I was out late the other night (which, to me, is midnight. Other people don't consider that late, but I'm usually in bed by 11), and thank God I was. On my way home I saw a lightning storm in the distance, most likely a heat lightning storm. Hardly any echoes of thunder's familiar rumbling could be heard. Hardly any cars on the road in my small town to distract me from the show. Perhaps God sent the storm to keep me awake. Whatever the reason, I was audience to a peaceful display of lightning dancing through the night sky, zigging and zagging and twirling up and down, left and right to a musical rhythm.
Struck by the beautiful brilliance of it all, I thought of how lightning often spurs storytelling around a campfire or in the house as a family huddles together for comfort. I guess, in a way, lightning is the greatest storyteller. We often think of lightning as a scary form of danger. Personally getting hit by lightning is more frightening than hitting black ice in my car. Lightning can hit so fast and send so much electricity surging through you that, literally, you won't know what happened. But, all the same, I don't see lightning as scary. Thunder is what scares me. Thunder is Lightning's evil brother, trying to steal the show away from Lightning. I can't help but see something majestic in the way lightning streaks across the sky, visible from everywhere, in a dance of lines and curves seeking an outlet for all the latent energy, seeking expression to the magic desperate to burst out into the world. Is that not a great story? I think that's what inspires us to tell stories. In my family, at least, when there's a lightning storm we stop everything, watch the dance outside and express ourselves to one another in story form in creative ways that we would rarely indulge in otherwise. The dance of lightning outside inspired a dance within.
I continued thinking, and wishing that I had some way of capturing all the stories that the grand, dancing lightning has been witness to in all of history. Awed as I was by the magnificence of the lightning, I was floored when I thought of how honored I'd be if my loved ones and I could add, or were adding, our own chapter to the growing book of the great storyteller. All the magical creative love expressed and shared between the brothers and sisters that make up our family tree, all in the lightning's womb as it danced throughout history, and we can add the next chapter. To think that lightning still dances, perhaps asking for us to add our chapters to its story, is rather moving.
I immediately told my girlfriend that I wish she were there with me so that we could dance together under the greatest dance known to humankind. Obviously, I want to share every moment of worth to me with her, and I hope to share every moment of worth to her together, but in my dreams there was something indescribably tribal about dancing under the lightning, something ancient, something lost. I couldn't put my finger on it at the moment but I knew that if she and I added our quick steps to the fast pace of the lightning we would participate in an activity always intended for our fulfillment and great satisfaction.
I know that my girlfriend and I share a kindred soul. Yeah, we're both incredibly passionate, athletic, and far too good-looking for our own good, but that all doesn't matter. What matters is that we both dream dreams and are both actively creative because we see the joyful brilliance that surrounds us all and want to join in on God's play of C/creation. I have no doubt that God had fun when He created our home for us, and I have no doubt that He intended us to dance under The Dance with our own drums beating. Perhaps Thunder is not Lightning's evil brother but God's drum calling us to dance with Him and the whole host of heaven.
What are we missing when we hole ourselves up, bored, when lightning dances? What are we missing when we don't journey into the vibrant forests? What are we missing when we don't seek the splashing coolness of waterfalls? What are we missing when we don't travel by bike or horses or whatever else to feel the warm wind brush our cheeks? What are we missing when we don't breathe in as much of Creation as possible?
Many reading this might say, "But I go outside! I go to the beach! I promise!" Well and good, I'm glad you are spending as much time in the home God built for us rather than the homes we built for ourselves. Too many times, though, I have been frustrated and disappointed with people who tell me they love nature and love to be outside, by which they mean, "Yeah, when I exercise I do it outside," or, "I go to the beach about once a week (I like to keep a nice tan)," or, "Skiing is a lot of fun." Too often people only aspire to love being amongst Creation and so tell you that they do. Let's not bother trying to get people to like us more because we have "such" a diverse personality that we are "outdoorsy."
Instead, let us love God. Let us love all of what God has given us. Yes, thank God for comfortable homes and fast transportation, let us not miss the music. Let us dance and sing to the rhythm of lightning's dance, to God's Creation.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Before The Throne Of God
(Author's note: Recently, a friend of mine asked me if we could talk about what I think about gays and lesbians in the church, but our conversation was interrupted and we never finished it. I wrote this note to her to try and lay it out, and thought I'd post it here as a meditation on our call to love.)
Hey friend - we didn't get a chance to talk on the retreat (sorry, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off), but I wanted to try to outline for you what I believe about homosexuality, the church and the Bible before I forget about it. When I quote Scripture here, I will give you specific references so you can go back and read the whole passage if you want (I hate quoting Scripture out of context) and decide for yourself if my interpretation makes sense. Also, if you don't have one already, I suggest getting a HarperCollins Study Bible or New Interpreter's Study Bible - both have excellent footnotes which give great insight on just about every topic.
First, before anything else, Jesus is very clear that love is - or should be - the overriding concern in every interaction a Christian has. When asked what Commandment is the most important, Jesus cites two - "love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39-41). Jesus gives his disciples "a new commandment" in preparation for his departure from Earth, "that you love one another" (John 13:33-34). In the Matthew passage, he even goes so far as to say "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments". When I look at the church's treatment of gays and lesbians, I see a lot of fear and disgust, but very little love. "Love the sinner, hate the sin" has become a catchphrase for how to treat homosexuals, but it's very difficult to communicate the love and grace of Christ when we are so focused on proclaiming their sexuality - a very integral part of their personal identity - as something sinful and dirty and strange. The church has not earned the right to be heard by the gay community, and won't until we learn to love as Christ loves us before we ever open our mouths.
