1. Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (1985) – 1 John 4:12
I was pretty young in 1985, only about 7 years old. I was a precocious 7, but pretty unpopular. I remember public school as an exercise in frustration and anger management. I would speak out in class, so they would place me at the Spanish-speaking table. Thus, I learned to swear in Spanish. Well, I must admit that the swearing wasn’t my intent, but I really liked to chat, and I really thought that the kids were teaching me conversation!
I read a great deal at that point in my life, mainly because I needed to escape. It was the heart of my parents’ divorce, and something inside me really believed it was my fault. I acted out, and had a really nasty habit of kicking people in the shins. When it came to school, I was a conundrum, because they would send me to 6th grade reading and social studies classes (I was in the 2nd grade), and I was in remedial math and failing my handwriting course (were you to see my handwriting today, you’d scoff. I worked hard to learn calligraphy and make my handwriting lovely.) I was normally alone during recess and lunch, even though there were certain ‘friends’ from my street. They mostly mocked me and made fun of me, and I had horrible self-esteem. I was in gymnastics, which offered some comfort, but I always felt that I was following my brother’s greatness. He did everything better than I did.
But there is one story that sparks things off, that really meant something to me. There was a bully in the school. A bigger boy, probably in the 5th or 6th grade. I can’t remember if I had been asked to leave the class because I was too chatty or if I was heading to the portable classrooms of my upper-level classes, but I was out on the asphalt of the playground. It was quiet. And I had to walk past this great, big bully. And I can remember shaking in my tiny trainers. I was a demon on the handball court, with loads of untapped anger and velocity behind my swings, but this was different. Here he was, here I was, and when I looked closer, he was crying. Something inside of me registered – people aren’t supposed to be sad. So I walked over and asked this big scary bully what was wrong. His shoe was untied. And bless him, he was crying because he thought he was stupid for not knowing how to re-tie it. So I sat down next to him and taught him how to tie his shoelace. We did it a few times, to make sure he got it, then untied his other shoe, and we tried it again. I got up, and went wherever I was going, and remember that I never was mocked quite the same way again. Later in life, I would experience the opposite – being nice and being only mocked in return, but this time, it was real, and it was true.
That boy and I shared a brief moment in which God was living in me and perfecting God’s love in me for him. He never bullied me, that’s for sure. I left the school relatively soon after that, and occasionally, I wonder what happened to him, what his name was, and if he ever owned a pair of 12-hole Doc Martens. He seemed the type, after all. But I don’t really need to know, because there was something of the divine in that moment.
I was a lonely child, but I connected. I felt like a reject, but I knew that there was something, someone somewhere that accepted me.
How does any of this relate to the album I listed above?
Bear with me, because Whitney Houston changed my life. How many times, really, in life can you say that? This album really starts the rest of my story. I’m still 7, I’m still unpopular, and I’m wildly educationally imbalanced. I’m still in the midst of family struggles, and my brother and I pretty much hate each other – even though he was the object of my idol worship. This is just before I switch to private school and just before I hear of church. The Wheelons (my mother’s side of the family) stick together, and spend time together. I was meeting my new and older cousin Maria. My uncle Bud had married a lovely woman named Cecily (or Jean as we called her), and she had two daughters, Maria and Chris. The family loved the new addition, and we were having a chance to get to know one another. I remember sitting there with Maria and my brother and we were having a gas of a time, talking about various things that a seven and nine-year-old would find important or interesting. She wanted to know if we had heard of some new music, so she said she would give my brother a cassette if he could sing a bit of a song off it. He did, and I begged and pleaded for the opportunity to do the same. I sang “The Greatest Love of All” and she gave me the cassette.
I still have that cassette sitting in my collection. I never had the heart to give it away. Because that moment, sitting there with Maria and Matt, I had a moment in which I felt my world open up. When I opened my mouth and let a melody spring forth, I felt something deep inside my heart click – like a switch had been turned on. There was a voice inside me that longed to be heard.
As I grew older, music became more and more a part of my life. I had a nanny named Ingrid who introduced me to a musician, Gene Reid, and he introduced me to the happy world of recording with a tape deck. We sang together, and I loved it. I loved the feeling of the music in my soul. I loved the way that the rhythms of various beats were organic and thumped in my head and my heartbeat. I danced and did gymnastic routines to my favorite songs. I began to explore all the ways in which music impacts a person – piano lessons, choirs, gymnastics and dance. I even have a memory of going to a music class in a dark classroom after school, in which we were allowed to play any instrument we liked. I remember that I picked up the drums and loved every bit of it. I loved swaying to the music, not only hearing the beat, but making the beat with my very own body on a random percussive instrument. I also can remember flashing back to this memory when the song came out with the lyrics “I don’t wanna work, I just wanna bang on my drum all day.”
There was a freedom to music in childhood. A sense that every creative expression was part of the larger creative world. There was something basic in it that connected me with every other musician in the world, as if we were each part of a symphony that was heard around the world. I can remember believing in the deepest parts of me that each one of us had a note to play, a song to sing.
I still believe that.
I think the words of the song still run through my head for various reasons, “I found the greatest love of all inside of me.” This love, which comes both from within and without, isn’t just about me. It’s about this bizarre symphony that I find myself in. The symphony that has different rises and falls, and that tells a strange love story. A story of heartbreak, violence, despair, and death, yes. But also a story of love, joy, freedom, and life. Because I love this broken world and all the people in it. This love that began with a song in my heart and a belief that each person was part of a master symphony…this love is the same as the love that I’ve found in my spiritual journey. It’s the same as the love that overflows as I try to see people as God’s image and likeness. It’s the same as the love that overwhelms me with beauty and grace when I stand and look at anything that God has created. And it’s the same love that I discovered years later, when I realized that God’s love is not death, but resurrection, not fear, but perfect. When I realized that John 3:16 wasn't just about the cosmos, but about me.
All of a sudden, that little voice from the playground, that said "You are precious, you are accepted, you are not alone," said
"No one's really ever seen me face to face, but this loving business, loving one another, it's important, because it's the way that I come to make my home in you, make my presence real to you, transform your life and the world into a better place. This love, it's really important. It's perfect, really."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Gospel According to iTunes
I saw a FB meme the other day: “15 Albums.” The basic premise… list 15 albums that have shaped your life, changed you, etc. Then tag a bunch of people and find out theirs!When I saw this, I thought it interesting, but didn’t bother. Then I thought more about it, and decided, oh, what the heck? So I began the musical journey.
I’m listing my “15 albums”, but in general, this is a longer story. There are actually a total of 30 or so albums that I’ve chosen to list.
There are several reasons that this is longer than 15 albums, not least of which is the fact that music really rules my life. I have soundtracks in my head for most of the major events in my life. Every major turning point has an album. Books that changed my life are accompanied in my head by the albums that were listened to with them. Aside from that, most of my youth and young adult life was governed by the oh-so-important practice of making mix tapes for those you love (and yes, they were cassette tapes, not CDs).
*****
A brief aside about mix tapes:
Yes, I am a complete nerd. I think that mix tapes are one of the most beautiful expressions on the planet. Because each tape tells a story, from beginning to end. I used to name my tapes according to the story I wanted to tell. One of my favorites to this day is called “From the Garden to Eternity” and it chronicles a journey from being lost, east of Eden, and the glory of coming into peace and freedom and hope. Most people weren’t quite as obsessive as I was. But I learned from my brother – arguably one of the best mix-makers I know – and never went back. It started with choosing the best blank audio cassette – normally 90 minutes was optimum, as it allowed for approximately 9-10 songs on each side of the cassette, with a suitable time between songs, and room for the occasional recording of a message. At the point I began, CDs were beginning to enter the market, so it normally wound up being a combination of procedures. It began with a stereo system which always had to have both a CD player and a dual cassette deck. After perusing the musical collection with a notepad, I would make a selection of about 25 songs. Some of these would be lost in the process, but they varied in length from 1 minute to a stunning 8 minutes (this was before the popularity of songs that lasted for an eternity of 12 minutes) and each song was listed with it’s duration time next to it.
Then, a stunning display of ‘liberal arts’ math would ensue. Adding minutes, seconds, and the obligatory 10 second pause between songs, I would carefully craft a story, told by songs and titles. The lyrics mattered, but so did the tempo and feel of a song. Because I knew that many people would be using these for different purposes – exercise, road trips, studying – I wanted the sounds to shape the experience. So faster songs would inevitably be placed in a counterpoint to the slower songs, and normally each side would end with a song that I considered ‘epic,’ meaning it had both upbeat and contemplative aspects, leaving the listener with a feeling of anticipation and hope. CDs and digital music players may be more comprehensive, but in reality, something of the story gets lost in the shuffle of the media. I really miss my mix tapes.
