Sad commentary

After watching the video, I became sad. We are all in a hurry to protect this "untouched people" from ourselves. On the one hand, I'm relieved that we've discovered that we as a people and culture are rotten and wouldn't it be nice if we could keep from infecting others. Yet, at the same time, these are people as well. Are they not rotten to the core as much as ourselves? Don't we all spring from the same tree? Don't we all curse the same hot sun (snow, in the case of those living in Minnesota)? Don't we all feel the weight of life and death and how we fail one another?

Tis a pity that after all this, our leaders feel that we have nothing - no net good - to offer these poor people.

Yet, these leaders seem to know nothing of God's love - love that Christians know and are commanded to share to the ends of the earth, even to protected people.

Cuts me to the Quick (Part 2)

I'm spending far too much time browsing a new blogging site. But it's like a book I can't put down.

Another post - one about Living Out the Gospels.

Two worthy excerpts:

I thought about how the writers who have posed those questions [the big questions in life] were often the ones who suffered most deeply: Dostoevsky, Van Gogh, Flannery O’Connor, Kafka, Emily Dickinson, Anne Frank, Simone Weil, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Beethoven. "We only believe in those thoughts which have been conceived not in the brain but in the whole body," noted Yeats, and those who ask the deepest questions seem to be the ones who have lived the questions, which is to say suffered the questions, in and on and through their bodies--and then have somehow linked the suffering to the rest of us.

People hear "living out the Gospels" and tend to think "compliance with some arbitrarily rigid moral code." To me living out the Gospels means consciously suffering, and realizing we are complicit in the suffering of the world, and that the way to overcome that is by beauty and love, and that, as Dostoevsky said, "Love in reality is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams." You will do things out of love that go way, way beyond the "strictest" moral code. You will sit at your desk sweating tears of blood trying to get the work right for years on end out of love. You will suffer cold, hunger, loneliness, poverty, misunderstanding, and failure for love. All true and enduring art springs from love.

Cuts me to the Quick

Clicking through seemingly random links started by The Anchoress, I came across a post from another blog, "The Shirt of Flame". The title of the blog was curious, "Faith Healer: What belief doesn't do." Good read.

These excerpts from near the end of the post give me great comfort:

I find there are two basic types of people who attack when they discover I’m Catholic. The first are lapsed or disgruntled Catholics who claim to be revolted by the Church but can't stop talking about it. I love these types. Their hearts are broken. They’re always trying to trip me up, get me to say something bad about the Church, convert me back to the cause of the unbelievers. The second type, the Pharisees (in a peculiarly unfortunate combination, the two "types" sometimes exist in one person), are always trying to get me to say something bad about other so-called (in their eyes lukewarm) members of the Church.

None of these folks can bear the hideous gap between how a follower of Christ should be and how a person who claims to be a follower of Christ actually is. It is horrible, it’s absurd. But don’t let that stop you! I want to say. Anyone who signs up to be a Christian signs up for failure. The very, very few who "succeed" die. In order to be any good at it you more or less have to be killed. You also have to be somewhat nuts to set yourself a goal that is basically impossible to achieve. As Thomas Merton observed: “We must remember that in order to choose religious life, you must be a misfit…Let’s get away from the mystique that religious are the cream-of-the-crop Christians.”

Not a "Christian" radio station

When I was driving home yesterday with my two kids, Anjali (who was in the front seat riding shotgun) asked me if the radio station we were listening to was "Christian". Since this was at the end of our journey, I stopped the car and looked at her for a couple seconds (just to make sure she was looking at me) and I said "No". Being that the station was KTIS, and all they do is play songs about God and Jesus 24/7, one might think I was nuts. But I wanted to make a point. "It's just a radio station and a radio station cannot be a Christian. Only a person can be a Christian. A book can't be a Christian, a song can't be a Christian, a cow can't be a Christian, nor can it's milk be Christian." I explained my thoughts about t-shirts that had pictures or messages about God, but we should be careful about how we describe things. Jesus died for people. Some may want to sell us socks - and to help them sells the socks, they might be called Christian socks, but they are simply socks.

