Misguided Hate
Remember building sand castles on the beach when you were a kid? Big colorful pails, filled with sand and water; You’d dump them over, tap on the top and gently slide it up, hoping it didn’t crumble. I was never really good at it, only being able to build those cylinders from pails and never building anything close to some of those masterpieces you see on tv, but it was still fun to build, sculpt, and play with friends and nearby beach goers.
I’d build competitively against my brother or friends, who could build the best, biggest, or coolest castle. Inevitably, as your back was turned taking a dip in the cold ocean, someone would maliciously come along and step on it, destroying it and forcing you to rebuild.
And so I hear that a mosque is being built within earshot of where the twin towers once stood and thought, WHAT? You come along, destroy my sand castle and then try building one of your own right on top of it? But as I spent time muling it over I realized my mistake. When Jesus calls to a disciple in Matthew 8 He says “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” In essense don’t be wrapped up in the chaos of this world, or the people consumed by worldly issues but follow Jesus and become a fisher of men. To me that changes the whole outlook of what I should be doing every day and how I should be carrying myself.
When reading the teachings of Jesus he rebuked those who sinned knowingly, spitting in the face of God. But to those who were misguided, confused, and unaware he showed grace, compassion, mercy, and love. He reeled them in with kindness and gentleness, showing a side of humanity people rarely see. And isn’t that how we should be?
If you are a follow of Jesus you certainly believe He is the only way to the Father. A consequence of that is that every other religion is wrong. But do you need to shove it in peoples face? The muslims building this mosque aren’t bad people. In fact, the Bible tells us He loves everyone the same. They don’t know the truth but the way to show them the truth isn’t by alienating them or forcing them out of one particular area.
When my castle was crushed under the foot of an oppressor, getting angry only hurt me and drew out a potential conflict. It didn’t actually solve anything. We as followers of Christ build our houses on the rock. You can crush my castle, you can burn down my buildings, take my clothes, but my foundation will always remain(Matthew 7). I don’t hate America, but I am anti-American. I do desire to shed these me first wants, the glutony and selfishness of American culture. This land isn’t mine, these buildings are not my home. Let them build their idols and let God destroy them. As I wrote last week, who are we to judge? There is only one Judge and it certainly isn’t me.
I’m tired of walking around with a Bible and being painted as a narrow minded hate mongerer. If we walk around with a Bible in our hands shouldn’t we be looked upon as the first person to ask for directions, the first person willing to help in a bad situation, or the person that would show unmitigated compassion?
Spit on what Defines You
When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” ~Mark 8:23
One of the defining things about me is the amount of times I’ve been burned. Whether it be a friendship, relationship, co-worker, job. Whatever the situation, I believe it’s safe to say most of us have been hurt by some thing or some one at some point. You can’t help but be shaped by the things with which you’ve come face to face. And so as I was younger, lacking faith and a strong foundation in Jesus, I allowed these events to consume me.
I have plenty of people who have seen the transformation in my life from then to now who could expound on some tales you may have a hard time believing. I was angry, very angry. It fueled my addiction to adrenaline, to danger, and to the hatred of human beings as a whole. You may read that and think that is extreme but without a doubt I hated everyone and if you were in my way or didn’t agree with my view the anger was quick to come to a boil.
Those who I meet now think I’ve always been like this. Some cheery dude with high morals who has never drank or done drugs and has always loved Jesus. Nieve in my actions, sheltered in life, unaware of the real world. So it becomes very tough to talk to them as they tend to believe they can’t relate to me.
I’m not perfect, in fact I’m flawed beyond recognition. It’s hard for me to say that or see it in print as I am a very private person but one must expose themselves in order to gain that which seems unattainable.
When I was younger one of my favorite things to do was take my dads eye glasses and put them on. We got such a kick out of this as kids. It contorted the images in the world, making each appear a little different than they really were. Each of these events in our lives warp our perception of reality just like those glasses. They begin to shape us and take hold of us. Before you know it your walking around angry and full of hatred, you refuse to let others in, you reject the idea that Jesus can change lives. I was there. I’ve experienced this.
I was always told as a warning that if I continued to wear those glasses when I didn’t need to that some day I would actually need them. My view of the world would be so contorted that my eyes would adjust and I would be forced in to seeing through those lenses. The Bible talks about hardening our hearts and rejecting Christ to the point where we will never see the truth, and I think the glasses are a great illustration of that.
