"Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10
I have to confess, I have been a little hooked on a computer game lately. It's called Sid Meier's Civilization IV. The object of the game is modest: all you have to do is build a modern civilization from scratch, and compete with others to become the greatest empire in the history of humanity. Easy enough, right? I admit, I still haven't beaten the computer, though it's not for lack of late nights playing. Laura laughs at me for getting so engrossed in the game, but if she can wile away the hours playing Words with Friends, I figure we can both have our quirks.
It's amazing how deep the human competitive streak runs, even when you're competing against a bunch of pre-set algorithms, and much more so when it's against other people. I remember an effort at Trinity Seminary called "Here I Step," where every student was given a pedometer, and various small groups competed against each other to get the most steps in a month. Chain stores will often pit franchises against one another in friendly sales competitions, igniting a fire in the belly of which you'd never know retail outlets were capable.
So as I was thinking about this--and about how, I'm a little embarrassed to admit, I've lost some sleep this week playing this silly computer game--and the genius of Paul's exhortation to Christians in Rome really showed. "Outdo one another in showing honor." If we're wired in this funny, competitive way, we may as well get some mileage for God's Reign out of it. If we're the type of people who treat everything as a contest, why not have the contest be showing honor to others, and placing others' interests above our own? Jesus' announcement that coming in first in his Reign means being last of all and servant of all has a similar flavor...although if the disciples were anything like my sisters and me when my parents first taught us about this, they must have just scrambled and threw elbows to get to the back of the line and the bottom of the dogpile, just as hard as they had been scrambling to get to first place. It could be a lot worse.
I was taking a walk with Maggie and Soren today, and it occurred to me that while we were enjoying the scenery, we might as well pick up a few pieces of trash. Before we knew it, our pockets were full and the trail looked nicer. Now, I see folks walking up and down this trail all the time--almost every time I go to work. And not to judge a book by its cover, but the folks I see mostly don't look like a bunch of Snickers-eating litterbugs. But they clearly aren't the "start/end your jog by picking up one, single solitary piece of trash" set, either, because otherwise the trail would be pristine. I think, if most folks are like me, they tend to skip over tasks they'll just have to do again later, and that nobody will be likely to know or care if you do in the first place. It takes some reflection to realize how the conscientious folks out there probably outnumber the (physical and social/spiritual) litterbugs two to one, and if we just focused on staying one step ahead of them, God's Reign would have chances to break in all over the place.
So, all my software/app designer friends, I have a brainstorm: How about "Actions with Friends", a game you could play online, based on actual actions you do. Sort of like "Horse" on the basketball court. "Hey, I just gave $20 to malaria relief. Beat that!" "Okay, I'll match the $20, plus I'll tutor a kid this week. In yo FACE!" (OK, maybe the trash talk needs work, but I think there's potential here, no?) Who will go home with the trophy? Get your brackets ready, cause it's on!
Maybe that seems a little silly, or beside the point of serving. And honestly, it kind of is. We do loving actions, not to show up our friends, but because Jesus first loved us. But even Paul made it clear that good things can come even from pretty lame motivations. Heck, maybe Jesus was on to something by calling twelve bull-headed, twenty-something dudes to follow him. Don't tell me they wouldn't have gotten a little intense on the basketball court if they were alive today! And what we got was the original Jesus movement that became the Church we have today. God uses even the sides of us we're a little embarrassed by. It makes for a pretty exciting faith walk, if you ask me.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
It’s almost Mothers’ Day. I’m rejoicing today to be married to such a wonderful, loving Mama for my kids, with whom I’m so proud to be teamed up. I’m thanking God for my own mother, for her mother and my Dad’s mother, and for all the mothers who formed them. I’m lifting up praises for all my “mothers” in Christ, from Sunday School teachers to youth leaders, to faithful women who have gone before, whose testimony has been fuel for my faith.
But what’s driving me to drink this week is how our society devalues mothers, by reducing motherhood to a biological event to be debated, rather than a spiritual relationship to be nurtured.
Our neighbors in Virginia have recently become a flashpoint of this national debate.
God loves mothers. In fact, in several places the Bible says God is like our Mother. But I think the conversation about mothering—and parenting, in general—has gotten derailed by the conversation about what degree of choice women should have about actually becoming mothers.
