller, even go away.
In this world of ours recessions will come and go, illness strikes, grades go bad, promotions are denied. basements flood and people die. These things challenge our deep seated sense of entitlement. Life doesn’t feel safe or secure. It’s easy to become testy, frazzled, stressed and worried.
The more I think, pray, and read none of these things can harm those who live in the kingdom of God for their identity and residence is secure. In God’s kingdom, there is a sense of security even in the midst of the most difficult things. That’s why Paul was able to say. “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” There’s a way of looking at life that is from God’s perspective not our own. It requires us to seek the kingdom of God in all things. If we die, we step into the arms of God and our destiny. If we miss a promotion we can learn how to trust God for something better, perhaps different. If our basement floods we can see it for what it is …an inconvenience and a pain. It's not the end of the world. In all things we seek the kingdom of God. In all things. All things.
How many times have we heard of people living in the kingdom who serve as an inspiration as they faced inevitable tough times? We wonder why they are not angry with God and testy with us. I think it’s because they are linking their story to the bigger narrative. They know who they are and where they are. They are God’s child, with Christ at their center, and they live in the unshakeable kingdom of God.
And that’s why throughout Scripture God says ‘don’t worry about anything’. And it only makes sense if we are rooted and nurtured by the kingdom.
My spiritual director tells me often to live in the present moment, in the presence of God. He tells me that this is the key to the Christian life. Nothing more. Nothing less. He urges me to stop worrying and to start trusting and to live righteously, doing the right things in the right way with the right attitude. Now. He's right. Worry doesn’t add a single hour to my life or to my satisfaction. In fact, it diminishes it.
I’m realizing that I can waste this moment with worry or I can seek God and His kingdom. The truth of the matter is that we have to learn to deal with whatever the present moment gives us. Satan wants us to avoid the sacrament of the present moment. And so worry becomes one of his tools keeping us from entering into whatever the present moment has for us. The present moment is where God beckons us. And He says: ‘Don’t worry. Trust me. I’m good. All the time. All the time I’m good.'
P.S. Read the three books by James Bryan Smith called The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautiful Life and The Good and Beautiful Community. Excellent.
And so I had a choice. I could go back to what got me into trouble in the first place …the worry that led to my stress that effected my body or ….seek first the kingdom of God.
There’s a cultural narrative that many of us buy into. It goes like this.
If I keep my nose relatively clean, work hard, go to church, pay my taxes, contribute to charity and involve myself in the community I deserve a good life. In other words if I keep the rules I like to keep then I should get rewarded for keeping them. I bet you buy into it in one way, shape or form.
The problem is that life gets rather discouraging when someone gets a bad medical diagnosis, denied a promotion, or don’t make the A list or A team That’s not the payoff we’re looking for. We feel entitled to a smooth road. And when we don’t get that smooth road we get ticked, angry at times. We point fingers, worry a lot and decide not to trust a God we really don’t know very well.
This is an entitlement narrative that clashes with an even cursory reading of Scripture. The biblical narrative shows us rather conclusively that bad things, do indeed, happen to good people and that God’s ways aren’t our ways. When push comes to shove the ‘entitlement narrative’ can’t help us in both the tough and eternal places of life.
The apostle Paul points to a biblical perspective that can shape our lives in helpful ways. It’s a theology of the kingdom of God. Paul was able to withstand much because He knew who is was and what kingdom was shaping him. And it wasn’t the kingdom of the Roman culture. Nope it was the kingdom of God. He says in Corinthians 2. We will be afflicted, perplexed, struck down and even persecuted in this life but affliction doesn’t have to crush us, being perplexed doesn’t have to lead to despair, being persecuted and struck down doesn’t mean that we’re forsaken or destroyed.
Paul can say this because who he is and where he lives his life isn’t rooted in self-serving personal philosophy.
Paul had his identity as a child of God. He knew Christ dwelt within him and that he was living in the unshakeable kingdom of God where God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
If, like Paul, we can live in the reality of God’s kingdom knowing we are loved and cared for by a good and gracious God then life begins to make sense and many of the things that occupy our thoughts and dreams and cause us stress, strain, and hour after hour after hour after hour of worry begin to get smaller, even go away.
In this world of ours recessions will come and go, illness strikes, grades go bad, promotions are denied. basements flood and people die. These things challenge our deep seated sense of entitlement. Life doesn’t feel safe or secure. It’s easy to become testy, frazzled, stressed and worried.
The more I think, pray, and read none of these things can harm those who live in the kingdom of God for their identity and residence is secure. In God’s kingdom, there is a sense of security even in the midst of the most difficult things. That’s why Paul was able to say. “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” There’s a way of looking at life that is from God’s perspective not our own. It requires us to seek the kingdom of God in all things. If we die, we step into the arms of God and our destiny. If we miss a promotion we can learn how to trust God for something better, perhaps different. If our basement floods we can see it for what it is …an inconvenience and a pain. It's not the end of the world. In all things we seek the kingdom of God. In all things. All things.
How many times have we heard of people living in the kingdom who serve as an inspiration as they faced inevitable tough times? We wonder why they are not angry with God and testy with us. I think it’s because they are linking their story to the bigger narrative. They know who they are and where they are. They are God’s child, with Christ at their center, and they live in the unshakeable kingdom of God.
And that’s why throughout Scripture God says ‘don’t worry about anything’. And it only makes sense if we are rooted and nurtured by the kingdom.
My spiritual director tells me often to live in the present moment, in the presence of God. He tells me that this is the key to the Christian life. Nothing more. Nothing less. He urges me to stop worrying and to start trusting and to live righteously, doing the right things in the right way with the right attitude. Now. He's right. Worry doesn’t add a single hour to my life or to my satisfaction. In fact, it diminishes it.
I’m realizing that I can waste this moment with worry or I can seek God and His kingdom. The truth of the matter is that we have to learn to deal with whatever the present moment gives us. Satan wants us to avoid the sacrament of the present moment. And so worry becomes one of his tools keeping us from entering into whatever the present moment has for us. The present moment is where God beckons us. And He says: ‘Don’t worry. Trust me. I’m good. All the time. All the time I’m good.'
P.S. Read the three books by James Bryan Smith called The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautiful Life and The Good and Beautiful Community. Excellent.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Costly
Years ago I read a book called “The Cost of Discipleship”. It argued against notions of cheap grace. The book was written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, who was killed by the Nazis at the very end of World War II. Bonhoeffer was safely ensconced in the United States and could have very easily chosen to ‘ride out’ the war but instead chose a much costlier road by deciding to return to Germany. He became part of the conspiracy to kill Hitler. That involvement led to his death by hanging.
Eric Metaxas has written a biography of this pastor, martyr, prophet and spy. It’s simply entitled Bonhoeffer. Read it. Grapple with it. Be challenged by it.
Throughout the book I wondered how I would act and react in the face of great tyranny. If evil has a face it must be that of Hitler and his cronies. Cruel and unmeasured the Third Reich marched headlong into acts of cruelty that when spoken of today still stun our sensibilities. And yet men and women stood up against that evil conspiring to encourage the downtrodden and to bring evil to its knees. So unspeakable were the crimes against humanity that men like Bonhoeffer struggled mightily with how to be a person of faith in the midst of it all. Many realized that it would take the power of God to combat the denizens of hell that draped themselves in Nazi brown.
The essence of Bonhoeffer’s theology could be summed up by two words. Only God. And, thus,those who believed in Jesus were called to follow a path of complete and total surrender to His cause no matter what the cost. Christians were those did the will of God. Radically. Courageously.Joyfully. Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived that kind of discipleship life and it is the reason we remember him.
In today’s world we rant and rave against anything that inconveniences us. All we need to do is open the paper or click to a website and discover what we’re for or against on this day or the next. We bicker and scuffle about a variety of issues. Christians are in the fray staking out residence on both the right and left and in the safe middle. When push comes to shove our blustering, much of the time, is just that …bluster. We will slap a bumper sticker on the car and send an occasional e-mail to congress but that’s about it. It’s too easy to go along and get along. Our commitments are neither radical nor courageous and thus rarely joyful.
We have become tame here in the west I think. Nothing seems to challenge our resolve and our faith in such a way that makes us want to change, challenge or rise up. We know little of costly faith but live magnificently well with the adornments of cheap grace. And we pay the price for all of that. I have to chuckle whenever I think of missionaries from developing countries arriving on our shores to deliver us from our soft notions of discipleship.
Of course, there are exceptions. Many of them. Maybe even you (just don't assume it). We know them because they often give up security and privilege in order to live more simply and differently emboldened by a gospel agenda. Their example challenges our thinking and lifestyle. There are those who have discovered a ‘holy discontent’ and move with determination to remedy wrongs and to heal the broken often going to battle against the current faces of evil. We are encouraged by their witness for it stirs something in our napping souls.
So, as I finished Bonhoeffer today I wondered about myself. I’ll let you wonder about you. Am I someone who lives in such a way that is bold, courageous, radical and joyful? Or have I settled for slip-sliding down the slide of cultural contentment and cheap grace Christianity? Has my faith become all about ‘me’, my lifestyle, my dreams, and my hopes? Have I become so inwardly focused that I can’t see ‘Jesus in a distressing disguise’? Do I accommodate evil instead of warring against it? Have I bought into a message of the gospel that allows me to stand pat? Pretty nifty questions I think. Harder answers.