This man in Mark 9 was blind, he couldn’t see the world around him. I find it very interesting that Jesus first led him by the hand. The man could not guide himself, he needed help and in his time of need Jesus reached out and put his hand in His and led him. When the world has jaded you, when it’s striped you of the things you thought you knew, when you are hurting, don’t you want someone there to lead you?
Where does He lead him? Outside the city. He doesn’t take him to a crowded bustling city center where there is noise and distraction, but outside the city. I picture this place as quiet and empty. A desert, with nothing around, just him and Jesus. In the stillness he can hear the inflection in Jesus voice. He can hear the sincerity in each word. He can focus on the task at hand. When I’m struggling with something my tendency is to wrap myself up in so many things to distract myself from reality and what Jesus is showing me here is that that is the complete opposite of what I should be doing. I should be taking time to separate myself and spend time with Him. To go to a place of peace and rest with Him and listen. I don’t need to talk, I need to listen. I need his direction.
As they stand outside the city walls Jesus spits on the mans eyes. I love this! He could have just touched him, He could have just spoke the words, maybe kissed him, or anything nicer than spitting but He doesn’t. His eyes were a problem, he couldn’t see. It’s a telling way to deal with a problem. There is something forceful and “in your face” about spitting. And I like the way it’s reflected here. If I have an issue, if something is defining me, holding me back from the place I need to be I need to spit at it. I need to rid myself of it and be done.
“Do you see anything?” Jesus asks. I have this picture of Jesus spitting in the mans eyes and the man wiping the spit away, a little stunned by the action. Wiping it clear as Jesus asks the question he responds, yeah man, I can see people, like trees! He’s excited and maybe he starts walking away thinking wow man, this is cool, I can see. Jesus reaches out and grabs him as he’s starting to leave and says woah, not done yet pal. And as He lays His hands on him again his sight is fully restored. Isn’t that just like us? We finally get to the place where we are seeking Jesus help and He begins to work in and on us and we say SWEET! I can see! And walk away before He’s finished.
He isn’t finished with me. I still continue to walk away every time I can see a little. Don’t let the things of your past(and even your future) define you. Stay steady by leaning on Christ and let Him keep your eyes clear and your hearts full.
When Care Turns to Crutch
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber… ~Romans 13:11
It’s possible that every generation sees what I see. That the cycle continues on and I am just maturing enough to recognize it from my adolecense. To see it through my eyes in the lives of those younger than me(and some older) becomes a sharp pain in the heart. And yet, I am only human, and I wonder how God feels about it? I’m talking about relying on grace as our “out”.
I readily admit that I am a victim as well. On more than one occassion I have thought about my actions beforehand(understand this means the Spirit prompting me)and thought well, the Lord forgives. There is an air of arrogance to our actions. To feel as though we have time as young people to fool around and do what we want. To “be a kid” and grow up later. I’m sad when I think about the years I’ve wasted on meaningless activities. Wasted opportunities haunt me.
The below lyrics really typify the way I’ve felt a lot:
This Beautiful Republic – A Point Between Extremes
I’ve been thinking about
The paths that my life
Has gone down
I’ve pushed a crown
Of thorns in my brow
To show my salvation
Worked out
With all the knowledge
I had learned
Anchored to righteousness
I’d earned
Now I’ve gone the other way
Depended too heavily on grace
I need a reprieve
A point between extremes
I’ve come to a breaking point. To the realization that I need a reprieve. I need repentance for the grace I take for granted. Peter in his first letter says: “As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.(1 Peter 4: 2-3) I’ve wasted to much time using grace as a crutch.
If my heart hurts for these people what in the world is God doing right now? Is it that unrealistic to think that He cries all day? Is He dropping signs down in front of you like falling boulders every day but you shrug them off because you are so far from him you don’t remember what He sounds like or what His signs are anymore? Gideon asked for a sign and when he got it he said “wait, one more and I’ll know it’s you”.(Judges 6: 36-40)
I can see God annoyed at the implications here. Gideon has requested 3 signs. I think at this point perhaps Gideon has to much confidence. Maybe arrogance is creeping in and God says you know what, you have to many men. 32,000 men widdled to 300…now I can use you.
I think that’s what I’m going through, and what each of us deals with at some point in our own way. We say give me a sign you want me to live different, wait one more, maybe just one more…Maybe when I’m out of school, maybe when I get married, maybe…Arrogance slowly oozes over us like oily sludge and the Lord begins cleaning us up and breaking us down. We get to such a low and He says, NOW, now I can use you.
