(Un)Characteristic of God Part 1

God is not a Cosmic Vending Machine

Matthew 5:43-48

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet your own people, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.

(Author's note:  I'm going to try writing a series on the characteristics and/or non-characteristics of God from my perspective as influenced by many others in the Judeo/Christian community, but please feel free to join the conversation by leaving comments or via social media)

Life isn't fair.

From the time I can remember in my youth, my parents saw fit to say this to me whenever I deemed my circumstance non-beneficial.  I now serenade my own children with this wise proverb.  What is unsettling is that for many of us, our understanding of this reality fosters an unrealistic perspective of our own grievances.  Simultaneously there is a failure to realize the truth that more often than not we are disproportionately "blessed" at the expense of others, who in a cruelly ironic way, have a more substantial claim to life's inherent unfairness.

For example, I recently went through a period of depression and anxiety.  While the U.S. healthcare system is far from perfect and I am by no means rich (relative to the U.S.), I was able to get the care I needed to get myself back to functioning somewhat normally.  I am a part of a loving family.  I have clothing, shelter and I eat everyday.  I live daily without the fears so many people face everyday just to stay alive.  You could argue that I am already rich and just don't know it yet.  The fact is that people live their whole lives trying to get what so many of us in Western civilization take for granted. Regardless of how much we have, it is never enough.  Even some of the world's top earners don't seem to identify as being rich and it shows through their actions.

What does this have to do with God?

Many, you could argue most, Christians in the west seem to have a faith that centers on the individual person and/or individual church.  If you are a member of the "right group" and do the "right things," God will bless you in this life as well as the next.  This manifests itself in many forms from the prosperity gospel to any expression of faith that defines itself over others.  The problem with this is that this distorted version of scripture leaves us short sighted:  We all have suffered, will suffer again, and will eventually pass from this life.  We cannot take any of our material possessions with us, regardless of how much we have or have not.  Nothing on earth will last, and even the earth itself is impermanent.

With the reality of suffering and death hovering over us, it is easy to feel fearful and hopeless, and those feelings have impacted both the "believer" and "non-believer" alike.  As churches we pray for ourselves, maintain ourselves, and seem to do good to others only when it seems to benefit ourselves or the churches we are a part of.  The further someone is from what is considered acceptable, either by belief system, race, class, etc., the more we distance and exclude that person or persons.  When many of us are challenged, we retreat further into our own bubbles.  This has caused many "non-believers" to look at the church and want nothing to do with it, which in its worst form has led to a "you only live once" form of nihilism that puts the self above everything.  Sadly, meaninglessness is quite prevalent regardless of identity, but I believe there is a way to give life meaning and to "rise above" the fear that dictates so much of life.

How can we transcend the material?

As we are conscious of our mortality, how can we establish meaning and purpose outside of an identity rooted in material possessions?  I believe the aforementioned scripture is key to navigating life.  Jesus is not asking us to feel bad for what we have or to be ashamed of our identity.  The call to love our enemies is extravagantly more difficult, and if we are to believe the Gospel narratives, Jesus not only said to love the enemy, he lived that calling unto death.  All of this is easy to write, say or preach from a pulpit, but how does it function?  What outlasts the physical?  Relationships.  The goal is not to try to be perfect or pure in action, but to try and be perfect in love.  When we do our best to care for others in spite of our limitations and sins it lives beyond us.  As I learned from my favorite comic growing up, with great power comes great responsibility.  The more we have, the greater our capacity to not only do much good, but also to do great harm.  Another passage from scripture may perhaps help us to break free of the hold possessions have on us:

Mark 10:17-22

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.  "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered.  "No one is good -except God alone.  You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"  "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."  Jesus looked at him and loved him.  "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  At this the man's face fell.  He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

What would the world look like if we all lived as Jesus commanded?  No one I know identifies with the rich man in the text.  Far too many of us think we have earned everything we have through hard work and that charity is best given.  What if we truly loved others, especially those we consider enemies, no matter the material cost to us?  What if we truly empathized with "the other," realizing how our sense of worth and way of life actually contribute to the lack thereof we see outside of our "tribes" and "cliques?"  What if we valued relationship over possession?  What if we used our possessions to further relationships instead of using our relationships to further possessions?

Kenosis is a Greek word which means self emptying love.  One reason I still self identify as Christian is that I believe God to be incarnate in the person of Jesus the Christ, and that God's relationship with us is most appealing as expressed through Jesus' life.  So what can we learn and improve about life through that lens?  Where numerous churches look to convert and are concerned with right belief, Jesus is concerned with healing and right relationship.  Where many faith communities require a list of actions before a person can join a church or take part in sacramental life, Jesus lifts up the marginalized, the outsider, and the oppressed.  Instead of leading a violent insurrection against the unjust Roman government, Jesus exemplifies kenosis by dying a violent death.  Jesus would rather die than use his influence to reinforce another oppressive power system.  A "cosmic vending machine" God is not represented in the way of Christ.  The way of Christ is the narrow road.  It is the road of empathy, of forgiveness and of love.  It is a life of abundance, not of scarcity, calling us to rid  ourselves of the idols we hold dear to attain a better sense of purpose and to lift up our relations with others and of God.  We can choose this way regardless of identity, just like we can live in fear regardless of identity, whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic, Atheist, Sikh or other.  It may be foolish, but I dream of a day we can shed the things, goals and destinations that cost us our lives and the lives of those we care about.


