Author: mhelbert

There Is No Other! It’s All About God!

Published by mhelbert on February 22, 2024

Earlier this week I wrote about my passion for God. I also expressed a defense for my Orthodoxy. Then, I wrote a bit about the inadequacy of any kind of correct belief that finds its object in dogma, doctrine, or propositions. That’s the world of Systematics. At best that world is too small. At worst, well, it is destructive in more ways than I care to mention right now. Maybe some other time.
What I didn’t discuss was what my own orthodoxy is founded on. In what, or Whom, do I ground my ‘right belief’ on?
I’m glad you asked that question.
Let me start by sharing a couple of things that it is Not.
It is not grounded in the Bible.
Whoa! Say what?! I can see all of my fundagelical friends clutching their pearls and wringing their hands. Isn’t the Bible the inerrant Word of God? Isn’t the Bible the only trustworthy way that we can even know God? How can we know what’s true and good? More importantly, how can we know if we’re IN?
Don’t get your boxers in a bunch.
There is no one on the planet who loves the scriptures more than I do. I read, study, and dwell in them every day. I have an extremely high view of them. They are inspired by God the Holy Spirit.
What I don’t do is venerate them. I am not a bibliolater…I don’t worship them. The Bible is a book. Granted, it’s an ancient book filled with even older texts. But, it is a book. It’s a tool. At best, it’s a sign post that points in the direction of what is truly worthy of veneration and worship…God.
Most people view the scriptures as a working document that one can use in order to find their way in life. To them it’s a road map or a users’ manual. If they follow the directions all will be well with the world. If not, well, bad stuff happens. God will getcha if you don’t follow the rules.
It’s not only Christians, but so-called orthodox members of any religious movement may fall into that trap. Rules are meant to be followed. Rules inspired by God inhabit an especially important space where any sign of rule breaking or bending can have eternal repercussions.
Ok, not to be too crass, I call bullshit. At least in the case of the Christian Bible I can be fairly certain that it was not designed to be taken as a literal treatise on the Ways and Workings of the God-fearing Person. Nor is it a book of history or science or any of the other things that bibliolaters claim.
If the creation story didn’t happen just as it is written, how can we trust any of it?
The short answer is, in respect to science, you can’t. That’s not what the Bible is for. You folks are asking the scriptures to carry something that they were never meant to carry. So, stop it, already!
The Bible, at its best, points to God and God’s plans for the world. And, those plans don’t include the rules and regulations that so many people like to impose. Again, stop doing that!
Thirty plus years ago I began to realize that the Bible is a love story. Yeah, that’s right, a Love Story. The Lover in this story is God. The scriptures are full of stories about this love. God’s love sustains the world. It is what moves the Cosmos forward. It is the all-encompassing love of God that leads us to worship and adore God.
But, it is NOT God.
Orthodoxy, correct belief, can never be focused on anything or anyone other than God. Period. End of story.

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There Is Only One Who Captures My Passion

Published by mhelbert on February 19, 2024

A whole bunch of years ago a co-worker who followed my blog told me that when I wrote about myself; my passions; my heart that the writing was much better. I allowed some of the ‘me’ that I keep bundled up in the corner to peek out. She said that when I wrote about technical stuff like the Church and theology the writing just wasn’t compelling.
I took that to heart. Of course I want people to read what I write. That’s why I write it! Her comments sent me down a road of constant concern for how I present myself through these little blog thingies.
A problem that I found with this is that there are things that I am passionate about that don’t necessarily reveal anything other than my thoughts on various topics. They’re not some kind of heart revealing story that may be anywhere near what my co-worker spoke about.
But, they are things that I am passionate about.
I am passionate about God. Who God is. What God speaks to me. Where God leads.
I am passionate about worshiping this God. The act of sharing my heart with God is irresistible.
I am passionate about sharing this God with others. Not in the way evangelicals do. But, in ways that I think may actually introduce the God I love to others. ANY others.
In all of this, I am passionate about Orthodoxy. Not the Eastern kind. The word ‘Orthodox’ is made of two Greek words. Ortho, meaning straight, right, or correct. And, Dox derives from a word that means belief. So, literally, Orthodox means Correct Belief.
Now, as a disclaimer, I am making no claim at all that what I believe is all correct. Nor is it my belief that everyone else follows what I think. I’m just an old white guy with some opinions. Nothing more than that.
As an open disclosure, I find my way to Orthodoxy within a fairly large community. There is my local parish and the people who attend there. They get to listen to me and respond to the things that I think. We don’t always agree. But, that’s ok. I am part of the larger diocese of Ohio as well as the Episcopal Church in the U.S. Again, we don’t always agree, but I find that the larger church does have some guardrails in place that help me to not go flying off of the road. I am in constant dialog with the Academy and the Scholarship that comes from it. Greater minds than mine have wrestled with the same things that I do. I avail myself of that. And, my community includes the ancient Church and Church Fathers who produced our framing documents defining Orthodoxy, the Creeds.
All of that to say, when I write on technical issues that affect faith and the Church, I stand on a fairly firm foundation. That foundation allows my passions to gain their footing and present to the world.

