March 2010 Archives

After the events of September 11, 2001, there were some who associated Islam with terrorism. There were some who asked "Where are all the so-called 'good' Muslims? Why aren't they condemning these attacks?" Of course, there were many Muslims who condemned the attacks, but the faithful - a minority in the United States of America - were not heard above the outrage of the majority.

Now we have a report of an alleged plot by a Christian cell:

DETROIT -- Nine alleged members of a Christian militia group that was girding for battle with the Antichrist were charged Monday with plotting to kill a police officer and slaughter scores more by bombing the funeral -- all in hopes of touching off an uprising against the U.S. government. - AP

So the logical next question is:

"Where are all the so-called 'good' Christians? Why aren't they condemning these attacks?"

Let us see the Christian churches take a stand, shoulder-to-shoulder, condemning this type of behavior as antithetical to the way of Jesus. Let us hear the united voices of the faithful.

As a majority, the silence so far has been deafening.

I was watching a rerun episode of South Park ("Make Love, not Warcraft") the other night. In it, the boys find a player who is just "killing" other payers' characters for no good reason, ruining the game for everyone.

Have you ever played a game with someone who doesn't play fair? Maybe it's someone who hides a card up a sleeve, or has a hidden stash of Monopoly money, or uses a non-regulation bat. Doesn't that take the fun out of the game?

But it is just a game, after all. So does it really matter if someone cheats?

I think it does matter. It matters to those who have been cheated and, if we're honest, it takes some of the fun out for the cheater. In some cases, not playing by the rules can raise the risk of physical injury to players.

So why do we play fair? Not because of some reward or punishment, but because playing fairly makes the game more enjoyable.

I think life is like this. There are some who believe in a single afterlife, some who believe in many reincarnations, some who believe this life is but a dream, and some who believe that the only reality is the one right here. One thing that is true for all of these ways of looking at life is that playing fair makes life better, and cheating makes it worse.

We need not rely on the carrot of Heaven nor the stick of Hell to tell us to be respectful and honest in our dealings with each other. All we need to understand is that life is better when we play fairly, even when we are in competition with each other for resources, ideas, or respect.

Love builds up. And what builds up helps everyone.

So Glenn Beck says that Social Justice is the equivalent of Nazism and Socialism. Of course, Nazism and Socialism are about as alike as drought and rain, but we'll leave that alone. And Beck tells his viewers to leave their churches if they say anything about Social Justice.

So what's a church to do? Charity only, without calling for change in the system?

On the surface, that seems ok. We'll give to the poor to help them out, but we don't want any changes to our financial and social systems. Yet it is our systems that create and maintain poverty. Charity does not erase poverty, it merely treats the symptom.

Imagine a person who could not walk to where the food was. You could bring food to the person, but that person would have to eat again. The person becomes reliant on charity for survival.

What would Jesus do?

Sure, we have the parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus speaks about visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, but is that all Jesus calls us to?

Did Jesus bring the man crippled from birth a loaf of bread and a fish? Did Jesus hand the paralytic a meal?

Of course not. Jesus healed people and restored them to community. Jesus made people whole in body and social status.

And was Jesus content with treating prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans, and others as unclean sinners to stay on the outside of society?

Of course not. Jesus ate with them and even said they would be getting into heaven before the (self) righteous.

Charity without change is a formula for continued dependence and subjugation. That is unethical, unjust, and unChristian. (It's also economically foolish, because it means keeping a class of people dependent on you.)

So I say:

If you belong to a church that offers charity but does not work for change, run as fast as you can and leave that church. It is not a church of Jesus Christ.

I like Bible jokes and riddles.

For example:
What cars are mentioned in the Bible?

1. Ford (Jabbok): Genesis 32:22-28
2. Honda? Accord: Numbers 24:12-14

So what tickles your funny bone?

OK, I'm overweight and I know it. I eat the wrong things and I don't get enough exercise. I have a treadmill in my bedroom, and yet I rarely use it. I lack motivation. I lack self-discipline. I need to start a new habit.

I think a lot of churches are this way. Sure, we could get out and stand up for an issue. Yes, we could volunteer at a homeless shelter. We could do a lot of things.

But our priorities lie in our own comfort and inertia:

Some churches don't have the money for mission and ministry because we are building a new building. Or buying new carpet. Or we're doing something else that makes the sanctuary more comfortable while we watch the big screen and the action on the stage...er, chancel.

Some churches have gotten lazy - and big. They have a lot of ministries or teams or groups to do all the things that the church has to do to keep being the church it is. These are the survival ministries: they make sure that what has been done is still done and that everything in the church appears as it has. These core ministries are sacred: to alter or lose one could threaten the life of the church.

Some churches are comfortable and risk-averse. But this is also unhealthy. These churches don't have the energy they once did, and a lot of that is due to their size (self-supporting ministries) and lack of exercise (not doing outward ministry).

There is a cure. Churches need to get up and start moving. Cut their diets of bureaucracy. Start doing work that serves others.

Like people, a church can't just go from being sedentary to being a triathlete. Small steps should be taken. Perhaps consolidate a couple of ministries or drop something that's not working rather than doing wholesale liposuction on its structure. And it's good to consult a physician (through prayer, in this case) before starting any fitness regimen.

But bloated, lethargic Western churches need to get healthy, and they need to start now.

As for me? I promise to run on the treadmill.

Tomorrow.

Those of us who call ourselves Christians might want to look to our "big brother" as an example.

Many non-Christians revere Jesus as a prophet. There is much in Jesus' teachings that is prophetic. Yet there was also much in Jesus' actions that was prophetic.

Jesus healed the sick. What many of us today would consider "doctor work" was much more. In healing the sick, Jesus restored people to community. He changed their status from untouchable to respectable.

Jesus ate and drank with sinners. What many of us today might call "slumming" was much more. In eating and drinking with sinners, Jesus restored people to community. He changed their status (at least among his followers) from undesirable to acceptable.

Jesus fed the multitudes. What many of us today might call "line cook's work" was much more. In feeding the multitudes, Jesus strengthened people. He changed their status from hungry to full.

Jesus cast out demons. What many of us today might call either "exorcism" or "psychiatry" was much more. In casting out demons, Jesus made people whole. He changed their status from struggling to healthy.

So what about prophetic churches?
More after the fold...

What can a prophet expect in life?

Job is considered by some to be a prophet. The consequences? Death of his livestock. Death of his servants. Death of his family. Personal health issues.

How about Moses? Pharaoh tried to have him killed, and then the people he leads out of Egypt turn their backs on him. He dies before reaching the promised land.

It was said that Samuel should be put to death. Who said that? His mentor Eli.

Miriam? Smote with tzaraath, a skin disease.

Jeremiah? Beaten by his own brothers, imprisoned by the king, and threatened with death.

Jonah? Tries to avoid the prophet's way, and ends up in a storm at sea and swallowed by a large sea creature.

Jesus? Nailed to a cross to die.

So perhaps it's unsurprising that progressive churches - which tend to be prophetic churches - are not going to have the easiest of times. But does that mean prophetic churches have to abandon encouragement of their members?