But the human side of me is still disappointed that it takes all that work to get me to that point. The Lord is like the father of the prodigal son(Luke 15), so excited that I’m back, but I’m so disappointed it’s taken all this to get me here. We depend to heavily on grace being there when we’re ready. Truth is, your time may run out before your ready and then what do you make of the life you wasted away?
The start of the song above goes like this:
My heart is tired
Of feeling suffering
My mind keeps wondering
Who I should be
If all of the above goes in one ear and out the other, let this one question stick in your mind for some time and really ask yourself: “Who should I be?”
Shattered Dreams
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. ~John 16:13
Today was arguably one of the worst days of my life. I saw a side of humanity I had only experienced second hand. Something I had seen in movies and heard from friends of friends but never one on one. I saw a family shattered today and it broke me.
Last Wednesday my brother was to have back surgery. A major mountain to climb for any person or family, exacerbated by the fact it had been two years in the making(a story for another day). Tuesday of that week came and the call came to unpack his bag. The surgery had been pushed a week to the following Tuesday. Even the best laid plans are but a breath to the Lord. He had bigger plans.
Chris was disappointed but took it all in stride. It would only be 7 days, and what was that, given he had waited over 729 days already?
I sat at work patiently waiting word on the surgery as I glanced at the clock hoping it would read 5pm sooner. Around 2pm I was told it went well and headed over at 5pm to visit for myself. Upon reaching the hospital I was told not only did it go well but it went so well that his hospital stay of 5 days could be as little as just one day! Who says prayer doesn’t work?? In my estimation the Lord had performed a miracle, so why was it the worst day of my life?
The man was older, perhaps early 40’s. Clutching a stand which held his IV bag he rolled in to the room to take the bed next to Chris. Following behind him was his daughter holding two coffees. She appeared about 22 with long curly hair and a pale complexion. They were reserved, quietly talking to each other as they sipped their coffee. Suddenly her hand was on his stomach, then on his leg…clearly not his daughter. Holding hands and then laying in the small medical bed only further confirmed it.
Weirded out by the whole thing I tried to ignore it and focus on a conversation with my brother and mother. Around the corner comes a little boy followed by a young girl and their mother. My initial thought was the ex-wife and kids had come to visit. Nothing really awkward seemed to occur so why would I think anything different, until I noticed the large diamond on the woman’s hand
The girl left the room moments later and the questions began. Valid questions. And in that moment I knew I had to do something. But what? There is no moment of clear conscience in a rapidly developing situation such as this. And as the lies got thicker like wading through a pool of melted marshmallow I felt sick and jittery.
I left the room, I could no longer take the level of arrogance these lies required. I headed down stairs and outside to make a phone call. I tried five different people before finally getting a hold of someone. Explaining my predicament and looking for guidance didn’t seem to clear the fog any better than I had hoped. There was no black and white answer on this, but something needed to be done. I asked for prayer from several people who had finally responded and headed back up stairs.
Do you speak to the man? Do you plead with his humanity, his moral obligation, the father? Out of his mouth spew lies that only complete his fate. Can he be trusted to understand and do the right thing?
Do you talk to the woman? Do you confirm her questions and give her the answers she seeks? Do you break through the glass and potentially separate a family?
Do you say nothing?
There were so many other questions that raced through my head as I sat there, partially fuming, partially praying. I was thrust in to a situation I did not want to be a part of. It was made my business by being done in front of me. I was torn and I honestly can say I have no idea how counselors and pastors do this on a daily basis without crying every night.
After making my decision I knew the right thing had been done. I sent a text to a friend and told them I was about to break down. I had witnessed a family shattered. They called immediately and talked to me for several minutes calming me down but I was still near tears.
My decision and the end of the story are a powerful piece to this puzzle but I leave them off because I want to pose the above questions to you. What would you do? Would you say something at all? What would you say and to who?
To even consider saying something requires your heart to be in the right place. The anger can not overshadow the situation or people involved. You must be composed and sure of your motives. The Lord must speak through you and not you speaking for the Lord.
