Changing the world...

"I can't change the world but I can change the world in me... if I rejoice" Bono sings on the U2 album October. If the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step then changing the world starts with one man. Don Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz talks about being at a political protest of the president with a friend. He was there for poverty in Africa but he was surrounded by a variety of protesters with a variety of causes. By the time the day was done he came to the realization that he hadn't done anything to help poverty in Africa so why should he demand it of others. He realized that he was a hypocrite and wished that he could carry a sign that said "I AM THE PROBLEM!"

I have still been contemplating the question of should politics and religion mix and if so how. Unfortunately, rather than coming to a conclusion it is more like I have come to the first step to ascend a stair case. I believe that yes politics and religion should mix and in fact have to, but certainly not in the common way that they are mingling now. The answer as to how is the first step at the bottom of the stair case. It is by speaking the truth in love. The Church loves to speak the truth but often not in love. The next question is, "how is that carried out?" I have a decent idea of how love should play out in our personal lives, but how it should work in politics seems more problematic or complex. I know the principles are the same but the details elude me at this point. Until I come to a less ephemeral answer I will leave you with the below passage from an essay entitled "How To Save Western Civilization: C.S. Lewis As Prophet"

"It is good to work for peace in whatever social and political ways really do work, whether this means working for disarmament or for stronger armaments. We do not know with certainty which way will work best on the political level (though we nearly always claim we do). But we do know with certainty (because God himself has told us) what will work on the spiritual level, and we also know that that level cuts deeper and works at the roots. So to anyone who is concerned with peace and with the life and survival of our civilization, here is a summary in a single paragraph of what I have learned from my master C.S. Lewis:

"Sodom and Gomorrah almost made it. If God had found but ten righteous men, he would have spared two whole cities. Abraham's intercession nearly saved Sodom, and it did save Lot. We must be Abrahams. Charles Williams said that 'the altar must often be built in one place so that the fire from Heaven may come down at another.' It is also true that the altar must be built and prayer and sacrifice made at one place so that the fire from Hell may not come down at another. It can be done. The most important thing each of us can do to save the world from holocaust and from Hell, from nuclear destruction and from spiritual destruction, is the most well-known, most unoriginal thing in the world: to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

"You the individual can make a difference. You can be the straw that breaks the camel's back, the vote that wins the election. You can save the world."

Deserving Death?

Do we really understand the consequenses of our own sins? Do we truly believe in our hearts that we deserve death because of our sin? For some that may be easier to believe than others. I have never killed or seriously hurt someone. I have never broken up a marriage or stolen money from anyone. I have never done any of the really bad things that we think about being serious sins. It is hard to believe that I still deserve death. In my mind I know it is true, but in my heart...

How can we as a Church convince the world that they are in desperate need of a Saviour, that their life depends upon it, if I can't convince myself that I truly am a wretched and miserable man that deserves death? Sometimes I know it is true more than others; there are times when I come face to face with my own black heart and come close to understanding the depth of my own wickedness, but most of the time I just make excuses for myself.

Mixing Faith & Politics?

Something I have been thinking about for several months (since I read Blue Like Jazz), is "how much should we mix Faith & Politics?". The basis for this question was my realization from BLJ that Conservative Christians are are driving away people through their politics. They are seen as anti-gay rights, anti-choice, anti-environment and then worst of all they get affiliated with blue blood Republicans as being pro-war and pro-big business!

In my missions classes in college something that is driven into your head is that when you go as a missionary to a foreign culture you are there to represent Christ not your culture. In other words you are to share the gospel and the gospel only. Like Paul, missionaries are to preach nothing except Christ crucified. Now really this is impossible to do completely because we are all products of our culture, it is woven into us and we can not separate ourselves from it 100%. Missionaries must do their best in this endeavor though so that if someone rejects Jesus it is truly Him they are rejecting, not the missionary, not the sending culture. Vice-versa, you do not want someone accepting more than just Jesus. The goal is to evangelize the Gospel of Jesus to people on a heart level that means something to them where they are at now, nothing more and nothing less. So no preaching capitalism or democracy or free trade or Communion should go before the sermon and you need to have a piano or organ for worship... certainly NO drums!

God forbid that I or my culture embedded in me should ever be the reason that anyone rejects Him!!! The Cross itself is naturally offensive (a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 2) and doesn't need any help from me to be rejected. Who wants a God that lived a short life as a dirty little poor human only to die a disgraceful death on a cross as a common criminal. That is highly offensive and pure idiocy in itself!

I have more to say on this, but to keep this from turning into a book and nobody bothering to read it, I will end on these last few questions and post more on it later... if the above philosophy is good for missionaries, why not for those of us at home trying to evangelize our own fallen nation? Are we preaching more than "Christ Crucified"? Have we become the stumbling block rather than the cross?

The Incarnate Gospel

"I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two theives; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek... at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be, and what churchmen should be about."

-George MacLeod

Not sure where I got this quote from but I wrote it in the front of my Bible in a Hotel in Topeka at 1:00 in the morning on 2-28-98. Just thought I would share it.