The issues I see with the Bible's teachings on homosexuality are twofold:
-First, homosexuality is not understood or practiced today as it was at the time the verses on it in the Bible were written. Then, we were talking about behavior that jeopardized the cultural standing and personal safety of not only the people directly involved, but also their families and even whole communities or populations because of the nature and virulence of communicable diseases. Homosexuality in the ancient world was also a practice that was usually forced on one party by another, and therefore homosexual acts were often acts of rape or incest against vulnerable populations such as servants, slaves or children. This might be a reason why Paul, in his condemnation of homosexuality, refers to "homosexual offenders" or criminals (1 Cor. 6:9). Today, we're talking about stable, long-term relationships between consenting adults which, if practiced safely, do not risk virulent contagion or significantly depress the number of infants being born. It might seem like semantics, but it's a very important distinction to make - in determining what the Biblical authors intended to say, you have to look through their cultural lenses. The homosexuality they're addressing is not "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy".
-Second, of the many many many many many many verses in the Bible, only a few address homosexuality specifically, and often the context is hazy. In some of them, such as Deut. 23:17 and 1 Kings 14:24, the author is condemning ritual sexual acts performed by prostitutes in the shrines of other gods; we don't know if the primary emphasis is on the homosexuality or the idolatry (which is addressed far more prolifically in both the Old and New Testaments). Sexual sins, particularly in Revelation, are often used as symbols for idol worship.
Long story short, my study of the Bible does not lead me to definitive evidence one way or the other on how the church needs to address modern homosexuality, or whether or not it is sinful. What I do see are repeated calls to love, compassion and mercy. Therefore, I think we need to welcome gays and lesbians into the church with open arms, without passing judgment. At the very worst, they are sinners - but so are we, condemned by the same Law and redeemed by the same Savior. If we are wrong (and we very well might be), we have as a body done them and continue to do them harm beyond reckoning. If I ever need to defend my actions before the throne of Heaven, I would much rather have to defend loving God's people too much than not loving them enough.
Hey friend - we didn't get a chance to talk on the retreat (sorry, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off), but I wanted to try to outline for you what I believe about homosexuality, the church and the Bible before I forget about it. When I quote Scripture here, I will give you specific references so you can go back and read the whole passage if you want (I hate quoting Scripture out of context) and decide for yourself if my interpretation makes sense. Also, if you don't have one already, I suggest getting a HarperCollins Study Bible or New Interpreter's Study Bible - both have excellent footnotes which give great insight on just about every topic.
First, before anything else, Jesus is very clear that love is - or should be - the overriding concern in every interaction a Christian has. When asked what Commandment is the most important, Jesus cites two - "love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39-41). Jesus gives his disciples "a new commandment" in preparation for his departure from Earth, "that you love one another" (John 13:33-34). In the Matthew passage, he even goes so far as to say "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments". When I look at the church's treatment of gays and lesbians, I see a lot of fear and disgust, but very little love. "Love the sinner, hate the sin" has become a catchphrase for how to treat homosexuals, but it's very difficult to communicate the love and grace of Christ when we are so focused on proclaiming their sexuality - a very integral part of their personal identity - as something sinful and dirty and strange. The church has not earned the right to be heard by the gay community, and won't until we learn to love as Christ loves us before we ever open our mouths.
The issues I see with the Bible's teachings on homosexuality are twofold:
-First, homosexuality is not understood or practiced today as it was at the time the verses on it in the Bible were written. Then, we were talking about behavior that jeopardized the cultural standing and personal safety of not only the people directly involved, but also their families and even whole communities or populations because of the nature and virulence of communicable diseases. Homosexuality in the ancient world was also a practice that was usually forced on one party by another, and therefore homosexual acts were often acts of rape or incest against vulnerable populations such as servants, slaves or children. This might be a reason why Paul, in his condemnation of homosexuality, refers to "homosexual offenders" or criminals (1 Cor. 6:9). Today, we're talking about stable, long-term relationships between consenting adults which, if practiced safely, do not risk virulent contagion or significantly depress the number of infants being born. It might seem like semantics, but it's a very important distinction to make - in determining what the Biblical authors intended to say, you have to look through their cultural lenses. The homosexuality they're addressing is not "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy".
-Second, of the many many many many many many verses in the Bible, only a few address homosexuality specifically, and often the context is hazy. In some of them, such as Deut. 23:17 and 1 Kings 14:24, the author is condemning ritual sexual acts performed by prostitutes in the shrines of other gods; we don't know if the primary emphasis is on the homosexuality or the idolatry (which is addressed far more prolifically in both the Old and New Testaments). Sexual sins, particularly in Revelation, are often used as symbols for idol worship.
Long story short, my study of the Bible does not lead me to definitive evidence one way or the other on how the church needs to address modern homosexuality, or whether or not it is sinful. What I do see are repeated calls to love, compassion and mercy. Therefore, I think we need to welcome gays and lesbians into the church with open arms, without passing judgment. At the very worst, they are sinners - but so are we, condemned by the same Law and redeemed by the same Savior. If we are wrong (and we very well might be), we have as a body done them and continue to do them harm beyond reckoning. If I ever need to defend my actions before the throne of Heaven, I would much rather have to defend loving God's people too much than not loving them enough.
Before The Throne Of God
(Author's note: Recently, a friend of mine asked me if we could talk about what I think about gays and lesbians in the church, but our conversation was interrupted and we never finished it. I wrote this note to her to try and lay it out, and thought I'd post it here as a meditation on our call to love.)
Hey friend - we didn't get a chance to talk on the retreat (sorry, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off), but I wanted to try to outline for you what I believe about homosexuality, the church and the Bible before I forget about it. When I quote Scripture here, I will give you specific references so you can go back and read the whole passage if you want (I hate quoting Scripture out of context) and decide for yourself if my interpretation makes sense. Also, if you don't have one already, I suggest getting a HarperCollins Study Bible or New Interpreter's Study Bible - both have excellent footnotes which give great insight on just about every topic.