Shalom

Making the Case for a Better Way

Confession, Acknowledgements

There are too many caveats to apply to what culminates in this post.  For starters, I am not an academic and I have no degrees.  If you need credentials for a story, an interpretation, or conclusions about life, than check out now.  I sell cigarettes, tobacco, candy and groceries for a living on behalf of a wholesaler, and to this point it has provided me comfort enough to love my family as well as ponder life to the point where I feel a need to use my gift of the written word to express how I feel in a way that hopefully inspires.  I say this for two reasons:  1) If what follows causes you to feel pain, anger, or frustration, then forget about it as quickly as possible.  2) Too many things that I have read or experienced have shaped me, but there will be no footnotes.  

This is a blog post and I will give general acknowledgements to the following: the numerous friends and family from numerous backgrounds, and recently I've been shaped by the Homebrewed Christianity series, Phil Gully, and everything that shaped what they wrote, write and speak.  If I left you out, please forgive me, because suing me will not get you enough money to heal the resentment.

Intro/Testimony

With regard to the postmodern world we live in, it would be improper and disorderly if I did not give at least some sort of account of who I am, where I'm from, and how this particular writing came to be.  I am white,  I was born in the US and I take for granted the comfort these two factors provide me.  I've already mentioned the lack of formal education above, so you'll just have to take my word for it when I say the luxury of being white in America causes me great distress the more I become aware of the cost.  My wife is from Haiti, and if I am aware of nothing else I am aware of how the realities out of her control shape her and me by extension.  We have two children, and this is for their generation in search of a better way.

About two weeks before Christmas 2016, I started a slow decline into anxiety and depression.  At the time, I didn't know why.  I had always been pretty laid back throughout life, and had been through some tough times, but taking things in stride had always been one of my strengths even to the point where it caused harm for others when I would do the bare minimum to get by and address problems by avoiding conflict and finding my happy place.  These issues become bigger with each life change: marriage, apartment, first child, lost job, lost apartment, moved in with mother in-law, second child, new job, back to apartment, better job, first house, etc. (cliff notes version)

In the midst of life changes, I was dealing with some really hard realities.  My Grandpa was dying slowly of Parkinson's and I was taking a couple hours every other Monday to stay with and help care for him just so my Grandma could get a break to not think about Grandpa dying and get other things done or rest.  In April 2016, Grandpa passed on from this life.  Over the summer, I dealt with fleas as the result of a cat for the home which had mice which will make for a great updated version of "The Lady Who Swallowed the Fly" someday.  As funny as that may sound at the moment you read it, let me assure you that fleas are Hell and as a result the cat had to go (there were other issues with the cat as well).  On top of this, on Saturday October 22nd I got a call in which I found out my close friend and mentor Robert Eckert had passed away suddenly from a heart attack.  Life is fleeting, but if you can believe it, I navigated all of this with a reasonable degree of sanity.  Then, in November, the US elected Donald J Trump to be president, and while this in and of itself is horrible enough, for me it was the cherry on top of the shit cone.

Before I start to philosophize, theologize (made up word, once again sorry for not being academically inclined), and wax poetic, let me backtrack and explain a little bit more about myself:  All of my Grandparents are Baptist (with a capital B) and I grew in an environment that started from that point.  If you're still caring enough to read this far, keep reading, because the context of my message and to whom it is written are inseparable from who I am, how I've grown and continue to grow.  My dad and mom over time have shifted to drastically different beliefs about God, politics and community, among other things, and I am the oldest child but still remember the changes and growing through it.  I'll let them tell their story, but for me I went from a child who had no doubts about the existence of God to an adult who was in church for the relationships and boiled God and Jesus down until they were nothing more than motivations for my liberal political and social views.  What I now realize is that when you are fighting for political ideals, social ideals, or a vision about how YOU think the world SHOULD be, you will NEVER be truly happy.  It is in the midst of this reality that the war for our souls is raged.  I hate to generalize, but most of us live in a reality between skeptical atheists and for lack of a better term religious literalists (also not a "real" word).

Affirmation of, Response and Appeal to Skeptics

For the people who take scripture as literal up to and including denying scientific realities, you'll have to take the call to forgive literally.  Part of the problem of why we can't move forward globally is because the many people who have contributed to scientific discovery, much of which has benefited society, are told that their conclusions are rubbish because they don't fit a particular version of God.  As a result, most scientists remain agnostic if not atheist, and if anyone was the recipient of the type of hate and condemnation they receive just because the conclusions they draw don't fit someone else's expectation of what God SHOULD be, then they'd probably be atheist too.  To anyone reading this who may not believe in God or is trying to sort things out for themselves, let me just pause and say as someone who identifies as Christian, I'm sorry.  You matter.  Your questions matter.  Your feelings matter.  And scientists say the universe is made up of matter, so with the exception of anti-matter everything literally matters.  To the many agnostics and atheists who have contributed and sacrificed for the benefit of humanity:  Thank you!  You might be wondering why you started reading this and are still reading this, to which I'd say it's a God coincidence, but thank you all the same.

