There’s one last thing that I want to muse about when it comes to orthodoxy. After this we’ll all take a break from that and pick on something else. In the last post I talked about what my Correct Belief is not in: The Bible. Our Sacred Text was never meant to take the place of God. Neither are guns or country. In the first century, Jewish leaders put their faith in the Temple and the rites that took place there. Well, they found out how secure that was in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed the Temple and put that entire system to the sword. Stuff cannot be our God. Here’s where I think that Correct Belief finds its true object. God. Period, end of story. Perhaps not like you may think. I don’t think that belief IN God is adequate. Anyone can believe that God exists. James wrote in his epistle that the people believed “that God is one. Even the demons believe…and shudder.” Actually, when someone tells me that they believe in God I just shake my head. Those words mean nothing. I believe in gravity, also. What’s important is what I do with that belief. That brings to what I think IS the Correct Belief. What it’s true subject has to be if we want to be faithful stewards of God’s love. What we believe ABOUT God is paramount. Who is God? What is God like? Show my God’s character and heart. These are the questions that we should be seeking answers to. Last year in our St. Barnabas Bible Study we spent several months on this question. What started out looking at how God’s wrath in the Bible can be an accurate description of God. Short answer, it can’t. The angry God that Jonathan Edwards preached about in an early American church in New England, doesn’t exist. From Edwards on the idea that God hates our sin so much that God can’t even look at us unless Jesus stands between God and humanity. That is a lie straight from the pit of hell. And, that lie has tied countless people into a bondage that suffocates the life out of their spirit. Correct Belief, orthodoxy, starts at the Incarnation of God in Messiah Jesus. And, it ends with God sacrificing God’s self as Jesus the Son in order to defeat sin and death. The proof of this Correct Belief is the empty tomb. This is the Gospel. That the Kingdom of God is here, now. Jesus is the Messiah; the Christ; the Lord of all. That is what we can know about God. That is the beginning of orthodoxy. That is where our Correct Belief finds its true object.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have to say that I’m pretty pissed off right now. Yeah, I know that I should be glad that the trump reign of incompetence will soon end. And, there’s hope that new vaccines will knock down Corona virus. But, these are very things that piss me off.
Let me explain. As most of you who read this blog thing regularly know, I fled from the world of Evangelical Christianity. I spent over 30 years within those walls. I was formed by the teaching and fellowship of that tribe. I was glad to consider them my family, my sisters, my brothers…my friends. Many of them I still count as friends and family. That doesn’t mean that I agree with what they currently stand for or believe. In fact, I found that I had to run from the bubble that so insulates that world as to suffocate those locked inside. Once outside, I had to “shake the dust off of my shoes” in order to begin a process of cleansing. And, as a witness against that world.
Ok, so I’m out and allowing God the Holy Spirit to build anew in my life. So, why worry about what once was? Why not simply embrace the present and look forward to a blessed future?
The answer is actually quite simple.
EVANGELICALISM HAS BECOME A THREAT TO OUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING!
Over the years the Evangelical Church, in particular, the White Evangelical Church has become radically political and conservative. Thanks to such people as Jerry Falwell, Sr., this brand of Christianity climbed into bed with the Republican party. Over time, like a parasite, Evangelicalism gorged itself on the power that they were acquiring in the political arena. Christian nationalism grew and the so-called 7 Mountain movement came into its own. This group seeks to install like-minded Christian leadership into every public area in our society. Conservative values became Christian values. Single issues like abortion or gay rights became a rallying call that could muster the faithful to elect more cultural conservatives. Evangelicals and political conservatives began to fear-monger in order to activate their political bases. “Oh my God! Our culture is being overrun by homosexuals and demonic abortionists! Soon, they will take over the schools and the government! We will lose our power and our voice as ‘Muricans!” We saw the result of this first hand in 2016 when 81% of White Evangelicals threw their lot in with Donald Trump. EIGHTY-ONE PERCENT!!! In the 2020 election, 76% still supported the pussy-grabbing, lying, pornstar sleeping, adulterous, thrice married bigot. Much of that was a reaction to that uppity Black guy, Barak Obama. The nerve of him thinking that he could actually be President of these here United States! Most, however, was that the power that Evangelicals felt as their savior took the oath of office made them giddy with delight. They could finally impose their will on the majority of citizens because The Donald would give them whatever they desired. And, he rewarded their faithful loyalty by doing just that. Nominees to all of the federal courts were approved conservatives. Three of those to the Supreme Court. But, that wasn’t all. Evangelicals are expert at playing the persecution card. If someone doesn’t agree with their particular brand of Christianity they claim that they are being persecuted. Don’t want to sell to gay people? “I’m being persecuted because I can’t let my religious bigotry keep ‘those’ people out of my shop!” The biggest lie that these people tell, however, is costing lives. There are many large Evangelical churches and organizations who think that the minimal requirements for curbing the current Covid-19 pandemic are an affront to their rights. When businesses were shutting down because of the spread of Covid, churches were often exempt from those orders. And, how dare some politician tell ME that I have to wear a mask or social distance! I have rights, you know. In particular, there is a church in California pastored by Covidiot John MacArthur. He heads Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. He spent much of the summer in litigation with state, city, and county officials over his refusal to do anything at all to help stem the spread of the virus. For him, his religious rights trumped the health of the community. I single him out, but there are many, many more church leaders like him across the country. One of the tacts that MacArthur and his cohort take is to cite scripture for there defiance. They say that the writer of the Book to the Hebrews has a verse that commands them to gather together. That verse is in chapter 10. It reads:
“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing.