*****
The art and craft of making a truly brilliant mix tape has almost been lost with the advent of digital music, but that is life. So I cannot very easily put “Mix for my KT” or “Dropping the Kids Off at the Pool” as an album title, although it would have been considerably easier than trying to differentiate a number of albums to choose. So my plan is this, and you can attempt to follow me if you will.
I attempt to chronicle the journeys that accompanied these albums. So it will be a bit more comprehensive than your normal meme, and more like a blog and autobiography. But I also want to dive into the depths of the spirituality and sacred aspects of these albums in my life. And yes, Guns N Roses is completely spiritual and sacred to me. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent, but if it’s you, you’ll know the story. So it may take me a long time to finish them all, and if you want me to write about one of them sooner than the others, please just let me know. I know that the selection is odd, but it reflects the variety and depth of my musical experience.
Another note: These albums are in chronological order based on my discovery of them, not based on their release date. Hence, Infected emerges as part of my journey nearly 10 years after its release, and others I bought out of some sick compulsion when they were released.
All in all, I love my albums, I love my story. It's not just my story, but the story of people in and around my life, people I've loved and hated. And mostly, it's the story of a strange God who found me, placed me into situations and places that never made sense, and brought me out of exile and into the light of life. God sure is good.
The list:
1. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
2. Michael W. Smith I 2 Eye (1989)
3. Morissey Kill Uncle (1991)
4. Guns n Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) and Use Your Illusion 1 (1991)
5. U2 Rattle & Hum (1988)
6. REM Out of Time (1991)
7. The Choir Circle Slide (1990)
8. Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack (1991)
9. Tori Amos Little Earthquakes (1992)
10. Indigo Girls Nomads, Indians, Saints (1990)
11. Tracy Chapman Crossroads (1989)
12. Oingo Boingo Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)
13. Seal Seal II (1994)
14. Depeche Mode Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)
15. The The Infected (1986)
16. Rock of the 80s Vol 1 (1993)
17. Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstacy (1994)
18. Fiona Apple Tidal (1996)
19. Peter Gabriel Secret World Live (1994)
20. Ani Difranco Dilate (1996)
21. Underhill Up the Down Staircase (2000)
22. U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
23. Voice of the Beehive Let it Bee (1988)
24. Jethro Tull Aqualung (1971)
25. Moulin Rouge Soundtrack (2001)
26. Black Hawk Down Soundtrack (2001)
27. Walk to Remember Soundtrack (2003)
28. Norah Jones Come Away With Me (2002)
29. Ginny Owens Without Condition (1999)
30. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling (2001)
31. Eminem 8 Mile (2002)
32. Kendall Payne Grown (2004)
33. Phil Wickham Give You My World (2003)
The next post will start where most stories inevitably do... the beginning.
I’m listing my “15 albums”, but in general, this is a longer story. There are actually a total of 30 or so albums that I’ve chosen to list.
There are several reasons that this is longer than 15 albums, not least of which is the fact that music really rules my life. I have soundtracks in my head for most of the major events in my life. Every major turning point has an album. Books that changed my life are accompanied in my head by the albums that were listened to with them. Aside from that, most of my youth and young adult life was governed by the oh-so-important practice of making mix tapes for those you love (and yes, they were cassette tapes, not CDs).
*****
A brief aside about mix tapes:
Yes, I am a complete nerd. I think that mix tapes are one of the most beautiful expressions on the planet. Because each tape tells a story, from beginning to end. I used to name my tapes according to the story I wanted to tell. One of my favorites to this day is called “From the Garden to Eternity” and it chronicles a journey from being lost, east of Eden, and the glory of coming into peace and freedom and hope. Most people weren’t quite as obsessive as I was. But I learned from my brother – arguably one of the best mix-makers I know – and never went back. It started with choosing the best blank audio cassette – normally 90 minutes was optimum, as it allowed for approximately 9-10 songs on each side of the cassette, with a suitable time between songs, and room for the occasional recording of a message. At the point I began, CDs were beginning to enter the market, so it normally wound up being a combination of procedures. It began with a stereo system which always had to have both a CD player and a dual cassette deck. After perusing the musical collection with a notepad, I would make a selection of about 25 songs. Some of these would be lost in the process, but they varied in length from 1 minute to a stunning 8 minutes (this was before the popularity of songs that lasted for an eternity of 12 minutes) and each song was listed with it’s duration time next to it.
Then, a stunning display of ‘liberal arts’ math would ensue. Adding minutes, seconds, and the obligatory 10 second pause between songs, I would carefully craft a story, told by songs and titles. The lyrics mattered, but so did the tempo and feel of a song. Because I knew that many people would be using these for different purposes – exercise, road trips, studying – I wanted the sounds to shape the experience. So faster songs would inevitably be placed in a counterpoint to the slower songs, and normally each side would end with a song that I considered ‘epic,’ meaning it had both upbeat and contemplative aspects, leaving the listener with a feeling of anticipation and hope. CDs and digital music players may be more comprehensive, but in reality, something of the story gets lost in the shuffle of the media. I really miss my mix tapes.
*****
The art and craft of making a truly brilliant mix tape has almost been lost with the advent of digital music, but that is life. So I cannot very easily put “Mix for my KT” or “Dropping the Kids Off at the Pool” as an album title, although it would have been considerably easier than trying to differentiate a number of albums to choose. So my plan is this, and you can attempt to follow me if you will.
I attempt to chronicle the journeys that accompanied these albums. So it will be a bit more comprehensive than your normal meme, and more like a blog and autobiography. But I also want to dive into the depths of the spirituality and sacred aspects of these albums in my life. And yes, Guns N Roses is completely spiritual and sacred to me. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent, but if it’s you, you’ll know the story. So it may take me a long time to finish them all, and if you want me to write about one of them sooner than the others, please just let me know. I know that the selection is odd, but it reflects the variety and depth of my musical experience.
Another note: These albums are in chronological order based on my discovery of them, not based on their release date. Hence, Infected emerges as part of my journey nearly 10 years after its release, and others I bought out of some sick compulsion when they were released.
All in all, I love my albums, I love my story. It's not just my story, but the story of people in and around my life, people I've loved and hated. And mostly, it's the story of a strange God who found me, placed me into situations and places that never made sense, and brought me out of exile and into the light of life. God sure is good.
The list:
1. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
2. Michael W. Smith I 2 Eye (1989)
3. Morissey Kill Uncle (1991)
4. Guns n Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) and Use Your Illusion 1 (1991)
5. U2 Rattle & Hum (1988)
6. REM Out of Time (1991)
7. The Choir Circle Slide (1990)
8. Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack (1991)
9. Tori Amos Little Earthquakes (1992)
10. Indigo Girls Nomads, Indians, Saints (1990)
11. Tracy Chapman Crossroads (1989)
12. Oingo Boingo Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)
13. Seal Seal II (1994)
14. Depeche Mode Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)
15. The The Infected (1986)
16. Rock of the 80s Vol 1 (1993)
17. Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstacy (1994)
18. Fiona Apple Tidal (1996)
19. Peter Gabriel Secret World Live (1994)
20. Ani Difranco Dilate (1996)
21. Underhill Up the Down Staircase (2000)
22. U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
23. Voice of the Beehive Let it Bee (1988)
24. Jethro Tull Aqualung (1971)
25. Moulin Rouge Soundtrack (2001)
26. Black Hawk Down Soundtrack (2001)
27. Walk to Remember Soundtrack (2003)
28. Norah Jones Come Away With Me (2002)
29. Ginny Owens Without Condition (1999)
30. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling (2001)
31. Eminem 8 Mile (2002)
32. Kendall Payne Grown (2004)
33. Phil Wickham Give You My World (2003)
The next post will start where most stories inevitably do... the beginning.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I am...
an Evangelical.
Therefore, I do not believe that Obama is the antiChrist.
Nor do I believe that this is an omen of the apocalypse.
Nor do I believe that there is some massive coverup about his hidden agenda.
I most certainly do not believe that civil liberties will eliminate Christian rights.
They may decrease our privileges, but the Bible never promises Christians privilege, wealth, or success.It promises a cross. We have grown fat and sick with our belief that somehow our rights are more important than those of our fellow citizens who are Muslim or Hindu or 'other.'
We proclaim a "Christian" Nation, when we have been given a Kingdom to tend to. And this Kingdom has been neglected in our idolatry of America and 'civil religion' as supreme.
I am in favor of pluralism in the civil sense and not in the soteriological (or salvation) sense. See Os Guinness' _Case for Civility_ for an excellent discussion of this very point.
The settlers of America came here for religious liberty because their own countries had kicked them out and prohibited them from participation. We must remember that religious liberty for ALL (not just White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) is the foundation of this amazing, wonderful, brilliant idea of the United States of America.