As someone who believed in God, but was socially and politically liberal, let me just say that is an angry way to live.  I loved Bill Maher up to the point where he started talking religion and loved my family up to the point where they started talking politics.  I've had several epiphanies in my life, but one of them came from seeing a debate between Richard Dawkins and Alistair McGrath.  The debate was mostly highly academic and mostly above my head, but one part stood out:  After much debate that changed no one's mind, McGrath asked Dawkins why he is always so angry toward religion, and for the first time I saw another emotion from Dawkins.  He said he was so angry because he was frustrated with children so deluded into believing that in order to get somewhere better they have to blow themselves and others to bits.  He didn't say this in anger, but in genuine sadness and confusion.  It turns out Richard Dawkins has feelings, which would sadly still be a revelation to many who are apologetic today.  It is also sad that we can't put our beliefs aside and work towards combating environments that foster extreme violence and suffering, but more on that later.

I now want to (finally) respond to the main critique of atheism and what I consider to be a fruitless endeavor, but it should be noted that I can't say enough how badly I feel at how these individuals and their critical work have been treated by many in the name of whatever or whomever.

The crux of the matter is an unsolvable question, if we're truly being honest:  Does God exist?  What do I mean by unsolvable?  Not that we don't have to make a judgement and move forward, but that the problem isn't with answering the question, it's what we do after we answer the question.  When a Pentecostal preacher from Arkansas (stereotype to prove a point) hears Sam Harris, Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, or Neil deGrasse Tyson question God or blatantly state as fact that there is no God, that is all they hear.  What I've found is that these folks are not so much frustrated by who God is or could be, but what is done heinously in the name of God but is not of God at all.

I can only speak for me, but if there is no God then what really matters?  What authority does anyone have to say anything?  I get it that they think removing God makes this life and world matter more, but for so many removing the very reason they have to be slightly better people on any level has the opposite effect.  If there is no God, then death is better than suffering.  If there is no God then there is no incentive to improve a place that is only temporary anyway.  If there is no God, why shouldn't I do whatever I want?  I say these things not because the common good and doing the right thing shouldn't matter in and of themselves, but because for many they don't.  There are real concerns that science raises that we can address without trying to change anyone's mind about God's reality or lack thereof.  Furthermore, and on top of denying God's existence as an irrefutable fact, there are many who in their rush to disprove God because of all the injustice done in His/Her name through religion are not being open about their own blind spots and the evil done in the name of the pursuit of science.  Yes, science has brought awareness and increased comfort.  It has also contributed in misuse to the suffering of others on a mass scale.  Weapons are more deadly and efficient.  The industrial revolution and efficiency of fossil fuels have contributed to the planet's decline, and God didn't have anything to do with it.  So my appeal to the skeptic is:  Can you put your lack of faith into action and leave God, faith, and religion out of it when you try to rally around just causes or raise legitimate concerns?  The second you attach God to your concerns you empower the very thing you're trying to fight.

A Critique of and Appeal to Apologists

I am quite sure that many who read this will trip over themselves to tear me down if they care enough to do so.  It is baffling to me how many people (and to some extent myself included) feel the need to construct beliefs or ideas on the wrongness of the other.  We cannot just disagree and move on.  Somehow we have a need to treat doubt or disbelief as cancerous and try to be rid of it to our own detriment and the detriment of others.  Religion is a source of love and support for so many, but we humans get a hold of it and use it as a weapon to demean others.  You see, it's not simply the question of if God exists, many feel they have to convince everyone to believe in God the way they see Him (definitely not Her!!!!).  What would happen if people worshiped God as they saw fit and didn't feel the need to convert others to their way of thinking in totality?  Can we be content with who we are and join with others for a common good without trying to change minds?  I don't know if the chicken or egg came first, but would atheists be so public if so many religious folk didn't feel the need to enforce their will on others? The paradox is that people are often changed more by our character and actions than with our stated beliefs.

This is, for me, the most difficult problem:  There is so much willful ignorance scattered throughout religion and in Christianity in the west in particular, that it is extremely difficult to not throw the baby out with the bath water.  I can only appeal to Christian apologists with my own experience:  I know beyond reasonable doubt that systematic racism exists because I've experienced it firsthand through witnessing friends and family, and not in subtle ways.  To see people who claim Christ willfully oppress others simply because they are different makes me angry.  What also makes me angry is when people who have dedicated themselves to scientific discovery are refuted with the Bible, which not only predates modern science, it was never written (NOT ONE WORD) with the intention of drawing scientific conclusions.  My appeal to apologists is this:  Stop attacking.  If you believe everyone has value, start treating them like it.  If you believe life is sacred, start treating all life as sacred AFTER it comes into being.  Stop preaching and start listening.  I promise you that if you try hard enough to find God in the worst people you can imagine, you can find God within them.  I believe to truly love Jesus is to love love who he loved: people who were, according to the narratives, outcasts within the society and time Jesus lived in.  Jesus wasn't a Christian and you wouldn't be had he not used his faith rooted in Judaism to love intentionally those who not only weren't Jewish, but many of which were hated by Jews.

