The Battle for Imagination

Everywhere we look we see corporate logos. Americans see thousands every day. Many believe that seeing them has little effect. But if this is true, then why do corporations put their logo on everything and pay to have it placed in highly visible places?

It’s because they know something humans remember shapes and images. This is nothing new.

The Roman Empire practiced this thousands of years ago. They knew the most powerful and effective way to communicate the values, theology, and philosophy of Rome and the Emperor was the keep images in front of the people at all times. Images of Caesar were everywhere – coins, temples, building, in homes, jewelry, the marketplace, paintings, and public buildings. Our government does the same thing today, and with every image there is a message being communicated to you and me.

When Phil Knight started Nike, one of his goals was to make the trademark “Nike Swoosh” so ubiquitous that it the world would know what brand it was. Some thought he was crazy, because at that time every sneaker brand had the company name connected to their logo. He was proved right. Today, most Nike products feature only a “swoosh,” and everyone knows who produced it.

When you hear someone speak about “golden arches” you think of McDonald’s. When you see a large circle with two smaller circles resting on top of it you think of Disney. And it doesn’t stop there. You think of things associated with Disney too. Your favorite Disney movie, a Disney theme park, or the catchy tune that was on the last Disney cartoon. “Hakuna Matata!”

It goes even deeper. Above there is a picture of a Volkswagen logo. If I asked you to describe that company, give an opinion on their automobiles, or profile the kind of person buys that kind of car you may be able to do this with great detail. Conversely if I were to show you a Dodge logo and ask the same, your description may still have great detail but you would describe things differently.

Which makes me wonder, where is your perspective coming from? Who told you the things you think? What influences your thoughts about Volkswagens or Dodges? Who has attached meaning to the logo, the company, the product, the brand?

Our world, filled with logos, is also filled with their attending messages. Ones that tell you what to think, how to look, what to buy, where to shop, what’s popular and the list goes on. We need to be keenly aware of this. We cannot casually go throughout our day soaking in these images and messages and fool ourselves into believing that they have no influence on our minds. Walter Wink speaks to this by pointing out that the ” system we live within teaches us what to believe,  it offers us the acceptable beliefs that society at any given time declares to be credible” (Engaging the Powers, p 53).

We must take every thought – and image and logo and message - captive. Why? Because our imaginations are subtly co-opted and eventually taken over by this nonstop messaging. This is why so many find it hard to think in fresh and new ways. Originality, it seems, has fallen on hard times.

We need now, more than ever, men and women who can cultivate imagination. This is not more people who are telling the masses what to think, but those who, like the prophets, ask people to imagine what could be and – by God’s grace – one day will be. As Walter Brueggeman observes in The Prophetic Imagination, we need more prophets. Their message was “that of poetry and lyric” (p 41).

Take some time over the next week to observe how many images you see and ask yourself what message are they sending you? You just may begin to see how influenced you are.

To Live or Not Live Together

The new normal in our world is for couples to live together before marriage. It's commonly called "cohabitation." As a pastor many ask me what I think of it. At the risk of sounding "prudish," I have never thought it to be a good idea for a number of reasons. 

On April 14, Dr. Meg Jay wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times titled, "The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage." She points out that many believe that living together before marriage is a good way to avoid divorce down the road. However, it seems that experience suggests differently.

What are your thoughts?

She writes: At 32, one of my clients (I’ll call her Jennifer) had a lavish wine-country wedding. By then, Jennifer and her boyfriend had lived together for more than four years. The event was attended by the couple’s friends, families and two dogs.

When Jennifer started therapy with me less than a year later, she was looking for a divorce lawyer. “I spent more time planning my wedding than I spent happily married,” she sobbed. Most disheartening to Jennifer was that she’d tried to do everything right. “My parents got married young so, of course, they got divorced. We lived together! How did this happen?”

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Risky Sex

We have to stop talking about “Safe Sex,” and instead talk about the beauty of risky sex. No, this is not some dark, twisted fantasy. It’s just a more honest way of speaking about sexuality, because all sex is risky.

The term “Safe Sex” refers to using protection so that you don’t contract a sexually transmitted disease from your partner. It’s encourages people to use contraception to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. “Safe sex” promises that you can sleep with someone with the proper things in their proper place, and walk away from the encounter without having contracted a disease or conceived a child.

But what “Safe Sex” ignores is that sex is far more than a physical transaction. It only considers the physical dimension of a human being. It reduces us to copulating animals, for it ignores the spiritual and emotional connection that is forged in sex.

You may be able to protect yourself physically while having sex, but the reality is “Safe Sex” is a myth. What protection is there to prevent to intertwining of minds, hearts, and souls that happens when two people are joined together sexually?

Sex, by its very nature is not safe. It is the ultimate act in giving your whole self away to another person. It requires vulnerability that no other relationship asks for. It is to be fully exposed to another human being. It’s putting your full naked self out there as a gift – that’s risky.