[New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Heb 10:25). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.]
They make the claim that this verse demands that they obey God rather than humans. They are compelled to gather together because told them “Not to forsake our own assembling together.” This is what most people refer to as ‘Proof texting.’ People have a belief in something, so they pour over the Scriptures until they find a verse that “Proves” that belief is correct. (Actually, it only Proves their ignorance.) Proof texters yank any verse or passage out of its context just so they can say that they have a Biblical basis for their opinion. In this case, that verse does NOT provide them with the clarity they so desperately desire. In its context, the writer of this book was trying to encourage people to maintain their faithfulness to God. It seems that some were becoming discouraged. Their old friends and relations had rejected them. They weren’t welcome at the clubs. Some may have been getting a ‘side eye’ from people on the street. And, they had been taught that Jesus, himself, was going to return and vindicate them. That day seemed further and further off. Some had apparently given up and left the fledgling church to return to their own lives. At least there they would be treated with the respect and dignity that they just knew that they deserved. This was the social context that Hebrews was written to address. If people really want to get an idea of what the writer was getting at, we must look at a couple other things. First, the previous verse provides a reason for the above encouragement. It states,
“And let us pay attention to each other for the provoking of love and good works.
[Translation by Gareth Lee Cockerill in, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the Hebrews, ed. Joel B.Green, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 2012, p.464.]”
The writer encouraged the readers to love others and do good works. How was the best way for these 1st century believers to do that? By gathering together to encourage one another. He especially called on those who did find themselves discouraged, who may have developed a ‘habit’ of sleeping in on Sunday, to be of good cheer and gather! Jesus was King and Savior! He sits on a throne next to the Father in the heavenlies! He will bring his reward for those who remain faithful! That is what the writer called for. There is no command in this. There is no imperative anywhere in this verse. “Don’t forsake one another. Especially, as you see the Day (of the Lord) approaching.
Are there ways that we can fulfill this writer’s words of encouragement today? Do these ways absolutely require us to gather together and disregard the health and safety of our sisters and brothers in the faith? Of our families? Of our co-workers and friends? Of our communities? Yes! There are many ways that we can do this task without the dangers of virus exposure. But, it seems that the Evangelicals would rather exert their own rights to disregard any so-called government meddling that might cause them a bit of discomfort. “I Have My Rights,” say the people who claim to follow a Lord and Master about whom it was written,
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
[New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Php 2:5–8). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.]
God would NEVER, let me say it again, God Would NEVER require the faithful to do anything that could bring harm and suffering to anyone. Let that thought sit in your mind and grow roots. Let the Love that sprouts from those roots grow and bear fruit that may bring blessing, not curse, to us all.
This post is written in loving memory of, Bob Mertes, a dear Brother in Christ who recently walked on after a battle with Covid-19. Rest in Peace, Bro! We’ll catch ya on the other side!
I’ve spent a lot of time at this blog thingy writing about my trials and tribulations as a card carrying member of the Fundagelical Tribe. A lot of the reason for that is simply so that I can process my thoughts and feelings. After all, this is my blog and I can write whatever I like. So, if I want to use it for therapeutic purposes, so be it!
I’ve spent the last 15 or so years deconstructing much of the theology and church stuff that I had been indoctrinated with. It takes a while to get 30+ years of stuff cleaned out so that you can take a clear look at what’s there. Good and not so good. Deconstruction can only go so far, though. Eventually, ya gotta start to con-struct something new. I began that process by reading and studying progressive religious leaders. At the top of that list were Brian McLaren, Rev. Dr. William Barber II, Rob Bell, the late Rachel Held Evans, and many others. I found their perspectives on following Jesus rather than holding on to some kind of orthodox dogma refreshing as well as freeing. These folks pointed toward what McLaren called, “A New Kind of Christianity.” For me, that book proved life-changing. I suddenly found a stream that flowed with crisp, clear water that I slake my thirst for spirituality. I thank God for this grace that opened my heart and mind to the possibility of a Really, Big God who embraced us and loved us. This was quite different than the little, vindictive god that I had been taught about for so many years.