Conclusion

If you've made it this far on a random and obscure blog post, thank you.  You're probably wondering how I got through, or if I got through my anxiety.  Throughout the ordeal I said prayers I didn't know I still believed.  I sought advice from family and friends who directed me to counseling.  I went on medication for a period.  I wouldn't have made it through without my church family.  I wouldn't have made it through if I hadn't taken faith steps regardless of and before I believed.

Maybe you are too far gone to believe in God, but deep down you know there's something bigger that matters.  Could it be that maybe God is bigger than doubts and beliefs and can be found in the depths of the subconscious that push us to love and to keep grinding it out in the face of cruel uncertainty?

Maybe you are certain of God and only the God you believe in.  Why are you special enough to receive God's grace at the expense of others, if your definition of "special" requires the lack thereof in anyone else?

Maybe you are certain of science and the scientific method.  Could it be that there are truths deeper than what can be materially observed?  Is there limitation to a human construct?  Could God be within our processes?

I can't resolve the conflict between good and evil.  I don't think God can be proven.  One person's epiphany is another's coincidence.  Our own personal and communal biases dictate how we interpret everything.  I can only tell you the way I have chosen to get out of the conundrum.  Love.  If you do nothing else love your family, and when you are strong enough to love your family love your neighbors, and if you can bring yourself to love your neighbors, then love your enemies, and when you have no enemies it is in that space you will find God.  This may be simply stated but it is the most difficult to achieve.  In an age where technology has increased our awareness of the world, it is so easy to be cynical and to think that nothing really matters.  Yes, people suffer, but I believe there are more people in the world who desire peace than those who desire violence.  When all is said and done, the powerful die just the same, and we can let bitterness isolate us or we can recognize the inherent value we all share and love our way through it.  Regardless of what happens, I choose the hard path.  I choose love.

Peace

      

P.S.  I should have mentioned this earlier, but even this blog post is not a destination or universal conclusion, it is an ongoing conversation.  My heart is that this will bring peace, but if you take issue with anything I wrote, feel free to contact me in a civil manner.  Theses very conflicts I write about are as much my struggle as anything.

A Response To Madison Square Church (In regard to their stance on homosexuality recently made public)

Before I begin, I want to make some things clear:

While I strongly disagree with the public stance Pastor Dave Beelen and Madison Square church have made, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Pastor Beelen and many of their ministries do good work in the community and beyond.  They have been a source of healing when it comes to racial reconciliation and those who struggle with addiction among many other things.

I am not a pastor and my views don't reflect my local church or the denomination I belong to, the United Methodist Church, whose stance (or lack thereof) I also disagree with.  When it comes to education or knowledge of scripture, Pastor Beelen I'm sure could run circles around me.  Before my family became UMC, we even attended Madison Square for quite awhile before we actually became a family while I was dating my wife.  I am fully aware this blog post is unlikely to change any minds, but I am passionate about this issue because I have seen far too many people deeply hurt to stay silent about it.  I have made my beliefs clear about this issue informally, but it is well past due that I make it somewhat public/official.

Here is the link to Pastor Beelen's open letter:
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dd210c9e906bee82e2493dc83&id=84bdbe6dac

This post will inevitably be long, but I will try to be as concise and clear as I can.  Anyone who wants to discuss this with me in any forum, whether it be face to face, by phone, or by social media is welcome to do so, but I am not going to argue over this and this will probably be the only extended writing I make on the matter, though I do reserve the right to change my mind.

It breaks my heart that Madison Square has chosen to take this stance given their work in other ministries.  I am not certain, but my hunch is that this was written after a certain degree of wrestling with the issue over prayer and scriptural study.  In spite of this, I believe the wrong decision has been made even though they are trying not to single out homosexuals, they inevitably are.  On the one hand, Madison is saying that they don't want to single out one sin over another, but on the other hand if you are a homosexual and want to be married within the church or become a member, then Madison Square Church will refuse to do so based on Biblical grounds, which is basically just a way of saying their specific interpretation of scripture.

There are so many levels of disagreement that I don't no where to begin, but pastor Dave mentioned in the letter that people have pitted Jesus against Paul and given more weight to certain portions of scripture over others and seems to imply that we should give the entire Bible equal weight when interpreting since the entirety of scripture is "God breathed."  He then says it is bad to mention Jesus' lack of a stance on homosexuality since he also doesn't take a stance on "human trafficking or incest."  I've heard similar arguments to this and I want to be clear:  Comparing homosexuality to incest, human trafficking, pedophilia and bestiality among other things is disrespectful, disingenuous and wrong and it contributes NOTHING to the conversation.  To elaborate further, my response to this is twofold:

Should All of the Bible be Interpreted Equally, Authoritative or Otherwise?