There are many others who make claims to a form of orthodoxy. They, like me, define orthodox as correct belief. Their right belief, however, is in dogma and doctrine rather than the Scripture, the Church, and the Tradition. Many of them reduce God to a series of systematic attributes. They call that Systematic Theology. The church I came from used a particular book as their sole education to theology. Reading the book, they said, was all that was necessary to be orthodox. If you read the book and believe what the writer said, you’re good to go. The problem with that is that people who write systematic theologies are usually old, white guys who are trying to justify all of the money that they wasted on education. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Wayne Grudem. God for them becomes little more than bite-sized bits of scripture texts taken out of context. These ‘theologies’ offer nothing that may actually bring life to people. It’s sterile academics at its worst. Probably, a lot like my co-worker thought of some of my blog posts.
Because of my passion for God, I will continue to push back against those who would put God into a systematic or doctrinal box. Too much of that has been done over the centuries. And, millions have suffered because someone said, “This is the only way to serve God. Follow these rules. Memorize these propositions. Do what I say. Not what I do.” If that’s to technical or doesn’t reveal who I am, so be it. I can only write the words that express what I am passionate about.
This IS me.
Deal with it.

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Misrepresenting the Church in Media

Published by mhelbert on February 17, 2024

I’m pretty much giving up on watching or listening to what the media claims is ‘news.’ It doesn’t matter what perspective the particular medium holds politically, socially, or economically. They all seem to be nothing more than providing scintillating gibberish in order to garner clicks or viewer. Gotta make the advertisers happy! No matter how much the stories must suffer.
And, suffer they do.
Some subjects seem to be considered “hands off.” We don’t want to offend our cash cow, er, constituent followers. This already tints the reporting. There is necessarily a bias toward any story that may make some folks uncomfortable.
That is truly devastating to people’s ability to know what’s going on. We aren’t trusted to be able to determine how an event or story will impact us. We are spoon fed the useless pablum of the current news cycle. Then we wonder why so many people miss the reality that is our life together.
One of my pet peeves, (you had to expect that there would be a peeve in here somewhere!), is how the media misrepresents the Church in the U.S. The most common misrepresentation is how the conservative evangelical church has become the action wing of the GOP. When religion and politics mix anywhere it’s a bad thing. When that happens within a reactionary political environment the outcome gets down right dangerous. Religion politicized is theocracy. Theocracy breeds things like the Inquisition. It makes the genocide of Indigenous People acceptable. Or, so says the Doctrine of Discovery. What we’re seeing in today’s world politic is the weaponization of religion in culture wars. In those, all are punished.
There is another side to this, however. One that isn’t so obvious. Yet, it is just as detrimental to the so-called sanctity of the Fifth Estate. This is how those who are progressive or liberal also use the news as political cannon fodder. They project their perception of their god onto the same social and cultural issues that there conservative sisters and brother. God is pro whatever it is that they believe holds people back from attaining their greatest potential. Of course, that potential is defined by themselves without the benefit of opinions of those who are affected by their humanitarian sensibilities.
Then, of course,there are the majority who really don’t give a damn. All they want is the weather forecast and the sports news. The rest is just something that allows them time to go to the bathroom and get a snack.
Some of you readers may wonder why I wrote this during the season of Lent. It all sounds like a rejection of turning religion into a political tool. And, it is that, to be sure. However, it’s also a call to repentance. And, repentance is kind of a key element to the Lenten season. It’s a time to reflect and introspect. During Lent we are told that from dust we come, to dust we return. Our perspective on our own importance and raison d’etre is held up to the Light of Messiah Jesus. In that light we may be able to see our folly and foibles as they are. Our politics may be important to us. But, in that bright light they may become transparent, unable to be seen at all.
When I consider this, I see God shaking the Divine Head. I’m not sure whether it’s in wonder, disbelief, or disgust. For when we put our politics and our perceptions of what’s good and important above the knowledge and love of God, well, repentance is necessary.
So, in this Lenten season I would call on the Church, big “C,” to repent. Put aside privilege and priority in order to sit and listen. Listen. Listen.
Perhaps once we shut up we will be able to actually hear God weeping.

