For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
What's driving me to drink this week is denial. Specifically, denial when it comes to evil.
I've been reading a short book by Lutheran theologian Eric W. Gritsch, called A Handbook for the Christian Life in the 21st Century. I was a little surprised that chapter one of this book--before all else--is "Evil." Gritsch notes that evil is "an undeniable reality of everyday life". You don't have to be a Christian, or even a person of faith, to acknowledge that evil is a real thing. But at the same time, Gritsch contends, we have too often underestimated evil in the world. While we know something is at work against us and against our relationship with God, one another, and creation, we tend to refuse to fully examine and diagnose what it is...often we don't want to know. Dr. Gritsch asserts that a proper diagnosis of evil is the first step of spiritual formation, saying that we Christians ought to train as "911 operators, as it were, indeed, to be the 911 system for help against evil."
I'm thankful to have only had to call 911 twice in my life, neither time for truly life-threatening emergencies. But both times, the operator began with a basic question: "911; what is the nature of your emergency?" It is not the operator's job to drive to our house, to make arrests, leap through burning buildings, or administer CPR. The operator's job is simply to figure out what the problem is, then immediately patch the call through to someone who can help. This is what we do as Christians: look and listen, determine based on theological reflection what kind of evil may be in play, and promptly refer the matter to God in prayer, and prepare ourselves of be a part of God's loving response should the need arise.
Just this very first step--diagnosis--is further than we often get. Gritsch writes that the first sign of evil is confusion. Below is not only my favorite scene in all of cinema, but also a great example of what I mean:
What's interesting (and very typical of evil, based on the Biblical witness) is that Vader is more than willing to lie, if it serves his purpose. But he doesn't do it if he doesn't need to. His strategy is not necessarily to deceive, but to confuse, and thereby manipulate. Every fact he shares with Luke is accurate, including that Obi Wan did not give him the whole story of his past. But the conclusion Vader draws--that the dark side is more trustworthy--could not be further from the truth.
Scripture establishes this again and again as Satan's M.O. The Temptation in the Wilderness is a great example. Satan tells Jesus the truth: he could turn stones to bread; he could throw himself from the temple; and he probably could even gain temporal power by abandoning God. But the conclusion drawn--that pursuing power is more fruitful than obedience to God--is and always will be false. Blatant lies can be debunked easily enough; truth misused, however, is much more dangerous.
This past Sunday, my son was baptized. This coming Sunday, five Salem kids will affirm their baptism. In both cases, the very first question posed to a candidate (or in Soren's case, us as his "stand-in's") is: "Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?" Recognizing that evil exists, and renouncing it, is a founding principle of faith in Jesus Christ. And we can't renounce what we don't admit is there...in the world, and in our own hearts.
By our union with the crucified Christ, we are saved from sin, death and the devil, just as surely as we are saved for abundant life with God, now and in the age to come. May our trainer, Jesus, continue to sharpen our skills as "911 operators" in the fight against evil.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Heresy of Complacency
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40
What's driving me to drink this week is complacency. I, like many others and probably yourself, have been watching closely as the debt ceiling standoff goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.....
We are frighteningly close to driving the American economy off a cliff. I say we, because despite some compelling arguments that the immediate problem we're facing is caused by house Republicans, I don't buy it. At least I don't think the problem started there. In fact, the problem started with one of the most insidious heresies to ever plague the Christian faith, and the faith of Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets before it: selfishness, plain and simple. And not the selfishness of a few, but the selfishness of just about everyone involved.
It's not just Republicans or Democrats. It's not just the House, the Senate, or the President. It's all of us together--those who voted, and especially those who did not--with our own ideas, ideologies, and priorities at heart. It's everyone who has the luxury of insisting on their own way, expecting the other side to blink. It's everyone who goes to the voting booth asking the question, "what's in it for me?"
What compels me to say this, is that I bear my own share of the blame. I haven't written or called any of my elected leaders.
The first reason is that I'm not sure what I would say...I don't have an ironclad solution, although like every other American, I have plenty of opinions.
The second and deeper reason is something I'm ashamed to admit: I confess that I have said nothing because whatever happens on Tuesday, I know that two weeks from then, I'll still get paid. About the years to come, who can say? I hear dire predictions of economic collapse, I hear of another recession or even depression...but the repercussions for me personally would be more distant.
I confess that I've pontificated now and then, moaned to those who will listen about the sad state of affairs, but not actually done much...and the reason is that I've failed to love my neighbors as myself.