I think, if we are all honest with ourselves, that we give more importance to certain parts of scripture than others.  I think it is a cop out to claim that all of scripture is equally authoritative when it comes to this issue or any issue for that matter.  Smarter people than me have pointed out that what is being interpreted as homosexuality by many today may have actually be something completely different in Paul's time.  I believe Paul was referring to pederasty, which was men taking adolescents or even young boys sexually.  There is historical record outside of the Bible of young boys being used as whores around this time period, and that is far from an equal relationship, far from consent, and harmful.  Even if you are inclined to interpret this as modern homosexuality, ultimately you are trusting in your own interpretation (of which each person, church, denomination, etc. has a unique version of) and singling out a perceived sin over loving God and loving others, and loving God by loving others, which Jesus says all the law and scriptures are dependent on.  Sounds like Jesus wasn't aware of the Neo-Calvinist need to give equal weight to all scripture.

The greater danger here is how we can fall into the trap of using scripture as an idol.  We can get so concerned about the minute details beyond our understanding that we are blinded to God's clear call and blinded to the fact that God is with us and does many works outside of scripture.  If your interpretation of scripture doesn't lead you to a very real God who lives and is authoritative beyond and not limited to the Bible, then I believe you are going down a very dangerous path.

What is Sin, the Role of the Church When it Comes to Sin, and is Homosexuality a Sin?

The other big danger in this stance is the message Madison is sending about sin.  When you make sin a list of choices perceived to be bad, the list is endless and we have no choice but to live by the list and to be judged by it.  Whether the intent is to single out homosexuals or not, the message is that God's grace is not available to all, only to those who live by the church's "list."  No amount of confessing can cover our own sins when we act as gatekeeper for those who fit into whatever category, in this case gay folk.  When we don't acknowledge our sin as a whole, including the sin we all continue to live in daily, we are doing exactly what we are saying we aren't doing.  Madison's sins must not be as bad.  People will argue that it's not the homosexuality, it's the approval of it and lack of confession for it.  Do we really want to go down that road?  Or do we actually believe we are identifying and confessing of everything we do wrong?

In my mind, the church's role is not to be a gatekeeper, not to be as holy as possible and not to decide who's worthy of relationship with God through Christ.  God loves us as we are, not in spite of our brokenness but because we are broken and that we choose to be in relationship with him by loving other broken people.  So while I believe homosexuality is not a sin and that the church should affirm monogamous gay marriage and relationships, making a list is beside the point.  We all live in sin daily and God is with us before and after we become aware of Him and before and after we are in relationship with Him, and if He is ultimately in control our role should be to love God, love others, and in our mission field to measure things through that lens.  How is homosexual marriage not living into the story of loving God and loving others?

Authority

In finishing this post, I think people who argue from all angles would agree that the crux of this matter comes down to authority.   I would agree and make this proposal:  If we can agree that we are limited and diverse in our interpretation of scripture, shouldn't we as individuals and the church approach our beliefs and interpretations much more humbly?  If we are in relationship with God and we love others, do we put more trust in God or our interpretations?  Loving God and loving people is clear and consistent throughout the Bible.  The interpretation of the scriptures relating to homosexuality aren't as clear and there are various interpretations of those scriptures and the original languages they are written in.  We don't have a clear picture of the truth no matter how hard we try.  God is truth.  It is a modern day Tower of Babel and humanity still hasn't learned its lesson.  Doesn't the Bible teach to err on the side of mercy and grace?  Do we really think a loving God is going to punish us for welcoming a group of people who has been historically punished, tortured and victimized by the church?  Scripture has been used to exclude gentiles, jews, blacks, women, homosexuals, etc., etc., etc.  Who is going to stand with our gay brothers and sisters who also are born the way they are but often face a life at odds with their family, friends and churches?

Let the church without sin throw stones.  I put my slingshot away a long time ago and I'm way more concerned with what I have to deal with in the mirror than trying to fix someone else.

I hope the response to this is to bring reconciliation and prayer for Madison and other churches who continue to wrestle with this issue.  I want to reiterate my respect for pastor Dave who at least has linked to opposing arguments and seems well intended.

God bless,

Jason

(Any response can go to comments, or you can facebook me, or my e-mail is jsquiggles23@hotmail.com if you want to setup a phone conversation or a face to face meeting)  

My Perspective On God, Jesus, the Bible and Christianity and How it May Differ From Yours Part 1

I am going to be posting about my individual perspective on topics too deep to confine to one post.  I want to state a few things beforehand so no one is confused or gets caught up in something minor.  While these are my views, I have been influenced by many individuals and while you might disagree, I see my views as compatible with Christianity of which there are many different traditions and translations.  I am writing this series for many reasons, but mostly to clarify my beliefs for myself, and to explain why I differ from more evangelical (for lack of a better word) expressions of Christianity if I do.  In the age of "hot takes" and divisiveness when it comes to opinion, I hope to write in a way that doesn't demean those who believe and/or feel differently.  If you should read this and feel I misrepresent something, please leave a comment or if you know me feel free to discuss via social media.  I do not see my views as absolutely true necessarily:  I could be wrong.  Only God knows all and my intention is to characterize myself and my perspective as humbly as possible.  End long intro rant.