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Brides and Ashes. It’s Lent.

Published by mhelbert on February 14, 2024

Today is Ash Wednesday. In the Christian liturgical calendar this is the beginning of forty days of fasting and reflection called Lent.
Now, I grew up in a nominal Christmas & Easter protestant home. Ash Wednesday and Lent weren’t even on our radar. I remember in elementary school seeing some of my classmates come to school with black stuff on their foreheads. When I asked, they said it was for Ash Wednesday. It was a Catholic thing. For us, Catholics were already weird. No meat on Fridays, church every Sunday, and now, dirty foreheads. Being protestant I had no clue what that was all about. But, I was glad that I didn’t have to do all of that. Sheesh!
It wasn’t really until I was a teen that I began to understand the history and tradition of this Lenten season. Even then, though, it wasn’t something that I observed. My whole time in the world of religious Fundagelicalism didn’t change that. Some years one of the leaders would offer a Lenten devotional for anyone who was moved to follow it.
Ash Wednesday and Lent simply weren’t important. They still aren’t in many traditions.
And, that’s sad.
We put so much effort into celebrating Christmas. I guess that’s understandable. Who doesn’t like a birthday party and babies? Amiright? Madison Ave. saw Christmas and great big silver and gold dollar signs danced in their heads. You can’t pitch a crucified guy like that. What are they gonna sell, Stigmata suits and crowns of thorns?
Now, however, I am part of a tradition that does embrace Lent. After all, the Resurrection we celebrate at the end of these 40 days is kinda important.
I wrote about this today in my journal. I mentioned Lent as something that we celebrate. Now, I know a lot of folks may push back on Lent being a celebration. “No, we OBSERVE Lent!” Yeah, I get it. Lent is supposed to be all about repenting and introspection. That doesn’t sound too celebratory. But, hear me out.
The Bible uses a lot of Wedding imagery when it comes to speaking about the Church. The Church is called the Bride of Christ. We read about the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Lent, in a way, is the preparation of the Bride of Christ to meet her Bridegroom on Easter. During this time we spend time cleansing ourselves in preparation. Yeah, the theological word for that is repentance. But, that simply means to turn away from the grit and grime that collects on us throughout the year. There are other forms of penance that may be followed. But, the point is, to be clean and ready for the Bridegroom. We may prepare our gown and get our hair done and buy new shoes and all of that. That may entail following a Lenten devotional or fasting. Spiritual practices that prepare us, mind and heart, for the Resurrection of Messiah Jesus.
All of this is celebratory. We prepare, not with heaviness in our hearts, but with the joy of anticipation.
“He’s coming!” cries the watcher on the wall. “He’s coming and He’s bearing gifts for His beloved! Prepare the Bride!”
That’s what Ash Wednesday and Lent are really about.
Let’s take time to reflect on this in 2024 as we enter the Lenten season.
Anticipation.
Preparation.
Bated breath.
Coming Joy!

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We Can Never Go Back, But Maybe Forward Is OK

Published by mhelbert on February 12, 2024

I chose Woody Woodpecker because, well, IT’S WOODY FREAKIN’ WOODPECKER!