I gathered from her reaction that she wasn't expecting my response, nor my intensity from such an innocent question. That's why I'm thinking of making it up to her by getting her a gift. It's a Deluxe Miracle Jesus Action figure - complete with plastic loaves and fishes, and a small jug to turn water into wine. We could do experiments with it to see if it floats or sinks. Maybe if we bring it fishing, we'll find money in the fish we catch. Or maybe it's just a cheap plastic doll with a fancy label to get me to buy it - $12.95 + S&H! I think I'll pass.

Bible Study

Last evening, I joined a Bible Study. I recently was involved in a Mid-week Bible Study at my Church (with about 500 people), but declined to continue after the Winter Break.

So this new Bible study consists of about 10 people - though 3 of us attended for the first time. There is no curriculum - and that is wonderful. There are 2 months between studies - which is great. The last topic was on "Hearing from God". There wasn't a specific Bible text and we had 2 books about the subject that anchored our discussion (here and here). The setting was at a real home about 13 blocks south of where I live, though some came from many miles away. I was the youngest by at least 15 years (for sure, 20 years most likely - I didn't survey the group). The last characteristic was about the only one this study had in common with the one I just left.

Not a one of us seemed like a natural-born leader. Ron White (who would get the nod only because he started the group) said that he had a list of questions that he would use a discussion starters if nobody said anything. (Empty threat.) It was a good and worthwhile discussion - very little disagreement (which was unfortunate). I was the only one who said anything remotely bizarre. But because I was new and because I was young, I asked questions and posed scenarios rather than put out my opinions.

Once we had done with that topic, it was time for desert - but not until we set things up for our next meeting. Where? same place (Yes!). When? first Tuesday in 2 months. About what? Hmmm. Nobody said much. I suggested "Suffering". That got the ball rolling, but we all settled on "Suffering". No prescribed books, but many suggestions were made to be prepared with. CSLewis and PYancy were some of the authors mentioned. I, for one, will focus on the book of Job. I'm in the middle of reading it (again) anyways.

I don't know why Job and the question of suffering has such appeal to me. Maybe I haven't suffered enough in my life - and out of my self-inflicted guilt I an trying to imagine living in suffering as penance. But so many throughout the ages have had a curiosity about this, that I don't feel so terribly odd.

I will write about this more as I think through things for our next study.

A Growing Divide

It wasn't too long ago that the Evangelical Movement was seen as a monolithic group - moving in lockstep on every doctrine and issue. Liberals & Fundamentalists beware, the Evangelicals were rising up. The Evangelicals were seen as a powerhouse because they were seen as unified and they could deliver large votes or sentiment in a single direction for or against an issue.

But the lines of fracture are being felt more and more. One of the very first lines centered around the Emergent/Emerging Church. To simplify the issues way more than called for, but it is a good generalization anyway, the E___ Church wanted to adopt more leftist social issues while maintaining an Evangelical perspective on spiritual matters. The biggest of these social issues has to do with the Green Movement (not the political party, the "care of the world").

Today, the NY Times published a story about the divisions among the Evangelicals over this issue. Some Evangelicals are upset and worried over the "capitulation" of other Evangelicals to this movement. An article simply would not be about Evangelicals if the term "false religion" were not included - and this is no exception. They are worried that some Evangelicals have jumped on the "green bandwagon" without really understanding the issues (or dangers) - they simply liked being associated with "friendly-to-the-earth" issues.

I fear that the various sides of this (and other politically left) issues will not resolve their differences and will eventually disrupt Churches and denominations. The resulting chasms will certainly end the monolithic-ness of the Evangelical Movement.

(There have been some fractures in the Environmental Movement as well. This is one result.)

The Saints

As a Protestant, I'm sometimes baffled at the practices of friends of Roman Catholic persuasion. The Anchoress, while looking back at her chosen saint of 2010 and looking forward to her chosen saint of 2011, includes a curious link. The link is to a website that randomly generates the name of a saint - just for you. Mine turned out to be St. Isidore, the Farmer. Interestingly, he's the Patron Saint against the death of children. He's also the Patron Saint of many other things/people/places.