Now, after the search for life in the Church I have found a home. At least for now. I no longer think in terms of concrete ideas or doctrines. I have killed the idea of certainty and grown in its place a kind of light touch for things. For, who knows, I may learn something tomorrow that will again shake the foundations of life and faith and catapult me into an entirely new reality. It’s happened before. There’s no reason to think it won’t happen again.
Anyway, I digress.
The reason that I’m writing this today is to call out my progressive pals. Yes, we have much in common. We seek to see justice carried out in our world…Now! We believe that God cares about the Earth. After all, God did say that it was “Very Good.” We know that Jesus cares about the Least of These and desires that we care for them. The “Other,” the widow, orphan, and foreigner are as precious to God as any who would claim to follow Jesus. We MUST consider them precious. I agree with most Progressives who see that God has placed in every human a Spark of the Divine. There is that Imago Dei, Image of God, that may be found in everyone. We must honor and help fan that Spark to Flame.
These are all good things. These are all Scriptural things. These are all Godly things.
Yet, there is a lack.
While I feel more comfortable with Progressives, there is still something that prevents me fully embracing fellowship, Koinonia, with them. There is a blockage of some sort that inhibits unconditional acceptance. I think that for many, (most?), Progressives there is a feeling of “Yes! We made it!” They consider themselves ‘Woke’ believers who are on the path to a truly just world. All we need to do is get more folks ‘Woke’ like us! (I’m surprised there’s not a book by that title out there!) For many of these folks the creation of a new World in which there is equality and justice and food and water and peace is something that the arc of history is inexorably bending toward. We just need to do our part to help bend it.
The Early Fathers had a name for this. Pelagianism. I’m not going to explain that right now. Y’all are capable of using Google. But, in essence, it’s a theology of self-sufficiency that Augustine and others rightly rebuked. This is not to say in the least the We Are Not Responsible for working for justice and peace. Jesus set us the example to do just that.
However, Jesus qualified his example. He told people who questioned him that the things he did and taught were nothing more than what he saw his Father in Heaven doing and saying. There is a lack in Progressive theology that doesn’t give enough importance to the Spiritual part of the equation. If equation is even a proper word to describe this. They have the human side moving well. Progressives are front of the line for helping those in need. Money, time, energy, and gifting are all willingly, and rightly, offered in the work that we all have before us. For people to sit on their hands and say that they’ll ‘Pray for You’ is a cop-out that totally misses the mark of Faithfulness. Those folks continue to ‘fall short of the glory of God.’ The Progressive folks seem to skip over the parts of Scripture that call out our neediness for the Grace of God. Paul wrote about these folks as being ‘of the flesh.’ Basically, that’s theology-speak for someone who has a connection with the Spirit of God, yet continues to do things according to the merely human. They don’t feed and grow that spiritual connection that is truly the Life Line for anyone who desires to follow Jesus.
The life of a disciple is not simply a matter of thinking and doing the right stuff. It is that, for sure. But, it is also so much more. It is sitting silently in God’s Presence listening. It is communion with the Holy Spirit that directs and empowers the actions that we take. It is child-like trust that God has ours and the Creation’s best interests in hand.
If there is one thing that I would encourage my Progressive sisters and brothers to understand, it’s that while we are in fact Children of God, Beloved and Cherished, Image Bearers of the Divine, we are also humans who Need God’s Empowering Spirit. We cannot change the world and make it more just and loving without this. The Kingdom of God cannot be established without God directly involved in bringing it to fruition.
Simply having our “Better Angels” guiding us is not enough. We must walk in the Light and Spirit and Grace that is God’s Alone.