When one offers himself or herself to another there are always the questions they ask, “Does he really want me?” “Does she really love me?” “Will he accept me?” “Will she be here when I wake up in the morning?” "Does he think I'm beautiful?"  These and a million other questions are hanging out there between the two who are fully exposed to the other - what’s safe about that?

We have been fooled into believing that sex isn’t all about the emotional and spiritual stuff. We tell ourselves there is such a thing as “casual sex,” and think we can have sex with “no strings attached.” Perhaps, we should recognize a person can go through the motions of sex … but it’s not really sexual at all.

This is why so many people have sex with so many people, and feel more and more alone. Somewhere, deep inside their heart, something is being ripped apart and taken from them, and nothing can protect that. What they mistake as a physical act, can cause emotional and spiritual heartache. 

Make no mistake, sex is risky – and what it at risk is our hearts and souls. They are just as much a part of the act of sex as any body part is. That’s not only the risk – it’s also the beauty of sex. 

It allows for us to give ourselves over to another and be accepted and received and embraced for exactly who we are. After all, that’s what everyone really, truly wants, isn’t it? Just to find someone who will look at us standing in front of them, stark naked – with the lights on – and love what they see?

That desire inside all of us isn’t just physical. It points to an emotional longing and a spiritual hunger. Sex offers this to all of us, but to stand naked in front of anyone is to take a huge risk - there is nothing safe about it.

Sing It Out Like You Know What It Means

Have you ever sung the words to an old hymn and wondered what it meant? The words appear to be clever metaphors for something that made sense a long time ago, but now makes little sense. Some of the words even references Scripture, but still leave many wondering what they mean exactly.

A few weeks ago at one of our Sunday morning gatherings we were singing the old hymn “Jesus Paid it All.” One lyric in it is:

Sin had left its crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow!

This is a reference to the prophet Isaiah. He speaks for God, and promises the people of Israel that although their “sin is like scarlet it will be made white as snow.” Years ago I sang that song and wondered why, of all colors, the writer of Isaiah chose red? Why not purple or sea foam green?

Curiosity grew, and I searched for an answer. It led me to Leviticus 16, which gives instruction about the Day of Atonement. This day was observed by the people of Israel every year. It was a day when all the people of Israel would gather together, fast, pray, and celebrate God’s forgiveness of their sins.

On this day the two goats were chosen and brought to the High Priest of Israel. One goat was sacrificed. The other was the scapegoat, and would have a crimson cord tied around its horns.

When the time came, the High Priest would confess all the sins of Israel over the head of the scapegoat. Then it would be led out into the wilderness never to be seen again. For the people of Israel it was a great time of celebration, as they saw their sins carried off, removed from them, never to be seen again.

The one who led the goat out into the wilderness would, at the moment he released it, remove the crimson cord from the goat. When he returned to the camp the cord would be hung above the door of the tabernacle (and later the temple). This scarlet cord that was tied to the horns of the scapegoat was the last thing that reminded the Hebrew people of their sins.

The Jewish people say that when God forgave the sins of the people that scarlet cord would turn to white. During the forty years that Simon the Just was high priest the crimson cord always turned white showing them their sins were forgiven (Talmud, Yoma; IV). To speak of crimson turning to white, as the prophet Isaiah did, was to speak of the miracle of forgiveness that was seen every year when the cord would turn white.

Eventually, the cord stopped turning white. History tells us that forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple the cord no longer turned white. So what happened?

It’s interesting to note that the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Forty years before this, when the cord stopped turning white, was the year 30 CE, which many believe was the year that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. And so we sing …

Sin had left its crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow!

I Am Judas Iscariot

From Giotto di Bondone, Judas' Betrayal, Cappella Scrovegni, Padua, 1304-06

It was on Wednesday of Holy Week that Judas Iscariot met and colluded with the priests to betray Jesus. Perhaps you, like me, prefer to think about Judas while telling yourself that you are nothing like him.

However, maybe it would be more honest, not to comfort ourselves, but to be honest and consider the ways in which we are like him. And not only like him, but how we are like all the disciples who failed Jesus.

How are we like James and John who were bound and determined to gain positions of power? In what ways do we resemble Peter who lied about having any association with Jesus? Where do we see ourselves as all the disciples, when Jesus was arrested, scattered? It wasn’t only Judas who failed Jesus - all the disciples did.

In the days leading up to Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem he told his disciples repeatedly that he was going there to die. Each time the disciples missed the point of what he was saying. They didn’t buy into his plan, but could only think about seats of privilege and power. There they were following Jesus, who made himself nothing, arguing about who had become the greatest.

To say they missed the point would be an understatement, for it seems they were not even aware there was a point. The disciples all failed Jesus, and all of us continue to do the same.