We have lost our privileges as the United States' moral authority in American society because we have failed to live up to the awesome responsibility of being the stewards of that privilege. We have fallen asleep at the wheel and neglecte the issues that so many consider the heart of morality -- the very strange reality that each and every human (even Osama Bin Laden) is made in the image and likeness of the very God who created us and loves us with a tenderness and faithfulness that we cannot fathom. Further, we were given a sister in creation - the planet - which we have spoiled and treated as a machine to be manipulated and coerced into our glory rather than tending the glory that it rends unto our Father God. Further, we have forgotten the poor and the alien, who we are to always remember.
We have refused to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and have shut out those academics who disagree with us as 'stupid.' We have disregarded the work of their minds, the challenges they wrestle with and the reality which we have presented to them of what the Kingdom looks like when we live it out together.
Is it any wonder that the world wonders how we call ourselves Christian?
We have woven ourselves into a strand of theology that has been mythologized by Scofield and Left Behind. We have somehow convinced ourselves that the only way that God saves is by the sinner's prayer and the pledge of allegiance. And we have somehow made ourselves and our own theological perspectives the arbiters of God's gracious work on the cross.
Our pride has turned us into judge and jury for the gates of heaven.
I am not a universalist, but I do not know who God will or will not save. I also refuse to ascribe to the point of view that I must believe in the rapture at a point in time pre-determined by some code in the biblical texts that we can decipher if we're part of the theologically clued-in. I see that as a gnostic heresy. I refuse to read scripture literally all the time. This text is not simply a how-to manual or a history or science book.It is rich with poetry, imagery, metaphor, and prophetic texts that exist not to forecast the future in some obscure nostradamus-like endeavor, but to return people's hearts to the tender mercies of our LORD. I refuse to sacrifice the depth of religious experience in favor of figuring out the 'code' and telling God how His universe works and the future will unfold.
If Jesus himself did not know the day or the hour, how in heaven's name can we?
So many have called Obama evil for one thing or another, but we must take his claim of faith as it stands. We are in no position to see into his heart or know his relationship with Jesus other than as he shares it. To judge otherwise is dangerous business, for it means that the insiders and outsiders become even more clearly delineated and the room for dialogue and discussion within the Evangelical tradition will die. (For a great exploration of this concept, see Paul Hiebert's "The Category Christian in the Mission Task") I must say, he shows love for his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he shows a great deal of the fruits of the Spirit.
Further, he also manages to love his enemies and care for the least of these...some Matthean concepts that could do well to be remembered in these times.
I do not believe that I have any right to judge the condition of his soul or his salvation.
That, I must say, is strictly God's business.
And God gave us a few instructions about what we are supposed to do with fellow believers in this regard - in terms of evaluating them.
The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35).
Also, in Galatians 5:19-23
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like that will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
"hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage...dissensions, factions and envy" -- does anyone find it strange that the people in Chicago cheered for McCain and his followers, but those in Phoenix booed?
The comments emerging today from some "Christians" regarding Obama have been distasteful at best, and toxic at worst.
You may disagree with his politics, and you may find his Christian story different from your own journey, but really that is no excuse to treat him as a second-class citizen or Christian. My story is different from yours, but I can assure you that I love Jesus and pursue him ardently. As do a number of strictly Evangelical people across the globe who believe that Obama is a follower of Jesus and see value in his character.
I also do not believe that he is evil.
Do you realise that this is the first poltician in decades to be able to give his entire story of surrendering to God at the cross of Jesus on NATIONAL TELEVISION without the pundits giving him hell? Without losing the respect of secularists worldwide?
Oh, you say, but he's a baby killer. I am more of a baby killer than he is...but that's a different story for a different day.
The Christian church has done its fair share of baby killing, too.
You see, there's a scary story that people don't like to tell that involves abortion rates at Christian colleges in towns with larger secular colleges... often the percentage of abortions in the female population is higher at Christian colleges.
Do you know why?Because Christians tend to be intolerant of sexuality and have a truly broken ethic of purity. Christian women cannot be unwed mothers. Christians have all too often condemned the unwed mother for her sexuality and shamed her and cast her aside. Demanded that she fend for herself. Paraded her before Jesus as a dirty whore. Yes, I use that word intentionally because it's a word I've heard used about young Christian women who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant (normally also having never received an education about sexuality, STDs or preventing pregnancy with methods other than abstinence -- if they did, they were too ashamed to do anything because Christians don't have sex so they can't buy or use contraception.)
And do you remember what Jesus did with her? He picked her up, forgave her and told her to sin no more. But he never treated her the way that so many of us treat these unwed mothers.
Why don't we as Christians put our money where our mouths are? I'm not even saying social welfare here.
I'm saying, why are we so much more concerned with overturning Roe v. Wade (which will only return the battle once again to the states instead of outlawing the practice completely) instead of creating institutions that give women hope and a choice to continue that life?
Why aren't we facilitating adoption agencies and prenatal care for these women (as a CHURCH, not a social welfare program)?
We keep claiming that it is the Church that is supposed to be doing this, not the state. THEN DO IT.
I had the joy of giving a young, unwed mom a place to stay once a week over a number of months and a baby shower that provided her with everything I could think of. The government here in Ireland and N.Ireland provided the prenatal care and medical.
And because of that, a precious little girl was born.
Obama is trying to facilitate that through government, because giving women an actual CHOICE in the matter -- the one that Bristol Palin had the fortune and family backing to make -- requires removing as many possible negatives from the abortion side of the equation.
If a woman doesn't have a theological view of life that begins at conception (I do, but that's again, a different topic for a different post) how can you expect her to choose with any degree of validity between a long, shameful, horrifically life-damaging and income reducing pregnancy that will not only wound her public standing, but will most likely bankrupt her and cost her her job over and against a $300 procedure, over in 24 hours, that she doesn't perceive as having any long-term effects?
How is that pro-life? How is that a choice? It's not really. We all value some life more than others, our priorities are just different. Many of us obviously have no problem with executing people (even though the statistics on the number of innocents executed in capital punishment is staggering, and its effectiveness is largely in question, and the ethics of the procedure itself are quite disturbing.) But that's a criminal, you say, so it's ok. What about the innocent people who are imprisoned and killed? I guess they are not as important as the baby. But maybe a down syndrome baby is more important than the normal baby. Or perhaps the baby is more important than the mother. Or perhaps to some of us, the mother is more important than the unborn baby. Or the Iraqi or Afghani baby are less important than American babies, or perhaps terrorist's babies aren't worth protecting at all. These are difficult issues, not to be taken lightly or flippantly, and must be weighed carefully from all angles if we are to claim to have a consistent ethic and embrace of being 'pro-life.'
And Obama, in his government-oriented way is trying to make that choice a better one.
Does this make him a baby-killer?
No. It means he approaches the problem differently.
If you ask me how to get somewhere in Los Angeles, and someone else how to get there, chances are you'll wind up with 3 sets of directions. The destination is the same, but the methods are different.
Destination -- women choosing to keep children and less unwanted pregnancies.
I can line up with that and not call it evil.
Oh, you say, but he is willing to talk to evil dictators without preconditions! I would strongly urge you to study the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 would have NEVER gone forward had someone not said "I need to talk to Gerry Adams without preconditions" or "I need to talk to Iain Paisley without preconditions." These men were considered to be terrorists. Yet they needed to be heard before any progress could be made. Look it up. They're both in Stormont these days. And it's working... Peace is growing steadily in the North. It's not perfect, but if the ministry that we are called to as God's ambassadors is reconciliation (2 Cor 5) then we need to start.
But for most of you, who may have gotten all frosty at that last bit or even the first bit or any of these bits...
Think long, hard, and carefully about those whose salvation you choose to judge and the manner in which you do so.
So many of your comments indicate that those of us who do not ascribe to the Republican Party are somehow lesser Christians and love Jesus less or somehow are not guaranteed salvation. Somehow my salvation is not as good as yours because I didn't see the evil in Obama.
We are all of us utterly depraved (here my truly Reformed theology pops back out). In a system of ultimate free capitalism, we have the utterly depraved and corrupted widening the poverty gap and giving themselves million dollar golden parachutes when they've stolen the grandmother's last penny from her retirement funds. The same could be said of socialism (I'm speaking strictly of European or Canadian models of socialism -- dependent on democracy, not communism). There are strengths and weaknesses to each one. Capitalism tends to trust in the individual, with relatively few checks and balances and often the less assertive find themselves failing not for lack of innovation or determination, but for a lack of understanding the system. It also tends to glorify wealth, materialism, and status mongering, with an emphasis on 'more' and an ignorance of the consequences of their actions on the poor. People stop paying actual costs for things(see www.storyofstuff.com ) and begin to assume a stance of ingratitude, self-righteousness and entitlement. In all reality, most of us simply deserve a great deal worse than we actually receive if we were to go based on the biblical scales of justice. Let me remind you of Amos 5:18. The Day of the Lord is darkness, not light. Socialism tends to emphasize the majority and the strength of regulation, but doesn't have the free spirit of creativity and research and enterprise. Nor does it have the speed or efficacy.