Part One:  The Bible

I could have started this series many different ways, but ultimately whether you decide to identify as a Christian or not depends a lot on how seriously you take the Bible to be.  I don't care to go into a deep history on how the Bible was formed into what it is today, but suffice it to say while there is disagreement on the authorship of many books of the Bible and the authority the Bible has, people seem to recognize that the Bible wasn't written all at one time and that the books come from different eras, cultures and places, etc.

How you interpret the text says everything about what you believe about the Bible.  Some people dismiss it completely and don't believe God had anything to do with it and on top of that believe there is little to draw from historically.  Some believe that we can learn about the cultures and civilizations and eras that the Bible emerged from, but treat scripture largely as myth.  On the other end of the scale there are those that believe scripture is "God breathed," a literal history of the world and every verse is to be taken seriously.  Then there are those who feel the Bible is "perfect in its purpose," but since there isn't consensus on the Bible's purpose, I've heard this said by many different people who would hardly agree on the purpose of the Bible.  The Bible may indeed be perfect in its purpose, but sometimes we say this to keep from addressing the parts of the Bible we don't like or that challenge us.

So what do I believe about the Bible?  I believe the Bible is about human kind's relationship with God.  Furthermore, scripture is unique to me because of the story of Jesus:  His life, death, and resurrection.

I do not believe everything in the Bible happened literally.  I do not think that the historicity of ancient narratives or the lack thereof diminishes from the greater truth behind those narratives.  Let me clarify on this with a couple examples:  I do not believe the earth was created in 6 literal days.  When it comes to Genesis, the creation narrative, and Adam and Eve, I don't believe these things had to literally happen to diminish from the truth that is in the stories.  What is that truth?  The origins of the universe, the world, and humankind go back to a divine creator, and the creator is interested in a relationship with us.  Some would disagree heavily with that point of view, but in my view the origins of Genesis are oral traditions written down by people who were more concerned with the truth of a story than of its historical accuracy.  I believe no one knows how the earth was created, and to say you do is blasphemous.

The other example is that of Jesus in scripture.  I believe that Jesus existed literally and historically.  I believe that the gospels are generally true, but again context is crucial:  The people who wrote the gospels were not as concerned with accuracy as we are today, thousands of years later.  I'm not saying it isn't legit to wrestle with the Bible and ask if Jesus really said this verbatim, or did this event happen exactly in this way, but I find it absurd that for some it undoes their whole worldview to take even one verse in a non-literal way.

To sum things up, I think the Bible says as much, if not more, about the authors of the Bible and the world that they live in as it does about God.  I don't read the Bible giving equal authority to all parts:  I think Jesus' life and teachings are most important when I wrestle with certain parts of scripture and I give more authority to the New Testament than the Old.  I do not think God has changed, but the view of God and our understanding of God and dare I say our relationship with and to God have all changed because humans have changed.

I do want to add one caveat in conclusion:  While I call these "my" views, I have not come to these conclusions on my own.  One critique of "my" position is that I am "recreating God and scripture in my own image."  I want to respond by saying that I am indeed guilty of this; we all are!  I am no doubt off the mark to varying degrees with many of my viewpoints, but I believe it to be blasphemous to claim to know exactly how the earth was created and where we go when we die and to judge people by our own litmus set of beliefs and to claim it is God.  Life would be so much easier if we would approach the Bible and our beliefs humbly no matter how strongly we feel about our own interpretations of scripture.  And that goes for everyone, because I've seen superiority complexes in all beliefs.  A safe rule might be to not substitute knowing for believing.

God bless and please let me know where I went wrong,

adieu until Part 2!

Injustice: Visible vs Invisible

I don't often feel compelled to speak on issues where I feel my voice would just be an unnecessary addition to people who have already made their opinions heard who are much better connected and smarter than I am.  While I am sure there are well rounded opinions on the Baltimore protests, I am going to make an exception to the dismay of many.

I came across a facebook post asking what the church's role is, if any, in situations like the one in Baltimore.  That is a good question, and the problems going on in Baltimore are a good reflection of the many dissenting viewpoints in America on race, the role of the police/authority, systematic racism, etc.  What is not in doubt is that injustice reigns in our communities, neighborhoods, cities, countries and world, both visible and invisible, and it manifests itself in many ways.  In addition to this ongoing injustice, our way of dialogue through various forms of media only adds fuel to the fire and when a community feels like they are not being heard or represented well it can lead to disastrous situations like Baltimore, Ferguson and the many examples before and after.

Visible Injustice

There are two obvious forms of injustice going on in Baltimore, and depending on your leanings it is easy to fall into the trap of justifying one form while going the extra mile to condemn the other.  The first is the abuse of police power.  Unless you've been hiding under a rock for weeks on end, there have been numerous incidents that have left minorities dead at the hands of police officers.  While there is varying justification depending on the incident, it is statistically confirmed that minorities, especially blacks, are more threatened by the use of deadly force than whites, and the difference is exponential.  While it would be great if we could wave a wand and solve this disparity, the problem is only made worse by the fact that this reality isn't even often confirmed by police departments.  It's hard to solve issues when many people refuse that there are issues or worse, blame the victims.