Ah, what a great read Bonhoeffer has proven to be. It’s challenged both my thinking and my heart. Can’t ask a book to do better than that. I hope you'll read it. May it mess with your head and heart the way it's messed with mine.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Free Agent Madness
The whole NBA free agent thing was a little out of whack wasn’t it? Millions of dollars were spent by the media to cover a story about sport franchises wanting to offer millions of dollars to young men who already had millions of dollars.
Now, I enjoy sports as much as the next person. I’ve played and coached just about every major sport and enjoying rooting for a whole lot of teams. I watched the World Cup final today and saw Lance get knocked out of the Tour de France. So, I’m not anti-sport. Nor am I dull about the huge economic and positive emotional impact sports teams can have on cities both large and small all across the country. But this whole feeding frenzy over LeBron, Dwayne, Chris, et. al. went a tad bit over the line. It was too much emphasis on something that shouldn’t matter all that much.
Maybe it’s a sign of the times that we play up and obsess over who signs what contract where. In some ways, it sure opened doors for discussion around water coolers all across America. Perhaps it helped take our mind off of weightier matters. But when push comes to shove it was pure overkill.
Even fan reaction to who signed who was a little crazy. I’m sorry. When a basketball player switches jerseys it shouldn’t cause pain, blame, tears or over-the-top angry letters. But in the case of LeBron it did just that. And you want to just look at those who are in tears and on the verge of dangerous anger and beg them to get a life.
Listening to sports radio is always hazardous to one’s health. I’ve always thought that some stations hire personalities who are just little hooligans who are as dangerous, in their own way, as the gang bangers who indulge in drive by shootings. The vacuous nature of the sports landscape came to full fruition this week as stations filled valuable minutes with hearsay, rumor and innuendo. Such things, however, seem to fuel the American dream and psyche these days.
I think what finally busted my chops was realizing that gazillions of dollars were being spent on not much really while real needs go unmet in communities all across America. It doesn’t seem right that we can give athletes 80 million dollars and not care about schools that are underfunded. Things really are out of whack.
There’s no real answer to any of this. I’m not advocating a boycott of anything. And if someone has good tickets to the Bulls, Bears, Fire, Sox, or even Cubs …I’ll take them off your hand. I guess this whole week just reminded me of what’s important and what’s really not. Free agency isn’t on the ‘real important’ list. And we somehow made it bigger than it ever deserves to be. Maybe that’s what saddens me. We have this amazing ability to inflate the unimportant and to keep our eyes closed to those things that really matter.
It’s a little wake up call. The only good news is that the Bulls got Carlos Boozer. He’ll help lead the Bulls to the championship next June. That will be worth fixating on …right?
Now, I enjoy sports as much as the next person. I’ve played and coached just about every major sport and enjoying rooting for a whole lot of teams. I watched the World Cup final today and saw Lance get knocked out of the Tour de France. So, I’m not anti-sport. Nor am I dull about the huge economic and positive emotional impact sports teams can have on cities both large and small all across the country. But this whole feeding frenzy over LeBron, Dwayne, Chris, et. al. went a tad bit over the line. It was too much emphasis on something that shouldn’t matter all that much.
Maybe it’s a sign of the times that we play up and obsess over who signs what contract where. In some ways, it sure opened doors for discussion around water coolers all across America. Perhaps it helped take our mind off of weightier matters. But when push comes to shove it was pure overkill.
Even fan reaction to who signed who was a little crazy. I’m sorry. When a basketball player switches jerseys it shouldn’t cause pain, blame, tears or over-the-top angry letters. But in the case of LeBron it did just that. And you want to just look at those who are in tears and on the verge of dangerous anger and beg them to get a life.
Listening to sports radio is always hazardous to one’s health. I’ve always thought that some stations hire personalities who are just little hooligans who are as dangerous, in their own way, as the gang bangers who indulge in drive by shootings. The vacuous nature of the sports landscape came to full fruition this week as stations filled valuable minutes with hearsay, rumor and innuendo. Such things, however, seem to fuel the American dream and psyche these days.
I think what finally busted my chops was realizing that gazillions of dollars were being spent on not much really while real needs go unmet in communities all across America. It doesn’t seem right that we can give athletes 80 million dollars and not care about schools that are underfunded. Things really are out of whack.
There’s no real answer to any of this. I’m not advocating a boycott of anything. And if someone has good tickets to the Bulls, Bears, Fire, Sox, or even Cubs …I’ll take them off your hand. I guess this whole week just reminded me of what’s important and what’s really not. Free agency isn’t on the ‘real important’ list. And we somehow made it bigger than it ever deserves to be. Maybe that’s what saddens me. We have this amazing ability to inflate the unimportant and to keep our eyes closed to those things that really matter.
It’s a little wake up call. The only good news is that the Bulls got Carlos Boozer. He’ll help lead the Bulls to the championship next June. That will be worth fixating on …right?
Friday, July 09, 2010
Really?
Spending some time with the Sermon on the Mount recently had me thinking: “Is Jesus serious about all this?”
Specifically, I was spending time reflecting on the loving enemies and not seeking revenge passages. It’s a hard sell. Culturally, most people are acclimated to striking back, getting the upper hand, looking strong and taking no enemies. We’re taught that at every turn. “Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” makes sense except, of course, when it’s our eye and our teeth someone is coming for.
Jumping into the cultural cauldron of his time Jesus tries to teach a new love language and I wonder how much people were really buying into it. He was saying that it’s important to go the extra mile and to turn the other cheek. He was trying to teach both the language and actions of the kingdom of God. And that involves often doing both the unnatural and unthinkable.
Read Matthew 5: 38-48. It’s a clear call not to root ourselves in the laws of reciprocity but instead to root ourselves in the habits of the kingdom.
At first blush it does look impractical. Who wants to get run over and taken advantage of? Who wants to be stepped on? Who wants to be seen as a second class citizen?
Then comes the ‘aha’ moment. Have I just taken a kingdom possibility and made it only about ‘me’? Isn't that what most of us do all the time? Isn't that our default position? We don't like this tax because there's 'less' for me? We don't like this company policy because it means "I" have to change?
It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about God and His Kingdom. Is it possible that God’s purposes could be better served in the midst of us being stretched, pulled, run over, cheated, manipulated, and inconvenienced? Could it be that my sense of entitlement stands in the way of God revealing Himself in rather remarkable ways in and through my life?
If we were truly Kingdom people what would others see in our response to unjust situations?
What I’m realizing about myself is that I can put myself right into the middle of a passage of Scripture and belligerently look Jesus in the eye and say, “You’re wrong. This won’t work.” Or I can say, “Ok, this might work but immediately start looking for the loopholes. And I have to wonder why I’m so quick to doubt Jesus and is my insatiable quest for loopholes making me the modern day equivalent of a Pharisaical theological hair splitter.
As long I’m being belligerent and seeking loopholes I won’t get it. And what I need to get is that sometimes I’m vindictive and unforgiving. I seek revenge and don’t want to walk one mile let alone two. I want to hold grudges and not pray for my enemies. It’s my lack of love that creates a bit of a living hell for those in my relational networks. And when I don’t allow Jesus to write a new kingdom language on my heart I fall dismally short of what citizenship in the kingdom of God needs to look like. And if I don't allow Jesus to script something new in me I'm admitting that I have a better way. Sure I do.
It’s been said that the way of Jesus hasn’t been tried and found wanting. Nope. More often than not it hasn’t been tried. Jesus is always about the kingdom of God and in that kingdom people think, speak, and act differently and they do so even if it is at odds with the rest of the culture. So …
Instead of striking back you allow someone to hit you again.
Instead of carrying someone else’s burden one mile you go two.
Instead of an eye for an eye for an eye you love and pray for your enemies.
We have to understand that Jesus is not whistling in the wind. Jesus is saying that this is what kingdom people do. They aim higher and live differently. And they take it so seriously that it becomes the habit of their life. And those habits will allow us to seek first the kingdom of God. That’s the goal. Of course, I’m not talking about being a chump or arguing against fleeing from abuse or not standing up to evil. Not at all. But is there a ‘kingdom response and way’ we all too easily ignore? I think so.
Years ago in South Africa the Sermon on the Mount became the means to the end of a particularly ugly chapter in that countries history. Apartheid stripped the majority non-white population of many rights. It led to corruption, false imprisonments and insane violence. In 1994 free elections were held and Nelson Mandela was elected president
Mandela ended up appointing Archbishop Desmond Tutu to head the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a Kingdom of God way of bringing ugly truth to the light of day without exacting revenge.
The Commission allowed both victim and oppressor to meet before a tribunal. If the oppressor faced his accusers and confessed to wrongdoing he/she would not be prosecuted for crimes committed. Mandela took heat from many about the lack of justice in the process. Mandela believed that his country needed healing more than justice. He knew that any attempt to punish would only continue a deadly cycle of retribution. So, he chose the harder road.
On many occasions victims and oppressors met on this common ground. And many times you could see God visibly at work. Instead of hate, love won out. Instead of revenge, forgiveness was offered. Instead of rage, reconciliation took place.
When that happened justice was probably not served well. People didn’t get what they deserved. But when grace descended the earth became a bit more like the kingdom of God. And it gets our attention.
Nations certainly need to pursue justice and establish strong laws. There comes a point when justice and law keeping reaches a dead end. Justice helps us manage and order life but more is needed. It is the power of God welling up to go beyond hate and getting even. Ghandi said it well “Keep on with an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and the whole world will soon be both blind and toothless.”