First, before anything else, Jesus is very clear that love is - or should be - the overriding concern in every interaction a Christian has. When asked what Commandment is the most important, Jesus cites two - "love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39-41). Jesus gives his disciples "a new commandment" in preparation for his departure from Earth, "that you love one another" (John 13:33-34). In the Matthew passage, he even goes so far as to say "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments". When I look at the church's treatment of gays and lesbians, I see a lot of fear and disgust, but very little love. "Love the sinner, hate the sin" has become a catchphrase for how to treat homosexuals, but it's very difficult to communicate the love and grace of Christ when we are so focused on proclaiming their sexuality - a very integral part of their personal identity - as something sinful and dirty and strange. The church has not earned the right to be heard by the gay community, and won't until we learn to love as Christ loves us before we ever open our mouths.
The issues I see with the Bible's teachings on homosexuality are twofold:
-First, homosexuality is not understood or practiced today as it was at the time the verses on it in the Bible were written. Then, we were talking about behavior that jeopardized the cultural standing and personal safety of not only the people directly involved, but also their families and even whole communities or populations because of the nature and virulence of communicable diseases. Homosexuality in the ancient world was also a practice that was usually forced on one party by another, and therefore homosexual acts were often acts of rape or incest against vulnerable populations such as servants, slaves or children. This might be a reason why Paul, in his condemnation of homosexuality, refers to "homosexual offenders" or criminals (1 Cor. 6:9). Today, we're talking about stable, long-term relationships between consenting adults which, if practiced safely, do not risk virulent contagion or significantly depress the number of infants being born. It might seem like semantics, but it's a very important distinction to make - in determining what the Biblical authors intended to say, you have to look through their cultural lenses. The homosexuality they're addressing is not "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy".
-Second, of the many many many many many many verses in the Bible, only a few address homosexuality specifically, and often the context is hazy. In some of them, such as Deut. 23:17 and 1 Kings 14:24, the author is condemning ritual sexual acts performed by prostitutes in the shrines of other gods; we don't know if the primary emphasis is on the homosexuality or the idolatry (which is addressed far more prolifically in both the Old and New Testaments). Sexual sins, particularly in Revelation, are often used as symbols for idol worship.
Long story short, my study of the Bible does not lead me to definitive evidence one way or the other on how the church needs to address modern homosexuality, or whether or not it is sinful. What I do see are repeated calls to love, compassion and mercy. Therefore, I think we need to welcome gays and lesbians into the church with open arms, without passing judgment. At the very worst, they are sinners - but so are we, condemned by the same Law and redeemed by the same Savior. If we are wrong (and we very well might be), we have as a body done them and continue to do them harm beyond reckoning. If I ever need to defend my actions before the throne of Heaven, I would much rather have to defend loving God's people too much than not loving them enough.
Hey friend - we didn't get a chance to talk on the retreat (sorry, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off), but I wanted to try to outline for you what I believe about homosexuality, the church and the Bible before I forget about it. When I quote Scripture here, I will give you specific references so you can go back and read the whole passage if you want (I hate quoting Scripture out of context) and decide for yourself if my interpretation makes sense. Also, if you don't have one already, I suggest getting a HarperCollins Study Bible or New Interpreter's Study Bible - both have excellent footnotes which give great insight on just about every topic.
First, before anything else, Jesus is very clear that love is - or should be - the overriding concern in every interaction a Christian has. When asked what Commandment is the most important, Jesus cites two - "love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39-41). Jesus gives his disciples "a new commandment" in preparation for his departure from Earth, "that you love one another" (John 13:33-34). In the Matthew passage, he even goes so far as to say "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments". When I look at the church's treatment of gays and lesbians, I see a lot of fear and disgust, but very little love. "Love the sinner, hate the sin" has become a catchphrase for how to treat homosexuals, but it's very difficult to communicate the love and grace of Christ when we are so focused on proclaiming their sexuality - a very integral part of their personal identity - as something sinful and dirty and strange. The church has not earned the right to be heard by the gay community, and won't until we learn to love as Christ loves us before we ever open our mouths.
The issues I see with the Bible's teachings on homosexuality are twofold:
-First, homosexuality is not understood or practiced today as it was at the time the verses on it in the Bible were written. Then, we were talking about behavior that jeopardized the cultural standing and personal safety of not only the people directly involved, but also their families and even whole communities or populations because of the nature and virulence of communicable diseases. Homosexuality in the ancient world was also a practice that was usually forced on one party by another, and therefore homosexual acts were often acts of rape or incest against vulnerable populations such as servants, slaves or children. This might be a reason why Paul, in his condemnation of homosexuality, refers to "homosexual offenders" or criminals (1 Cor. 6:9). Today, we're talking about stable, long-term relationships between consenting adults which, if practiced safely, do not risk virulent contagion or significantly depress the number of infants being born. It might seem like semantics, but it's a very important distinction to make - in determining what the Biblical authors intended to say, you have to look through their cultural lenses. The homosexuality they're addressing is not "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy".
-Second, of the many many many many many many verses in the Bible, only a few address homosexuality specifically, and often the context is hazy. In some of them, such as Deut. 23:17 and 1 Kings 14:24, the author is condemning ritual sexual acts performed by prostitutes in the shrines of other gods; we don't know if the primary emphasis is on the homosexuality or the idolatry (which is addressed far more prolifically in both the Old and New Testaments). Sexual sins, particularly in Revelation, are often used as symbols for idol worship.
