This should be required reading for anyone who is going to #vote in the 2012 election. #politics
Wounded by the Church
Nearly every week I meet someone who tells me that they have been “hurt by the Church.” Every time I hear these words my heart breaks because I know exactly what they mean, and exactly what they don’t mean.
Many years ago my wife and I went through one of the most painful experiences in our lives. Our close friends and partners in a local church hurt us deeply. The fallout was massive. We lost friends who once called us their family. We lost a lot of money, and rumors about us abounded.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We trusted and loved these people and believed that they trusted and loved us. They invested in us and we invested in them. We were serving side-by-side in a local church. Then it was all suddenly gone.
I was effectively told that I was not worth it and that I was no longer needed or wanted. I will never forget standing in my kitchen the morning I told my wife of all that happened as we cried bitter tears together.
When someone tells me, “I was hurt by the Church” I know exactly what they mean. I have been hurt too. However, I also know what they don’t mean.
I believe that to speak of being hurt by “the Church” is a sort of safe way of speaking about our pain. It allows us to keep a sort of safe distance from the events that have wounded us, because the Church is a faceless thing.
Each Sunday our congregation gathers in a building in Denver. Some call this building the church. Many talk about going to this building to “go to church.” There are frequent questions about our church.
The word “church” is used in many contexts to mean many things. A building. An event. An organization.
There is an unspoken agreement on what we mean when we use the word in certain ways, but ultimately it is a term with a kind of generic meaning. What people don’t mean when they say, “I have been hurt by the Church” is that a faceless organization has hurt them.
What they really mean is that a person or group of people they associate with the Church has wounded them. As is often the case, to think or speak of their hurt in such personal terms stirs up painful emotion.
It is hard to talk about our wounds and say the names of our friends, pastors, or mentors who have caused the pain. Sometimes it feels like death to say exactly what they have done to us. Each time we retell the story something inside us replays our painful experience.
However, if we are ever to move past this kind of hurt and journey toward restoration that is exactly what we must do. Forgiveness can only exist where the truth is present and spoken.
This does not mean publically stating the person’s name and spilling all the details of their grievances. It does mean addressing the pain in appropriate ways, and if possible telling that person directly how they have hurt you.
There are no guarantees with this. You may share your wounds and offer of forgiveness only to have it thrown back in your face. This happened to me and made things even worse for a time.
As painful as this is, Miroslav Volf observes that in that moment you stand with the crucified and risen Jesus. The one who has given everything to offer forgiveness to all humanity, only to have many reject his love.
Of course for those of us who have been hurt, this is a terrifying idea. It means once again placing our trust in someone else. But the reality is that if we are ever to get out of our pain, we must go into it. We must acknowledge the hurtful moments and recall the injury. We must face down the lies that haunt us and tell us we are not wanted or unlovable.
For when we go into our pain, it is there that we will find Jesus. The one who bore our sorrow, our shame, and our pain. And in that place he will show us his wounds and we will hear him whisper, “I think you’re worth it and I think your lovable.”
If you have been hurt by the Church I know what you mean, and I know what you don't mean. I also know, through the goodness of God and his people, that because of those wounds I have experienced the love of God in a deeper way than I ever thought possible.
For in my wounds I found Jesus. One who knows exactly what we mean when we say that we have been hurt by the Church.
Stories That Expose Us (A Lived Belief, Part 2)
In my last blog I wrote about the human tendency toward self-deception (read it here). This is not a new problem. It has been around as long as humans. When the first man and the first woman ate the fruit in the garden, they wasted no time telling a story about it was not their fault.
This mindset persists from generation to generation. Eventually the prophets in Israel rise up to confront this way of thinking. In Jesus’ day he spoke to this as well. Their approach was subtle but powerful. They knew that you cannot address self-deception head on. The person who is self-deceived will dismiss you and think you are wrong.
So, the prophets and Jesus told stories. Not just any story, but another story about those who were self-deceived and the world in which they lived. The stories, allegories, and parables they shared were told from a different point of view, and allowed those who listened to see the world from a different place. This viewpoint allowed them to see what they really believed (or how they really lived).
This is what happened when Nathan confronted King David. David had violated a woman by bringing her into his palace to have sex with her. She became pregnant and David got nervous. He tried to cover his tracks and that didn’t work. So he had Bathsheba’s husband murdered, and then married her.
As far as we know David’s life went on from this in a fairly normal way. Who knows what kind of story he told himself, but it seems that David was living in self-deception, until Nathan showed up and told him this story:
“There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him” (2 Samuel 12.1-4).
David was fuming and in his response yelled in anger, “The man who did this must die!” Nathan, in reply to David said, “You are the man!”