So, are you curious to know who your saint will be for the coming year?

Questions, Questions

I've begun, more recently, to employ my eldest offspring to help me memorize some Bible passages. First, it was John 3:16-17. (If you see this as a set-up for meaningful discussion, BINGO!) Last Saturday, it was 2Cor 5:16-17. It was the section about being a new creation since we no longer view things and people from a worldly point-of-view. "The old has gone, the new has come."

This did begin a rather wide-ranging conversation that included some reading from Revelations 4, 5, and 6. (Not something I'd have chosen, but she wanted me to read something about heaven.) Anyway, she astounded me with her questions and observations on religion and life.

1. Do Muslims go to heaven?

2. I've noticed that people who have Christian parents become Christians and people who have Muslim parents become Muslims.

3. Do babies who die go to heaven?

When I began to address each of these, I started with: "Wow, I'm not really sure." I didn't leave it there, but repeated that "anything is possible with God". (I'm not sure she heard anything else.)

Someone is doing some good thinking in our house. And it looks like I'll be trying to memorize a few more verses here soon.

Love Your Enemy

I was confronted with this issue by a book, "Ten Things I wish Jesus Never Said", instead of Jesus. I guess Jesus and his issues (Roman occupiers, Pharisees being Pharisees, and everyday sinners doing their thing) seemed remote to me. So when Jesus talked about loving the enemies, I never really stopped to dwell on it.

There is one person. If a passing thought were to land on this person, I would wish in my heart the worst sorts of trouble. (I haven't the faintest idea if it is mutual, but that matters little.) I have taken to stop myself when such a thought comes and ask God to bless this person with every blessing that I can think of. The usual ones of health, fortune, long life, happy family, and on and on. It helps that I've committed to pray for them anyway.

What should I think if God answers my prayer? Will I be like Jonah and sulk?

Is this all preparation for me if I should meet them again?

Is the prayer some kind of "indoctrination" or "conditioning" that is supposed to change my heart to love them and really desire the best for them? Will my heart follow my prayers?

The Oracle

I was joking with Anjali that I would bring her someday to visit The Oracle. If you've seen the movie "The Matrix", then you know what I'm talking about. (If you haven't seen the movie, I'm simply referring to a person with 'hidden' knowledge.)

Alas, this Oracle has died. Her name was Helen Velonis. Actually, it's probably best to just call her a prophet (or prophetess) because everyone else calls her that. She had her ministry headquarters in tiny Lyle, MN. It was even closer to Iowa than Albert Lea, where I spent my teen years. I went to her church a few times. Once, I went to find an answer about which college God wanted me to go to. I told her that I had a question for God, though I didn't tell her the question. She told me the answer.

This is the only encounter I can point to and say "I witnessed a miracle that betrays science and statistics". Of course, everyone can point to "the song of a bird", "the birth of a child", "that neighborhood boy surviving childhood" as miracles. Sure, I can attest to that as well. But this seemed more unique, more personal.

Her Church (I think it was an elder) also tried to teach me to speak in tongues. I was not ready for it at all. I've never recovered from the confusion that began there. To this day I shrug my shoulders at the notion, neither denying it, nor affirming that I have such an ability.

I guess, in the end, I look back and see a net positive.

Rest in peace, Helen. Rest well in the arms of the one who saved you.

Four Times a Day

Reminder from Rich:

Wonderful Song - St. John of the Cross set to music

Rather than publish it all out, see here.

If you haven't taken the time to visit The Anchoress (see Blog List on the side), you'll find it worthwhile. Although she does talk politics some, much time is spent on meditation (esp. Catholic) and deep thoughts of God and the Church. Consider this a nudge in that direction. :)

Easter Body

It's a couple days after Easter. I didn't write anything about Easter, except some thoughts on Jesus death.