Long story short, my study of the Bible does not lead me to definitive evidence one way or the other on how the church needs to address modern homosexuality, or whether or not it is sinful. What I do see are repeated calls to love, compassion and mercy. Therefore, I think we need to welcome gays and lesbians into the church with open arms, without passing judgment. At the very worst, they are sinners - but so are we, condemned by the same Law and redeemed by the same Savior. If we are wrong (and we very well might be), we have as a body done them and continue to do them harm beyond reckoning. If I ever need to defend my actions before the throne of Heaven, I would much rather have to defend loving God's people too much than not loving them enough.
God's Politics
Anyway, I never much liked Jim Wallis's book about politics, God, and the church. I actually only read the first sixty or so pages and then decided, since the chances of the rest of the book saying anything new were rather slim, to stop reading but tell everyone I had read the book. I never really understood why I didn't like the book, it seemed as if the arguments were good and the heart of the matter important for us to hear (though I couldn't tell you what any of the arguments or themes were now... I only read 60 pages, after all). Now, years later, I think I know the reason.
I think I've always been interested in politics because my father has been involved in local politics as long as I can remember, and he always yells at the TV while watching CNN. But I'm also a reaction first person. I rarely reflect on choices I make or beliefs that I hold until longer after I've made them. Usually, if someone says something, I react against it. What makes it worse is that people my age, or at least the people I grew up with, say some a lot of things that deserve to be reacted against. "Oh I don't know history much at all. Does that make me a bad person? Oh well." "I'm so bad at math, but who cares because I'll never need it in my life, I'm gonna be an English major and be creative and stuff." (As an English major I can attest to how silly this really is. Everyone needs to do some accounting at some point or another, first of all, but a lot of what makes good literature, or good art in general, is a mathematical/logical precision) "The United States is so stupid. Why can't we be more like Spain?" "Who am I voting for? I don't know. I hate politics so I generally stay away from it completely. But I think I'll vote for Hillary because she's a woman."
The last two statements are the ones I'd like to address today, and maybe I'll tackle the history one later. Nothing frustrates me more than someone's complaining or using the word "hate" to describe something and then putting in zero effort to make that thing better. If it peeves you that much, do something about it. That's why, as a high school student, I had notions of being elected either to the state government of Massachusetts or make it to D.C. God called me in other ways, so then I took hope in that great movie about William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, when Wilberforce (played Ioan Grufudd, so amazing... if I were a girl I'd drool over him) screams out, "No matter how loud you shout, you will not drown out the voice of the people!" Wilberforce was a man who took his faith and put it into practice in politics, taking the advice of his friend William Pitt that, "Surely the principles of Christianity are simple, and lead not to meditation only but to action." Yes, action: action to end the slave trade, action to raise the moral awareness of a country, action to save the lives and souls of citizens. Wilberforce became the hero of my life. I was reacting against my peers saying they hate politics, staying clear of anything associated with the word politics except when it was time to vote, at which time many uninformed decisions were made, and allowing my faith to enter in. I was going to change the world of politics and change the minds of my peers and change the world. My representatives and the Boston Globe have evidence of where my life was heading. And the fact that I tried reading God's Politics, concluding that it had good ideas but was a bad book, is also good evidence.
Yet, after years of reflection and reading the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Leo Tolstoy, I've come to conclude that, indeed, politics is worth staying away from. I forget the root of the world politics, or else I'd take about it here. Oh well. What I will talk about is God in the Bible. There are three stories that I'd like to focus on, but I won't preach on them or anything or even give the Scripture references to them. For whatever reason, when I learn stories and phrases from the Bible I don't learn the references to go with them. Anyway...
First, in Genesis, the Bible starts a theme for us that, indirectly, is continued throughout most of the Bible: "spread and multiply." In fact, some people argue that the moral of the Tower of Babel story is not that humankind is not meant to spread its wings and climb to the reaches of heaven, but that humankind is not meant to cluster and wall itself in, physically or metaphorically. We are meant to go out and interact with our brothers and sisters and create more of our brothers and sisters to multiply our collective peace and joy. Second, the story in 2 Samuel about how the people of Israel want a king, but God cannot understand why His people would want any ruler besides the Creator of love and mercy, the only true ruler. Third, Jesus' claim in the Gospel of John that He is "the way, the truth, and the life."
Essentially what we do by setting up rules of society, both government and economics in my opinion, is waive off all three of those stories. Considering that those three stories are not only in the Bible, not only significant, well-remembered stories, but are stories central to the themes of the Bible, it takes an act of foolishness to disregard these stories. Now, perhaps you have a different understanding. Ok, fine. Let me explain with a story.
I have a friend for whom politics is perhaps the most basic ingredient of life. Without governments, he might say, we'd all be lost and there'd be no order to life whatsoever. That disorder, according to my friend, would give way to criminal minds doing whatever they want with no repercussions. Even those without criminal minds would see that there's no point in being honest, polite, compassionate, or anything else we Christians associate with being good, because there's nothing in it for them and everyone else would be getting ahead by behaving immorally and committing all sorts of injustices (only they wouldn't be injustices without governments, he would argue). Governments, he concludes, are needed to control so that the worst is cut out of society (I would add that governments only have laws in place to punish the worst if they are caught... how many people get away with holding the 20+ million slaves in the world today?) and everyone has an opportunity to have a somewhat good life. When I argue that governments for 3,000 years haven't figured out how to provide for a somewhat good life for a majority of its citizens, he retorts that at least there is a system in place to possibly do so.