When I go to weddings the first thing I do is look at the program for the ceremony. In almost every case there is one passage from Scripture that appears that is one of the most misused passages, (and, there are Many!), of any. This passage is 1 Corinthians 13. The “Love” chapter. I cringe when I see that listed as a reading. Usually, it will be read by one of the bride’s friends from childhood. You know the one, she stayed up late with the bride doing each others’ hair and joking about the length of the quarterback’s, well, you know. The reason I find this particular passage so distasteful is because it was NEVER meant to be read only at weddings. In fact, the content alone is not about the love found in some fairy tale of wedded bliss. This passage was placed in this particular spot between chapters 12 & 14 for a specific reason by St. Paul. As we are learning in our Bible study at St. Barnabas, the Corinthian church had a serious identity problem. They were all excited about the personalities who came to visit them. Paul, Apollos, the M&Ms Guys…whoever. They were totally enamored by the kinds of Spiritual gifts that they could flaunt at one another. People took pleasure in standing up in the midst of their gatherings and saying something wise, or at least esoteric sounding enough to make people applaud them. They were all about what each of them thought of themselves. So, right in the middle of trying to straighten out their thinking on gifts and order and stuff, Paul tossed in “a more excellent way.” He wrote:
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Co 13:1–13). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Read that carefully. Note that what Paul was saying that Love is Hard. He wasn’t talking about some warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest. There are many people who follow Jesus who Do think about love that way. No. Paul talked about sacrificing his body and experiencing ecstatic plateaus of spirituality. He wrote of all knowing and understanding. All things that the church at Corinth prized as the highest reward for their troubles. These are also things that many in today’s church cultures most value. “I have the correct doctrine!” “I understand the hidden things of the Bible and prophecy!” “I am an enlightened progressive who really gets inclusiveness!”
But, there is a more excellent way.
John the Elder wrote:
“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (1 Jn 4:8). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Jesus revealed what he considered the two greatest commandments. The second one,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 22:39). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
That’s enough to make my point, I think.
I find that I can sit and spend meaningful time with those I disagree with. There are usually areas of common concern that we can talk about. Perhaps, we can disagree amicably. Even though it’s unlikely either of us will be swayed to think differently. There still is that part of us that shares faith in the One God who has called us to faith in Christ.
Can I sit down with someone whom I think is a bigoted, hateful Christian and share a meal? I would hope that I could. Would I let that person off the hook for their bigotry and hatred? Not on your life!!! They would get an earful from me. I would do my best to paint them into a corner where they would either need to repent or get up and leave.
There is NO ROOM in the Body of Christ for Hatred or Exclusion!!
Yet, as far as it depended on me, I would hope that I could extend the Unity of the Spirit toward such a person. For I am called to Love them. I may not succeed well. (Or, at all!) But, I would be compelled to try.
I am not responsible for siblings with whom I disagree. I can pray for them. For sure, I can rebuke them and encourage them to join me on a better path.
At the end of the day we are each responsible for our own thoughts and actions. As I lay my head down at night and take a time of Examen to consider the day, I can only take credit or blame for myself.
Is it hard? Damn straight it is!
Can I go to a church where I know that I will be triggered with anxiety? No. I know my limitations. Can I see Jesus in people who DO go to those churches? I hope that I can. I pray that I can. And, I try to enact that love and acceptance as best I can.
The last time I shared I wrote that the answer to my reader’s question about whether we should strive for unity with people whose faith is in opposition to ours. How can we achieve unity with people who are simply so far afield from us?
That leads us to what the real question is: Are those others even Real True Christians?
If we answer in the negative, we are essentially off the hook. “They aren’t part of the Church, so I don’t need to strive for unity with them. Hell, I don’t even need to talk to them!”
When we try to do this we commit the logical fallacy known as the “No True Scotsman” fallacy. This tack seems to let us proclaim that our brand of (fill in the blank) is what a true (same fill in the blank) looks like. Therefore, any deviation from what we think is (blank again) cannot be a True (fill in the blank).
This reader could then say, “Christians love others. That person doesn’t love everyone. Therefore, that person is not a Real True Christian.”
The argument is a fallacy because one changes the subject without any logical reason to do so. There is no, as some say, a falsifiable fact involved. It’s simply a subjective statement to try and create a false dichotomy.
The fact is, Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, Bob Jeffress, et al are IN FACT CHRISTIANS!! We don’t get to make judgments about their faith any more than they get to do that about us. In fact, these people would come out and say that All Progressive Christians are NOT Real True Christians.
So, what do we do about the seeming disparity in what we believe about God and Jesus? It appears that the chasm is great and there is no way to bridge it.
Taking Jesus as our Exemplar once again, perhaps we can begin to see a way forward.
Those of us who have read the stories about Jesus, the Gospels, understand that Jesus was not a simple, monochrome person. He was solid as a rock about some things. A little more colorful or even ambivalent about others. One of the things that he was solid about was that many people who claimed to be leaders of Israel were behaving in ways that God simply was opposed to. Many of these people tried to confront Jesus and trip him up. One time when Jesus was eating with so-called “tax collectors and sinners,” those people questioned his judgment about the company he kept. Jesus said, “It’s the sick who need a physician.” In the 23rd chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus pronounce ‘8 Woes’ upon those same people. He called out their hypocrisy, hate, and bigotry. His language was hard as he pointed out how they erred from the Way of God. Jesus used Judgment language to denounce cities where the people did not accept the miracles he performed as proof of God’s Presence among them. These were powerful and hard words.