Recently, my family took a trip to Universal, Orlando. I really didn’t want to go to Florida, but the trip was already booked and paid for. We did have a good time. Although, the weather was cool and cloudy by Florida standards. With my Ohio blood I wore shorts and tees most of the time. Fifty degrees is plenty warm enough to stand in lines for hours.
The trip was pleasant. It was really good to spend time with our adult kids. We haven’t done a “family vacation” for almost 20 years. We rode rides and ate way too much. The Volcano Nachos at Margaritaville were great!
On our way home, my wife and I had the pleasant opportunity to stop and visit some old friends who had moved out of state a bunch of years ago. Since they live close to the route we drove, it seemed like a good thing to catch up. It was good. Much has changed, besides our age. We’re all a little grayer and more wrinkled.
Physical appearances weren’t the only things that changed. Our worldviews and outlooks on life have, well, I guess you could say matured.
We all came out of the same Fundagelical milieu that I’ve written about before. We were all deeply affected by that world. We all have, somehow, escaped from there. We had various forms of leadership within the closed box that we helped to build. Our story goes back to the very beginning. To that time in the early 1970’s Jesus Movement. Yeah, we had some things to talk about.
I’ve written about how that world is extremely authoritarian. Yeah, we built that. The ‘church’ we built was, in a word, cultish. And, above all, we were certain that everything that we did was God’s will and, therefore, RIGHT! We couldn’t even conceive of our being wrong. We were building God’s Kingdom on earth. While at the same time, preparing to evacuate the world when the Rapture took us all to some disembodied heavenly bliss. Yeah, I know, good stuff!
Part of our main focus became our families. We who were husbands had the responsibility for running a tight ship. Our wives were indoctrinated, er, encouraged to submit to their husband’s authority as head of the household. Children, of course, had no say in anything. They were taught to obey all authority.
As parents it was our prime directive to ‘raise up our children in the way of the Lord.’ Besides the obvious heavy-handed discipline we were encouraged by our leaders impart, we were also instructed to make sure that those pliable little minds were taught all of the good things that the Bible said. (Although, much of what we taught as Bible was merely our own interpretation. So, it was ‘Biblical,’ not really the Bible.)
So, when we talked about things like the so-called ‘Rapture’ we were preparing our children to totally freak out when we didn’t come home exactly when we told them we would. They were left to wonder whether the rapture had happened and they had been left behind. Hell, I had those fears as an adult! I can’t imagine what a 10 year old might think.
When a leader would expressly target young people with the threat of damnation and hell-fire if they didn’t keep there sexual purity as pure as those leaders thought it should be. Or, just as evil, to threaten that same fire if they did not make the right decision to ‘give their lives to Christ and be born again.’
There are passages in the Bible that were regularly taught as God’s own truth that truly are NSFW. Yet, we fed our children a continuous diet of this. We tried our best to indoctrinate them to the truth.
And, we failed. Miserably.
What we did to our children falls under the heading of Child Abuse. Of course, we had no idea at the time. We thought that we were offering the best of love to them. To prepare them to walk in faith. To raise those godly children to become godly adults. Yeah, not so much.
The reason that I’m even writing this is because of the fact that I see the marks of abuse in my own kids. There is distrust in anything religious. Church is a dangerous place. And, God? Well, we taught them that their parents were God’s representative in their lives. Just like the Elders and leaders of the church were God’s voice to the church. So, yeah, God’s not necessarily their bff.
As my friend and I talked that evening we tried to console ourselves by confessing that we really did try to do our best. We had no idea that what we were doing was so damaging. What could we have done differently in the cultural context in which we lived?
Actually, I think that we could have done a lot. There were red flags that were ignored. Other voices of family and friends were there for us to listen to. Yet, we ignored them as the voices of the Tempter trying to knock us off of the path to Glory.
We didn’t talk about what we might do now to try and repair the damage. We are all working on that in our own ways. But, is there something that families that were part of such cults can do as, say, reparations? Can we ever repay to our children what we stole from them? Their childhoods? Their innocence? Their trust?
The only response I have is that I know that I have changed direction. I’ve turned away from all that world has. It’s evil.
I’ve learned my own limitations. I’m no longer certain about, well, anything. I’m just a fallible meat head like so many others.
I also have learned to accept my kids for who they are. They are, in fact, whole humans who are image bearers of God. And, I love them for that.
I know that I’m rambling a lot. Maybe trying to offer this story as some sort of penance for being an asshole.
I also know that there are still people living in these religious environments where these abuses are still happening. Many more children, (and adults), are being indoctrinated to hate in the name of God. Maybe, just maybe, some of them may read this and be encouraged to walk away from the abuse.
That would be good.

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Here we are, 50 Years On

Published by mhelbert on September 28, 2023

50 years. A half century. A long time.

Last weekend the class of 1973 celebrated that milestone. A long time.

So many memories. Yet, new games. We all got the chance to play “Pin the Name on the Face.” You know, trying to put names to old and wrinkled faces. Ok, not all of them wrinkled. But all of them older and riper. It was good to see them all laughing and smiling. Like right after passing one of Jerry Briggs’ algebra tests.