Jesus set forth another way. It’s a way of grace. Paul tells us “Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.” We are called to be dispensers of God’s grace. We are never more like the Father than when we love those who don’t love us. And we’re never more thankful than when we are loved when we don’t deserve it.
The way of love, the extra effort, aiming for more than just keeping the law is the kingdom pathway.
What does this mean for you? Not sure exactly. For me, it means taking a look at those 'it's all about me' attitudes I hold. And examining my amazing ability to point fingers at anyone but myself has to be put on the to do list. Maybe even exploring any lingering roots of bitterness towards others needs to be brought to the Lord. Certainly, I have to contest for my 'heart' for it so easily buys into the easy answers the culture hands me. I'm more adept at modeling 'an eye for an eye' than praying for those who do me harm.
Tough scripture demands tough introspection. Living it out isn't a legalistic journey. I read recently that those who love God's word need to become good at improv. More on that some other time.
Let me know what you think.
Specifically, I was spending time reflecting on the loving enemies and not seeking revenge passages. It’s a hard sell. Culturally, most people are acclimated to striking back, getting the upper hand, looking strong and taking no enemies. We’re taught that at every turn. “Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” makes sense except, of course, when it’s our eye and our teeth someone is coming for.
Jumping into the cultural cauldron of his time Jesus tries to teach a new love language and I wonder how much people were really buying into it. He was saying that it’s important to go the extra mile and to turn the other cheek. He was trying to teach both the language and actions of the kingdom of God. And that involves often doing both the unnatural and unthinkable.
Read Matthew 5: 38-48. It’s a clear call not to root ourselves in the laws of reciprocity but instead to root ourselves in the habits of the kingdom.
At first blush it does look impractical. Who wants to get run over and taken advantage of? Who wants to be stepped on? Who wants to be seen as a second class citizen?
Then comes the ‘aha’ moment. Have I just taken a kingdom possibility and made it only about ‘me’? Isn't that what most of us do all the time? Isn't that our default position? We don't like this tax because there's 'less' for me? We don't like this company policy because it means "I" have to change?
It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about God and His Kingdom. Is it possible that God’s purposes could be better served in the midst of us being stretched, pulled, run over, cheated, manipulated, and inconvenienced? Could it be that my sense of entitlement stands in the way of God revealing Himself in rather remarkable ways in and through my life?
If we were truly Kingdom people what would others see in our response to unjust situations?
What I’m realizing about myself is that I can put myself right into the middle of a passage of Scripture and belligerently look Jesus in the eye and say, “You’re wrong. This won’t work.” Or I can say, “Ok, this might work but immediately start looking for the loopholes. And I have to wonder why I’m so quick to doubt Jesus and is my insatiable quest for loopholes making me the modern day equivalent of a Pharisaical theological hair splitter.
As long I’m being belligerent and seeking loopholes I won’t get it. And what I need to get is that sometimes I’m vindictive and unforgiving. I seek revenge and don’t want to walk one mile let alone two. I want to hold grudges and not pray for my enemies. It’s my lack of love that creates a bit of a living hell for those in my relational networks. And when I don’t allow Jesus to write a new kingdom language on my heart I fall dismally short of what citizenship in the kingdom of God needs to look like. And if I don't allow Jesus to script something new in me I'm admitting that I have a better way. Sure I do.
It’s been said that the way of Jesus hasn’t been tried and found wanting. Nope. More often than not it hasn’t been tried. Jesus is always about the kingdom of God and in that kingdom people think, speak, and act differently and they do so even if it is at odds with the rest of the culture. So …
Instead of striking back you allow someone to hit you again.
Instead of carrying someone else’s burden one mile you go two.
Instead of an eye for an eye for an eye you love and pray for your enemies.
We have to understand that Jesus is not whistling in the wind. Jesus is saying that this is what kingdom people do. They aim higher and live differently. And they take it so seriously that it becomes the habit of their life. And those habits will allow us to seek first the kingdom of God. That’s the goal. Of course, I’m not talking about being a chump or arguing against fleeing from abuse or not standing up to evil. Not at all. But is there a ‘kingdom response and way’ we all too easily ignore? I think so.
Years ago in South Africa the Sermon on the Mount became the means to the end of a particularly ugly chapter in that countries history. Apartheid stripped the majority non-white population of many rights. It led to corruption, false imprisonments and insane violence. In 1994 free elections were held and Nelson Mandela was elected president
Mandela ended up appointing Archbishop Desmond Tutu to head the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a Kingdom of God way of bringing ugly truth to the light of day without exacting revenge.
The Commission allowed both victim and oppressor to meet before a tribunal. If the oppressor faced his accusers and confessed to wrongdoing he/she would not be prosecuted for crimes committed. Mandela took heat from many about the lack of justice in the process. Mandela believed that his country needed healing more than justice. He knew that any attempt to punish would only continue a deadly cycle of retribution. So, he chose the harder road.
On many occasions victims and oppressors met on this common ground. And many times you could see God visibly at work. Instead of hate, love won out. Instead of revenge, forgiveness was offered. Instead of rage, reconciliation took place.
When that happened justice was probably not served well. People didn’t get what they deserved. But when grace descended the earth became a bit more like the kingdom of God. And it gets our attention.
Nations certainly need to pursue justice and establish strong laws. There comes a point when justice and law keeping reaches a dead end. Justice helps us manage and order life but more is needed. It is the power of God welling up to go beyond hate and getting even. Ghandi said it well “Keep on with an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and the whole world will soon be both blind and toothless.”
Jesus set forth another way. It’s a way of grace. Paul tells us “Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.” We are called to be dispensers of God’s grace. We are never more like the Father than when we love those who don’t love us. And we’re never more thankful than when we are loved when we don’t deserve it.
The way of love, the extra effort, aiming for more than just keeping the law is the kingdom pathway.
What does this mean for you? Not sure exactly. For me, it means taking a look at those 'it's all about me' attitudes I hold. And examining my amazing ability to point fingers at anyone but myself has to be put on the to do list. Maybe even exploring any lingering roots of bitterness towards others needs to be brought to the Lord. Certainly, I have to contest for my 'heart' for it so easily buys into the easy answers the culture hands me. I'm more adept at modeling 'an eye for an eye' than praying for those who do me harm.
Tough scripture demands tough introspection. Living it out isn't a legalistic journey. I read recently that those who love God's word need to become good at improv. More on that some other time.
Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Spirit Dance
Themes emerge each vacation. Last year vital ‘what next’ questions needed to be addressed. This year ‘rest’ seems to be at the heart of my experience. Just rest. I came into vacation weary. Very weary. It’s been a year of change, delicately balancing new challenges with past responsibilities. Thus far, I’m feeling pretty rested. Adequate sleep. Lots of down time. Exercise. Plenty of reading. We have visited family, worshipped with monks and now rest easily at the beautiful home of a friend in Door County, Wisconsin. On Sunday we worshipped. It was a community church in Fish Creek, far removed from big church suburban expectations. It was cozy and real and rural. In the long run it’s probably not my cup of tea but in the present moment I sensed the presence of God in the people and their worship.
I realize that I crave both variety and sameness. I need predictable patterns to tame my wanderlust tendencies. Perhaps that’s why I looked forward to set prayer times at the monastery. Perhaps, such times need to be incorporated into my regular patterns back in Chicago. Stopping long enough, at regular intervals, to remind myself of divine commitments, might prove helpful. Perhaps it is a partial cure to the ‘hurry sickness’ that plagues my soul. The truth is that ‘hurry’ must carry its own reward because I have mastered its every nuance. Could it be that I bore easily and when bored become dismissive of slowing down? That dismissive attitude is perilous to my well being.
But I love variety. I love the sights and sounds of something new, something that leaps up and surprises me with joy and delight. An introvert by nature I can draw too far into myself and lose the ability to embrace the wonder of all that God has created. When I allow myself to be released from my introspection I discover something fresh and new that breathes life into my rut strewn existence.
And thus the life-long tug of war. I am pulled in one direction to stability and a sense of sameness and pulled in another to whatever is over the next hill. Stability and adventure are not mutually exclusive although at first glance they may appear to be. They actually work well in tandem. Too much of one or the other leads to a precarious imbalance.
In my journal this morning I wrestled with this life struggle. It is a ongoing battle for me. How do I learn to be content with the ‘who’ God has created me to be without losing the vital ‘what next’ missional expression of my being? If truth be know, I’ve never been content with the ‘who’ that I am. Introverted, by nature, the shadow side of myself is too easily led into a never ending self-examination of sins and failing which often creates in me a haunting negativity. It is not a healthy pattern. It’s good to be aware. It’s not wise to live believing that my shadow side ruminations will bring the healing only Jesus can offer. He reminds me to be faithful to the present while He takes care of my past, healing its darker side and allowing the good memories to nourish me in the here and now. In the faith filled present He will also plant dreams that stir my missional desires.
The movement of faith is inward, then outward, and inward again for reflection, and then outward once more. In and out. Out and in. In this hokey-pokeyish dance of the Spirit life is found.
I realize that I crave both variety and sameness. I need predictable patterns to tame my wanderlust tendencies. Perhaps that’s why I looked forward to set prayer times at the monastery. Perhaps, such times need to be incorporated into my regular patterns back in Chicago. Stopping long enough, at regular intervals, to remind myself of divine commitments, might prove helpful. Perhaps it is a partial cure to the ‘hurry sickness’ that plagues my soul. The truth is that ‘hurry’ must carry its own reward because I have mastered its every nuance. Could it be that I bore easily and when bored become dismissive of slowing down? That dismissive attitude is perilous to my well being.