With this, David’s heart broke. Many believe that his response to Nathan’s words are found in Psalm 51, “Create in me a pure heart, O God … Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me … You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart …”
David’s response, when confronted with his life, is repentance. Contrast that with the chief priests who were confronted by Jesus in Mark 12.1-12 (read it here). Jesus told a story about a vineyard that exposed the evil they were taking part in. They wanted to take Jesus out.
Both David and the chief priests were exposed by a story told from another place. It is their responses that tell the most about their hearts. The stories we tell ourselves have the power to blind us to what is true about us, and have the power to expose what is true about us.
Our reaction to the moments we are exposed by a story will tell us far more about ourselves than any story we tell ourselves ever could. Which raises the question, “How do you respond when someone tells a story that exposes you?” How you answer that question just may tell you the truest story about yourself.
Stories that Betray Our Life (A Lived Belief, Part 1)
(Pro)American?
After my last blog (read here) some still believe that I am Anti-American. So let me start by saying that I absolutely am not. I’m actually, believe it or not, Pro-American. Allow me to explain:
Jesus told his disciples to “seek first [God’s] Kingdom” (Matthew 6.33). Some think this was just a religious statement, but it was actually political.
In the minds of those in Jesus’ day religion and politics could not be separated. For the Jewish people God was God and King. For the Romans, Caesar was god and king. It was political and religious.
You see, even if Jesus was making only a religious claim about God’s kingdom, in the Roman minds, he was still talking about another king. For Jesus, the question was not, “God and Caesar?” but, “God or Caesar.” You could not have both. Jesus is still asking this question today.
We must hear the question, “God or the United States?” You cannot have both. Many, however, have been fooled into thinking we can.
Many believe there is to be a political solution for the world’s social ills. They think we just need the right candidate or legislation. They place there hope so firmly in a political solution, it seems as though politics is their lord and savior.
Jesus’ attitude was different. His called for full loyalty to the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake this has deep political implications. The apostle Paul knew this.
In his letter to the church in Rome, he speaks of the evil and oppression of the government. His instruction to the church on how to respond is this: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’” (Romans 12.20).
Paul’s response to the political evil in his day was to show humble kindness to the oppressors. Hundreds of years after Paul wrote this, Emperor Julian complained about the Christians doing just that. He wrote, “Those godless Galileans feed not only their own poor but ours." Paul’s instruction was heeded, and, years later, had deep political impact.
This story has played out time and time again throughout the history of the church. When the people of God dedicate themselves to the Kingdom of Heaven and seek the highest good for all people, political change is a result.
This is what Martin Luther King, Jr. knew. He did not begin his fight against his oppressors in the courtroom or in the halls of government. He and others, like Joseph Lowery, preached to the churches a message of love and nonviolence – even toward those who were oppressing them.
He said to his oppressors, “… Threaten our children and bomb our homes and our churches and as difficult as it is, we will still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the midnight hours and drag us out on some wayside road and beat us and leave us half-dead, and as difficult as that is, we will still love you. But be assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves, we will so appeal to your heart and your conscience that we will win you in the process and our victory will be a double victory."
It was his Kingdom mind and heart that brought change to the political landscape of his day. It is his legacy and dream that we are still seeing realized in our day. Dr. King’s complete devotion to the Kingdom of heaven had deep political implications for the United States of America.
As a citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven our full and exclusive allegiance is to be to God alone. He is to be our President and our Commander in Chief. In this, we are to seek to the highest good for everything and everyone in our world. We cannot only limit this to the USA, but all people, all countries, and all governments. So maybe, it's not Pro-American ... it's Pro-Kingdom.
(Anti)American?
I have been asked on occasion if I am Anti-American. One time I was flatly accused of “not being Patriotic.” The questions, criticism and occasional accusation are fair but inaccurate. It’s not that I am Anti-American. It’s that I do not hold the popular belief that the United States is in some way an earthly representation of the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the past I have been a part of church worship services where the flag is flown, military images are displayed, and songs of praise are sung about America. In countless church buildings around this country the stars and stripes is proudly displayed next to the cross.
From a distance one begins to wonder who the people are actually worshipping: a crucified and risen Jesus or the United States.
The reality is that the Kingdom of Heaven cannot and should never be wed to any nation or empire on this earth. Jesus himself said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” (John 18.36).
Ignoring his words, some believe that God and Country go together like peas and carrots. While nothing could be further from the truth; some contend the Bible supports this way of thinking.
They point to the place in the New Testament where the people of God are told to respect, to honor, and to live in submission to the powers of this world. This is taken this to be an endorsement of governments, and means that God himself has given his stamp of approval.