I could have spent hours telling you about the evils of McCain, but I won't. Because I do believe that he loves this country and is trying to do right by it. I don't know the state of his soul, so I won't even think to judge it. If he says that he is a Christian, I'll leave it to God to sort out those issues.
I rest in the assurance that I love Jesus, I follow Him and attempt to be obedient to what I believe God is calling me to do.
He may call different people to different places, choices and directions in life. He IS sovereign, and knowing God... He could easily tell two different people to vote two different ways if He is trying to use the election as a place of challenge and growth.
Out of curiosity, how many of you looked at Obama or his campaign with openness and a willingness to possibly vote for him? Did you hear one thing and just decide to let ads and propaganda make your decision for you? Or did you give him a fair chance?
I gave McCain a fair chance, but felt in the end that God and I were making this decision together and I needed to vote for Obama.
My vote does not make me evil or deluded or misguided. It means that I carefully weighed the options, engaged the issues theologically, looked into the actual facts, platforms, and framing narratives of each candidate and believed that my vote would best be served with a particular candidate.
I know many of you did the same and voted for McCain. I applaud you and support your decision 100% (and I said this to many of you before Tuesday, so it's not a post-election patronism).
To those of you who have been making these comments online and elsewhere:
Please stop. Stop this hateful, vitriolic rhetoric which at this point not only divides the country, but divides the Church. Jesus really doesn't like a divided church.
Please, I beg you. Take seriously the call to unity in the New Testament. Take seriously the mandate to live for the hope that is within you. Take seriously the call to be stewards of the Kingdom.
And for Heaven's sake! If you want to end abortion, don't just vote about it, change your community. Find a young pregnant woman who is struggling -- and come alongside her. HELP HER. She needs you more than she needs a 'procedure.' And if she fulfills the actual need rather than the perceived need...Find a way to create viable alternatives for these women. End the shame spiral that they are already on. Celebrate the life within them... but celebrate THEIR lives as well! Help them with food and rent money when they have to stop working but don't have maternity leave.
I beg you to reflect Jesus to a world sick and hurting in the way that Jesus was when he came to earth. He knocked over the tables in the temple once...and it was for economic reasons.He healed, he forgave, he blessed, he prayed, he cared for people first.He loved people first, even the people who hung him on the cross.
Love people with your actions and your words. And know that I love you as well.
Therefore, I do not believe that Obama is the antiChrist.
Nor do I believe that this is an omen of the apocalypse.
Nor do I believe that there is some massive coverup about his hidden agenda.
I most certainly do not believe that civil liberties will eliminate Christian rights.
They may decrease our privileges, but the Bible never promises Christians privilege, wealth, or success.It promises a cross. We have grown fat and sick with our belief that somehow our rights are more important than those of our fellow citizens who are Muslim or Hindu or 'other.'
We proclaim a "Christian" Nation, when we have been given a Kingdom to tend to. And this Kingdom has been neglected in our idolatry of America and 'civil religion' as supreme.
I am in favor of pluralism in the civil sense and not in the soteriological (or salvation) sense. See Os Guinness' _Case for Civility_ for an excellent discussion of this very point.
The settlers of America came here for religious liberty because their own countries had kicked them out and prohibited them from participation. We must remember that religious liberty for ALL (not just White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) is the foundation of this amazing, wonderful, brilliant idea of the United States of America.
We have lost our privileges as the United States' moral authority in American society because we have failed to live up to the awesome responsibility of being the stewards of that privilege. We have fallen asleep at the wheel and neglecte the issues that so many consider the heart of morality -- the very strange reality that each and every human (even Osama Bin Laden) is made in the image and likeness of the very God who created us and loves us with a tenderness and faithfulness that we cannot fathom. Further, we were given a sister in creation - the planet - which we have spoiled and treated as a machine to be manipulated and coerced into our glory rather than tending the glory that it rends unto our Father God. Further, we have forgotten the poor and the alien, who we are to always remember.
We have refused to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and have shut out those academics who disagree with us as 'stupid.' We have disregarded the work of their minds, the challenges they wrestle with and the reality which we have presented to them of what the Kingdom looks like when we live it out together.
Is it any wonder that the world wonders how we call ourselves Christian?
We have woven ourselves into a strand of theology that has been mythologized by Scofield and Left Behind. We have somehow convinced ourselves that the only way that God saves is by the sinner's prayer and the pledge of allegiance. And we have somehow made ourselves and our own theological perspectives the arbiters of God's gracious work on the cross.
Our pride has turned us into judge and jury for the gates of heaven.
I am not a universalist, but I do not know who God will or will not save. I also refuse to ascribe to the point of view that I must believe in the rapture at a point in time pre-determined by some code in the biblical texts that we can decipher if we're part of the theologically clued-in. I see that as a gnostic heresy. I refuse to read scripture literally all the time. This text is not simply a how-to manual or a history or science book.It is rich with poetry, imagery, metaphor, and prophetic texts that exist not to forecast the future in some obscure nostradamus-like endeavor, but to return people's hearts to the tender mercies of our LORD. I refuse to sacrifice the depth of religious experience in favor of figuring out the 'code' and telling God how His universe works and the future will unfold.
If Jesus himself did not know the day or the hour, how in heaven's name can we?
So many have called Obama evil for one thing or another, but we must take his claim of faith as it stands. We are in no position to see into his heart or know his relationship with Jesus other than as he shares it. To judge otherwise is dangerous business, for it means that the insiders and outsiders become even more clearly delineated and the room for dialogue and discussion within the Evangelical tradition will die. (For a great exploration of this concept, see Paul Hiebert's "The Category Christian in the Mission Task") I must say, he shows love for his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he shows a great deal of the fruits of the Spirit.
Further, he also manages to love his enemies and care for the least of these...some Matthean concepts that could do well to be remembered in these times.
I do not believe that I have any right to judge the condition of his soul or his salvation.
That, I must say, is strictly God's business.
And God gave us a few instructions about what we are supposed to do with fellow believers in this regard - in terms of evaluating them.
The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35).
Also, in Galatians 5:19-23
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like that will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
"hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage...dissensions, factions and envy" -- does anyone find it strange that the people in Chicago cheered for McCain and his followers, but those in Phoenix booed?
The comments emerging today from some "Christians" regarding Obama have been distasteful at best, and toxic at worst.
You may disagree with his politics, and you may find his Christian story different from your own journey, but really that is no excuse to treat him as a second-class citizen or Christian. My story is different from yours, but I can assure you that I love Jesus and pursue him ardently. As do a number of strictly Evangelical people across the globe who believe that Obama is a follower of Jesus and see value in his character.
I also do not believe that he is evil.
Do you realise that this is the first poltician in decades to be able to give his entire story of surrendering to God at the cross of Jesus on NATIONAL TELEVISION without the pundits giving him hell? Without losing the respect of secularists worldwide?
Oh, you say, but he's a baby killer. I am more of a baby killer than he is...but that's a different story for a different day.
The Christian church has done its fair share of baby killing, too.
You see, there's a scary story that people don't like to tell that involves abortion rates at Christian colleges in towns with larger secular colleges... often the percentage of abortions in the female population is higher at Christian colleges.
Do you know why?Because Christians tend to be intolerant of sexuality and have a truly broken ethic of purity. Christian women cannot be unwed mothers. Christians have all too often condemned the unwed mother for her sexuality and shamed her and cast her aside. Demanded that she fend for herself. Paraded her before Jesus as a dirty whore. Yes, I use that word intentionally because it's a word I've heard used about young Christian women who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant (normally also having never received an education about sexuality, STDs or preventing pregnancy with methods other than abstinence -- if they did, they were too ashamed to do anything because Christians don't have sex so they can't buy or use contraception.)
And do you remember what Jesus did with her? He picked her up, forgave her and told her to sin no more. But he never treated her the way that so many of us treat these unwed mothers.
Why don't we as Christians put our money where our mouths are? I'm not even saying social welfare here.
I'm saying, why are we so much more concerned with overturning Roe v. Wade (which will only return the battle once again to the states instead of outlawing the practice completely) instead of creating institutions that give women hope and a choice to continue that life?
Why aren't we facilitating adoption agencies and prenatal care for these women (as a CHURCH, not a social welfare program)?
We keep claiming that it is the Church that is supposed to be doing this, not the state. THEN DO IT.
I had the joy of giving a young, unwed mom a place to stay once a week over a number of months and a baby shower that provided her with everything I could think of. The government here in Ireland and N.Ireland provided the prenatal care and medical.
And because of that, a precious little girl was born.
Obama is trying to facilitate that through government, because giving women an actual CHOICE in the matter -- the one that Bristol Palin had the fortune and family backing to make -- requires removing as many possible negatives from the abortion side of the equation.
If a woman doesn't have a theological view of life that begins at conception (I do, but that's again, a different topic for a different post) how can you expect her to choose with any degree of validity between a long, shameful, horrifically life-damaging and income reducing pregnancy that will not only wound her public standing, but will most likely bankrupt her and cost her her job over and against a $300 procedure, over in 24 hours, that she doesn't perceive as having any long-term effects?