What was Jesus' body like after Easter? after he had risen from death? (I don't think that it's helpful to distinguish it from of the other 'raised from the dead' stories just here, but maybe another time.) The one thing thing that I've heard that really distinguishes it (besides immortality) is the walking through walls. The Easter body is able to walk through walls. Don't anticipate much privacy in heaven.

I'm not sure, however, that such abilities would be normal for the most Resurrected bodies. Jesus was able to walk on water while have the same kind of body that we all have now - and that isn't normal human behavior. He cast out demons, healed the sick, multiplied tasty treats, but this is outside the bounds of everyday expectation. If Jesus demonstrated these rare abilities before his death, why wouldn't it be fair to assume that the abilities He had after His death were also fairly unique to Him?

Another thought: I woke up Easter morning wanting to hear a Sandi Patti song. I looked through my whole Sandi Patti CD collection (2) and couldn't find what I was looking for. So I found it on Youtube here. I suspect I shall not have another Sandi Patti 'yearning' for quite some time. But the song is an interesting one - pretty much all questions (like my favorite from M. Card) "Did the grass sing? Did the earth rejoice to feel you again?" I haven't heard the grass sing, but if it sang then, I hope the grass remembers how.

Jesus died . . . and was buried.

Today is the day before Easter. Long ago, this same weekend (roughly), Jesus was dead.

It is an unpleasant thought for me. If God were to die . . . simply unthinkable. For the disciples and followers and family members; their hope was in his understanding of the world - their hope was in Him. For Him to be dead must have been terribly disillusioning and frightful to them.

Some people believe that Jesus didn't die that day on the cross - and with good reason. "Today, you will be with me in paradise." For me, this is the only reason, and all other Biblical evidence points towards Jesus dying like all other people dying. And then they are dead - Jesus was dead - like all people* will be dead. It is sad. He didn't have to die. The script shouldn't have been so mean - but He played the part and took the blows and stripes.

Is it comforting to believe that Jesus didn't die? that he went to Paradise (and that we will too when our time comes)? that he descended into hell to set the captives free (IPeter3)? I'm inclined to think that that is "figure of speech" stuff. If death does not mean really dead, then what does resurrection do to someone who is not really dead? What happens to those who have "died in Christ"? (as Paul adresses in IThess) If Jesus didn't stop existing in death, then death is very counter-intuitive to me. It's pretty much what I think will happen to all of us - we die and cease to exist - to be resurrected when Christ returns. (How could we rise to meet Him in the sky if we are already in Heaven?)

It's kinda scary to think that one day I'll not exist. There was a long time before I existed and people seemed to do just fine (all things considered). Maybe people will miss me. Maybe it'll be OK. I just hope God remembers me when the time comes.

Emergent Questions - Is God Violent?

Brian McLaren has written a new book, A New Kind of Christianity. I ran across a link from my brother Dan's Blog, and followed link after link until I found a video of Brian McLaren discussing a part of his book. It addresses the question, "Is God Violent?". To which I immediately replied to myself, "Yes". But McLaren doesn't like that answer. Although in the video, he discusses how many people are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with God-caused harm. There's the story of the Flood or the slaughter of the Caananites in the OT to put this into focus.

Although he pats himself on the back for raising this question, he doesn't want to directly answer it. Instead, casts doubt on whether its a good idea to have God as the source of this violence. I think a great follow-up question to McLaren's question, "Is God violent?" might be, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you read them?" (hat tip to Jesus).

If we are uncomfortable with the God that the Bible talks about, then who do we turn to? Shall we make up our own God or try to twist the Bible to say what it never intended?

The Bible clearly implicates God in Ananias' and Sephira's death in the Book of Acts. That was violent? Does it matter the numbers after that? 5? 50? 1000? a city? the world? This was seen by the Church as a good and right thing. And, in contrast to McLaren's view, the Fear of the Lord that came was a good thing.

I have not read McLaren's book. I'm simply responding to his video. Frankly, if his book and video are similar, I'm not interested in reading his book.

(image from Amazon.com)