The second form of injustice is the response to these abusive situations, which commonly do more to widen the divide than close it.  I'm all for peaceful protest and these situations call for it, but trying to improve relations with police or just to be heard is undermined when you demonize the police or people in your group engage in looting among other things.  On top of the actual wrong doing by protesters, there are people who will justify those actions.  As people inevitably support one group/viewpoint over the other, the trenches only deepen, the wounds continue to bleed and injustice continues to reign even after windows are repaired and bodies are put to rest.

So, how can the church address visible injustice?

The question remains and the solution, while easily thought of and written is as difficult in action.  Police officers live in our communities with their families.  One of my best friends is an officer of the law.  The first step in healing is to admit wrongs where they exist.  The church can encourage this by facilitating peaceful communication, so that people can be heard.  The more officers that understand the places they serve, the more reasonable the solutions (ideally).  The harder part is for citizens to begin to trust the police again, and for some it may never happen, but if they are able to hear and have productive conversations with officers, it would at the least help to solve underlying issues that affect the community and help no one.

Invisible Injustice

It is difficult enough for people to acknowledge obvious wrongs without justifying one wrong over another.  To try to communicate the complex realities of systematic racism with these same people is often like speaking an alien language.  The sad fact is that many of us either participate in systematic racism, either actively or indifferently, or are affected by it, or both.  This invisible force is the life blood that subtly bubbles over into more aggressive actions.

While it is hard to digest, if you are a white citizen of the United States you have benefited directly or indirectly from a form of government that held minorities back by law.  Capitalism operates under the myth of hard work and creativity leading into financial success, often uncapped (admittedly a generally unsophisticated explanation).  Unfortunately, even if we embrace capitalism's ideals we are confronted by the problem of slavery, followed by the problem of Jim Crow and currently there is the issue of very little progress being made since civil rights along with the reality that our economy benefits from underpaying undocumented migrants to do some of the harshest work this country has to offer.

On top of the racial aspect, the idea that the hardest working make the most isn't even mostly true.  You have the beneficiaries of the rich, you have people whose ideas are stolen, you have people who work their way up the ladder, only to find out that they will never reach the top, etc., etc., etc.

So, how does the church address invisible injustice?

This ones the "doozy."  Many churches don't believe in systematic racism, or that it isn't a big issue.  I think there are more forms of invisible powers working than we are aware of and likewise there are multiple solutions.  Quite simply praying for others and doing whatever you can to love others and doing so with others is a start.  Admitting we are unaware of where we fall short everyday, individually and as a community, and asking for forgiveness is another good start.  We seem to do a good job of being right in this country, but I think the key is often to think of the people we'd most like to condemn, and instead go to "those people" and serve them.  Jesus ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, and was betrayed by one of his own.   I don't know the answers to all the questions I've posed, but I do know that when we befriend the monster, the monster ceases to be.  When we invite the demonized to dinner, they become human.  So who do you/we need to make peace with?  White, black or brown?  Jewish or Catholic or Protestant?  Terrorists?  Fundamentalists? Muslims, Sikhs or Christians?  We often forget the humanity of others, so let's find it now before we lose it.

The Problem With Communication......

It's no secret that we have a huge problem with compromise in this country as well as within the church.  Every "hot button" issue gets run through the cable news cycle and gets brought up over and over in our social settings.  Instead of looking at every angle, each issue is usually stripped down to a two sided debate which is a tragedy, especially when it comes to legislating (or not) solutions, either in our country, state, city or church.  We get so convinced of our own point of view or our own side that we cut ourselves off from those we could be learning from.  It's not enough to agree to disagree and treat each other civilly, often we have to drag our "opponents" through the sludge in order to make ourselves look better, and I am as guilty as anyone.  Unfortunately this behavior leads to many people being hurt who are the faces behind the issue(s).

As a Christian, I often wonder what leads people to let their personal beliefs\morals interfere with the greatest commandments:  To love God and love others, which are inseparable.  Regardless of what one feels about immigration, homosexuality, health care, abortion, etc., we too often let our own personal standards about these issues blind us to the people who are living the consequences (positive, negative or in between) of our collective stances everyday.  I have been guilty of going on rants or making rash social media posts in the past, and if I'm honest I will probably be guilty of doing the same in the future, but instead of nit picking an issue I will share how Jesus related to people and also an instance (there have been more than one) where I had an individual interaction that was a helpful way of discussing rather than debating, and there is a difference.

Too often when we look at Jesus and the Bible in general we get caught up in what's right and what's not instead of finding examples to live in spite of our limitations.  Instead of living a certain way, we have to determine our every stance from the Bible (even though many Christians have derived conflicting stances that are "Biblically supported).  The bottom line is that we don't know where Jesus "stood" on everything.  We can however, if we take the Bible even somewhat seriously in regard to Jesus, get an idea of who Jesus was by looking at how he interacted with people.  Jesus healed many people which, even if he didn't know them, was very personal.  It doesn't appear that Jesus had any prejudices over who he healed based on what is written.  In addition to this, it seems that whenever Jesus had an opportunity to condemn or judge individuals, he instead shows mercy and grace.  Zacchaeus, who is a hated tax collector probably working for the Romans and based on his confessions, probably cheating people to profit individually (which was common among tax collectors) is invited to dinner.  The prostitute about to be stoned is protected.  Jesus frequently dines with "sinners" and even talks with a Samaritan woman (Samaritans were detested by Jews, Jesus is a Jew).

