It is About Destruction

If I were to design a way to corrupt a culture; turn evil into good and good into evil, I could not do it any better than what is currently happening in our country. The idea of traditional families has basically been destroyed. The healthy value found in employment is eroding. Crimes that used to have penalties now no longer do. Drug use is legal and/or permitted—creating a generation that works less and stays high more. The tragedy of homelessness is becoming epidemic totally changing life in our cities with few workable solutions apparent. Hate, accusations and blame have become the common cultural language–puncuated by vulgarity and profainity, which frequently drowns out any remaining calls for mutually respectful dialogue. Our nation’s leaders are ineffective—unable or unwilling to promote harmony. Our personhood is now being attacked–potentially robbing our kids of their innocence and childhood by gender confusion. Beyond that our culture seems determined to sexualize our kids. Here is a real excerpt from a book designed for kids entitled “Let’s Talk About It” that actually is placed in some school districts in our nation:

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some porn, it’s a fun sugary treat.” When consumed right, porn can help you discover new aspects of your sexuality. A great place to research fantasies and kinks safely is on the internet. There’s tons of people and communities out there who share your interests and have all kinds of advice.” Then there is this advice about sending naked pics to friends: “So before you start sending your naughty masterpieces around the world, take some time to get friendly with photo editing, software and apps.”  

I would do all that plus I would make sure to create hostility everywhere—to reduce every conversation to partisan arguing; to politicize everything producing a climate in which everyone is always suspicious, angry and ready to fight.

Obviously, God has to be removed from the national, cultural conversation and churches must be discredited and made irrelevant. Whatever word they do manage to speak would be reframed and labeled as oppressive, hate-speech and attached to some unpopular political agenda that can be easily dismissed. Or even better–politicize the churches and divide them along party lines.

Then I would hand everyone devices that either fuel the anger or dull whatever lingering alarm exists through constant distraction. I would reshape entertainment. No longer would anything “wholesome” be produced. Instead, it would be much darker, dystopic, vulgar, bleak, hopeless and politically charged. I would attack mental health and create the need for addiction as well—get folks hooked on chemicals, porn, gambling, sex, binge-watching—whatever works to make them dependent and prevent clear thinking and productive habits.

I would make pleasure the highest goal and then distort what that means. I would convince people that I have their best interest in mind. Cultural apathy would be the end-game.

And when any voices ever rise up to challenge—I would use every method to silence them; to prevent them from being heard I would bully; blame; accuse; shout; threaten, turn it all political, etc. I would forgive nothing. Instead, I would just keep reminding, rehashing and reliving whatever problems exist—historical or current. I would keep it all raw, fresh and painful constantly on every screen. I would choose violence if necessary and then justify it. I would create a compelling cultural narrative to support my efforts, use all resources to promote it and then dare anyone to differ.

I would distort truth; sow confusion and raise a harvest of disorder and chaos. Then I would normalize it all.

And when good becomes known as evil; when evil is redefined as good, then I will have succeeded.

It is about destruction after all—not construction. “The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10) and he ( “the accuser”– Revelation 12:10; “the father of all lies”–John 8:44) is very good at his job

Four Ways to Protest–Kingdom Style

 

Jesus was not overtly political, but his teachings were dangerously subversive to existing cultural, social and political norms. His enemies easily recognized it—so much so they colluded to kill him.

He leaves then a legacy of protest in the form of his kingdom teachings. It is not, however about taking knees, political posturing, engaging in social media warfare, patriotism or lack thereof.

What he taught was radical, revolutionary, and scandalous even—it eventually changed an empire.

Want to protest? Want to really make a kingdom difference? Really want to change the world for the better and shake power bases to their core? Forget about boycotting. Try this:

• Identify first with the kingdom. Not with a sports team; not with a political party; not even a nation—with the kingdom of God. Seek it first. Treasure above all else citizenship in the kingdom for which Christ died. Put behind you the old way of identification and be made completely new in your thinking—new goals, new priorities, new ways to relate to others. Let go of the anger and replace it with grace. Let go of the bitterness and let grace abound. Protest loudly through the quiet gentleness and mercy of Christ.
• Love your enemies. Really. Stop yelling at them—if even on social media. Stop escalating the fury. Just stop. Step back. Turn the other cheek. Pray for those who you dislike. Disarm those who oppose  you with the love and compassion of God. It is a quite subversive and potentially transformational protest. Jesus did it willingly on the cross and it changed the world forever.
• Go the extra mile. Jesus meant it literally when he spoke it. He still does. Don’t return evil for evil; shout for shout; anger for anger; or hate for hate. Give back what is completely unexpected and then some—an extra mile’s worth of blessings. Protest the kingdom way and do it willingly, joyfully, in the name of Jesus and for his sake—making the teaching about Christ that much more attractive in the process.
• Be faithful unto death. Don’t ever quit protesting. Don’t give up. Be salt and light. Don’t grow discouraged. Our citizenship in God’s kingdom trumps all! The Spirit of God empowers. Our life here is but a vapor. Bigger and better things are in store. It does not matter our nationality; the colors of our flags; what political party is in power; Jesus just wants to find faith when he comes. And faith is the victory!

The original kingdom protesters changed an entire, brutal, ungodly empire without political power, social media, ballots or bullets. They were the poor, the meek, the pure, the persecuted, the hungry and the thirsty who stood up to tyranny, injustice, sin, corruption, persecution, hatred, bigotry, and hardship of every kind by simply faithfully living out the kingdom of God. It was a protest of the humble and helpless that was empowered by the scandal of a cross. It was the protest of the kingdom and it changed everything.