I hear Biblical proof-texts from both sides of the abortion debate (an overwhelming majority from the “pro-life” side, but there are a few brave souls who dare contradict them on the basis of scripture). I don’t want anyone to take away from this post that there is no theological merit to having this discussion, or no theological principles (not single Bible verses, but general principles arising from the heart of the Bible, not its pinky toe!) on which to have a faithful discussion. I think there is a faithful discussion to be had, and we are going to have to keep plugging away at it, engaging those with whom we disagree, striving with all our might not to break the eighth commandment by calling into question others’ motives and faithfulness, or the fifth by seeking to “destroy” one another with words...or worse.
But what about that fourth commandment? You know…”Honor your father and mother”? It’s much less provocative and much less likely to grab headlines. But where is the energy and passion for honoring good moms, and seeking to form more of them? Where’s the outcry for raising up daughters who will make good mothers, and who will make good, faithful, and loving choices for their children, both before AND after they are born? Where is the army of lawyers and lobbyists devoted not to the debate about a woman’s choice to give birth, but to giving her the choice to raise children who will actually live an abundant life, have enough food on the table, be likely to graduate high school, be unlikely to get kidnapped into the drug culture, or to get asthma from living in a polluted neighborhood? Where are the business owners who are so devoted to the sanctity of life, that they will allow for fair health benefits, flexible schedules, reasonable maternity (and paternity) leave, and a work environment that supports and works with working moms and dads?
The Bible has an awful lot to say about the sanctity of life, and about personal responsibility, and we do well to pay attention to that. But just as loud and clear rings the voice of societal responsibility for those in need of aid. I think we can reasonably make a connection between the countless Old Testament calls to “care for the widow and the orphan”, and God’s call for us today: that if we’re going to go to bat for the unborn (and why wouldn't we?), that we also go to bat for the moms (and dads) who will bring them into the world, often under tremendously difficult circumstances.
Let’s honor moms this year, and every year, not just with flowers, chocolates and breakfast in bed (although all three are a good idea!) but by making this world a little bit more supportive of a place to be a mom.
But what’s driving me to drink this week is how our society devalues mothers, by reducing motherhood to a biological event to be debated, rather than a spiritual relationship to be nurtured.
Our neighbors in Virginia have recently become a flashpoint of this national debate.
God loves mothers. In fact, in several places the Bible says God is like our Mother. But I think the conversation about mothering—and parenting, in general—has gotten derailed by the conversation about what degree of choice women should have about actually becoming mothers.
I hear Biblical proof-texts from both sides of the abortion debate (an overwhelming majority from the “pro-life” side, but there are a few brave souls who dare contradict them on the basis of scripture). I don’t want anyone to take away from this post that there is no theological merit to having this discussion, or no theological principles (not single Bible verses, but general principles arising from the heart of the Bible, not its pinky toe!) on which to have a faithful discussion. I think there is a faithful discussion to be had, and we are going to have to keep plugging away at it, engaging those with whom we disagree, striving with all our might not to break the eighth commandment by calling into question others’ motives and faithfulness, or the fifth by seeking to “destroy” one another with words...or worse.
But what about that fourth commandment? You know…”Honor your father and mother”? It’s much less provocative and much less likely to grab headlines. But where is the energy and passion for honoring good moms, and seeking to form more of them? Where’s the outcry for raising up daughters who will make good mothers, and who will make good, faithful, and loving choices for their children, both before AND after they are born? Where is the army of lawyers and lobbyists devoted not to the debate about a woman’s choice to give birth, but to giving her the choice to raise children who will actually live an abundant life, have enough food on the table, be likely to graduate high school, be unlikely to get kidnapped into the drug culture, or to get asthma from living in a polluted neighborhood? Where are the business owners who are so devoted to the sanctity of life, that they will allow for fair health benefits, flexible schedules, reasonable maternity (and paternity) leave, and a work environment that supports and works with working moms and dads?
The Bible has an awful lot to say about the sanctity of life, and about personal responsibility, and we do well to pay attention to that. But just as loud and clear rings the voice of societal responsibility for those in need of aid. I think we can reasonably make a connection between the countless Old Testament calls to “care for the widow and the orphan”, and God’s call for us today: that if we’re going to go to bat for the unborn (and why wouldn't we?), that we also go to bat for the moms (and dads) who will bring them into the world, often under tremendously difficult circumstances.
Let’s honor moms this year, and every year, not just with flowers, chocolates and breakfast in bed (although all three are a good idea!) but by making this world a little bit more supportive of a place to be a mom.
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