But I love variety. I love the sights and sounds of something new, something that leaps up and surprises me with joy and delight. An introvert by nature I can draw too far into myself and lose the ability to embrace the wonder of all that God has created. When I allow myself to be released from my introspection I discover something fresh and new that breathes life into my rut strewn existence.
And thus the life-long tug of war. I am pulled in one direction to stability and a sense of sameness and pulled in another to whatever is over the next hill. Stability and adventure are not mutually exclusive although at first glance they may appear to be. They actually work well in tandem. Too much of one or the other leads to a precarious imbalance.
In my journal this morning I wrestled with this life struggle. It is a ongoing battle for me. How do I learn to be content with the ‘who’ God has created me to be without losing the vital ‘what next’ missional expression of my being? If truth be know, I’ve never been content with the ‘who’ that I am. Introverted, by nature, the shadow side of myself is too easily led into a never ending self-examination of sins and failing which often creates in me a haunting negativity. It is not a healthy pattern. It’s good to be aware. It’s not wise to live believing that my shadow side ruminations will bring the healing only Jesus can offer. He reminds me to be faithful to the present while He takes care of my past, healing its darker side and allowing the good memories to nourish me in the here and now. In the faith filled present He will also plant dreams that stir my missional desires.
The movement of faith is inward, then outward, and inward again for reflection, and then outward once more. In and out. Out and in. In this hokey-pokeyish dance of the Spirit life is found.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Older Friend
I’m rereading a book called Father Elijah. It’s my fourth or fifth time through. It’s written by Michael D. O’Brien. It’s apocalyptic literature from a Roman Catholic perspective. It’s well written. In some sense it is provocative. It draws me closer to Jesus. It’s certainly not written in the same predictive, prophetic form apocalyptic best sellers are known for. Instead there are subtleties of style and understanding that go far beyond what we’re accustomed to in evangelical writings of the end times.
Father Elijah is about good and evil. It is about God and His enemies. It is about friendship with God and wrestling with evil. It is about the people of God who slowly, but surely start unraveling the sure foundations of faith. And it’s about the whole notion of spiritual warfare. Some scoff at such things. I don’t for I see evidence of it swirling in and among us. Often, it is out of sight. More often than not it is quite evident but rarely acknowledged. Is there, indeed, a wrestling match going on for our heart and soul? I believe so for I bear the wounds of it. It is real to me.
Sometimes when I write or talk about such things I wonder if some label me a ‘religious fanatic’ or ‘pedestrian’ in thought and word. No one wants to be so casually dismissed and inaccurately labeled. Yet that is the risk we take these days.
It is not an exaggeration to state that we have an enemy who wants to rob and steal from us. Scripture is clear on that. The evil one is not a cute little cartoon character sitting on one’s shoulder whispering sweet nothing and evil distraction into our ears. There is nothing cute in him. He is the ‘father of lies’. And for some reason God allows him some reign in today’s world. I don’t completely understand it but I accept it. And because I believe it I must walk through this world with some degree of awareness of the different pulls on my life. God has my heart. God’s enemy wants to crush my heart.
We live in a world where belief comes hard to people. To believe in Christ, for example, comes at the exclusion of other things. We don’t like to exclude. We want to be inclusive, open, and accepting. We choose to believe in all things and in reality end up believing not in much at all.
I love to meet other people from other faith backgrounds. I love diversity. Inclusiveness and diversity spice up life. Coming to grips with common understanding and finding common ground is essential. I’m all for it. But I believe in Jesus. He is not Buddah nor Krishna. He is not the Muslim prophet. He is more. Much more. And when I state that in even the most loving ways I can feel people distance themselves from me. Even Christian people. We live in a world where inclusiveness actually excludes. Can one live in today’s world and still live with conviction and a sense of life changing truth?
The Jesus I know is not an ideologue. He is a strangely mysterious yet very personal presence. He has a particular style that invites all to His table but challenges assumptions about life and belief. We all love the invitation. We struggle with the challenges, don’t we?
Perhaps we live in a world that is so tired that it doesn’t want to deal with the challenges of good and evil. Oh, we’re more than willing to point fingers at others but are less adept at looking deep inside to see the battle waging within. And so we don’t look deep, or spend time wrestling with our own personal demons, or wade into the exhausting world of ideas and dialogue. Do we choose a personal purgatory in a world called ‘whatever’ and call it a day? If so, do we actually become one of the building blocks of an apocalyptic age and unwittingly choose sides in the cosmic drama? I think so. And the side where ‘whatever’ dwells is not the side of God.
Good books are a treasure. Father Elijah is one I mine frequently enough. It is becoming an older friend inviting me into the deeper things of God.
Friday, June 11, 2010
On Monks and Monasteries
I took a trip with Anita to a special place in my memory. Many moons ago I left my hometown in search of an education. I ended up at a college, in central Minnesota, run by monks. That simple decision began to open up the world to me.
We stayed in the Abbey Guesthouse and luxuriated in simple Benedictine hospitality. During our visit we walked into the church with a monk who had long hair and a beard, looking much like an ageing rock and roller. He looked strangely familiar. I introduced myself and inquired whether or not we knew each other from our college days. He said: “If we did we probably got drunk together.”
At college I studied some, partied some, learned a fair amount but also squandered opportunities. It’s a story not unlike some of yours I’m sure. The monk certainly was alluding to a past that led to his present reality. Although I doubt I ever drank with this monk I certainly might have ‘smoked’ with him in an early 70’s kind of way. Such was my mindset and practice in those days.
It’s interesting that my fellow partier is now a member of a monastic community and I have spent years and years in full time ministry. Out of the ashes of misspent youth comes clarity of soul and purpose I suppose and/or perhaps penitence for wrongs done and opportunities ignored. Clarity and penitence seems to be compatible and necessary bedfellows.
For four days Anita and I prayed with the monks at least once a day, sometimes twice. We began looking forward to the prayer rhythm and the reminders it provided.
Many of the monks I knew well are now dead. They are buried in the monastic cemetery overlooking the lake called Sagatagan. Other monks looked vaguely familiar but time has blurred my memory and matured once youthful faces. Looking for the ‘young monks’ I once knew was somewhat an exercise in futility. Those once young have become the elders. Even so, I recognized a few. Two were classmates. One, still a bit rude and aloof. The other, known for scandalous sin. I saw a professor or two who taught with both excellence and Godliness.
In my evangelical tradition monks are celebrated more and more. They represent a lack of ‘hurry’ and spiritual discipline. I believe that is true. At times, they are made to be more than they are. If truth be know they are not unlike us. Monasteries have their saints and sinners, introverts and extroverts. Monk can be all those things that we on the outside still are.
As I sat in the choir loft praying on our last day I felt myself thankful for this monastery. I am part of their legacy I suppose. They have created deep memories and treasure in me. Since the mid 1800’s they have tilled the soil and educated young minds. I am thankful for their faithfulness, their eccentricities, and their giftedness. And I am thankful that despite their individual pasts and sometimes haunting sinfulness that they come to be shaped and transformed, in and through their community, by the living God.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Random Stuff Running Around in My Head
Poor Obama. Did you know he personally caused the oil leakage in the Gulf? You have to just laugh at the folks blaming him for everything under the sun.
I love Israel. Would go back in a minute. Love the land and the people. Still don’t understand, however, why so many get upset when others question Israeli judgment and/or motivation. I wonder if some ‘end times’ biblical paradigms cloud the judgment of many regarding Israel. It’s almost like Israel can do whatever it needs or wants to as long as biblical prophecy is fulfilled. That just sounds goofy and unbiblical.
The whole BP/Gulf thing is heart wrenching. It's another dagger to the heart of that region. I haven't prayed enough for them and that whole situation. Makes you appreciate the environmentalists who have been 'warning' us about this kind of thing for years.
Former Governor Blagojevich is on trial. I’m wondering how many famous people are squirming in their seats knowing that he lack impulse control.
I’ve been thinking that if all the really angry people get elected in the fall we’re going to have an even worse mess in Congress than we do now. Angry people have to stay angry in order for their constituency to keep supporting them. How do you get anything done in an environment of ‘rage’? How do you build coalitions?
Sorry to hear about the Gore’s ending what looked like a fulfilling marriage. Of course we never know what goes on behind closed doors but this saddened me. I think they are good people.
I just read an article that said that “the world's mega-cities are merging to form vast "mega-regions" which may stretch hundreds of kilometres across countries and be home to more than 100 million people according to a major new UN report.” Whew. I wonder what that means for political, economic, religious and social thinking.
More and more I’m seeing the good things ordinary people do. People all over are ‘paying it forward’ and making a difference.
Sometimes I listen to really conservative Christian radio and I understand why so many people write people of faith off. Don’t try to call in and disagree either. You won’t be treated well.
Do you think God likes systematic theology?
Why do I want an ipad so much?
Do you think anyone ever sits Rahm Emanuel down and inquires why he deems it so important to be so foul mouthed?