Yet, at no time did Jesus say that they were not Real True Israelites.
In fact, I think that he was able to use that kind of language with them precisely because they were family.
Jesus example provides us with a way to engage others with whom we disagree. It’s not to point fingers at them and pronounce them “Unclean!” But, we may engage them and try to show them that there is another way to walk in Faith. We don’t need to be exclusive and build walls to keep out the “Other.” In fact, it’s closer to our job description to be demolition experts who tear down walls!
What if those others refuse to listen and rebuff us? Can we wipe the dust off of our sandals and walk away?
I really wish that I could say, “Yes!!! Just walk away!!!”
I’m not sure that I can say that, though.
Because, I think that there may be a “still more excellent way.”
But, that will need to wait til next time.
For now, perhaps we can reflect on what it means to be members of a dysfunctional family. We have no control over who our siblings are or what they will do. But, in the end, we ARE still Sisters and Brothers.
Yesterday I wrote a response to a reader’s questions. At issue is whether or not seeking unity is possible when there are others who hold such diametrically opposed positions on faith, belief, and praxis. In fact, it would seem that some of the differences that we see in today’s American culture are insurmountable. We would be better off simply not engaging with those folks. It would be better for our own sanity and peace. We could always cite texts within the Bible that state things like, “what does darkness have to do with light? Therefore, don’t associate with darkness.” Makes sense. Right?
Of course it does.
That may be the crux of the issue.
I wrote a few days ago, Here, about how evolution may play a role in how we view “Others.” In order to protect our tribe so that we can flourish, reproduce, and live our lives, we construct barriers that insulate ourselves against those others. Those barriers include ideas and beliefs. Even if we find ourselves in physical closeness with one another, say for commerce or other concerns, we still keep the barriers up. In this way we can clearly see any potential danger from outside influences. I highlight Influences because that is precisely what it seems that we do when when we listen to the voices of our own echo chambers. Whether those voices are conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Muslim or Jew, working class or ivory tower Elite, we naturally gravitate toward the voices that resonate with our tribe. As I wrote then, I think that this kind of thinking is at the heart of many of the issues that we deal with in our society today. It’s all Us or Them. And, nary the twain shall meet. Period.
This was part of the problem that St. Paul saw in the fledgling church at Corinth. They had divided up into factions that ‘Liked’ one personality over another. Paul came right out and called these schisms. These schisms threatened to derail all of the work that Paul and friends had done with this church. The Koinonia, or Fellowship, that Paul saw as foundational to the Gospel that he proclaimed was in danger of fracturing. And, Paul was not having any of that nonsense. For, to him, it was nonsense. Over the course of this letter he will lay out what he sees, why it makes no sense, and what he expects the followers of Jesus in this community to do about it. So, we’ll touch on some of that later.
What I want to address now is the idea of Unity that Paul calls for. Does Unity really mean Unity? I mean, I can achieve some level of unity with folks who think like I do. But, what about everyone else? Do I need to strive for Unity with “Them”?
The short answer is ‘Yes,’ we do. Neither Paul nor Jesus leave us a way out of that.
Jesus told his followers:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
[The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 5:43–48). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.]
Pretty clear. Jesus felt pretty strongly about the idea of loving the “Other.”
Even in some of our own traditions the words of our Baptismal Covenant ask us, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” (Taken from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.)
I realize that all of this sounds difficult, if not counter productive to our own aspirations to work for peace and justice in society. We are simply going to have to admit that we will be up against stiff opposition from other tribes who are trying to maintain their own boundaries and integrity. Just like we are. So, let’s fight and press our position, our Rights, until we defeat those other folks. After all, we ARE right! Right?
Well, definitely, maybe.
While unity and respect, if not outright Love, are what’s called for, simple acquiescence to what those other folks think is NOT.
That’s a topic for another post. For now, take the time to think about your own positions on the pressing issues that face us today. Then, take a moment to place yourself in the position of someone who may not agree with you. Can we empathize with them at all? Or, are they so far off of the rails that only a crane will help right them on the tracks?
Because, looking intently at the “Other” and discerning the flicker of Divine Light, that Imago Dei, that may still dwell within them is what Jesus did. For those of us who claim to follow Jesus, he is our Exemplar in these things. He treated both friend and opposition this way. Perhaps, we should learn how He did that and follow.