I've failed to feel compassion for the dread of those who will immediately be cut off from unemployment, from WIC, from food stamps, from Social Security, from stable employment in the federal or state government. I've failed to pray the prayers of those who, months later, will be laid off from entry-level jobs in the private sector when the economy does take its predicted downturn, as if they were my own. I've failed to work and pray alongside countless families globally who might have a chance at scraping by with the development that American foreign aid might provide, but who otherwise will starve. I've failed to hear the cries of all those millions who, for whatever reason, are hanging by a thread, and who unless something is done in the next few days, will see that thread cut.
Any attempt by followers of Christ, or people of any faith, for that matter, to justify this complacency--this tendency to "look out for number one"--is nothing short of heresy. It is a direct denial of the Greatest Commandment of Jesus: to love God with heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Contrary to much modern Christian theology, care for the poor is not optional. In fact, we don't even have the option of giving it "second fiddle" status to a spiritualized, individualized idea of "eternal salvation." Even speaking as a tried-and-true, cradle Lutheran, believing that only the grace of God through faith in Christ can bring about forgiveness of sins and access to eternal life, I can't deny that in the biblical witness, concern for the poor is often lifted up as having eternal consequences.
What can we do? I'd say, pray about it, and read your Bible. Let the frustration you feel, drive you to drink from the well of God's word.
If, based on prayer and scripture, you believe the best way to care for the poor is by capping or reducing taxes, no matter what, fine. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you in your next steps. (tithing to your church and offering some of your tax savings to religious organizations which feed and care for the poor and elderly might be a good idea.)
And if, based on prayer and scripture, you believe the best way to care for the poor is by supporting and improving the social programs already out there, no matter what, fine. I pray the Spirit's guidance for you, too. (But remember to avoid making an idol of any human program or government order...tithing and charitable giving are still part of the equation for every disciple of Christ!)
But whatever God leads you to do, even if it leads you into debate with other Christians, know that it's better than doing nothing. Complacency is heresy. The law of Christ is compassion.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40
What's driving me to drink this week is complacency. I, like many others and probably yourself, have been watching closely as the debt ceiling standoff goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.....
We are frighteningly close to driving the American economy off a cliff. I say we, because despite some compelling arguments that the immediate problem we're facing is caused by house Republicans, I don't buy it. At least I don't think the problem started there. In fact, the problem started with one of the most insidious heresies to ever plague the Christian faith, and the faith of Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets before it: selfishness, plain and simple. And not the selfishness of a few, but the selfishness of just about everyone involved.
It's not just Republicans or Democrats. It's not just the House, the Senate, or the President. It's all of us together--those who voted, and especially those who did not--with our own ideas, ideologies, and priorities at heart. It's everyone who has the luxury of insisting on their own way, expecting the other side to blink. It's everyone who goes to the voting booth asking the question, "what's in it for me?"
What compels me to say this, is that I bear my own share of the blame. I haven't written or called any of my elected leaders.
The first reason is that I'm not sure what I would say...I don't have an ironclad solution, although like every other American, I have plenty of opinions.
The second and deeper reason is something I'm ashamed to admit: I confess that I have said nothing because whatever happens on Tuesday, I know that two weeks from then, I'll still get paid. About the years to come, who can say? I hear dire predictions of economic collapse, I hear of another recession or even depression...but the repercussions for me personally would be more distant.
I confess that I've pontificated now and then, moaned to those who will listen about the sad state of affairs, but not actually done much...and the reason is that I've failed to love my neighbors as myself.
I've failed to feel compassion for the dread of those who will immediately be cut off from unemployment, from WIC, from food stamps, from Social Security, from stable employment in the federal or state government. I've failed to pray the prayers of those who, months later, will be laid off from entry-level jobs in the private sector when the economy does take its predicted downturn, as if they were my own. I've failed to work and pray alongside countless families globally who might have a chance at scraping by with the development that American foreign aid might provide, but who otherwise will starve. I've failed to hear the cries of all those millions who, for whatever reason, are hanging by a thread, and who unless something is done in the next few days, will see that thread cut.
Any attempt by followers of Christ, or people of any faith, for that matter, to justify this complacency--this tendency to "look out for number one"--is nothing short of heresy. It is a direct denial of the Greatest Commandment of Jesus: to love God with heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Contrary to much modern Christian theology, care for the poor is not optional. In fact, we don't even have the option of giving it "second fiddle" status to a spiritualized, individualized idea of "eternal salvation." Even speaking as a tried-and-true, cradle Lutheran, believing that only the grace of God through faith in Christ can bring about forgiveness of sins and access to eternal life, I can't deny that in the biblical witness, concern for the poor is often lifted up as having eternal consequences.
What can we do? I'd say, pray about it, and read your Bible. Let the frustration you feel, drive you to drink from the well of God's word.