The ‘Tea Party’ movement scares me. For sure, they’re part of the corrective process in our political system but whew …
Walked into a pizza place in an urban neighborhood and saw volunteers from a suburban Christian school loading up a truck, met African-American staff people who are from that neighborhood, and was introduced to 15 people from Kosovo who are all Muslims. Gotta love the diversity of this world of ours. Began thinking that those who can’t embrace and deal with diversity are going to be ill-equipped to make an impact going forward.
I’m very excited about a lot of my friends who have been given the spiritual gift of making lots of money and deal making. They can help make dreams come true.
Ted Haggard is starting another church. Things that make you go hmmmm.
Watched Hotel Rwanda again the other night. I couldn’t help but think deeply about the genocide that occurred in that piece of Africa. We either didn’t know or didn’t care. How much of that is still going on in other places in the world? Do I not want to know?
I love Israel. Would go back in a minute. Love the land and the people. Still don’t understand, however, why so many get upset when others question Israeli judgment and/or motivation. I wonder if some ‘end times’ biblical paradigms cloud the judgment of many regarding Israel. It’s almost like Israel can do whatever it needs or wants to as long as biblical prophecy is fulfilled. That just sounds goofy and unbiblical.
The whole BP/Gulf thing is heart wrenching. It's another dagger to the heart of that region. I haven't prayed enough for them and that whole situation. Makes you appreciate the environmentalists who have been 'warning' us about this kind of thing for years.
Former Governor Blagojevich is on trial. I’m wondering how many famous people are squirming in their seats knowing that he lack impulse control.
I’ve been thinking that if all the really angry people get elected in the fall we’re going to have an even worse mess in Congress than we do now. Angry people have to stay angry in order for their constituency to keep supporting them. How do you get anything done in an environment of ‘rage’? How do you build coalitions?
Sorry to hear about the Gore’s ending what looked like a fulfilling marriage. Of course we never know what goes on behind closed doors but this saddened me. I think they are good people.
I just read an article that said that “the world's mega-cities are merging to form vast "mega-regions" which may stretch hundreds of kilometres across countries and be home to more than 100 million people according to a major new UN report.” Whew. I wonder what that means for political, economic, religious and social thinking.
More and more I’m seeing the good things ordinary people do. People all over are ‘paying it forward’ and making a difference.
Sometimes I listen to really conservative Christian radio and I understand why so many people write people of faith off. Don’t try to call in and disagree either. You won’t be treated well.
Do you think God likes systematic theology?
Why do I want an ipad so much?
Do you think anyone ever sits Rahm Emanuel down and inquires why he deems it so important to be so foul mouthed?
The ‘Tea Party’ movement scares me. For sure, they’re part of the corrective process in our political system but whew …
Walked into a pizza place in an urban neighborhood and saw volunteers from a suburban Christian school loading up a truck, met African-American staff people who are from that neighborhood, and was introduced to 15 people from Kosovo who are all Muslims. Gotta love the diversity of this world of ours. Began thinking that those who can’t embrace and deal with diversity are going to be ill-equipped to make an impact going forward.
I’m very excited about a lot of my friends who have been given the spiritual gift of making lots of money and deal making. They can help make dreams come true.
Ted Haggard is starting another church. Things that make you go hmmmm.
Watched Hotel Rwanda again the other night. I couldn’t help but think deeply about the genocide that occurred in that piece of Africa. We either didn’t know or didn’t care. How much of that is still going on in other places in the world? Do I not want to know?
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Vacation, Inspiration and the Blackhawks
Vacation. One of the most beautiful words in the English language. I am going to vacate one world and place myself in another quite soon. Yes. How sweet it is.
I make vacation decisions on a variety of factors. Cost plays a role. Weather certainly. Adventure can play a factor. There are times when what I’m looking for is a ‘place’. I’m looking for a ‘place’ that’s familiar, where God has met me in times past.
My wife’s place is Ross Lake in northern Maine. She’s flooded with great memories when she’s there.
I have several places. Door County for sure. Beautiful. Unrushed. There’s a camp in Northern California called Woodleaf. It’s a Young Life property. Haven’t been there for years but it beckons me. The college I went to is called St. John’s. 2400 acres of forest and lakes. It was the doorway into the rest of the world for me.
Vacation 2010 is about a sense of place. Going to visit St. John’s and then to beautiful Door County.
I need a fresh breath of God’s spirit flowing into my life. Pray that I open myself to all the possibilities God will set before me.
___________________________________________________
Last night was inspirational. I was invited to attend the end of the year banquet of a group called Link Unlimited. Every year five or six dozen young people are chosen to be part of a four year odyssey designed to help them succeed. Sponsors mentor and help pay for a private school high school education for motivated but poor African American young people.
Last night the Seniors became alumni. Everyone of them is going to a four year college. 55% are getting full rides. Together they earned over $6,000,000 in scholarships over the next four years. They are going to some of the nation’s best schools …Stanford, Vanderbilt, Bowdoin, Illinois, Smith, and Willams.
It was hard not to get choked up watching these young men and women grab hold of their future. It was way cool.
By the way, they’re looking for more sponsors and mentors. Check it out at http://www.linkunlimited.org/
_____________________________________________
The Bulls weren’t so good. Neither were the Bears. The Cubs and Sox are mired in mediocrity or worse. But not the Blackhawks. They’re fighting for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It’s interesting what happens to a city when one of their teams is succeeding. Spirits are buoyed. Hope is restored. There’s something good to talk about. We need the diversion from other stuff going on around us.
There’s lots I don’t like about big-time sports but it’s hard to be a cynic when your team is in the thick of things.
So, Chicago is thinking hockey big-time in June. Go Hawks.
I make vacation decisions on a variety of factors. Cost plays a role. Weather certainly. Adventure can play a factor. There are times when what I’m looking for is a ‘place’. I’m looking for a ‘place’ that’s familiar, where God has met me in times past.
My wife’s place is Ross Lake in northern Maine. She’s flooded with great memories when she’s there.
I have several places. Door County for sure. Beautiful. Unrushed. There’s a camp in Northern California called Woodleaf. It’s a Young Life property. Haven’t been there for years but it beckons me. The college I went to is called St. John’s. 2400 acres of forest and lakes. It was the doorway into the rest of the world for me.
Vacation 2010 is about a sense of place. Going to visit St. John’s and then to beautiful Door County.
I need a fresh breath of God’s spirit flowing into my life. Pray that I open myself to all the possibilities God will set before me.
___________________________________________________
Last night was inspirational. I was invited to attend the end of the year banquet of a group called Link Unlimited. Every year five or six dozen young people are chosen to be part of a four year odyssey designed to help them succeed. Sponsors mentor and help pay for a private school high school education for motivated but poor African American young people.
Last night the Seniors became alumni. Everyone of them is going to a four year college. 55% are getting full rides. Together they earned over $6,000,000 in scholarships over the next four years. They are going to some of the nation’s best schools …Stanford, Vanderbilt, Bowdoin, Illinois, Smith, and Willams.
It was hard not to get choked up watching these young men and women grab hold of their future. It was way cool.
By the way, they’re looking for more sponsors and mentors. Check it out at http://www.linkunlimited.org/
_____________________________________________
The Bulls weren’t so good. Neither were the Bears. The Cubs and Sox are mired in mediocrity or worse. But not the Blackhawks. They’re fighting for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It’s interesting what happens to a city when one of their teams is succeeding. Spirits are buoyed. Hope is restored. There’s something good to talk about. We need the diversion from other stuff going on around us.
There’s lots I don’t like about big-time sports but it’s hard to be a cynic when your team is in the thick of things.
So, Chicago is thinking hockey big-time in June. Go Hawks.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Three Verses
I’ve been reading Hebrews 11 and 12. Chapter 12 starts.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (TNIV)
Those three verses are killers. Read it. I did and it’s like God is saying, “The ball’s in your court Mike. I’ve surrounded you with support. Now, go and live in such a way that your life means something. So don’t mess with sin, run a good race, and keep Jesus locked in.”
Easy huh?
It’s not. I have people who have deeply influenced my life. They have not been perfect but they have been faithful. And to a person they’ve understood what sin does, how important it is to stay the course, and they seem to know Jesus, not just about Him.
Have you ever thought of becoming a student of your sin? We all should. We need to know how sin entraps us, where it happens and why we’re so susceptible to it. When we know our sin and what it does to us we’re more willing to do whatever it takes so it doesn’t ensnare us. It’s the business man who asks for accountability on any overnight stay in a strange town. He knows where he’s weak. Too much free time, too much expense account, and too much temptation creates a perfect storm for sin to take root. So, accountability keeps him locked in. A mark of true maturity is to be able to identify and deal with the sin in our life, not explaining it away or justifying it.
What race are you running? We’re all called to run the race God wants us to run. My race isn’t yours. It’s not a comparison game. The common thread is that God wants us to persevere. Perseverance is about commitment, hard work, patience, and endurance. When we persevere we bear difficulties calmly and without complaining. It becomes a habit. I read recently abbreviated excerpts from the diary of John Wesley.
Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."
Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
I guess you could call that perseverance, huh?
But you won’t be able to run the race unless your eyes are fixed on Jesus. He’s the author and perfector of faith. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Ever see a man in love with a woman? He’s locked in. She shows up in a room. And he can’t take his eyes off of her. Anita was like that with me. She met me and she was locked in. It was ‘Mike’ 24/7. :)
When I served on Young Life staff stories abounded about Jim Rayburn, the founder of that ministry. Once when faced with an important strategic decision key staff came together to talk about the issue. Rayburn said, “Let’s climb up the mountain and start talking to Jesus …and for three days they locked into Christ, pleading with Him to show up, to give direction to their decisions.