However, we must remember that when those verses were written Rome was in power. Rome believed that Caesar was “Lord of Lords and King of Kings.” Roman coins pictured the head of Caesar with and inscription ascribing deity to him. It was this empire that brutally tortured and executed Christians because they said that Jesus was King, not Caesar.
None of this came as a shock to the early church. Even though God allowed these governments to exist, all the power and influence of them had been given over the evil one. These were the kinds of authorities that Paul and Peter instructed the church to respect and honor.
In the minds of Jesus, the biblical writers, and the early church the Kingdom of Heaven was separate and distinct from all other Kingdoms. It demands full and exclusive allegiance, which means that there is nothing left for other governments.
This is why Dorothy Day said, “If we render to God what is Gods there would be nothing left for Caesar.” She understood that our mind, heart, soul and strength were to be given over fully to the unusual Kingdom of Jesus. It just can’t coincide with any earthly nation.
It is our exclusive commitment to this Kingdom that will then influence the way we live our lives in whatever country we are in. As we live according to the Kingdom of heaven in imitation of Jesus we will be a tangible sign of God’s hope, love, and peace that our world so desperately needs. This can only happen when we learn that the “primary social structure through which the gospel works to change other structures is that of the Christian community” (J. Yoder, The Politics of Jesus).
Of course, some just think this is complete nonsense. They see the world is getting worse not better. Our earth is more polluted, violence appears to be escalating, and our country is increasingly post-Christian. But, is it possible that our world is like this because so many Christians have, for so long, given their loyalty over to the nations of this earth rather than devoting themselves to the Kingdom of Heaven?
Our heavenly dreams and schemes and hopes have been ill placed in halls of government. We have been seduced by the empire’s way of thinking that might and power will bring the solutions we so desperately need. It’s time that we put down the flag and pick up the cross. It's not Anti-American ... it's Pro-Kingdom.
Better Than the Middle Finger
The middle finger is fascinating. The longest of all fingers, when raised, it’s message is unmistakable. Without uttering a word you can tell anyone, “F*ck You!” This gesture communicates in ways that words cannot. From car to car, to a large crowd without a microphone, or across a large crowded room. If they can see your hand, you can tell them how you really feel.
For some, raising your middle finger to drop the f-bomb on someone feels better than saying it. Many think that saying the “f” word feels too vulgar. Perhaps this is why so many have grown fond of extending their middle finger.
Today it is commonplace; woven into the fabric of our communication to the extent that most barely notice it. Last week I read more than a dozen blogs and many news articles. In several of them writers went to great lengths to pay a gesture to someone with their lone, central digit.
This may raise questions as to what kind of blogs and articles I am reading. Let me set your mind at ease. Many of the blogs were written by those who call themselves Christians. The articles were from respectable news sources.
So, what does any of this have to do with the middle finger? Good question.
In all the blogs and articles no author came out and literally wrote the words, “F*ck you!” What they wrote was slightly less offensive; like the middle finger. They did not have to say the actual words because their writing clearly sent the message for them.
Much of what I read was about someone else’s way of thinking or something another had said. The writers took it upon themselves not to address only to what was said, but also used their words to destroy the person who said them. It seemed less a response and more a hostile reaction.
The times I have extended my middle finger have been in reaction to someone who has made me angry. This is not an excuse, mind you, but an observation. For years it was a basic law of my existence. Every provocation was met with a middle finger. It works the other way too.
I have been flipped off too many times to count, and with good reason. I provoked the person to the point where their middle finger rose to the occasion.
Flipping a person off is nearly always a reaction to someone who has roused our anger. In my reading last week it dawned on me. Much of what was written was a reaction to someone who said or did something that roused the anger of the author. The articles were little more than a linguistic middle finger.
When we waste our time in reaction we don’t move anywhere. We just stall and hover over a particular argument. Soon the argument or issue at hand evaporates quickly, and our communication devolves into personal attacks.
It struck me as horribly unoriginal. These blogs were as uncreative as wildly, gesticulating with your longest finger, and annoying as someone who uses the word "f*ck" as an adjective for everything. Surely, we can do better than this. The world does not need more middle fingers. Most of us already have two, barring an unfortunate accident.
What we do need is fresh thinking that invites the consideration of new possibilities. Storytellers that incite imagination. Voices that paint an alternative picture of the future. This is necessary if we are ever to move ahead.
Of course, there is a warning in all of this. If you choose to propose new ways of thinking, or chart new territory that spurs imagination, chances are you will provoke someone. And that person may have grown quite fond of extending their middle finger.