How is that pro-life? How is that a choice? It's not really. We all value some life more than others, our priorities are just different. Many of us obviously have no problem with executing people (even though the statistics on the number of innocents executed in capital punishment is staggering, and its effectiveness is largely in question, and the ethics of the procedure itself are quite disturbing.) But that's a criminal, you say, so it's ok. What about the innocent people who are imprisoned and killed? I guess they are not as important as the baby. But maybe a down syndrome baby is more important than the normal baby. Or perhaps the baby is more important than the mother. Or perhaps to some of us, the mother is more important than the unborn baby. Or the Iraqi or Afghani baby are less important than American babies, or perhaps terrorist's babies aren't worth protecting at all. These are difficult issues, not to be taken lightly or flippantly, and must be weighed carefully from all angles if we are to claim to have a consistent ethic and embrace of being 'pro-life.'
And Obama, in his government-oriented way is trying to make that choice a better one.
Does this make him a baby-killer?
No. It means he approaches the problem differently.
If you ask me how to get somewhere in Los Angeles, and someone else how to get there, chances are you'll wind up with 3 sets of directions. The destination is the same, but the methods are different.
Destination -- women choosing to keep children and less unwanted pregnancies.
I can line up with that and not call it evil.
Oh, you say, but he is willing to talk to evil dictators without preconditions! I would strongly urge you to study the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 would have NEVER gone forward had someone not said "I need to talk to Gerry Adams without preconditions" or "I need to talk to Iain Paisley without preconditions." These men were considered to be terrorists. Yet they needed to be heard before any progress could be made. Look it up. They're both in Stormont these days. And it's working... Peace is growing steadily in the North. It's not perfect, but if the ministry that we are called to as God's ambassadors is reconciliation (2 Cor 5) then we need to start.
But for most of you, who may have gotten all frosty at that last bit or even the first bit or any of these bits...
Think long, hard, and carefully about those whose salvation you choose to judge and the manner in which you do so.
So many of your comments indicate that those of us who do not ascribe to the Republican Party are somehow lesser Christians and love Jesus less or somehow are not guaranteed salvation. Somehow my salvation is not as good as yours because I didn't see the evil in Obama.
We are all of us utterly depraved (here my truly Reformed theology pops back out). In a system of ultimate free capitalism, we have the utterly depraved and corrupted widening the poverty gap and giving themselves million dollar golden parachutes when they've stolen the grandmother's last penny from her retirement funds. The same could be said of socialism (I'm speaking strictly of European or Canadian models of socialism -- dependent on democracy, not communism). There are strengths and weaknesses to each one. Capitalism tends to trust in the individual, with relatively few checks and balances and often the less assertive find themselves failing not for lack of innovation or determination, but for a lack of understanding the system. It also tends to glorify wealth, materialism, and status mongering, with an emphasis on 'more' and an ignorance of the consequences of their actions on the poor. People stop paying actual costs for things(see www.storyofstuff.com ) and begin to assume a stance of ingratitude, self-righteousness and entitlement. In all reality, most of us simply deserve a great deal worse than we actually receive if we were to go based on the biblical scales of justice. Let me remind you of Amos 5:18. The Day of the Lord is darkness, not light. Socialism tends to emphasize the majority and the strength of regulation, but doesn't have the free spirit of creativity and research and enterprise. Nor does it have the speed or efficacy.
I could have spent hours telling you about the evils of McCain, but I won't. Because I do believe that he loves this country and is trying to do right by it. I don't know the state of his soul, so I won't even think to judge it. If he says that he is a Christian, I'll leave it to God to sort out those issues.
I rest in the assurance that I love Jesus, I follow Him and attempt to be obedient to what I believe God is calling me to do.
He may call different people to different places, choices and directions in life. He IS sovereign, and knowing God... He could easily tell two different people to vote two different ways if He is trying to use the election as a place of challenge and growth.
Out of curiosity, how many of you looked at Obama or his campaign with openness and a willingness to possibly vote for him? Did you hear one thing and just decide to let ads and propaganda make your decision for you? Or did you give him a fair chance?
I gave McCain a fair chance, but felt in the end that God and I were making this decision together and I needed to vote for Obama.
My vote does not make me evil or deluded or misguided. It means that I carefully weighed the options, engaged the issues theologically, looked into the actual facts, platforms, and framing narratives of each candidate and believed that my vote would best be served with a particular candidate.
I know many of you did the same and voted for McCain. I applaud you and support your decision 100% (and I said this to many of you before Tuesday, so it's not a post-election patronism).
To those of you who have been making these comments online and elsewhere:
Please stop. Stop this hateful, vitriolic rhetoric which at this point not only divides the country, but divides the Church. Jesus really doesn't like a divided church.
Please, I beg you. Take seriously the call to unity in the New Testament. Take seriously the mandate to live for the hope that is within you. Take seriously the call to be stewards of the Kingdom.
And for Heaven's sake! If you want to end abortion, don't just vote about it, change your community. Find a young pregnant woman who is struggling -- and come alongside her. HELP HER. She needs you more than she needs a 'procedure.' And if she fulfills the actual need rather than the perceived need...Find a way to create viable alternatives for these women. End the shame spiral that they are already on. Celebrate the life within them... but celebrate THEIR lives as well! Help them with food and rent money when they have to stop working but don't have maternity leave.
I beg you to reflect Jesus to a world sick and hurting in the way that Jesus was when he came to earth. He knocked over the tables in the temple once...and it was for economic reasons.He healed, he forgave, he blessed, he prayed, he cared for people first.He loved people first, even the people who hung him on the cross.
Love people with your actions and your words. And know that I love you as well.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Religious Right is Often Neither
I respect McCain. I actually do. You may not believe it, but I do believe that he's not a bad man, that he's trying to do what's right for the country.
Sarah Palin, on the other hand, is extraordinarily frightening.
And instead of being a "Maverick" she is revealing herself to be the "Barracuda."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/7685067.stm
What middle-class woman caring about the poor and broken by the economic crisis is willing to accept over 2 years worth of salary in the period of 2 months simply for vanity?
Her policies, and her entire lifestyle reflect a me-first attitude that I simply cannot support.
From Wikipedia:
The larger barracudas are more or less solitary in their habits. Barracudas do not stick around to care for their young. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in schools. Their food is composed of fish of all types. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water, where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal. Large barracudas have been known to eat young barracudas.
When the economic crisis hit, in our family we committed to careful spending, wise management of our resources, and refusal to get further in debt.
Not spending $150,000 on things that will 'eventually get donated to charity.'
How is this fair or considerate of the Republicans who gave sacrificially to see their candidate elected? How is she revealing that she's one of the folks on Main Street if her suit costs more than Joe Sixpack's entire yearly budget for clothes?
Further, the continuing revelations of corruption with her "executive" position are disturbing. How can we trust her to manage government reform (from CNN and the McCain party) if she can't even reform her own behavior?
Also, if she is in charge of Energy Reform, it will create a disaster like none other our country has faced. Her convictions regarding global warming -- however I might disagree with them -- indicate that she hasn't logically thought out her position. If man hasn't caused or contributed to global warming, then how in heaven's name are we supposed to reverse or slow it? If you think it is simply an apocalyptic sign of the times and that it is God's doing, then there is no way to stop it. Which means that she is working from a premillennial point of view and has lost sight of the ministry of reconciliation to which we were commanded to be God's ambassadors in 2 Cor 5. Not just to Christians, but to the COSMOS.
Her energy policies are disastrous. Not just to global warming but to the future for our children. She has no intention of energy independence, simply more money for Alaska. She is FINANCIALLY MOTIVATED to see oil come from Alaska. After all, her husband works for the companies, and her state sees enormous profits. What does it matter that it is dishonoring the planet that we've been given.
Did I forget to mention that all oil from Alaska goes directly into export to Japan? Look it up. It doesn't come here. So instead of giving us more oil, it will just increase Alaska's oil revenue.
Paying $4.50 for a gallon of gas is pennies compared to the rest of the world. In Ireland, I pay 1.30eu/LITRE. That's 5.20eu/gallon, which is about $8.00. To fill a tank of gas costs about $100. And this is cheap compared to other areas of Europe and the rest of the world. We have become too dependent on oil and driving.
If half the money we spent on petrol was devoted to public transportation improvements, we could drastically minimise the amount of oil and TRAFFIC that so many of us experience.
Alternative energy is no longer just about drilling in a new place, it really is about finding new ways to harness the reusable energy that God has been so gracious to provide for us -- solar, wind, etc. I can remember a time when I saw a completely solar run car made by GM that won a race around Australia. But the technology hasn't been given funding.
Why are foreign auto makers the only ones providing hybrids or fuel efficient cars?