Jesus continually called his followers not to “receive him as their savior,” but to “participate with him in his death.” Is it possible we still miss the point entirely today? 

Jesus still invites us to die so that we might truly live. He said, “If you want to be my disciple you have to deny yourself and be willing to take up the cross and imitate me.” This was not a clever metaphor. He was inviting his disciples to stand with him against the forces of darkness, sin and violence – to pass through death to resurrection.

It’s no wonder they failed him, and it’s no wonder that I fail him. This is why, during this last week of Lent, we continue to look within to find the places where the voice of Judas is louder than the voice of Jesus. It’s why we confess, change our minds and hearts, and choose to once again participate with Jesus in his death.

It’s taking on the attitude and mindset of Jesus. It’s about dying with him, so that we might truly live.

This is some of the beauty in my backyard. "... See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." - Matthew 6.28,29

The Fear Behind the Fear of Losing Your Cell Phone

There is a new fear looming among us: Nomophobia. It is the fear of being without a cell phone. Lest you think this is a joke. It is a sad and true reality.

The Huffington Post and CNN ran a story reporting on a survey that showed more than sixty percent of people surveyed are afraid of losing their cell phone. Forty percent feel the fear so acutely they own two phones in case they lose one.

We can roll our eyes and think those people are ridiculous, but before we do that we should ask, "Am I willing to separate from my cell phone?" We like to think about putting our cell phones down or shutting them off (and leaving them off). However, as much as it's talked about, few are able or willing to stop.

We have convinced ourselves that our emails need immediate attention or that Facebook status update needs our comment or that we need to see all the tweets from our favorite celebrity. We know that we don't need to do all these things, but what we don't know is why we can't stop doing them.

We may not want to admit to having nomophobia, but if we can't remain apart from our phone for any length of time we have to ask why we can't. Is there a bigger fear looming behind nomophobia?

Few people are comfortable being present with themselves anymore, and most would prefer a painful death over long sustained silence. Cell phones, more than creating a false sense of connection, keep us distracted.

Cell phones ensure that our fear of being silent and being alone will never be realized. They are perfect at keeping us away from ourselves. The trick is, to learn enough about ourselves to know why we can't stop - we have to stop.

If we can find it in ourselves to actually put down our phone, and listen to our hearts we may find the ability to stay off our phones more often. Have someone hide your phone or let the battery run out away from your charger - do whatever it takes, but you have to do it.

If we can do this, we may at last we overcome nomophobia, because we will finally overcame our fear of ourselves.

Jesus Christ: The Action Figure

Several months ago I was shopping online for some books on a website that deals primarily in religious goods. I was amazed at how many Bibles were available for purchase. Not just the sheer volume of Bibles, or the number of different translations. What I discovered for was massive amount of “thematic” bibles.

There were designer Bibles that featured the latest colors, designs, and patterns. They had Bibles for every branch of the military, Bibles for children learning to read, Bibles with pictures, large Bibles, pocket sized Bibles, and Bibles just for men and only for women. The best Bible I saw however, was one that came with a Jesus action figure.

I realize that Jesus walked the earth fully God and fully man, and know that he lived as no other human being ever did or ever will - but Jesus the action hero? I pictured Chuck Norris playing Jesus as he roundhouse kicked over tables and merchants in the Temple.

The product description of the Bible-and-Jesus-Action-Figure-Kit said, “ … now children can have hours of hands on fun reenacting the Bible stories, or make up their own adventure.” Make up their own adventure? Really?

As crazy as this sounds, I think that this "make up your own Jesus adventure" is bought by many of us. While we may not have an action figure, we still like to have a God we can control. We want God that takes part in the adventure that we create.

We fail to see that control is an illusion. None of us are really in control of anything. The sooner we come to grips with our powerlessness the better off we will be. This should not scare us, but give us great hope.

In the moment we embrace our powerlessness; we can, at last, fall headlong into the love of God. The strongest force in this world that no one will ever overcome. We resist this in the strangest of ways, for God's love is precisely what we often try to control.

We believe that we have to make God love us, approve of us, and want him to know that we are good and believe the right things. But God's love cannot be swayed like that. His love is always pressing in on us - no matter what. There is nothing we can do to make God love us any more, and there is nothing we can do to make him love us any less.

God is love and love comes from God. We can't control God and his love even though we try like mad. This attempt to control is what some call sin.

Sin is the attempt to not only to control, and manipulate the love of God, but also to find love apart from God himself. It is our attempt to make up our own adventure with Jesus. All the while, the best we can get is a small, plastic God who is nothing more than an action figure.

May you discover the freedom of your own powerlessness, and see that you will never control the wild and free love of God. May you hang on for a real adventure in which you have no control. And in that moment of powerlessness may you find freedom, and true power that is found in the love of God.