That’s what it’s like, I think, to have eyes fixed on Jesus. It’s that firm belief that He is the author and perfector of our faith. Acts 17: 28 says it well. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Is that true for you?
I’ve still got a ways to go. Sometimes I embrace my sin. I’m prone towards ‘giving up and making excuses.’ And, if truth be known I seem to know more about God than really knowing Him. But there are times when I do sense that I’m in the right groove. That sin is being dealt with, that the race is being run at the right pace, in the right direction, and that I am locked into Jesus. Those are the good days. That’s when life feels good even if circumstances take their toll. I’m aiming for more good days. More and more of them.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (TNIV)
Those three verses are killers. Read it. I did and it’s like God is saying, “The ball’s in your court Mike. I’ve surrounded you with support. Now, go and live in such a way that your life means something. So don’t mess with sin, run a good race, and keep Jesus locked in.”
Easy huh?
It’s not. I have people who have deeply influenced my life. They have not been perfect but they have been faithful. And to a person they’ve understood what sin does, how important it is to stay the course, and they seem to know Jesus, not just about Him.
Have you ever thought of becoming a student of your sin? We all should. We need to know how sin entraps us, where it happens and why we’re so susceptible to it. When we know our sin and what it does to us we’re more willing to do whatever it takes so it doesn’t ensnare us. It’s the business man who asks for accountability on any overnight stay in a strange town. He knows where he’s weak. Too much free time, too much expense account, and too much temptation creates a perfect storm for sin to take root. So, accountability keeps him locked in. A mark of true maturity is to be able to identify and deal with the sin in our life, not explaining it away or justifying it.
What race are you running? We’re all called to run the race God wants us to run. My race isn’t yours. It’s not a comparison game. The common thread is that God wants us to persevere. Perseverance is about commitment, hard work, patience, and endurance. When we persevere we bear difficulties calmly and without complaining. It becomes a habit. I read recently abbreviated excerpts from the diary of John Wesley.
Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."
Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
I guess you could call that perseverance, huh?
But you won’t be able to run the race unless your eyes are fixed on Jesus. He’s the author and perfector of faith. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Ever see a man in love with a woman? He’s locked in. She shows up in a room. And he can’t take his eyes off of her. Anita was like that with me. She met me and she was locked in. It was ‘Mike’ 24/7. :)
When I served on Young Life staff stories abounded about Jim Rayburn, the founder of that ministry. Once when faced with an important strategic decision key staff came together to talk about the issue. Rayburn said, “Let’s climb up the mountain and start talking to Jesus …and for three days they locked into Christ, pleading with Him to show up, to give direction to their decisions.
That’s what it’s like, I think, to have eyes fixed on Jesus. It’s that firm belief that He is the author and perfector of our faith. Acts 17: 28 says it well. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Is that true for you?
I’ve still got a ways to go. Sometimes I embrace my sin. I’m prone towards ‘giving up and making excuses.’ And, if truth be known I seem to know more about God than really knowing Him. But there are times when I do sense that I’m in the right groove. That sin is being dealt with, that the race is being run at the right pace, in the right direction, and that I am locked into Jesus. Those are the good days. That’s when life feels good even if circumstances take their toll. I’m aiming for more good days. More and more of them.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Will we make it?
No doubt about it. There is an increased sense of polarization in our country. Each side in any argument, surrounding every issue, is circling the wagons, lobbing grenades at someone else, and wants to make sure there’s a clear winner and loser. In November, we’ll elect a new Congress. It’s going to be a mess I think. Whomever is elected will be beholding to a very narrow interest group. God forbid that anyone, then, does any kind of independent thinking or seek bi-partisan agreement. For sure, their time in office will be short lived. Deeply entrenched positioning is the sign of the times.
Underneath the fragmentation of our political system is some high grade fear, some genuine loathing, and an unprecedented disdain for anyone who believes contrary to whatever ‘groupthink’ you find yourself aligned with. There’s also some good old fashioned racism, ageism, and sexism that manages to poison the well. There’s a shrillness of opinion in the air that, frankly, scares me a great deal.
Somewhere in the not so distant future we’re in for some deep trouble. In a few years when the locus of power has shifted I’m wondering if there might be some pay back for abuses of power and authority. The culture of hate we are pretty willingly buying into now will take root and be a permanent part of the landscape. It is not the type of world I want to leave for my children and grandchildren.
So I wonder. Are we willing participants in sowing seeds of discord that will reap a harvest of future pain? The answer is clear. I think we are. We stand in judgment these days on just about everything. We’re not well read. We don’t listen well. We’re passive. Often, we vote to preserve our own interests. We equate the American dream with the Kingdom of God. And we believe opinion is wisdom.
Even in our churches we want to hear messages that allow us to stay in the same place doing the same old things …even if they’re sinful. We tithe to ourselves making sure our places of worship look pretty and inviting and our kids and us have the best. We hide behind ‘proof texting’ (finding a verse in the scripture that justifies our position) but know very little about the whole counsel of god. And we cozy up to this political party or that because they represent our (and thus God’s) point of view. We label anyone outside our little religious club as either being misguided or outright sinful.
We often live in isolated little ghettoes of misunderstanding. We look for safety when God is calling us to the risky business of faith. And all too often we remain quiet in the midst of great need because that need really doesn’t infringe on our style and standard of living. So why care?
So, in some degree we are part of the problem plaguing both our faith and the ills of our country and the world. We just don’t care enough to make the sacrifices necessary to challenge what’s evil and move out of our comfort zone to ask the right questions and do the right things to help bring some sanity to our country that is dangerously close to imploding upon itself.
So what do we do? I’ve been reading the 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews recently. It reminds me of some important steps that can help me to address cultural insanity. In Hebrews I find a call to become familiar with the great cloud of witness that has gone before me. Their witness informs my life. That means I need to dive into Scripture to rediscover how those before me lived faithful lives in the midst of some very challenging cultural times. From them I get a good compass heading.
I’m also reminded to look for the sin that so easily ensnares me. That should concern you too. If we find ourself infuriated much of the time and spouting off about Obama or Palin, or afraid of African Americans or Hispanics, or thowing verbal bombs in the direction of liberals or conservatives …that’s a problem. It means we’re taking too much ugly stuff into our life. We need to root it out, confess it, and repent from it.
Then I have to find the road on which I’m to run my race. My race isn’t yours but there will be some remarkable similarities. On each road the shadow of the cross falls. Our race will take us through unfamiliar territory. At times it will feel a bit lonely. But then we fix our eyes on Jesus who’s the author and perfector of our faith journey. He’s our constant companion.
As you make a habit of Scripture, of repentance, and running the good race I want you to consider the following. Look for opportunities to face your fears, your biases and prejudices. If you’re a conservative, befriend a liberal. If you have strong opinions about illegal immigration get to know an illegal immigrant. If you are an evangelical and don’t like those liturgical types …find one to dialogue with. If you’re a sanctimonious liberal find a compassionate conservative to help you understand his/her point of view. If you take a trip to Israel make sure you spend some time in dialogue with a Palestinian.
Whatever it is you ‘hate’ or hold in low regard needs to become humanized. As long as we intellectualize issues and movements and fail to see its human face we will never understand the complexities and nuances of the problems before us. If all we're doing in our life is spouting ‘opinion’ chances are we're not running the good race. We're just running our mouth. That makes us part of the problem.
As long as we are kept captive by our pre-set positions and attitudes there is little opportunity for God to work in our lives or for us to be of much earthly good. Here’s the deal. We are at a scary time in history. But it is also a time of great opportunity. I think we are on a collision course towards some potentially horrible things here in America and in the greater world. But we don’t have to stay on that course. It’s going to take ‘us’ getting serious about how we are going to live our lives going forward. Enough people, living in the reality of the Kingdom, can make a huge difference.
If we stay where we are doing the same things over and over again we will live in an insanity spiral that’s going to lead to all kind of nasty things. It sounds trite to say this but ‘we are either part of the solution or part of the problem’.
Will we make it? Don’t know for sure. I do know that I’ve got some work to do. Maybe you do too.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dreaming Big
What happens when you quit dreaming? Even worse, what happens if you’ve never been encouraged to dream or discouraged from dreaming big?
My take is that when we lose the ability to dream well, we lose the ability to hope. Without hope bad things happen. We lose the gift of ‘possibility’.
At Breakthrough we’re in the midst of a capital campaign called Dream Big. We’re trying to raise about 15 million dollars to construct a badly needed FamilyPlex for our neighborhood. But it goes beyond raising a lot of money for bricks and mortar. It’s more about helping to breathe hope into the lives of people who don’t know how to dream big but desperately need to. It's also about constantly encouraging those who are big dreamers to do what's necessary to help their dreams come true.
Wherever I look in the city and burbs I see a fair amount of people who have been beaten down by life. They lack hope. Dreaming big is non-existent. It’s a drag yourself out of bed, go to an uninspiring workplace, with lackluster colleagues kind of grind.
I know others who dream big about the usual things …money, power, position, prestige. Ho Hum. Fairly pedestrian kind of stuff. I know it well. Do it well. It scares me though. If you give your life to the pursuit of those dreams you run the risk of becoming what you give your life to. Nothing wrong with money, power, position or prestige except when they become the compass for our life.