On Friday afternoon we spent time decorating a “float” for the Homecoming parade on Saturday morning. I put the word “float” in quotes because it was actually a long trailer used to haul heavy machinery to worksites. They pulled it with a semi. We put some balloons and some crepe paper on it and called it a “float.”

On Friday evening we invaded local Tex/Mex and Cantina, Rico’s. While it was truly great to catch up in an informal, margarita enhanced environment, not all was joyful. A memorial was set up to honor those classmates who have walked on before us. Some faces have been part of that shrine since the beginning. Those friends who never had the opportunity to grow old with the rest of us. Some are recent additions to this Hall of Remembrance. One in particular brought tears to my eyes. A once beloved bandmate whose quick wit and humor truly blessed. He also had his demons whose claws dug deep into his soul and clung to him. But, which one of us does not have such hangers-on from hell?

Saturday brought the parade! A motley mashup of old folks riding on that “float.” It was a lot of fun. (Except for the splinters!) We got to toss candy to kids along the parade route. Most of those kids made out better than they ever will at Halloween!

Saturday night was the dinner, the Main Event. I can’t even begin to describe the emotions that ran through my heart. Yeah, we kept playing Pin the Name, but even without remembering names, it was a beautiful thing to remember the times in which we grew toward adulthood. To “feel” what I felt all those years ago. Such is the way in which our memories work.

These memories, these relationships, forged in the white-hot flames of youth are far stronger than we realize. After the pomp and circumstance of commencement, we all went our various ways. We were each a new vessel christened to sail our way through the so-called “Sea of Life.” The wind carrying us to new and exotic places. Ok, maybe not so exotic. Wherever the winds carried us, though, those old relationships formed in the days that have gone by, still remain. A little dusty, perhaps. Some may even have some pigeon doo spattered on them. But the relationships are still strong and binding.

It’s to these relationships that I pay honor. We weren’t all friends. Our varied personalities and interests always seemed to get in the way. Yet here we are. 50 years on. The bond is not broken.

I know that there is another reunion yet to come. Many more of us will adorn that Shrine of Honor to sisters and brothers who have gone on. There remains, still, that one graduation that we all will celebrate one day. And it will be an honor to walk across the stage with all of you as we receive our diplomas.

Thank you to all who worked so hard to make all of this become a reality. It was truly a blessing. I also want to thank all of you who showed up to celebrate this part of life that we all shared. Ours has not been an easy path. It may have been filled with ruts and roots, blocks and boulders. Getting here has been an ordeal. No one said getting old was easy. It is a testimony to our resilience and hope that we can share a meal and a few moments with one another yet one more time. I know that I will hang on to the memories, old and new, as I continue to wander on. And, with them, I will carry each of you with me.

Thank you!

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Actions Reveal the Heart of a Person. Until They Don’t.

Published by mhelbert on July 16, 2023

This image has nothing to do with the essay. But who doesn’t love a Happy Dog!

Actions reveal the heart of the person.

That’s a truism that we in the West know very well. A person’s actions are linked to who they are, we say. I hear and read that a lot as I safari through the internet jungle. Usually, though, it’s not about other people that these comments are directed. They are toward God. They say, “Look at the Bible! God is a violent, vindictive Bully! Why would I ever accept and believe in a God whose moral character is no better than mine!”

Actions reveal the heart of the person.

I see a young person acting out in a store. I know that either that person is nasty or that their parents have failed to control them. Where are the parents, anyway?

There is a person who is banging a fist on the table and yelling at the waitress for not bringing the lemon for their water. What a spoiled American.

I can feel confident about my assessments because I know that what a person does reveals who that person is.

That is until I learn that the young person in the store is on the Autism spectrum and really has no control over what they are doing. The confusion of all the people and the bright lights and colors have triggered these actions. Their mother comes with hugs and assurances that everything’s ok as she guides them from the store.

The other person just found out that the job they had held for 15 years has just been handed to someone who will work for less compensation. His wife left him and took the children. His ability to hold all that together has snapped. Later he apologizes to the waitress and leaves a large tip. However, we didn’t get to see that.

Actions reveal the heart of the person.

Until they don’t.

We can only know the heart of a person by really Knowing that person. We must be in some kind of relationship with that person. Others who know that person can testify about his/her character. A one-off glance at an isolated action will always prove to be lacking in accuracy.

One other thing, we humans seem inclined to focus on the negative actions of others above any positive ones. That’s a story for some other time.