Could that happen again?

(Bible verses referenced include: Matthew 5-7; Luke 18:10; Ephesians 4:20-5:1; Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:9-10; James 4:14; Revelation 2:10; 21:1-4)

 

God Isn’t Fixing This?

I rarely venture into politics or any type of analysis on national events. It mostly is a no-win situation with wide opinions and endless, usually unproductive debate. I love my country and feel blessed by the freedoms and privileges we enjoy. But I love my God more and realize that his kingdom is about much more than the United States of America. The truth is—that regardless of what happens here or what we become—his kingdom endures forever.

Fortified by that, I try not to be an alarmist concerning the course and future of my country. Nevertheless, I do feel concern as I see us systematically removing values and concepts reflective of God from our society. There are real and lasting consequences to this.

I see them in the latest tragic shooting in San Bernardino and its aftermath. Specifically I am thinking of the headline in The New York Daily News that proclaimed:

God Isn’t Fixing This!

The writer of the article—to me—seems to be using the shooting to mock politicians asking for prayer while making an appeal for gun control. The point? Since God is not fixing it, we need to by taking away guns.

I will let the gun control part of the article be discussed elsewhere.

My thoughts are on the headline. It creates questions for me like, “Why do we even expect him to fix it?” Or, “Why are we calling upon him now, when we have pushed him to the margins in almost every other way?”

Having pushed God out of the public arena means that we have also pushed out his values. What would an emphasis on “love your neighbor as yourself;” or “do not murder;” or “for where you have envy and selfish ambition; there you will find disorder and every evil practice;” or “hatred stirs us strife, but love covers all offenses;” or “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you;” or “learn to do good; seek justice; correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause,” (I could go on and on—literally) do for our societal narrative and behavior? It was said long ago of another nation and people, but it remains ever true:

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people. 

Even if someone is skeptical about the whole notion of God, it would be difficult to deny the positive impact his precepts would have on a society who has forgotten how to treat each other with respect and dignity; who politicizes everything; who exalts and celebrates the vulgar while minimizing and ridiculing the civil; who reward the loudest and most belligerent while ignoring those with no voice; who create and foster an atmosphere of hate and then somehow is shocked when it explodes onto the innocent.

Perhaps God is trying to fix it, but we simply are not listening.

 

 

* Bible verses cited in order: Mark 12:31; Matthew 5:21-24; James 3:16; Proverbs 10:12; Matthew 5:44; Isaiah 1:17; Proverbs 14:34

 

Haters Gonna Hate

Tis the season to hate?

Sometimes it seems that way.

Haters hated on Johnny Football’s first start. Haters hated on practically everything from every angle in Ferguson, MO. Haters hated on the recent election results; Haters hate on the Christmas holiday; Haters hate on churches that do not meet their expectations; Haters hate. That is what they do.

Jesus told us so.

Not often do all four of the gospel accounts share the exact same information in almost the exact same way (this is largely due to the fact that John’s gospel is written from a different perspective than the others), but on this topic they all have Jesus saying basically the same thing to his disciples.

It goes something like this: “Get ready. The world hated me and they are going to hate you too.”

(For the exact statements read Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17; and John 15:18 along with the surrounding context.)

So from Jesus–haters are going to hate.

They are not going to dialogue; reason; discuss; contemplate; be patient; act lovingly; or extend grace.

They are going to react; rage; accuse; scream “Crucify him! Crucify him!;” throw stones (see Stephen’s story in Acts 6-7); and behave generally in a very angry and aggressive way.

The result is not pretty, nor is it intended to be. “Hate stirs up strife” a wise man said long ago (Proverbs 10:12). Hate is a tool to intimidate and bully–and to spread misery.

Think about hate’s role in the Christmas story. King Herod was a hater. He heard a rumor about a baby who would be king and instead of investigating, he hated. Hating was easier. Lots of innocent babies died as a consequence. Joseph and Mary with their newborn fled to Egypt to escape his hatred.

Hating hurts. The Bible equates it with murder (1 John 3:15). The families who lost their baby boys to Herod’s hate can attest to that.

Hatred originates from the first hater. His purpose according to Christ is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Hatred accomplishes that quite efficiently. No matter how it is presented or justified–hate is hate and it produces nothing worthwhile.

But there is another way, of course. The rest of Proverbs 10:12? “But love covers all offenses.”

Love has absolutely nothing to do with hate (please read the 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 definition of love).

The counter to haters gonna hate is that lovers gotta love.

This will produce something worthwhile–even if we disagree about sports, politics, race, and religion. It will create an atmosphere of mutual respect where healthy dialogue can occur and real progress can be made on what separates us.

Love seeks redemption; reconciliation; peace and goodwill toward all.

It originates with the first lover. His goal is for every person to experience “life to the full” (the rest of John 10:10). Love can make that happen. Hate cannot.

Haters were jeering at him; spitting on him; whipping him with a cutting lash; They put him on a cross to die. This time he did not escape (he could have). Neither did he hate back. Instead Jesus loved–and it continues to cover all offenses.

Think about this the next time you are tempted to hate; the next time you are prompted to straighten someone out on social media with cutting words; the next time you think someone is attacking something you hold dear; the next time the election; the game; or the decision of church leaders does not go your way.

There are healthy ways to handle all of that. Hate is not one of them.

Yes, there are haters who are going to hate.

But let us be lovers of Christ who will love each other and (uh oh) even our enemies.

It might not be easy surrounded by a culture of hate, but Jesus has our back. Haters gonna hate, but against it, “he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Tis the season to spread the love of Christ.