I’ve been thinking about dreaming big lately. You see, I have maybe 20-25 years left. If I go small in my dreaming and stay amazingly practical and don’t reach for too many stars I can have a pretty non-descript hum drum rest of my life. In all honesty, on some days that sounds amazingly appealing. On most days, it sounds incredibly dull and life sucking. I can’t get away from the thought that God has created me for a variety of purposes and hum drum living isn’t one of those things. I could settle for it but I wouldn’t be happy.
Here’s what’s interesting. As I start to ‘dream big’ I’m having this deep desire to simplify my life. I’ve come to grips that my big earning years are behind me (were they ever in front of me?), that position doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore and that power and influence come more out of relationship than having stuff. So I’m starting to ask questions about what I really need and what is just fluff. Interesting and freeing.
I’m also thinking that part of my ‘big dream’ is to initiate and be part of discussions relating Christian faith to the bigger issues of the day. So I spend time asking questions. For instance: What does God have to say about justice, power, possessions, position, use of money, race, poverty, immigration etc. and why do so many believers remain content to live lives of pietistic indifference to such things? By the way, I think the issue of pietistic indifference is a plague that threatens the life of the church. What is it? We used to call it being so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good. It plays out in a ‘me and Jesus’ theology that ignores God’s call to make a difference on the planet. Pietistic indifference is about salvation and cares little about discipleship, true worship, and a life of service. It's about looking good and caring very little.
Dream Big. It’s more than positive thinking. It’s a life style that reaches for God’s best even if it costs you the expectations others have for you.
My take is that when we lose the ability to dream well, we lose the ability to hope. Without hope bad things happen. We lose the gift of ‘possibility’.
At Breakthrough we’re in the midst of a capital campaign called Dream Big. We’re trying to raise about 15 million dollars to construct a badly needed FamilyPlex for our neighborhood. But it goes beyond raising a lot of money for bricks and mortar. It’s more about helping to breathe hope into the lives of people who don’t know how to dream big but desperately need to. It's also about constantly encouraging those who are big dreamers to do what's necessary to help their dreams come true.
Wherever I look in the city and burbs I see a fair amount of people who have been beaten down by life. They lack hope. Dreaming big is non-existent. It’s a drag yourself out of bed, go to an uninspiring workplace, with lackluster colleagues kind of grind.
I know others who dream big about the usual things …money, power, position, prestige. Ho Hum. Fairly pedestrian kind of stuff. I know it well. Do it well. It scares me though. If you give your life to the pursuit of those dreams you run the risk of becoming what you give your life to. Nothing wrong with money, power, position or prestige except when they become the compass for our life.
I’ve been thinking about dreaming big lately. You see, I have maybe 20-25 years left. If I go small in my dreaming and stay amazingly practical and don’t reach for too many stars I can have a pretty non-descript hum drum rest of my life. In all honesty, on some days that sounds amazingly appealing. On most days, it sounds incredibly dull and life sucking. I can’t get away from the thought that God has created me for a variety of purposes and hum drum living isn’t one of those things. I could settle for it but I wouldn’t be happy.
Here’s what’s interesting. As I start to ‘dream big’ I’m having this deep desire to simplify my life. I’ve come to grips that my big earning years are behind me (were they ever in front of me?), that position doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore and that power and influence come more out of relationship than having stuff. So I’m starting to ask questions about what I really need and what is just fluff. Interesting and freeing.
I’m also thinking that part of my ‘big dream’ is to initiate and be part of discussions relating Christian faith to the bigger issues of the day. So I spend time asking questions. For instance: What does God have to say about justice, power, possessions, position, use of money, race, poverty, immigration etc. and why do so many believers remain content to live lives of pietistic indifference to such things? By the way, I think the issue of pietistic indifference is a plague that threatens the life of the church. What is it? We used to call it being so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good. It plays out in a ‘me and Jesus’ theology that ignores God’s call to make a difference on the planet. Pietistic indifference is about salvation and cares little about discipleship, true worship, and a life of service. It's about looking good and caring very little.
Dream Big. It’s more than positive thinking. It’s a life style that reaches for God’s best even if it costs you the expectations others have for you.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Immigration
A northern suburban high school in the Chicago area chose not to send a girls basketball team to Arizona. Lots of news coverage. Many are very upset. Some not so much. It depends a bit on your political perspective I guess. What it does is throw another log on the raging fired called ‘immigration’. It’s a hot issue and with each log thrown it gets hotter. It’s a little scary because the heat is fueling some ugly passions that aren’t serving us particularly well. Those inflamed passions make getting on the solution side of things difficult but not impossible. Bottom line …the immigration issue isn’t going to go away anytime soon. So, here’s my take on some of the issues.
A nation has to control its borders. That makes all the sense in the world. But in order to secure our borders we need to have a sane and just immigration policy. It can’t be just a strong military type presence at all borders. A military presence is needed however. The Arizona law isn’t the answer in my humble opinion. It is, however, going to force the hand of Congress. If congress can come to the table, put the posturing aside, and look for a bi-partisan ‘win’ in all this we might just end up with a just and sane immigration reform package.
In that package there needs to be some sort of legal ‘thumbs up’ for those who aren’t citizens but want to work in this country. This legal thumbs up is not citizenship. It’s a ‘guest worker’ status that would allow people who have jobs to move back and forth freely, with some protections and restrictions, between their home country and the U.S.A. Those who need the kind of services undocumented workers provide could actually be proactive and legal in their recruitment of such workers. Now they’re playing in a murky shadowland that skirts all kind of existing laws. Of course, that means part of any reform package would be some language that would require employers to provide decent wages, healthy living arrangements and safe work conditions for these ‘guest workers’ That isn’t always the case now. Undocumented workers do get exploited and currently have no real legal recourse. That should bother us more than it does.
We have millions of undocumented folks who live in this country. Some have suggested that we ‘ship them all back’. That doesn’t make sense on a whole lot of levels. Just practically speaking it would be a nightmare to even attempt to do such a thing. Economically, it would wreak some severe damage on an already besieged economy. Contrary to some opinion undocumented aliens do pay more into the system than they receive from it. And from a pastoral and biblical justice perspective ‘shipping them back’ sounds just flat out punitive and vindictive and doesn’t pass the WWJD sniff test.
So, we have to figure out a way to allow immigrants to come out of the shadows and get on a clear path towards American citizenship. Let’s face it there are a whole lot of people that have been here for a long time, contribute greatly in a whole variety of ways, raise their families, pay taxes and contribute to the public good. Let’s help them to live without fear and provide a mechanism that would allow them citizenship even if they did enter illegally. If they don’t want to be a U.S. citizen and don’t want to be a ‘guest worker’ then there are other options. But first, let’s make a citizenship pathway for folks who are here, have been here for awhile and have made our country their home. They’ll need to get in line like everyone else but at least they’ll know there is a line. Obviously, there is some generous grace period for these folks and certainly we’ll need to figure out a way to move that line much faster than it currently moves.
Of course, there are really bad people who sneak into our country every day. Immigration reform has to have ‘teeth’ to it so that we can deal quickly with those who have no intention of contributing to the public good, don’t want to follow our laws and intend on doing us harm. In this day and age we can’t afford to be naïve. At the same time we need to remain lucid.
As Christians, we need to come to grips with the fact that all these ‘illegals’ are people near and dear to God’s heart. We’re called to love and care for those immigrants in our midst. Look through the Scriptures from a justice point of view and it’s staggering how much is written about the poor, disenfranchised, and the alien in our midst. Rumor has it that Jesus crossed a border looking for safety early in his life. And chances are each of us knows someone who has either done work on our home, cared for our lawn, lived next door, watched our children, offered us counsel, waited on us at a restaurant, cleaned our teeth, coached our kids, done our taxes, written a book that's been helpful, or gone to school with us … who might be illegal. Putting a human face to the big problems of life can help us to slow down and take stock of what we really believe. How punitive do I want the law to be towards someone I really care about? From my perspective I want immigration reform to give us something that feels like a way in and not necessarily a way out. I also want any reform to capture the true heart of God.
Immigration reform is desperately needed. As with most things how we go about making those reforms will speak mightily about where the heart of our nation really lies. Laws have to make sense, have the ability to be enforced with some consistency and protect the citizenry. We also can’t forget that we are a ‘nation of immigrants’. So, we don’t want to lose sight of what beckoned our forefathers and mothers. Those same dreams still mean something to those who desire a fresh start in the home of the brave and the land of the free. Any reform needs to make sure we still have arms and hearts open while still protecting our borders. That’s doable.
A nation has to control its borders. That makes all the sense in the world. But in order to secure our borders we need to have a sane and just immigration policy. It can’t be just a strong military type presence at all borders. A military presence is needed however. The Arizona law isn’t the answer in my humble opinion. It is, however, going to force the hand of Congress. If congress can come to the table, put the posturing aside, and look for a bi-partisan ‘win’ in all this we might just end up with a just and sane immigration reform package.
In that package there needs to be some sort of legal ‘thumbs up’ for those who aren’t citizens but want to work in this country. This legal thumbs up is not citizenship. It’s a ‘guest worker’ status that would allow people who have jobs to move back and forth freely, with some protections and restrictions, between their home country and the U.S.A. Those who need the kind of services undocumented workers provide could actually be proactive and legal in their recruitment of such workers. Now they’re playing in a murky shadowland that skirts all kind of existing laws. Of course, that means part of any reform package would be some language that would require employers to provide decent wages, healthy living arrangements and safe work conditions for these ‘guest workers’ That isn’t always the case now. Undocumented workers do get exploited and currently have no real legal recourse. That should bother us more than it does.