In the Bible study that I help with we’ve been discussing violence in the Bible. Particularly, that violence where God is the subject. BTW, there’s plenty to look at. From the banning of the first couple from the Garden to the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah to the Judges, and especially in the sacrifice of God’s own Son on a Roman cross. God is demonstrably a bloodthirsty monster deity Who is not worthy of our attention, let alone our worship.

I could end this now by simply stating that God is God, and we are not. God is, after all, the Supreme Being. Who are we to judge God’s actions? Our puny, little brains are insufficient to see the wisdom behind what God does. That’s the common fundagelical line. God is Sovereign. God is Infinite. God can do whatever God wants. Who are we to question God?

I won’t stop there because that’s all pretty much religious sounding bullshit. That’s not God. I wrote above about two different people who were acting in ways that we would not deem correct in our society. I also wrote how easy it is to misjudge the situation. For us to truly know them, I wrote that we would need to have some kind of relationship with those people. Or, at least a relationship with someone who is an eyewitness to how they actually are as people. Someone to testify to their character.

The same is true for God. We discussed in our little study that whenever we read about God inflicting violence on the world we need to look and see ‘what else is going on.’ Billy Graham’s famous saying, “The Bible said it; I believe it; That settles it” is inadequate at best and alarmingly naïve and harmful at worst. In Graham’s view, all we need is what he called a “simple reading” of the Scripture in order to know what God wants. Again, religious sounding bullshit. That’s what I expect from a person who doesn’t really know God. Someone who wants to justify himself. Perhaps, someone who wants to earn a living. I’m looking at you, Graham Junior.

Anyway, I digress.

If anyone really wants to know God and why the Bible ascribes so much evil to God, that one must try to know Who God Is. That requires a relationship with God. Not a simple task. It is one that is truly worthwhile engaging in. Or, that person’s gotta talk to an eyewitness. Someone who knows God and can testify accurately about God’s character.

‘In that Bible study, I tell the folks who show up that I want them to become better readers of Scripture. I desire that they learn how to sit with the text and consider it within the historical and cultural contexts within which it was written. I really want them to do more than Graham ever said.

I’ve found that even that’s not quite enough. Yeah, we can read the texts critically and learn a lot about them. We can understand the mindset of the writers and the original readers a bit better, perhaps. That’s good in its own right.

What I’ve learned, though, is that it’s more important to Know God than to know what the Book says about God. If we know God as God desires to be known, if we seek God and build a relationship with God, then the stories in Bible begin to make sense. We can reliably know that God is NOT what the surface reveals. There IS something else going on. We can see it and know it. If we want to.

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More on the Letter that Kills

Published by mhelbert on July 14, 2023

Those of us who live in Ohio are becoming aware that this August 8 there will be a special election. The issue to be voted on will change the Ohio Constitution making it more difficult for certain constitutional amendments to pass. Currently, the threshold for approval of an amendment is 50% + 1. For those of us who struggled with math, let’s just call that a Simple Majority. That’s kinda how majority rule in a democracy works. The folks who put this amendment on the special election ballot want to change that to 60% of voters necessary to approve. That’s called a Super Majority. That creates a higher bar for any amendment to the Ohio Constitution to receive approval.

Now, I know the ramifications of this particular vote. I’m not going to get into that. I know how I’m going to vote. You all are intelligent folks who are capable of making a reasoned decision. Just make sure that you get out and vote!

What I want to address today is a sign. A sign that I saw in someone’s front yard. An election sign. Whoever put the sign in the yard apparently wants everyone to vote Yes on the issue this August. A yes vote will change the constitution to require that Super Majority thing I mentioned above. The subtext of the sign reads, “Protect the Constitution.” Ok, I get it, I think. Make things harder for special interests to change the constitution. Of course, special interests are supporting a Yes vote. But that’s a story for another time.

What struck me was the subtext. Why do we need to protect the Constitution and not the people whom that document is meant to serve and protect? Why are people concerned about legalities when ethics are tossed to the wind?

That, too, I think I understand.

So many folks in this country talk about how the U.S. is a nation of law. We tout the idea that no one is above the law. If people just obey the law everything will go swimmingly. The law is considered the bedrock of our democracy. We need to protect it at all costs. Just look at Jan. 6, 2021. We shouldn’t be surprised by this. While this country was not founded as a Christian nation. (Anyone who says otherwise is simply ignorant. You can walk away from them.) It was built upon a Protestant ethic. The reformers, particularly Calvin and Luther, set in motion the importance of the written word and the Law. Luther famously touted “Sola Scriptura”! Scripture alone is all that is required to know about salvation. The written word of God. Calvin carried the ball much further down the line. He established the criteria by which people could live and prosper. He even tried to establish a theocracy in part of Switzerland. The Law of God would rule people justly. Of course, that’s until people actually get involved. That, too, is another story for another time.