When my brother woke about 20 minutes later he gathered a few pieces of the story from the buzz that still resonated through the room.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you later” I said softly. “But know one thing; This right here is why your surgery was moved.”
hearing and doing
all sins being equal
over the past few years it has become blatantly obvious to me that homosexuality is considered (by most religions) to be one of the greater sins of humanity. many who express this viewpoint often hide behind the ‘no sin is greater than another’ statement, but in truth, homosexuality often takes the cake in thought and practice.
with that in mind, i began to think about other sins that are tolerated and even glorified in our culture. some of you already know where i am going with this, so i might as well just say it…what about violence? murder? despising our enemies? revenge? these are all sins (according to the sermon on the mount and numerous other new testament passages) that are looked upon favorably in this nation of ours.
it is very clear through the teachings of Christ and his disciples that a heart bent on revenge and violence is one that is not centered on the kingdom of God. so, if all sins are created equal, why don’t we ever acknowledge military violence as sinful in nature? Many seem to have no problem with saying homosexuality and those who engage in homosexual acts are sinful, but are we as christians decrying the violence perpetuated by the hands of our military? where are the conservative/Bible-believing christians on this one? i guess we can just gloss over all of those “peace” passages.
let me be clear…i do not and cannot condemn the homosexual or the soldier. i am clearly not in a position to do so, and i am eternally thankful for that. i’m just saying that there is something wrong with the way we look at sin in western culture. when someone ‘comes out’ (no pun intended) in defense of homosexuality, claiming that the Bible is not clear concerning the subject, hoards of Bible-thumping christians come out against such defenders stating that they have a low/poor view of scripture or that they are reading with a false/heretical lens.
on the other hand, what if someone said, “hey, what about violence, revenge or hating our enemies?,” pointing out that there are scores of passages that consider such acts and postures of the heart to be anti-Kingdom of God? would those same defenders of the Bible agree, or would they instead fight for the “freedom” that this country affords them?
i want to say in closing that i respect many people who go to battle with the thought that they are laying down their lives for others. this is very noble and even Christ-like in some ways. however, my concern is that it is not the way Christ went about dying for us. no violence ever met his hands.
“he came to gather his people with no guns or money, but with his empty hands (lenny kravitz).”
-dave
possessed by truth
here is an excerpt from an article jon foreman wrote on the huffington post about being possessed by truth. it’s amazing, as usual:
“My thoughts drift to religion. These are the truths that people live by and hold dear. In many ways, these are the truths that inspire our best and worst moments. The truths that motivate Mother Theresa and start religious wars. How can this be? How can fresh water and salt water come from the same hose? Perhaps it has to do with this concept of possession. If I view the truth as my possession to keep safe, I might feel the need to protect my faith. But if I am possessed by the truth, perhaps this protection is no longer needed. Maybe I am set free from the need to defend the truth, rather the truth defends me.
The idea of defending an all-powerful deity feels a bit silly when it’s put out in the wind like that. And yet, that sentiment seems to epitomize much of what religion has come to mean. After centuries of witch-hunts, inquisitions and holy wars, many are still fighting hard to defend their faith in an omnipotent God who has no need of our protection. Maybe we are still protecting our beliefs as though we were the owners of this truth.
If our faith is to be more than just a lit match in the powder-keg of differing beliefs, what role does religion play in our modern world? What would it mean to be possessed by truth rather than simply the proud owner of a particular denomination? Maybe we could start with the common ground that we all can call truth. In all of the major religions of the world I find the call to protect the less fortunate.
From the Torah:
“Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17
From the Koran:
“Spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayer and to practice regular charity.”
83. Section 10
From the New Testament:
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
James 1:27
From Buddha:
“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
The “truth” of loving those around me, the “truth” of seeking justice for the oppressed, the “truth” of a life of service — these are truths to be possessed by: to be a slave in the service of the kingdom of the heavens, to be the servant of all. If the truths in this life have no owner then we are set free: free from the need to defend the truth, free to be possessed by this truth and simply live it out. Truth becomes much too large for me to possess; truth is the beauty and authenticity which possesses me.
Maybe the meaning of life is not something that I can control, but rather a reality which possesses me. Maybe there is no life guiding “fact” that I can put in my back pocket, as though I were the sole owner of the universe. Perhaps The-Meaning-of-Life-Himself is asking me the questions. When I look at a sunset, when I hear the songs of the ocean gulls, when I feel the warmth of family and friends, I am reminded of a story that is bigger than I am. Yes, this is my story but not mine alone. Truth was never mine alone. Truth is that which possesses me.”