They actually make fuel efficient cars for Europe. I've seen them.
BUT we, people, we are the problem.
We are addicted to our oil like a sick drug.
We are addicted to the idea that we get what we deserve. For those Christians out there, I might remind you that theologically you deserve NOTHING. DEATH. PUNISHMENT. Yet God in his grace blesses us abundantly. We ought not treat those blessings cavalierly.
Finally, the issue of a "Christian" President.
I just spent a year analysing the effects of the Religious Right on Politics. Does it strike you as strange that with 6 years with Republicans in control of all 3 branches of government they didn't manage to overturn Roe v. Wade? Or even pass a constitutional amendment regarding marriage? All those promises -- they had the keys in their hands, and they failed.
The beauty of the United States is religious liberty -- and separation of church and state. I'm not talking about the divorce, but the rather revolutionary idea that church and state are independently operated without the domination of the other. For those of you who know church history, Constantine was the first person to legitimise Christianity. When he did... all sorts of political hooplah broke forth and you see the horrific abuses of tyrannical power evidenced by those who claimed the 'authority of God' for their atrocities.
Need I remind you that Hitler had the support of the church?
Jesus paid taxes. He faced the government in trial when he needed to. That's it. He did not seem to believe that Christians should be emperors. When offered the crown, Jesus turned to the cross. That is the only place he accepted the title "King."
If you want to read more of my findings, feel free to email me and I'll forward you the document.
Pro-life means in favor of all life, not scorning the 'health' of the mother. We have honored the unborn to the detriment of those living. And need I mention that the only penalty for 'abortion' in the Bible is a fine? What about Capital Punishment? Romans 12 seems to indicate that as Christians, we leave judgment of that matter to the Lord. Social welfare? There are hundreds of instances citing the need to feed the poor, care for the sick and needy, and only one instance where Jesus *might* have made a reference to homosexuality. Our totems are sick and falling over.
We are proclaiming a gospel that is bastardised and filthy.
Until we have a pro-life organisation as well funded and publicised as Planned Parenthood we should carefully weigh our words.
All of our concerns and gripes about taxes are really ridiculous, people. After all, it all belongs to God. Period. Do you tithe regularly? If you do, I leave you free to complain about taxes, but if not, you might look at is as evidence that even though you claim that these things are best left to privatised industry, obviously we've fallen down on the job. We simply are too selfish. We can't even pay 'membership dues' so to speak. We are simply piss poor stewards of the money that God has given us. So I'm in favor of the government taking over. Perhaps if there were more people actually contributing to erase homelessness, we wouldn't have to tax people.
But I don't mind. I'm actually in favor of a flat, simple tax. And closing corporate loopholes. And even closing some individual loopholes. Do you really want to start paying for roads and stoplights and police and military yourselves? This is the end of your libertarian policies people. My police could shoot your police if I paid them more. Do you want judges and courts and prisons and schools? Would you rather not pay $40,000/year for college? Then perhaps you should be looking for spending reform rather than tax cuts.
We are so ungrateful for all the things that we have that so many people don't.
Our international reputation is complete trash, as we've squandered any social capital that we had. We went from being a nation of peacemaking to a nation of terror and tyranny. How is it democracy if it's enforced? How can we guarantee free elections when there are questions regarding our own? And I should add... Peace in Northern Ireland, one of the most troubled spots in the late 20th century, was achieved through TALKING WITH TERRORISTS. Getting Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley in a room together was part of the most difficult but successful peacemaking maneuvers of the 20th century.
And there were no 'preconditions' in the beginning.
And unfortunately, with McCain and Palin together, this is the way that our country will continue. The last few weeks have revealed a spirit of hatred, fear-mongering, and downright dishonesty that was a staple in the Bush Administration. I was grateful to see McCain defend Obama, but Palin keeps pushing the envelope. Their characters reflect a disturbing us-them mentality that has nothing to do with loving enemies. Our country seems doomed with this ticket to continue down a spiral of horrific, ungrateful, thoroughly un-Christian behaviour, that erodes our international reputation further in spite of the ever increasing globalisation. We are interdependent on these countries that we are wounding, whether we like it or not. Don't even begin to think that your cheap coffee, your $6 radios(see http://www.storyofstuff.com ) and all those conveniences can last forever if we destroy our social capital. We are obviously not invulnerable.
I respect those who disagree with me, but I'm tired of being considered non-Christian or socialist for my decision.
I support Barack Obama. I am proud of my vote, and I will NOT even consider voting for a ticket that supports a culture of war and death any longer. My conscience cannot condone it.
Blessings.
Sarah Palin, on the other hand, is extraordinarily frightening.
And instead of being a "Maverick" she is revealing herself to be the "Barracuda."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/e
What middle-class woman caring about the poor and broken by the economic crisis is willing to accept over 2 years worth of salary in the period of 2 months simply for vanity?
Her policies, and her entire lifestyle reflect a me-first attitude that I simply cannot support.
From Wikipedia:
The larger barracudas are more or less solitary in their habits. Barracudas do not stick around to care for their young. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in schools. Their food is composed of fish of all types. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water, where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal. Large barracudas have been known to eat young barracudas.
When the economic crisis hit, in our family we committed to careful spending, wise management of our resources, and refusal to get further in debt.
Not spending $150,000 on things that will 'eventually get donated to charity.'
How is this fair or considerate of the Republicans who gave sacrificially to see their candidate elected? How is she revealing that she's one of the folks on Main Street if her suit costs more than Joe Sixpack's entire yearly budget for clothes?
Further, the continuing revelations of corruption with her "executive" position are disturbing. How can we trust her to manage government reform (from CNN and the McCain party) if she can't even reform her own behavior?
Also, if she is in charge of Energy Reform, it will create a disaster like none other our country has faced. Her convictions regarding global warming -- however I might disagree with them -- indicate that she hasn't logically thought out her position. If man hasn't caused or contributed to global warming, then how in heaven's name are we supposed to reverse or slow it? If you think it is simply an apocalyptic sign of the times and that it is God's doing, then there is no way to stop it. Which means that she is working from a premillennial point of view and has lost sight of the ministry of reconciliation to which we were commanded to be God's ambassadors in 2 Cor 5. Not just to Christians, but to the COSMOS.
Her energy policies are disastrous. Not just to global warming but to the future for our children. She has no intention of energy independence, simply more money for Alaska. She is FINANCIALLY MOTIVATED to see oil come from Alaska. After all, her husband works for the companies, and her state sees enormous profits. What does it matter that it is dishonoring the planet that we've been given.
Did I forget to mention that all oil from Alaska goes directly into export to Japan? Look it up. It doesn't come here. So instead of giving us more oil, it will just increase Alaska's oil revenue.
Paying $4.50 for a gallon of gas is pennies compared to the rest of the world. In Ireland, I pay 1.30eu/LITRE. That's 5.20eu/gallon, which is about $8.00. To fill a tank of gas costs about $100. And this is cheap compared to other areas of Europe and the rest of the world. We have become too dependent on oil and driving.
If half the money we spent on petrol was devoted to public transportation improvements, we could drastically minimise the amount of oil and TRAFFIC that so many of us experience.
Alternative energy is no longer just about drilling in a new place, it really is about finding new ways to harness the reusable energy that God has been so gracious to provide for us -- solar, wind, etc. I can remember a time when I saw a completely solar run car made by GM that won a race around Australia. But the technology hasn't been given funding.
Why are foreign auto makers the only ones providing hybrids or fuel efficient cars?
They actually make fuel efficient cars for Europe. I've seen them.
BUT we, people, we are the problem.
We are addicted to our oil like a sick drug.
We are addicted to the idea that we get what we deserve. For those Christians out there, I might remind you that theologically you deserve NOTHING. DEATH. PUNISHMENT. Yet God in his grace blesses us abundantly. We ought not treat those blessings cavalierly.
Finally, the issue of a "Christian" President.
I just spent a year analysing the effects of the Religious Right on Politics. Does it strike you as strange that with 6 years with Republicans in control of all 3 branches of government they didn't manage to overturn Roe v. Wade? Or even pass a constitutional amendment regarding marriage? All those promises -- they had the keys in their hands, and they failed.
The beauty of the United States is religious liberty -- and separation of church and state. I'm not talking about the divorce, but the rather revolutionary idea that church and state are independently operated without the domination of the other. For those of you who know church history, Constantine was the first person to legitimise Christianity. When he did... all sorts of political hooplah broke forth and you see the horrific abuses of tyrannical power evidenced by those who claimed the 'authority of God' for their atrocities.
Need I remind you that Hitler had the support of the church?
Jesus paid taxes. He faced the government in trial when he needed to. That's it. He did not seem to believe that Christians should be emperors. When offered the crown, Jesus turned to the cross. That is the only place he accepted the title "King."
If you want to read more of my findings, feel free to email me and I'll forward you the document.