I realize that wasn't quite as much a story as I thought it would be. Apologies. But, moving on. Keeping in mind those three stories that I mentioned, it should be easy why I have a problem with my friend's arguments (which, I think, are the classic arguments in favor of order and government). Why would my friend argue that we set up governments in the first place? Probably the anthropological reason: groups realized that it was easier to bunch up and live together, and when they started doing that they discovered that some members of the group were cheating, and foreigners entering the group couldn't just bring rules with them that no one in the group recognized. In fact, it might just be easier to keep foreigners out. Tower of Babel, anyone...? In my mind, living together isn't the issue. If God wants His children to live together because in community we are the most glad of heart, then living in communities can't be the issue. The issue comes when we seek to control the group, and in so controlling we hope to accomplish great things that the rest of the world will gawk at. That's not the point. The point is simply to live in community with one another. You might argue that the 613 Jewish laws seems like an extensive form of government control, but those are optional. You are Jewish by choice. You take up the 613 laws by choice, knowing that with God's help those 613 laws will make you a better person and more in relation with the Heavenly Father and His blessed children.
Furthermore, setting up governments flatly eliminates any hope of reaching our full potential. There's a reason God didn't mention to Moses that maybe he should get some ballots and elect a king when he came down off the mountain. God is the only pure leader we can or ever will have. The second we elevate an imperfect human to such high standards we lose the chance of full relationship with God and His children, because everyone who has power over is cannot match God's wisdom and love. Sure, the United States' Founding Fathers were really intelligent when they set up the system of checks and balances. They knew that one or two branches of government would lead to corruption. Good job to them. Even with checks and balances, though, we are putting at least half our hope in human beings that are clearly not The Most High. In our world today I think that we put a good deal more than half our hope in human beings. Yes, by setting up governments we eliminate distress associated with potential criminals who choose not to follow the 613 laws or the "new" law of Christ, but we also throw away hope of ever finding the joy and peace that God intends for His children.
And, how can we put faith in governments when an essential element in any government's set of resources is the might of war. Think of the third story. Did Jesus say, "Ok, lads, love is the answer. Violence is never the answer, except when it is"? And did he say, "Remember, mis hermanos, it's ok to compromise if you think it might lead to ending an injustice"? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Jesus told us what to do and set us an example. And if His example is not enough, or the words of the Bible too confusing, we can remember that loving our brothers and sisters is the greatest commandment (according to John... the two great commandments of the other gospels equal the same thing). When violence, compromise, misinformation, back-stabbing insults and the like are the inevitable tools and consequences of a way of life that we are supposed to think will save us, I don't know how we can possibly choose that over God.
Should we not hope in God's politics? A politics that allows each individual to choose how to love God, and allows us to love one another freely. A politics that says we are indeed made in the likeness of the Holy One and we can do great things together if only we have faith in Him and in one another. Rules of society, rules of business, rules of the economy, and the laws of government all tell us not to have faith in one another or in the redemptive power of God.
Tolstoy, Tolkien, and Dorothy Day all believed in a world of Christian anarchy, a world where, at the least, Christians put their faith in God rather than in systems of government. A world where Christians do not get involved in politics but instead seek only to embrace others in the holiest of ways, and in so doing may perhaps influence the political decisions of one country or another. Tolkien believed in The Shire of his famous Lord of the Rings. He didn't just write it, he believed in it. A world where individuals live in peaceful community, and the only official is an official in title only. A world where, when encroached by evil, as Lord Elrond says, those who will do good are called together to save it.
May we rest our faith in God, and in so doing rest our faith and our love in one another, so that we can be free to see Christ the way we are meant to without the human-made restrictions. And if are scared, let us once again have faith in the Judges from the Bible. God will save us, if not our bodies then our souls. But God will save our bodies if we love rather than fight and control. May we eradicate control, for it leads only to divisiveness, fear, apathy, and hatred. May we not follow Jim Wallis's call to put our faith into politics, rather may we put our faith into as complete action as possible, which means out of politics. I will close with the words of Tolkien.
To the Fellowship of the Ring called to destroy the ring that endangers the world, after explaining their task, Lord Elrond says, "That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world."
To those who despair of how foolish it is to rely on a small handful of men against a massive, armed force, Gandalf replies, "Despair, or follow? It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning."
I think I've always been interested in politics because my father has been involved in local politics as long as I can remember, and he always yells at the TV while watching CNN. But I'm also a reaction first person. I rarely reflect on choices I make or beliefs that I hold until longer after I've made them. Usually, if someone says something, I react against it. What makes it worse is that people my age, or at least the people I grew up with, say some a lot of things that deserve to be reacted against. "Oh I don't know history much at all. Does that make me a bad person? Oh well." "I'm so bad at math, but who cares because I'll never need it in my life, I'm gonna be an English major and be creative and stuff." (As an English major I can attest to how silly this really is. Everyone needs to do some accounting at some point or another, first of all, but a lot of what makes good literature, or good art in general, is a mathematical/logical precision) "The United States is so stupid. Why can't we be more like Spain?" "Who am I voting for? I don't know. I hate politics so I generally stay away from it completely. But I think I'll vote for Hillary because she's a woman."
The last two statements are the ones I'd like to address today, and maybe I'll tackle the history one later. Nothing frustrates me more than someone's complaining or using the word "hate" to describe something and then putting in zero effort to make that thing better. If it peeves you that much, do something about it. That's why, as a high school student, I had notions of being elected either to the state government of Massachusetts or make it to D.C. God called me in other ways, so then I took hope in that great movie about William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, when Wilberforce (played Ioan Grufudd, so amazing... if I were a girl I'd drool over him) screams out, "No matter how loud you shout, you will not drown out the voice of the people!" Wilberforce was a man who took his faith and put it into practice in politics, taking the advice of his friend William Pitt that, "Surely the principles of Christianity are simple, and lead not to meditation only but to action." Yes, action: action to end the slave trade, action to raise the moral awareness of a country, action to save the lives and souls of citizens. Wilberforce became the hero of my life. I was reacting against my peers saying they hate politics, staying clear of anything associated with the word politics except when it was time to vote, at which time many uninformed decisions were made, and allowing my faith to enter in. I was going to change the world of politics and change the minds of my peers and change the world. My representatives and the Boston Globe have evidence of where my life was heading. And the fact that I tried reading God's Politics, concluding that it had good ideas but was a bad book, is also good evidence.