In time, this reformed notion of the written word morphed into legalism. The importance of the written law was finally established right here in the U.S. of A. From the very beginning the law and the courts became the final arbiters of what is right and what is wrong. Human ethics and morality became less important than the letter of the law. I hope that you can see where I’m going with this.

We, as a nation, have decided that it’s possible to legislate morality. People are set aside for a legal declaration of what’s good and proper for people’s lives. Rather than encouraging and teaching ethical behaviors that lift communities and empower people to live their best lives, we clamp a lid on that with laws that cannot do anything but hold people down and oppress them.

It is written, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” That comes from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. I wrote a bit about that here. Yet, people are putting signs in their yards so that we will protect the letter. They would have us abandon our humanity and our conscience so that a piece of paper filled with words can continue to hold people down rather than seeking ways to lift people up.

On August 8 there will be an election.

Please vote with your humanity and your conscience.

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When Happiness is Not Happy

Published by mhelbert on July 13, 2023

Every once in a while, in the quiet, stillness of the early morning, I find myself transported back in time. Before my mind begins the work of milling the grain of thought as the day progresses, my personal Way-Back Machine spirits me to points in my past.

One trip, not so very long ago, took me to Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Olmsted, OH. The pastor was a guy named Ward Potts. And, at least to all outward appearance Ward loved God. Even though the church was Lutheran, the Gospel that was preached was clearly Calvinist. If you’ve ever been around evangelical folks, you’ll know what I mean. The 4 Spiritual Flaws and the Roamin’ Road were top of the list evangelism tools.

Anyway, I digress…

What the trip back in time showed me was one particular Sunday when Ward was preaching. During his sermon he made a distinction between “happiness” and “joy.” In his mind happiness was a worldly counterfeit to Joy. Joy is a gift from God. Joy can be experienced even when the world is in a nosedive toward certain disaster. Joy is NOT contingent on circumstance.

Happiness, on the other hand, IS contingent. It’s a feeling that we get when life is going well. When the ice cream’s cold and the coffee’s hot. Warm and fuzzy happiness is a human, (re. ‘worldly’), construct. A counterfeit to the reality of God’s Joy.

The sad thing is, we all said, “Amen”! The concept seemed valid to us. After all, Godliness and worldliness are antagonistic to each other. Antithetical. Diametrically opposed. So, if Joy was from God and happiness was worldly…well, you can see where that’s headed. The net result was that there was a church full of people who were afraid to admit that they were happy. If you’ve never been there, you can’t imagine the existential tap dancing one needs to do to live like that. Joy equals Good; Happiness does not equal Good.

In fact, joy and happiness are fundamentally different. They’re not in opposition to one another. It’s like comparing apples and mangoes. Completely different fruit. Both incredibly delicious.

Fortunately, I escaped that bondage. I wrote in some other place about the beginning of my deconstruction from Fundagelicalism. How, link by link, I have dismantled the chains that bound me to, and within, that world. A world where happiness is suspect. A world where love of neighbor depends on what that neighbor thinks about abortion or LGBTQ+ folks. A world where truth is lies and lies are truth.

Happiness IS a gift from God. It’s not only OK to be happy, it’s GOOD! Even Jesus said so. The Beatitudes in the Gospel According to Matthew are traditionally translated, “Blessed are the Fill in the Blank.” That’s actually a poor translation of the Greek text. The language is better translated, “Happy are you when…”

The Poor, those who mourn, the meek, the peacemakers, all of them are told to Be HAPPY! For God sees the needs of each of them. God will meet them in their need. It’s a time to rejoice and be glad!

So, Ward, wherever you are, you were wrong. Very wrong, indeed. I hope that you have also had an encounter with Yahweh that has revealed the truth.

Happiness is Good!