Pro-life means in favor of all life, not scorning the 'health' of the mother. We have honored the unborn to the detriment of those living. And need I mention that the only penalty for 'abortion' in the Bible is a fine? What about Capital Punishment? Romans 12 seems to indicate that as Christians, we leave judgment of that matter to the Lord. Social welfare? There are hundreds of instances citing the need to feed the poor, care for the sick and needy, and only one instance where Jesus *might* have made a reference to homosexuality. Our totems are sick and falling over.
We are proclaiming a gospel that is bastardised and filthy.
Until we have a pro-life organisation as well funded and publicised as Planned Parenthood we should carefully weigh our words.
All of our concerns and gripes about taxes are really ridiculous, people. After all, it all belongs to God. Period. Do you tithe regularly? If you do, I leave you free to complain about taxes, but if not, you might look at is as evidence that even though you claim that these things are best left to privatised industry, obviously we've fallen down on the job. We simply are too selfish. We can't even pay 'membership dues' so to speak. We are simply piss poor stewards of the money that God has given us. So I'm in favor of the government taking over. Perhaps if there were more people actually contributing to erase homelessness, we wouldn't have to tax people.
But I don't mind. I'm actually in favor of a flat, simple tax. And closing corporate loopholes. And even closing some individual loopholes. Do you really want to start paying for roads and stoplights and police and military yourselves? This is the end of your libertarian policies people. My police could shoot your police if I paid them more. Do you want judges and courts and prisons and schools? Would you rather not pay $40,000/year for college? Then perhaps you should be looking for spending reform rather than tax cuts.
We are so ungrateful for all the things that we have that so many people don't.
Our international reputation is complete trash, as we've squandered any social capital that we had. We went from being a nation of peacemaking to a nation of terror and tyranny. How is it democracy if it's enforced? How can we guarantee free elections when there are questions regarding our own? And I should add... Peace in Northern Ireland, one of the most troubled spots in the late 20th century, was achieved through TALKING WITH TERRORISTS. Getting Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley in a room together was part of the most difficult but successful peacemaking maneuvers of the 20th century.
And there were no 'preconditions' in the beginning.
And unfortunately, with McCain and Palin together, this is the way that our country will continue. The last few weeks have revealed a spirit of hatred, fear-mongering, and downright dishonesty that was a staple in the Bush Administration. I was grateful to see McCain defend Obama, but Palin keeps pushing the envelope. Their characters reflect a disturbing us-them mentality that has nothing to do with loving enemies. Our country seems doomed with this ticket to continue down a spiral of horrific, ungrateful, thoroughly un-Christian behaviour, that erodes our international reputation further in spite of the ever increasing globalisation. We are interdependent on these countries that we are wounding, whether we like it or not. Don't even begin to think that your cheap coffee, your $6 radios(see http://www.storyofstuff.co
I respect those who disagree with me, but I'm tired of being considered non-Christian or socialist for my decision.
I support Barack Obama. I am proud of my vote, and I will NOT even consider voting for a ticket that supports a culture of war and death any longer. My conscience cannot condone it.
Blessings.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day 1: Travel and Arrival (01-July-2008)
Because my life is all very synchronized by a higher power, our travel day started out quite unusually. Kristin and I both were supposed to take the Aircoach, but both wound up taking taxis instead. She wound up in a taxi with an Opus Dei priest… yep folks, they really do exist. I wound up in a taxi with a self-identified lapsed Muslim. We joked later that it would have been fascinating to have reversed places, as Kristin’s a scholar in Muslim philosophy and I’m fascinated with fundamentalism, but I do believe that God has purposes which we never fully understand.
In the taxi, the gentleman talked about jihad. Not the American, terrorist version, but the internal struggle. The jihad against the desires of the flesh. It seemed almost Pauline as he described it to me. The desire to present oneself blameless before God. It was then that I began to realize how strongly the voices of the pundits shape and harm the understanding of Islam. It was a very good preparation for the week.
We spent what seemed like forever traveling. The flight to Gatwick was short, but then there were 6 hours in the Gatwick airport, slipping in and out of awareness as we watched the screen, waiting for our gate to be assigned. On a side note, good job US airports for assigning gates in advance! We waited till 30 minutes before departure, then everyone scrambled to the gate in order to crowd the gate like a bunch of ill-behaved cattle. We were lucky enough to wind up in the bulkhead seats. The in-flight movie was Fantastic Four 2, and I dozed for most of it. We arrived in Cyprus at about 10pm, exhausted.
John and Yael waited for us, and we sat chatting for a bit before heading up the mountains to our eco-village.
I don’t think I’ve been that hot since we lived in Santa Clarita. It didn’t cool off that evening, however, and it felt as if we were baking all night. As we arrived, we began to meet people as they were finishing their movie “Salvador.” I can barely remember the movie, but I do remember not feeling too horrible about missing it. We also met everyone, but I had a hard time tracking everyone’s names. I went to bed, with the glowing blue eye of temperature watching me. Oh, it wasn’t a climate control screen, but merely a device with brightly glowing blue light to indicate how much heat you were already in. I lay there, unable to sink into deep sleep, and simply drifting in and out of dreams.
In the taxi, the gentleman talked about jihad. Not the American, terrorist version, but the internal struggle. The jihad against the desires of the flesh. It seemed almost Pauline as he described it to me. The desire to present oneself blameless before God. It was then that I began to realize how strongly the voices of the pundits shape and harm the understanding of Islam. It was a very good preparation for the week.
We spent what seemed like forever traveling. The flight to Gatwick was short, but then there were 6 hours in the Gatwick airport, slipping in and out of awareness as we watched the screen, waiting for our gate to be assigned. On a side note, good job US airports for assigning gates in advance! We waited till 30 minutes before departure, then everyone scrambled to the gate in order to crowd the gate like a bunch of ill-behaved cattle. We were lucky enough to wind up in the bulkhead seats. The in-flight movie was Fantastic Four 2, and I dozed for most of it. We arrived in Cyprus at about 10pm, exhausted.
John and Yael waited for us, and we sat chatting for a bit before heading up the mountains to our eco-village.
I don’t think I’ve been that hot since we lived in Santa Clarita. It didn’t cool off that evening, however, and it felt as if we were baking all night. As we arrived, we began to meet people as they were finishing their movie “Salvador.” I can barely remember the movie, but I do remember not feeling too horrible about missing it. We also met everyone, but I had a hard time tracking everyone’s names. I went to bed, with the glowing blue eye of temperature watching me. Oh, it wasn’t a climate control screen, but merely a device with brightly glowing blue light to indicate how much heat you were already in. I lay there, unable to sink into deep sleep, and simply drifting in and out of dreams.
Interfaith Experiences
I have to start with something that happened to me today in order to explain the power of these experiences. I am researching images of various things, and one of these things is Orthodox Judaism. I do a standard image search on one of the most popular search engines, and one of the very first images is great. It’s a group of Orthodox Jewish men dancing down the street, laughing and looking quite jolly. All well and good, I think, as I click the link that takes me to the full-size image. My eyes were then assaulted by a swastika, and some incredibly violent and vitriolic white-supremacist language.
And in the process, I remembered a skit from this week’s Theatre of the Oppressed exercise. In the skit, a young Jewish lad and German gal in Germany were walking hand in hand, romantic, delighted in each other’s presence until they came across a swastika with the words “kill Jews” underneath. We talked about the power of visual symbols, and in particular reflected that had the words been “Never Again” the scene would have played out differently.
I’ve also been burnt out on Holocaust films recently. It becomes harder and harder to own the guilt of millennia of Christian persecution and silence in the face of horrific anti-Judaism. I guess this is why I do what I do. I refuse to let one more generation go by in which good Christian men and women are silent.
In this story, you will note that I stand alongside both Jews and Muslims, and that there is a great deal of love, faith, and compassion among us. I will no longer tolerate negativity or cruel, vindictive comments about either Muslims or Jews. I refuse to allow the pundits and vocal minority to dictate the perceived reality about their faith. While we may see God from different perspectives, I am firmly convinced at this point that we are looking at the same God, however deeply troubling that may be for some of us. This doesn’t negate the differences in revelation or theology, or the centrality of Jesus in my faith and life. It does mean that I will not grant safe harbor to any ideas or comments that seek to undermine the negotiations of peace among these faith systems.
Period.
And in the process, I remembered a skit from this week’s Theatre of the Oppressed exercise. In the skit, a young Jewish lad and German gal in Germany were walking hand in hand, romantic, delighted in each other’s presence until they came across a swastika with the words “kill Jews” underneath. We talked about the power of visual symbols, and in particular reflected that had the words been “Never Again” the scene would have played out differently.
I’ve also been burnt out on Holocaust films recently. It becomes harder and harder to own the guilt of millennia of Christian persecution and silence in the face of horrific anti-Judaism. I guess this is why I do what I do. I refuse to let one more generation go by in which good Christian men and women are silent.