Yet, after years of reflection and reading the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Leo Tolstoy, I've come to conclude that, indeed, politics is worth staying away from. I forget the root of the world politics, or else I'd take about it here. Oh well. What I will talk about is God in the Bible. There are three stories that I'd like to focus on, but I won't preach on them or anything or even give the Scripture references to them. For whatever reason, when I learn stories and phrases from the Bible I don't learn the references to go with them. Anyway...
First, in Genesis, the Bible starts a theme for us that, indirectly, is continued throughout most of the Bible: "spread and multiply." In fact, some people argue that the moral of the Tower of Babel story is not that humankind is not meant to spread its wings and climb to the reaches of heaven, but that humankind is not meant to cluster and wall itself in, physically or metaphorically. We are meant to go out and interact with our brothers and sisters and create more of our brothers and sisters to multiply our collective peace and joy. Second, the story in 2 Samuel about how the people of Israel want a king, but God cannot understand why His people would want any ruler besides the Creator of love and mercy, the only true ruler. Third, Jesus' claim in the Gospel of John that He is "the way, the truth, and the life."
Essentially what we do by setting up rules of society, both government and economics in my opinion, is waive off all three of those stories. Considering that those three stories are not only in the Bible, not only significant, well-remembered stories, but are stories central to the themes of the Bible, it takes an act of foolishness to disregard these stories. Now, perhaps you have a different understanding. Ok, fine. Let me explain with a story.
I have a friend for whom politics is perhaps the most basic ingredient of life. Without governments, he might say, we'd all be lost and there'd be no order to life whatsoever. That disorder, according to my friend, would give way to criminal minds doing whatever they want with no repercussions. Even those without criminal minds would see that there's no point in being honest, polite, compassionate, or anything else we Christians associate with being good, because there's nothing in it for them and everyone else would be getting ahead by behaving immorally and committing all sorts of injustices (only they wouldn't be injustices without governments, he would argue). Governments, he concludes, are needed to control so that the worst is cut out of society (I would add that governments only have laws in place to punish the worst if they are caught... how many people get away with holding the 20+ million slaves in the world today?) and everyone has an opportunity to have a somewhat good life. When I argue that governments for 3,000 years haven't figured out how to provide for a somewhat good life for a majority of its citizens, he retorts that at least there is a system in place to possibly do so.
I realize that wasn't quite as much a story as I thought it would be. Apologies. But, moving on. Keeping in mind those three stories that I mentioned, it should be easy why I have a problem with my friend's arguments (which, I think, are the classic arguments in favor of order and government). Why would my friend argue that we set up governments in the first place? Probably the anthropological reason: groups realized that it was easier to bunch up and live together, and when they started doing that they discovered that some members of the group were cheating, and foreigners entering the group couldn't just bring rules with them that no one in the group recognized. In fact, it might just be easier to keep foreigners out. Tower of Babel, anyone...? In my mind, living together isn't the issue. If God wants His children to live together because in community we are the most glad of heart, then living in communities can't be the issue. The issue comes when we seek to control the group, and in so controlling we hope to accomplish great things that the rest of the world will gawk at. That's not the point. The point is simply to live in community with one another. You might argue that the 613 Jewish laws seems like an extensive form of government control, but those are optional. You are Jewish by choice. You take up the 613 laws by choice, knowing that with God's help those 613 laws will make you a better person and more in relation with the Heavenly Father and His blessed children.
Furthermore, setting up governments flatly eliminates any hope of reaching our full potential. There's a reason God didn't mention to Moses that maybe he should get some ballots and elect a king when he came down off the mountain. God is the only pure leader we can or ever will have. The second we elevate an imperfect human to such high standards we lose the chance of full relationship with God and His children, because everyone who has power over is cannot match God's wisdom and love. Sure, the United States' Founding Fathers were really intelligent when they set up the system of checks and balances. They knew that one or two branches of government would lead to corruption. Good job to them. Even with checks and balances, though, we are putting at least half our hope in human beings that are clearly not The Most High. In our world today I think that we put a good deal more than half our hope in human beings. Yes, by setting up governments we eliminate distress associated with potential criminals who choose not to follow the 613 laws or the "new" law of Christ, but we also throw away hope of ever finding the joy and peace that God intends for His children.
And, how can we put faith in governments when an essential element in any government's set of resources is the might of war. Think of the third story. Did Jesus say, "Ok, lads, love is the answer. Violence is never the answer, except when it is"? And did he say, "Remember, mis hermanos, it's ok to compromise if you think it might lead to ending an injustice"? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Jesus told us what to do and set us an example. And if His example is not enough, or the words of the Bible too confusing, we can remember that loving our brothers and sisters is the greatest commandment (according to John... the two great commandments of the other gospels equal the same thing). When violence, compromise, misinformation, back-stabbing insults and the like are the inevitable tools and consequences of a way of life that we are supposed to think will save us, I don't know how we can possibly choose that over God.
Should we not hope in God's politics? A politics that allows each individual to choose how to love God, and allows us to love one another freely. A politics that says we are indeed made in the likeness of the Holy One and we can do great things together if only we have faith in Him and in one another. Rules of society, rules of business, rules of the economy, and the laws of government all tell us not to have faith in one another or in the redemptive power of God.
Tolstoy, Tolkien, and Dorothy Day all believed in a world of Christian anarchy, a world where, at the least, Christians put their faith in God rather than in systems of government. A world where Christians do not get involved in politics but instead seek only to embrace others in the holiest of ways, and in so doing may perhaps influence the political decisions of one country or another. Tolkien believed in The Shire of his famous Lord of the Rings. He didn't just write it, he believed in it. A world where individuals live in peaceful community, and the only official is an official in title only. A world where, when encroached by evil, as Lord Elrond says, those who will do good are called together to save it.