Jesus does use strong language of judgement, but this is usually directed towards a group of people (Pharisees, etc.) or against a system of injustice.  When it comes to his treatment of human beings, however, the Bible seems clear about his humble, non-combative nature (please make a distinction between action and words, as Jesus words were very combative when it came to the Romans and the Jewish authority).  One of the stories that has made an impression on me is the story of Jesus in communication with God, saying:  "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing."  Even on the cross in a state where probably anyone else would be accusing there oppressors, Jesus forgives.  Jesus seemed to relate to the people he came across.  I have no doubt his message carried more weight with the people who heard him because he first listened to them and sympathized with them.  How would our communities, cities, states, countries and world be different if we did the same?

In my own life I hold many strong viewpoints and at times have been vocal or visible with those views which can put me at odds with others.  This is mostly because the vehicle for my opinion is not through face to face discussion.  It's too easy to say whatever we want online (forgive this blog...) and not talk with anyone else, either in person or on the phone.  When we only communicate impersonally, oftentimes tone doesn't translate.  The response to this type of communication is usually through the same method which leads to misunderstanding and often times subtle insult, which instead of bringing people together drives them apart.  Even as this happens again and again with nothing but frustration the usual outcome, we indulge in this method of relating over and over.  The funny thing is, when I have had discussions either on the phone or face to face with family members or friends who disagree (sometimes strongly), I almost always come away feeling better about myself and the other person.

So what is the point of this?  I admit that there is a lot of room for disagreement.  My point is that looking at the life of Jesus and the effectiveness of our own personal interactions when we actually listen to the people we most want to mute (and I mean day to day, not radio or tv personalities), it can transform us and how we relate to others.  The "sinners" become people.  The stereotypes crash down.  When that happens we can't help but do our best to care for others who have otherwise been condemned, and that extends to the political realm.  You don't have to agree, and that's okay.  What you might want to do is love others, especially if you are trying to follow Jesus.  If you fail at everything else it would be unwise to fail in this, because to love others is to love God.

Tragedy...

It's been four days since the horrendous tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary and I'm still struggling with it.  I'm having trouble sleeping, and with a kindergartner and a two year old I have been having irrational half asleep thoughts about preventing something from happening to them while they are safe in their own beds.  My heart bleeds for the parents who are having to deal with a real life nightmare.

I watch very, very little news.  I found out about the tragedy at work.  As I was ringing a customer he said a shooting had happened at a kindergarten and it was "all over the news."  He didn't mention where it had happened right away, and my fear quickly went to my wife and children since my wife takes my daughter once a week to school and it happened to be that Friday.  While I am relieved that my family is safe, I feel sick to think of the many families who are going into a season of peace dealing with so much pain.

As is consistent with the far too many shootings that happen in the US, there is enough blame to go around.  Many blame the media for the over the top coverage that seems to put the killers on a pedestal.  The debate on gun control is waged.  The president gets blamed.  The NRA gets blamed.  Leaders say ignorant things without thinking.  Etc., etc.  No one wants to take the blame.  It's way easier to get behind a solution and pass the buck, and I admit to doing this myself.

Perhaps it is time to come together as communities and fight to prevent this while shouldering the blame ourselves.  We focus on the victims, and rightly so, but there aren't enough people fighting for the kind of pre-prison care to help the mentally challenged.  It is outrageous, from my viewpoint, that it isn't illegal to own an assault weapon.  It is tragic that many feel so afraid that their solution is to arm more people and fight fire with fire.

In the end I don't have a perfect solution.  No one does.  No matter how many people have guns and know how to use them it is nearly impossible to prevent someone intent on doing harm from doing so when they already have the means to do so.

We haven't failed because we didn't get the bad guy.  We have failed because we didn't truly love the bad guy in the first place.  To love our enemies is biblical, and loving your neighbor as yourself is as close to an obligation as there is in the Bible, yet we treat love like it's a feeling instead of the action it was intended to be, whether as a reflection of one's inner feelings or not.  We keep arguing about symptoms without addressing the real problems.

I say we because I include myself in the criticism.  Too often the Bible is interpreted in a way that demands individual adherence in an internal way but leaves one with no sense of purpose as a member of society.  We aren't just called to love our neighbors by ourselves, but as communities, churches, cities, states, countries, governments, etc.  Who knows what level of love in action would have prevented any tragedy?  All I know is that to prevent future tragedy it will need a stronger, united, community that cares beyond charity.

So what am I going to do from now on?  I intend to get to know my neighborhood and neighbors a bit better.  My wife and I will continue to take active roles in our children's school.  Most importantly, I'm going to seize the moments I get with those I love.  You never know what can happen.

I conclude with some Bible verses that speak to prevention and healing in this moment, and pray that God's grace and healing be with the victims:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy" Proverbs 31:8-9

 "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs" Deuteronomy 15:7-8

"Rescue those being lead away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it?" Proverbs 24:11-12

Carpe diem and God bless
Hug your little ones (if you have them) tight

Jason (with heavy heart)