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Myth of the Strongman. And, I Don’t Mean Hercules

Published by mhelbert on July 10, 2023

The Pillars of Hercules shutterstock_2214295633

“Hail to the Chief” is a song that the Marine Corps band plays when the President of the U.S. appears at certain functions. I guess that’s ok. Although, I really don’t like the tune. It might be better if, say, Metallica played it. I’m still waiting, though, to hear a song called, “Hail to the Senator,” or to the Congressperson. Maybe, “Hear Come Da Judge” for the Supremes? This isn’t a post about bad songs. It’s about why we Hail the Chief. It’s about why we view the President as the tippy-top point of the Power Pyramid. Not to provide an answer. Rather, to ask that question. Why do we look to that one person who holds the office of President to have the solutions to our problems? What is it within us that seems to need that One Person?

Since the 2016 election for president, there has been a lot of talk about authoritarianism in the U.S. and around the world. The last decade has seen an alarming rise in these so-called Strongmen to positions of world power. Pictures of Donald Trump with a Romanesque image of Jesus standing behind him. Other images of him with armor or weapons photoshopped in abound in certain circles. A golden image of him was actually created. He is still ‘worshiped’ in many circles as the only person who can ‘save’ America. Why?

I’ve read opinion stories, essays, blog posts, tweets, and Facebook posts from liberal and progressive folks who cry that conservatives are playing into the authoritarian hand of Trump and his people. “They’re fascists!” they scream. “This is exactly what happened in Italy when Il Duce came to power!” they warn. And I can’t see that they’re entirely wrong. Misguided nationalism mixed with religious overtones does seem to be a repeat of the same mistakes made in the last century. If you look closely, though, you can see this has been repeated century after century after century. Authoritarian strongmen have always been the populist choice. Someone who can grab the reins and Git ‘er Done!

Those who profess a more liberal point of view decry such action by conservatives. Yet, while they’re wringing their hands and crying foul, they are doing much the same. How many in our time look to President Biden for their deliverance from, say, student loan debt? (Hey, I could use some of that myself!) In the 2020 election the left was cheering just as loudly as their conservative counterparts did 4 years earlier. “Joe, Joe, he’s our man! If he can’t do it Nobody can!” I know that some of my readers may take exception to this. After all, progressives aren’t calling for armed rebellion. That’s true. It’s also not my point. My point is, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, people tend to focus on that one person at the top who they hope can “save” them.

I’m calling this the Myth of the Strongman. If you Google that, you’ll find stuff about Hercules and maybe Samson. Different kind of strongman. It’s a myth. We may even go so far as to call it a complete falsehood. But more on that in a minute.

As I considered this another kind of societal need popped into my head. I don’t know if any of you have read René Girard’s scapegoat theory. In a nutshell, it claims that when a society finds itself in distress, they are likely to find one person or thing to focus their distress on and sacrifice it. All the pent-up emotion in the community is spent on that one act. As a result, the community fear or whatever negative emotion it was is assuaged and peace can return to them. I know, that’s way simplistic. But it is essentially accurate. We can again turn to the current news cycle to see who or what is bearing the burden of the community’s fear and wrath. The Woke left, LGBTQ+ folks, White, Christian Nationalists, teachers, politician, banks, the courts, etc., etc. ad nauseum. Someone or something must be responsible for whatever perceived mess we’re in. If we can banish these curses from the community, then peace will ensue and all will be well with the world. Of course, that’s just so much bullshit. But you get the gist.

In the Bible there are examples of both the Strongman myth and the Scapegoat. In the Law of Israel, the Torah, God told the people that on the Day of Atonement two goats would be selected. Lots would be cast. The goat that the lot for the Lord fell was sacrificed as a sin offering. For the goat that the lot fell as the scapegoat was sent alive into the wilderness because all the sins of Israel were laid on it. It had to be sent away from the community. In this way, sin was purged from the people.

Also, from the Hebrew Scripture there is the story of King Saul, the first king of Israel. As the story goes, Israel was governed by Judges who were raised up by God. These were people, men or women, on whom God’s Spirit empowered to lead and protect the community. Over time, though, the people of Israel decided that they should have a king, just like all the nations around them. They wanted a strongman who could lead them into battle and govern them. “Hey, God! Why can’t we be like everyone else? They have kings and everything. We want that, too!” God obliged them. But, as God did, he told the prophet and judge, Samuel, that the people had not reject him. They had rejected God as their source and power.

Both strongman and scapegoat have been with humans since the beginning. None are immune to it. Liberal, conservative, something in between. It seems that humanity is always looking for that which they can’t have. A savior of their own making. A victim to carry their sin away from the camp.

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