May we rest our faith in God, and in so doing rest our faith and our love in one another, so that we can be free to see Christ the way we are meant to without the human-made restrictions. And if are scared, let us once again have faith in the Judges from the Bible. God will save us, if not our bodies then our souls. But God will save our bodies if we love rather than fight and control. May we eradicate control, for it leads only to divisiveness, fear, apathy, and hatred. May we not follow Jim Wallis's call to put our faith into politics, rather may we put our faith into as complete action as possible, which means out of politics. I will close with the words of Tolkien.
To the Fellowship of the Ring called to destroy the ring that endangers the world, after explaining their task, Lord Elrond says, "That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world."
To those who despair of how foolish it is to rely on a small handful of men against a massive, armed force, Gandalf replies, "Despair, or follow? It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning."
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Good Samaritan Through the Eyes of an Ant
I had an interesting experience that made me do some serious self-analysis this past week that I wanted to share with you. I used it in my sermon today (there was more to the sermon than this, but it is a follow-up to a series we’re doing). So the following is based off of Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan). I hope that you get some reflection out of this too…
This week’s sermon title is “Ants;” and I think you’ll understand why in a minute. But in preparation for this sermon, I decided to do some basic research on ants. Now, I won’t share everything I learned—like how ants go to the bathroom—but I will tell you that I am amazed to find out that there are over 20,000 different species of ants in the world! Can you believe that?!?! 20,000! Wow! There aren’t that many different countries or nationalities in the world! Ants also can make up 15-25% of the animal mass in a given area. And another amazing feat?!?! Ants can carry something that weighs 50 times as much as their own body!!! That’s like you or me carrying a car over our heads! That’s insane! Talk about lifting weights…
Monday was a hot day. A REALLY hot day. The thermostat inside the house got to 93 degrees! As a result, I had the fans going, and was sitting around in PJ shorts and an old tank top with my computer in my lap so that I could do my work for class. I kept going into the kitchen to get something to drink—I really was trying to stay hydrated. On one of my trips into the kitchen, I saw a single ant by the door to the kitchen. Now, there have been about 4 ants in the sunroom for probably two or three months. I have no desire to kill them as long as they stay out of my area. And they didn’t bother me in the sunroom. Well, when these 4 ants decided to come over the lip into the kitchen, they were now in MY territory. The first time I saw them in there, I left them alone, hoping they would leave. The next time I was in the kitchen, one particularly bold ant decided to crawl over my foot, and tried to climb my leg…repeatedly. He was annoying me…and had to go. My flip-flop clad foot came down on top of him before I had really thought about it. *SQUASH* Dead ant. I was planning on sweeping after I finished that section of work, so I left the ant carcass on the floor temporarily.
A little while later I went back into the kitchen, and saw another ant next to the dead one. At first it looked like the one ant was trying to eat the dead one—eww, I thought…cannibalism. But then I took a second look. And I realized that the live ant was poking the dead one with his foot, as if to say, “Are you ok? Huh? Are you? C’mon…wake up! You can do it…wake up!” Frustrated when the dead ant wouldn’t wake up, the live one tried to push and pull him. It didn’t work. He tried to carry him. It didn’t work. Now this must have been a weak ant, if ants can carry something 50 times their body weight…this little guy couldn’t budge an ant his own size. But it didn’t stop him from trying. For 20 minutes this went on…poking, pushing, pulling…poking, pushing, pulling…over and over again. And yes, I kept watching. I was mesmerized. I couldn’t believe the persistence, the tenacity of the ant. He kept trying. I think I would have given up at some point, but not this ant. When he realized he couldn’t do it by himself, he started running around the floor, looking for another ant to lend a hand—you see, ants are very social and community-oriented. If one ant needed something, others would be there instantly to lend a hand…or antennae…or whatever it is that ants lend. When there was no other ant to be found, the little guy comes back to the dead ant, and tries the whole process over again…poking, pushing, pulling…poking pushing pulling.
Finally, I left the kitchen and went to do work. A few minutes later, I got up to go to the bathroom…and walked through the kitchen to get there. The ant was still there doing his thing…poking, pushing, pulling; poking, pushing, pulling. I couldn’t believe it! He was still there with that dead ant.
More time passed, and I eventually went to get a refill on my water. I walked into the kitchen, fully expecting to see the ants again…but this time, neither one was in sight! I have no idea where they went, or what happened. All I know is that the ants were gone—the live one and the dead one. (As a side note, there hasn’t been a single additional ant that has decided to move in…just those two). So the ants were gone. I stood there, staring at the floor, wondering where the ants had gone. And I began reflecting and meditating on my experience.
On the one hand, I felt inspired by the little ant who wouldn’t give up and leave his friend, even when he didn’t have the strength to go on. I was inspired by the dedication and care rendered to that ant. I had even thought about how I could make it better for that ant…it’s not like I know ant CPR or something…I DO know fish CPR, but that’s different! It was so beautiful to watch another creature care for one of its own. And it made me wonder, if I had been the live ant, would I have stopped to stay with the dead ant? Would I have worked so long and hard on a “lost cause”? I like to think that I would have…but in reality, if I knew the one guy was dead and gone, I probably would have continued with my busy life.