In this story, you will note that I stand alongside both Jews and Muslims, and that there is a great deal of love, faith, and compassion among us. I will no longer tolerate negativity or cruel, vindictive comments about either Muslims or Jews. I refuse to allow the pundits and vocal minority to dictate the perceived reality about their faith. While we may see God from different perspectives, I am firmly convinced at this point that we are looking at the same God, however deeply troubling that may be for some of us. This doesn’t negate the differences in revelation or theology, or the centrality of Jesus in my faith and life. It does mean that I will not grant safe harbor to any ideas or comments that seek to undermine the negotiations of peace among these faith systems.
Period.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Blessing and Union
Two weeks ago I went to the wedding of two dear friends from Dublin. Ryan and Fiona are two of the most incredible people that Aaron & I have met here in Ireland, with hearts that just pour out love and integrity, compassion and commitment. Watching the two of them join their lives was an incredible experience. I love Christian weddings. I love the beauty and the commitment and the moment where God bestows the unique blessing to be "one flesh" in a community of other believers. There is a witness in this act to the mystery of Christ and the church.
In the last year, I have been asked to preside over the ceremony of a young lady I love and cherish as she plans to marry. This is something I see as an incredible honor, and which I take extraordinarily seriously.
The institution of marriage has encountered some issues recently, with the decision in California to allow same-sex marriage and all the hooplah surrounding it. It also has taken a serious blow with the astonishing rates of divorce in the US.
All of these things have caused me to re-think the role of the minister in performing a marriage ceremony.
I spent most of yesterday in seminars that seemed intent to persuade people of faith to accept, encourage, and bless same-sex marriage. And while it may have me branded as an ultra-conservative, I can't say that I was easily persuaded.
Everything that was said regarding justice, love, commitment, and trust among same-sex couples made sense. I could even stand with them in encouraging others not to judge, discriminate, or persecute those in same-sex relationships (which may have me branded as an ultra-liberal). After all, the church has a long history of abuse in this area, using demeaning terms, horrifically hateful rhetoric, and basically an ignorance of the call of Jesus to minister to the wounded and outcast. I believe that it is the church's call not to judge those who are outside the church, but to minister to them, calling them into the life of grace, forgiveness and love that are promised by Jesus. Let God be God, and judge as God wills, and let us be ministers of reconciliation.
So I find myself perched on the fence, with really no good direction to go. Conservatives will call me liberal, and Liberals will call me conservative, yet this is the place I feel called to be.
Predominant in the discussion yesterday was the contention that marriage as an institution really hadn’t been challenged or thought through in the last century – other than a few self-help or pop-psych books written by Christians for Christian couples. But has there been any true theology done regarding the topic? I’m not sure. There are a few Catholic books that I can find, but most Protestants seem more focused on the practical nuts and bolts rather than dealing with the dicey issues of sexuality, marriage, and love.
Could this utter lack of true theology be the reason why the divorce rate among Christians is not that much different than that among non-believers? Could we have impoverished a generation by not giving them sound theological foundations in a theology of love and marriage that is grounded in scripture, focused through great reason, and implemented in the life and body of the Church?
In a recent sermon at Dublin Vineyard, the pastor mentioned that for thousands of years, the knowledge of concrete was lost. The Romans had it, but people just lost it. Are we really willing as a church to lose the knowledge of what “Christian Marriage” is? And I’m not just talking about how to make a marriage work, but the deeper question of investigating Ephesians 5 more thoroughly – How in heaven’s name is marriage the metaphor for the mystery of Christ and the Church?
But while there is evidence that the church has used marriage in the past as an institution to sanction domestic violence and subordination and any number of gender issues, I don’t think that we can simply toss it aside. If the mystery of husband and wife into one flesh is saying something about Christ and the Church, then we need to listen, grapple and attempt to understand.
I think at this point, I want to take an even more drastic stand against blessing unions than regarding same-sex or different sex. How would marriage change if the Church only blessed unions that represented the mystery of Christ and the Church?
I’m thinking here of a revolution of understanding that refuses to accept marriage as the “next step” or a way to have sex. I’m thinking here of a new perception of marriage as sacred and mysterious, and therefore worthy of much more consideration than previously given.
Is it theologically appropriate to bless, in the name of God, the union of two people who are greedy and self-centered? Or how about a marriage with a pre-nuptial agreement? Is this trusting in the eternality of covenant? I mean, what I’m getting at here is that in blessing these unions in the name of Christ, we are revealing to the congregation something of the mystery of Christ and the Church.
In the case of the greedy couple, we are telling the Church that it is ok to put money and our needs first, which is in direct opposition to the rest of Ephesians 5! Or in the case of a pre-nuptial agreement, we are blessing a union in a manner that indicates that Christ’s promises are contingent on a number of factors. I don’t like the idea of only offering part of myself to Christ, or assuming that something might go wrong and therefore having a contingency plan. Christ does not have a contingency plan for the Church. And the Church definitely shouldn’t have a “plan B” for Christ.
These are disturbing thoughts, but I think that it’s time to think about them.
In the last year, I have been asked to preside over the ceremony of a young lady I love and cherish as she plans to marry. This is something I see as an incredible honor, and which I take extraordinarily seriously.
The institution of marriage has encountered some issues recently, with the decision in California to allow same-sex marriage and all the hooplah surrounding it. It also has taken a serious blow with the astonishing rates of divorce in the US.
All of these things have caused me to re-think the role of the minister in performing a marriage ceremony.
I spent most of yesterday in seminars that seemed intent to persuade people of faith to accept, encourage, and bless same-sex marriage. And while it may have me branded as an ultra-conservative, I can't say that I was easily persuaded.
Everything that was said regarding justice, love, commitment, and trust among same-sex couples made sense. I could even stand with them in encouraging others not to judge, discriminate, or persecute those in same-sex relationships (which may have me branded as an ultra-liberal). After all, the church has a long history of abuse in this area, using demeaning terms, horrifically hateful rhetoric, and basically an ignorance of the call of Jesus to minister to the wounded and outcast. I believe that it is the church's call not to judge those who are outside the church, but to minister to them, calling them into the life of grace, forgiveness and love that are promised by Jesus. Let God be God, and judge as God wills, and let us be ministers of reconciliation.
So I find myself perched on the fence, with really no good direction to go. Conservatives will call me liberal, and Liberals will call me conservative, yet this is the place I feel called to be.
Predominant in the discussion yesterday was the contention that marriage as an institution really hadn’t been challenged or thought through in the last century – other than a few self-help or pop-psych books written by Christians for Christian couples. But has there been any true theology done regarding the topic? I’m not sure. There are a few Catholic books that I can find, but most Protestants seem more focused on the practical nuts and bolts rather than dealing with the dicey issues of sexuality, marriage, and love.
Could this utter lack of true theology be the reason why the divorce rate among Christians is not that much different than that among non-believers? Could we have impoverished a generation by not giving them sound theological foundations in a theology of love and marriage that is grounded in scripture, focused through great reason, and implemented in the life and body of the Church?
In a recent sermon at Dublin Vineyard, the pastor mentioned that for thousands of years, the knowledge of concrete was lost. The Romans had it, but people just lost it. Are we really willing as a church to lose the knowledge of what “Christian Marriage” is? And I’m not just talking about how to make a marriage work, but the deeper question of investigating Ephesians 5 more thoroughly – How in heaven’s name is marriage the metaphor for the mystery of Christ and the Church?
But while there is evidence that the church has used marriage in the past as an institution to sanction domestic violence and subordination and any number of gender issues, I don’t think that we can simply toss it aside. If the mystery of husband and wife into one flesh is saying something about Christ and the Church, then we need to listen, grapple and attempt to understand.
I think at this point, I want to take an even more drastic stand against blessing unions than regarding same-sex or different sex. How would marriage change if the Church only blessed unions that represented the mystery of Christ and the Church?
I’m thinking here of a revolution of understanding that refuses to accept marriage as the “next step” or a way to have sex. I’m thinking here of a new perception of marriage as sacred and mysterious, and therefore worthy of much more consideration than previously given.
Is it theologically appropriate to bless, in the name of God, the union of two people who are greedy and self-centered? Or how about a marriage with a pre-nuptial agreement? Is this trusting in the eternality of covenant? I mean, what I’m getting at here is that in blessing these unions in the name of Christ, we are revealing to the congregation something of the mystery of Christ and the Church.
In the case of the greedy couple, we are telling the Church that it is ok to put money and our needs first, which is in direct opposition to the rest of Ephesians 5! Or in the case of a pre-nuptial agreement, we are blessing a union in a manner that indicates that Christ’s promises are contingent on a number of factors. I don’t like the idea of only offering part of myself to Christ, or assuming that something might go wrong and therefore having a contingency plan. Christ does not have a contingency plan for the Church. And the Church definitely shouldn’t have a “plan B” for Christ.
These are disturbing thoughts, but I think that it’s time to think about them.
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