The Hardest Teaching of Jesus

About a month ago, I had a friend (someone whose opinion I respect) suggest an idea to me about the passage about turning the other cheek. Since I am going to disagree with him here I will leave it up to him to "out" himself if he wants. Anyway his theory was that he thought maybe Jesus was talking about taking revenge and that we should not take revenge ourselves. He wasn't talking about not defending ourselves. In other words if somebody attacks you it is ok to defend yourself but once the threat is over it isn't ok to lash back at the person. When I first heard it I thought yeah that makes a lot of sense. It was a very appealing idea and meshed with how I felt but I told him I would have to read it again before I came to a conclusion. Here is the passage:

You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. -Mat. 5:38-42 NIV

Those are very hard words to live by! I think that is why an easier way is so attractive. I don't think the passage is just talking about not taking revenge though. Jesus says to "not resist an evil person." I also think there is plenty of other Scripture that backs up that conclusion:

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly -1 Peter 2:23 NIV

Jesus himself left us a powerful example. He had the disposal of all heaven yet didn't even so much as utter a threat. I think it is the NAV that says "He was reviled but did not revile back" (or something close to that) However I don't think this should ever be mistaken for weakness or pacifism. Jesus did defend his teaching from the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, he also used violence when cleansing the Temple. I think the key is that we are not to defend ourselves but we are to defend others! I would use whatever actions necessary to defend my family against someone causing them harm and it would be immoral for me not to. I had another friend describe himself as a personal pacifist. I may not completely agree with his conclusion but I think that is a good way to describe it. I will not defend myself but I will defend the defenseless.

I could go on and discuss "Just War" philosophy etc... but I think I will leave it with one last thing. I talked about this with my parents and my Mom had a piercing point. Basically she said why are we even worrying about a violent situation which for most of us rarely if ever happens when we can't even let someone insult or slight us in some small way without retaliating or defending ourselves. "...Why not rather be wronged?..." -I Cor 5:7

Hating the Icthus

Maybe "hating" is a little strong but I have decided that I don't like the Icthus. 'Why?' you may ask. "Is it because you don't love God anymore?" No I still love God, that isn't it. I have decided that the Icthus is not only not necessary but a distraction. The Icthus started as a symbol that early Christians used to identify themselves to each other while still remaining secret to outsiders. It was used to help escape persecution. I can not fault early Christians for not broadcasting their faith to those that would wish to put them in an arena as a Lions play toy or crucify them upside down, sort of the equivalent of casting your pearls before swine.

However in modern day America I haven't seen anyone boiled alive or disemboweled for preaching Jesus. You may be called a fanatic or the dreaded "fundamentalist" but it is unlikely that anyone will lay a finger on you. So why our obsession with the Icthus, why must we plaster it on our cars, wear it around our necks and on our T-shirts? Is it because we are ashamed of our faith and only want to be recognized by other Christians? No, in fact it is quite the opposite, the Icthus or "Jesus Fish" is pretty much known by everyone to represent Christianity, so there is no secret involved. People adorn themselves, their cars and their music albums with the Icthus because they are proud! They want to proclaim it and they want everyone to know that they are a Christian.

"So what is so bad about that, Heath? Would you rather them be ashamed?"

The problem with the Icthus is what we are so proud of. What is it we are proclaiming? We are Christians! We want everyone to know we are not ashamed. But what does it mean to be a Christian in today's culture? Is it hard to be a Christian? Is there any sacrifice involved? No, not really; in a lot places it is not only easy to be a Christian, but it is hard not to be. What I am talking about is the Christian counter-culture. Today it is cool to be different. Rebellion to the status quo and individuality is championed above all else. Therefore the Christian "struggle" against the mainstream is hip. And this struggle also helps to unite us. We battle against immorality, abortion, homosexual marriage, gambling and pornography on the Internet. We fight for prayer at graduation and the ten commandments on public property. Sure we get called names by liberals like "bigot" and "radical." They say that we are anti-choice and that we violate the separation of church and state. But where is the sacrifice? We abstain from certain things like smoking or drinking too much and doing drugs. But is that sacrifice or just a healthy lifestyle?

Don't get me wrong. Abortion is a modern holocaust and possibly the most evil thing that I can imagine. Gambling and pornography destroy families. Homosexuality is against God's will, and the first amendment does protect free speech in the public arena, even if it does mention God or, heaven forbid, Jesus.

So we fight for or against all of these worthy causes sporting our trendy Icthuses, listening to our Christian radio, reading our Christian books, going to our Christian clubs and Churches, in the meanwhile isolating ourselves from the World in so desperate need of truth in love.

So why do I not like the Icthus? That is a good question. Paul said in 1st Corinthians that I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and earlier in the chapter he describes the cross as a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles. The cross is both our shame and our glory. Paul says at the end of Galations "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." The only thing that should be offensive about us is the Cross of Christ. It is the symbol of our death and resurrection. It represents our new life. It is the great stumbling block. Not a fish. The fish has come to represent Christian counter culture devouring the lie of evolution in one fell gulp!

Although I abhor the theory of evolution and the consequences of its idea, God didn't place me here to overcome evolution. Even though I believe abortion is one of the evilest things man has ever done, I wasn't placed here to fight abortion. I was created to love God and be loved by him and I was left on this planet to share this same love with others so that they to might believe. Not that the Icthus stands against all of this, but the "Christian Counter Culture", which the Icthus has come to represent, isn't helping to win disciples, sadly it turns many away. Sometimes our lack of love makes all of our good causes nothing more than "resounding gong(s) and clanging cymbal(s)"

I am not suggesting that we have our logo all wrong, it should be the cross instead of the Icthus, many still wear the cross without any idea of its true meaning. Our logo should be on our hearts not on our cars!