If, based on prayer and scripture, you believe the best way to care for the poor is by capping or reducing taxes, no matter what, fine. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you in your next steps. (tithing to your church and offering some of your tax savings to religious organizations which feed and care for the poor and elderly might be a good idea.)
And if, based on prayer and scripture, you believe the best way to care for the poor is by supporting and improving the social programs already out there, no matter what, fine. I pray the Spirit's guidance for you, too. (But remember to avoid making an idol of any human program or government order...tithing and charitable giving are still part of the equation for every disciple of Christ!)
But whatever God leads you to do, even if it leads you into debate with other Christians, know that it's better than doing nothing. Complacency is heresy. The law of Christ is compassion.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
About "Driven to Drink"
"Tyrants, sectaries, seducers, and heretics do nothing else but drive us into the Bible, to make us read more diligently therein, and with more fervency to sharpen our prayers."
-Martin Luther
Hi. Welcome to my brand new blog. I'd like to start by explaining a little about why I feel called to start it.
So, the fact is, life can be pretty frustrating. And the constant presence of stressors--from traffic, to workplace drama, to 24-hour media, which is increasingly tailor-made to "push our buttons" and whip us into a frenzy of self-righteous feigned omniscience--is not helping a bit. In fact, take a just a minute, and tell me: other than someone who lives in your house (spouse, significant other, parent, sibling, etc), who was the last person who made you angry?
Let me take a leap here...if you're like me, it was someone you either don't know or don't interact with face to face. Was it someone who cut you off in traffic? Someone in the DMV or the grocery store?
Was it someone online? A facebook friend? A blogger? A news editor?
Was it a celebrity? A public official? Probably someone whose party affiliation is different from your own?
I could be way off. But I think when we get frustrated and angry, and when we don't have a way to work it out and reconcile with the other person face to face, as Jesus commands (see Matthew 18:15-20), it can be harmful to our souls, AND our bodies. It can make us eat too much. It can make us drink too much. It can make us spend too much. It can make us sleep too little. It can make us watch TV, go online, or play video games until our brain is ready to leak out our ears like jelly.
Or...it can drive us to drink something else altogether. Something that shows us the part of ourselves that is contributing to our anger and frustration, and what God wants to do about it. It can drive us to drink the Living Water that Jesus offers us each and every time we immerse ourselves in God's Word.
This blog is here because I often find myself frustrated. I often find that fear, anxiety, anger and even hatred are checking into the motel of my mind while I should have been at the front desk. And I believe that if I blog, not just about what makes me angry, but about what the Bible says about it, and how it can convict me and you, there's a chance it can bring us to repentance before the Living Lord, and experience the Grace of God's forgiveness. That's the hope.
So as time goes by, I'll post about what's "Driving me to Drink," and how God can quench our thirst.
-Martin Luther
Hi. Welcome to my brand new blog. I'd like to start by explaining a little about why I feel called to start it.
So, the fact is, life can be pretty frustrating. And the constant presence of stressors--from traffic, to workplace drama, to 24-hour media, which is increasingly tailor-made to "push our buttons" and whip us into a frenzy of self-righteous feigned omniscience--is not helping a bit. In fact, take a just a minute, and tell me: other than someone who lives in your house (spouse, significant other, parent, sibling, etc), who was the last person who made you angry?
Let me take a leap here...if you're like me, it was someone you either don't know or don't interact with face to face. Was it someone who cut you off in traffic? Someone in the DMV or the grocery store?
Was it someone online? A facebook friend? A blogger? A news editor?
Was it a celebrity? A public official? Probably someone whose party affiliation is different from your own?
I could be way off. But I think when we get frustrated and angry, and when we don't have a way to work it out and reconcile with the other person face to face, as Jesus commands (see Matthew 18:15-20), it can be harmful to our souls, AND our bodies. It can make us eat too much. It can make us drink too much. It can make us spend too much. It can make us sleep too little. It can make us watch TV, go online, or play video games until our brain is ready to leak out our ears like jelly.
Or...it can drive us to drink something else altogether. Something that shows us the part of ourselves that is contributing to our anger and frustration, and what God wants to do about it. It can drive us to drink the Living Water that Jesus offers us each and every time we immerse ourselves in God's Word.
This blog is here because I often find myself frustrated. I often find that fear, anxiety, anger and even hatred are checking into the motel of my mind while I should have been at the front desk. And I believe that if I blog, not just about what makes me angry, but about what the Bible says about it, and how it can convict me and you, there's a chance it can bring us to repentance before the Living Lord, and experience the Grace of God's forgiveness. That's the hope.
So as time goes by, I'll post about what's "Driving me to Drink," and how God can quench our thirst.
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