We make it far to easy
Now they sin more and more; ~Hosea 13:2
Over the past couple of weeks I have been working in Boston for a company near the Garden. While I do feel blessed to have a job in this economy, I also hate getting up that early to do something I don’t feel benefits the kingdom of God in any respect.
Early Thursday morning, after rolling out of bed at 5am I began my trek to the train station in the center of town. There was a fresh coat of snow on the ground and it continued to fall from the sky. I threw on my jacket and pulled my hat down over my head.
As is generally the case when I’m alone with my thoughts, I had an epiphany.
About halfway to the train station I realized I had been following earlier footsteps in the snow. Some were freshly stomped, as clear as day. Their impressions were pushed down to the black pavement below. Others had a dusting of white snow beginning to shade their direction.
As a continued to walk I noticed that my paces were longer than those already pressed in to the snow. I’m a tall guy and wrote it off as my legs being longer than those who walked before me. The shoe size seemed to be the same though… Scuffs had marked some of the steps ahead of me and it clicked in my head. They were tired. The steps were beginning to shuffle along rather than being fully picked up; They were losing momentum.
We make it far to easy for Satan to track us. We plod along and our sin makes the next temptation that much easier to succumb to. Following those deep impressions in the snow was very easy. I didn’t need to be right behind the person to know where they were headed. The Bible says Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. A lion does not make himself known to his prey but sneaks behind it’s prey, pouncing when they least expect it
Hebrews 12:1 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” We have a tendency to get tired. We’re only human. And in our weakness we begin shuffling our feet and stumbling around. Our run becomes a jog and then a walk, until finally we’re stopped. A lion searching for prey doesn’t attack the strong gazelle at the head of the pack but finds that wounded straggler on the outskirts who has seemingly given up.
How much easier than for Satan to attack when he sees us shuffling our feet? It’s one thing to stumble, but when we do and refuse to turn to Jesus for help our stride becomes shorter, our shoulders sag, and our feet begin shuffling underneath us.
Repent and seek the Lord in your time of need. When your run becomes a walk seek His face. “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow”(Psalm 51:7). Just like those steps in the snow, Jesus covers us with his grace, hiding our footsteps and washing us whiter than snow. The longer that snow came falling gently on the footsteps the harder it was to see them and follow them.
It seems like such a simple concept. Ask and you will find him(Matthew 7:8). But I struggle with it daily. I want to rely on my own ability to get out of a situation and in turn push my steps farther into the snow. I’m in a funk and I justify it by saying “I don’t know how to get out of it.” The truth of the matter is, I do, I just choose not to.
mustard seed kingdom
mark 4:30-32 30 “and he said, “with what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? it is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
everything in this world is done to the max. $500,000,000 movies, 110 story buildings, double-decker planes, mega-churches, etc. Jesus came announcing something totally different.
Jesus gave us a way out of the empire. he gave us a way to escape the onslaught of massive production and hype. the lowest of the low are exalted in this mustard seed kingdom. everyone who is seemingly meaningless and insignificant will be called great and mighty.
i love this upside-down kingdom that is the polar opposite of what we have been taught to be the way, the truth and the life.
the way is not the pursuit of happiness.
the truth is not whatever our “leaders” tell us.
the life is not the path to money, power and fame.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. his kingdom is one that teaches us to love in an extravagant and unrelenting way. it is one that teaches us to judge ourselves over others. and it is a kingdom that brings a peace that cannot be understood or explained.
this kingdom calls us to die so that we can live. to be small so that he can make us big. may we find that death and embrace the suffering that the messiah embraced for all of us…
be as small as you can be.
-dave-
reality
which ‘reality’ do you live in?
option 1. there is the reality of the world that we live in each and every day. this is the natural world. a world where justice is a consumer product, where war is always at our doorstep and where peace is only found in fairy tales.
option 2. there is the reality we create for ourselves. a world that answers only to our own circumstances. in this world nothing outside of our own sphere of influence can truly affect us.
option 3. there is the reality of the world that Jesus taught us about. a world yet to come, but one hoped for and seen in moments and glimpses. a world where the meek are kings and queens. a world where the impoverished and starved are wealthy and well fed.
do we hold onto this coming reality, seeking to advance its truth here and now, or do we live and die for what we believe to be real and meaningful according to our current reality?
must we participate in this world’s reality or are we called to a higher reality, here and now? must we be called dreamers or foolish if we seek to participate in the coming kingdom, despite living in this fallen reality?
in this world where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal…what is really worth holding on to?
-dave-