We have millions of undocumented folks who live in this country. Some have suggested that we ‘ship them all back’. That doesn’t make sense on a whole lot of levels. Just practically speaking it would be a nightmare to even attempt to do such a thing. Economically, it would wreak some severe damage on an already besieged economy. Contrary to some opinion undocumented aliens do pay more into the system than they receive from it. And from a pastoral and biblical justice perspective ‘shipping them back’ sounds just flat out punitive and vindictive and doesn’t pass the WWJD sniff test.
So, we have to figure out a way to allow immigrants to come out of the shadows and get on a clear path towards American citizenship. Let’s face it there are a whole lot of people that have been here for a long time, contribute greatly in a whole variety of ways, raise their families, pay taxes and contribute to the public good. Let’s help them to live without fear and provide a mechanism that would allow them citizenship even if they did enter illegally. If they don’t want to be a U.S. citizen and don’t want to be a ‘guest worker’ then there are other options. But first, let’s make a citizenship pathway for folks who are here, have been here for awhile and have made our country their home. They’ll need to get in line like everyone else but at least they’ll know there is a line. Obviously, there is some generous grace period for these folks and certainly we’ll need to figure out a way to move that line much faster than it currently moves.
Of course, there are really bad people who sneak into our country every day. Immigration reform has to have ‘teeth’ to it so that we can deal quickly with those who have no intention of contributing to the public good, don’t want to follow our laws and intend on doing us harm. In this day and age we can’t afford to be naïve. At the same time we need to remain lucid.
As Christians, we need to come to grips with the fact that all these ‘illegals’ are people near and dear to God’s heart. We’re called to love and care for those immigrants in our midst. Look through the Scriptures from a justice point of view and it’s staggering how much is written about the poor, disenfranchised, and the alien in our midst. Rumor has it that Jesus crossed a border looking for safety early in his life. And chances are each of us knows someone who has either done work on our home, cared for our lawn, lived next door, watched our children, offered us counsel, waited on us at a restaurant, cleaned our teeth, coached our kids, done our taxes, written a book that's been helpful, or gone to school with us … who might be illegal. Putting a human face to the big problems of life can help us to slow down and take stock of what we really believe. How punitive do I want the law to be towards someone I really care about? From my perspective I want immigration reform to give us something that feels like a way in and not necessarily a way out. I also want any reform to capture the true heart of God.
Immigration reform is desperately needed. As with most things how we go about making those reforms will speak mightily about where the heart of our nation really lies. Laws have to make sense, have the ability to be enforced with some consistency and protect the citizenry. We also can’t forget that we are a ‘nation of immigrants’. So, we don’t want to lose sight of what beckoned our forefathers and mothers. Those same dreams still mean something to those who desire a fresh start in the home of the brave and the land of the free. Any reform needs to make sure we still have arms and hearts open while still protecting our borders. That’s doable.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Haunting Me
I read the question asked by John Piper in a book called Crazy Love written by Francis Chan. It’s haunted me for months. It's gotten me thinking. Here it is.
The critical question for our generation and for every generation is this. If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed and all the natural beauties you ever saw and all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters …could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?
I’ve been a believer for a long time. I’ve committed my life to Christ. So, I'm wired in. But if I could have everything that’s meaningful to me in heaven minus Christ would I even blink?
What about you? Don't get real spiritual on me and forsake honesty. Would you miss Jesus in heaven if you had everything else you really wanted?
We throw the term 'relationship with Christ' around fairly casually in many religious circles. We talk about it with great gusto but I have a hunch a fair amount of us really don't know what we're talking about. And if that's true then maybe we really don't know Christ in some sort of personal, interactive way. Some of us have been around religious folks enough to gain access to 'personal relationship' jargon. But jargon isn't the same as a relationship. So, I'm thinking that there are a whole lot of folks in and outside the Christian camp that might just settle for a Christless heaven. If we don't need Him now why would we need Him then?
The other question haunting me is this one. Would I go anywhere, do anything, and take on any problem if God called me?
Would I? Do I have that kind of faith? Of course, my decision would depend greatly on whether or not I have cultivated some sort of relationship with God. My answer to the first question (heaven without Christ) would certainly influence my answer to this one.
I know enough about God to know that His call is often a step into the unknown. Is that what I really want?
What about you? Would you bravely go where no man or woman has gone before if you believed God was calling you?
Two questions. One about relationship. The other about trust and mission.
So, first things first. The first question is the more essential one I think. At least it is for me. I have very little trouble going on a mission. I struggle more with the relationship issue. Here's why.
I’m realizing that the answer in my head to the heaven without Christ question doesn't necessarily match the truth of my life. The answer in my head is “No way, I wouldn’t want to live anyplace with out Jesus, no matter how good it is.” If that’s the case why do I sometimes feel so distant from the living God in the here and now? Why am I so content at times to keep doing my own thing and in essence live a life of ‘functional atheism’? Quaker writer Parker Palmer coined that ‘functional atheism’ term. It’s the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us. We say we believe but live as though we don't. Functional atheism can be found wherever Christians gather. It’s a conviction held even by people who talk a good game about God.
So, it’s back to the drawing board. My dissatisfaction with my state of mind compels me to go back to the Scriptures and some tried and true spiritual disciplines. I'm thinking it time to rethink and relearn everything I know about Jesus. It’s time to read and study and breathe in the life of Christ, learning once again about the unforced rhythms of grace. I need to fall back in love (instead of just having unswerving respect) with the Savior who has never fallen out of love with me. And as I do the question about mission and call will fall into place I bet.
Don't go all judgmental on me now. I'm just trying to be honest. If you know me you know that my faith is real. I just need to rediscover the essence of it once again. I need to know God more than knowing about Him. Sometimes the pendulum of my life swings too far towards knowledge and my heart yearns for the intimacy of relationship. My guess some of you know what I'm talking about.
So what about you?
Can you easily imagine a heaven with no care and worry as being OK even if Jesus wasn’t part of the mix? Are questions of mission and call bothersome and intrusive?
Do you need to rediscover anew what drew you to faith in the first place?
Would love to hear what you’re thinking.
The critical question for our generation and for every generation is this. If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed and all the natural beauties you ever saw and all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters …could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?
I’ve been a believer for a long time. I’ve committed my life to Christ. So, I'm wired in. But if I could have everything that’s meaningful to me in heaven minus Christ would I even blink?
What about you? Don't get real spiritual on me and forsake honesty. Would you miss Jesus in heaven if you had everything else you really wanted?
We throw the term 'relationship with Christ' around fairly casually in many religious circles. We talk about it with great gusto but I have a hunch a fair amount of us really don't know what we're talking about. And if that's true then maybe we really don't know Christ in some sort of personal, interactive way. Some of us have been around religious folks enough to gain access to 'personal relationship' jargon. But jargon isn't the same as a relationship. So, I'm thinking that there are a whole lot of folks in and outside the Christian camp that might just settle for a Christless heaven. If we don't need Him now why would we need Him then?
The other question haunting me is this one. Would I go anywhere, do anything, and take on any problem if God called me?
Would I? Do I have that kind of faith? Of course, my decision would depend greatly on whether or not I have cultivated some sort of relationship with God. My answer to the first question (heaven without Christ) would certainly influence my answer to this one.
I know enough about God to know that His call is often a step into the unknown. Is that what I really want?
What about you? Would you bravely go where no man or woman has gone before if you believed God was calling you?
Two questions. One about relationship. The other about trust and mission.
So, first things first. The first question is the more essential one I think. At least it is for me. I have very little trouble going on a mission. I struggle more with the relationship issue. Here's why.
I’m realizing that the answer in my head to the heaven without Christ question doesn't necessarily match the truth of my life. The answer in my head is “No way, I wouldn’t want to live anyplace with out Jesus, no matter how good it is.” If that’s the case why do I sometimes feel so distant from the living God in the here and now? Why am I so content at times to keep doing my own thing and in essence live a life of ‘functional atheism’? Quaker writer Parker Palmer coined that ‘functional atheism’ term. It’s the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us. We say we believe but live as though we don't. Functional atheism can be found wherever Christians gather. It’s a conviction held even by people who talk a good game about God.
So, it’s back to the drawing board. My dissatisfaction with my state of mind compels me to go back to the Scriptures and some tried and true spiritual disciplines. I'm thinking it time to rethink and relearn everything I know about Jesus. It’s time to read and study and breathe in the life of Christ, learning once again about the unforced rhythms of grace. I need to fall back in love (instead of just having unswerving respect) with the Savior who has never fallen out of love with me. And as I do the question about mission and call will fall into place I bet.
Don't go all judgmental on me now. I'm just trying to be honest. If you know me you know that my faith is real. I just need to rediscover the essence of it once again. I need to know God more than knowing about Him. Sometimes the pendulum of my life swings too far towards knowledge and my heart yearns for the intimacy of relationship. My guess some of you know what I'm talking about.
So what about you?
Can you easily imagine a heaven with no care and worry as being OK even if Jesus wasn’t part of the mix? Are questions of mission and call bothersome and intrusive?
Do you need to rediscover anew what drew you to faith in the first place?
Would love to hear what you’re thinking.
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