On the other hand, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt over the situation. The live ant was the picture of grief. He was running in circles. Literally. I felt guilty because I was the one who had squashed his buddy. I had squashed him without thinking about it. One second he was alive and annoying, the next second he was dead and a black spot on the floor. I was the robber in the story about the Good Samaritan! I had robbed that ant of his life. I used my influence and power of being bigger, smarter, and more developed to kill an innocent creature. I began thinking about what other ways I use my power for evil instead of good. I wonder what else I *SQUASH* without thinking about it—literally or figuratively. I wonder if I use the fact that I grew up as a white, middle-class girl, in a good area with hard-working parents and good schools to wield influence over others. Or if I use my role as a pastor to do the same thing. I wondered who or what else I annihilate without a second thought in my quest to “grow” and “develop.” I wish I had the compassion for my sisters and brothers around the world that the one ant had for another ant.
The story of the “Good Samaritan” might be a familiar one, but I was privileged to learn it anew this week through the eyes of an ant.
This week’s sermon title is “Ants;” and I think you’ll understand why in a minute. But in preparation for this sermon, I decided to do some basic research on ants. Now, I won’t share everything I learned—like how ants go to the bathroom—but I will tell you that I am amazed to find out that there are over 20,000 different species of ants in the world! Can you believe that?!?! 20,000! Wow! There aren’t that many different countries or nationalities in the world! Ants also can make up 15-25% of the animal mass in a given area. And another amazing feat?!?! Ants can carry something that weighs 50 times as much as their own body!!! That’s like you or me carrying a car over our heads! That’s insane! Talk about lifting weights…
Monday was a hot day. A REALLY hot day. The thermostat inside the house got to 93 degrees! As a result, I had the fans going, and was sitting around in PJ shorts and an old tank top with my computer in my lap so that I could do my work for class. I kept going into the kitchen to get something to drink—I really was trying to stay hydrated. On one of my trips into the kitchen, I saw a single ant by the door to the kitchen. Now, there have been about 4 ants in the sunroom for probably two or three months. I have no desire to kill them as long as they stay out of my area. And they didn’t bother me in the sunroom. Well, when these 4 ants decided to come over the lip into the kitchen, they were now in MY territory. The first time I saw them in there, I left them alone, hoping they would leave. The next time I was in the kitchen, one particularly bold ant decided to crawl over my foot, and tried to climb my leg…repeatedly. He was annoying me…and had to go. My flip-flop clad foot came down on top of him before I had really thought about it. *SQUASH* Dead ant. I was planning on sweeping after I finished that section of work, so I left the ant carcass on the floor temporarily.
A little while later I went back into the kitchen, and saw another ant next to the dead one. At first it looked like the one ant was trying to eat the dead one—eww, I thought…cannibalism. But then I took a second look. And I realized that the live ant was poking the dead one with his foot, as if to say, “Are you ok? Huh? Are you? C’mon…wake up! You can do it…wake up!” Frustrated when the dead ant wouldn’t wake up, the live one tried to push and pull him. It didn’t work. He tried to carry him. It didn’t work. Now this must have been a weak ant, if ants can carry something 50 times their body weight…this little guy couldn’t budge an ant his own size. But it didn’t stop him from trying. For 20 minutes this went on…poking, pushing, pulling…poking, pushing, pulling…over and over again. And yes, I kept watching. I was mesmerized. I couldn’t believe the persistence, the tenacity of the ant. He kept trying. I think I would have given up at some point, but not this ant. When he realized he couldn’t do it by himself, he started running around the floor, looking for another ant to lend a hand—you see, ants are very social and community-oriented. If one ant needed something, others would be there instantly to lend a hand…or antennae…or whatever it is that ants lend. When there was no other ant to be found, the little guy comes back to the dead ant, and tries the whole process over again…poking, pushing, pulling…poking pushing pulling.
Finally, I left the kitchen and went to do work. A few minutes later, I got up to go to the bathroom…and walked through the kitchen to get there. The ant was still there doing his thing…poking, pushing, pulling; poking, pushing, pulling. I couldn’t believe it! He was still there with that dead ant.
More time passed, and I eventually went to get a refill on my water. I walked into the kitchen, fully expecting to see the ants again…but this time, neither one was in sight! I have no idea where they went, or what happened. All I know is that the ants were gone—the live one and the dead one. (As a side note, there hasn’t been a single additional ant that has decided to move in…just those two). So the ants were gone. I stood there, staring at the floor, wondering where the ants had gone. And I began reflecting and meditating on my experience.
On the one hand, I felt inspired by the little ant who wouldn’t give up and leave his friend, even when he didn’t have the strength to go on. I was inspired by the dedication and care rendered to that ant. I had even thought about how I could make it better for that ant…it’s not like I know ant CPR or something…I DO know fish CPR, but that’s different! It was so beautiful to watch another creature care for one of its own. And it made me wonder, if I had been the live ant, would I have stopped to stay with the dead ant? Would I have worked so long and hard on a “lost cause”? I like to think that I would have…but in reality, if I knew the one guy was dead and gone, I probably would have continued with my busy life.
On the other hand, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt over the situation. The live ant was the picture of grief. He was running in circles. Literally. I felt guilty because I was the one who had squashed his buddy. I had squashed him without thinking about it. One second he was alive and annoying, the next second he was dead and a black spot on the floor. I was the robber in the story about the Good Samaritan! I had robbed that ant of his life. I used my influence and power of being bigger, smarter, and more developed to kill an innocent creature. I began thinking about what other ways I use my power for evil instead of good. I wonder what else I *SQUASH* without thinking about it—literally or figuratively. I wonder if I use the fact that I grew up as a white, middle-class girl, in a good area with hard-working parents and good schools to wield influence over others. Or if I use my role as a pastor to do the same thing. I wondered who or what else I annihilate without a second thought in my quest to “grow” and “develop.” I wish I had the compassion for my sisters and brothers around the world that the one ant had for another ant.
The story of the “Good Samaritan” might be a familiar one, but I was privileged to learn it anew this week through the eyes of an ant.
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