Imagine: What did John Lennon Know About the Kingdom?

A few years ago, a friend asked me to describe my picture of the Kingdom of God. Without hesitation, I replied, "John Lennon's song Imagine." He looked at me for a few seconds, as if waiting for the punchline and then laughed. I asked him what was so funny and he answered me rather arrogantly, "Come on! That's liberal idealism. Not the Kingdom of God."

So, do I think that the Kingdom of God is nothing more than a idealistic view of the world? Well, let's take a look at Lennon's words and see. 

                                                     Imagine there's no Heaven
 It's easy if you try 

No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

No Heaven? No Hell? Well, before you accuse me of heresy, let's think about this. Before the Fall of man, things existed exactly how God had intended them to be. Life, nature, people, the world and all that existed was the completion and perfection of God's Kingdom. There was no death, so the Earth was our home. Heaven was not something to look forward to. It was reality. Nothing better existed, apart from being God.  There was no need to want or seek anything more than we had. God lived among us. Earth was basically Heaven on Earth, created for man. When sin came into the world, the perfection of Heaven became flawed, thus our need to reside in Heaven after our bodies finally died. Again, it was not the way it was supposed to be. Jesus came into the world to change the path to something different. Something better. Something real.  Heaven became a necessity, a divine plan B until His return. Yes, there is a Heaven, but it was not where we were supposed to live until there was no other option. So yes, Imagine there's no Heaven. Imagine what the Earth was supposed to be like, because in it's essence, it was a reality.   

As for Hell, it was never created for us in the first place. See Matthew 25:41. For the follower of Christ, it shouldn't even be an issue because it was never intended to have anything to do with us. Within the Kingdom of God, Hell has no relevance to us because we would never experience it. If there is a Hell, personally I don't care because I choose to imagine the Kingdom without it.
       

Imagine there's no countries 
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

Countries only exist because we created them. Again, this is actually a symptom of the Fall of man and sin entering the world. See Genesis 11:1-9. In the Kingdom of God, no countries were ever intended. No borders, so no need for differences, division, war and reasons to dominate each other. No languages to separate us. No nationalities to isolate us. No superiority so that someone else is weaker or less of a human being. And yes, no religion; only a life spent experiencing the presence of the only God in complete unity.  "All the people, living life in peace." Yes! Imagine it!

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Imagine that there is no need for possessions, because all we have and want comes from God. Imagine a life where we have no desire to have more than someone else. Imagine giving, without any desire to receive.  No keeping up with the Joneses. No need to worry about money. No power struggles. No selfish ambition or greed. No climbing the ladder of success. No retirement funds. No hunger. No poverty. No homelessness.  No healthcare. No "least of these" See Matthew 25:46 Simply imagine the entire world, living together and sharing everything we have and praising God every minute because He's provided everything we need. Not a bad thing to imagine, is it?

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Yes, you can say that I'm a dreamer, and many of you do. That's OK. But I don't think I'm the only one, am I? I think that each and every one of us have these desires for our world. Some of us may have buried them deep down inside, folded up in a file that reads: "Liberalism" "Socialism" "Utopian Nut Jobs" "Idealism"  Maybe it was thrown away all together. But were John Lennon's dreams for the world really that far off from what God wants for us all? I know nothing of his spiritual beliefs, and as far as I know, He didn't follow Christ. But does that make his vision an less real, pure or theological for that matter?
                    
What these words remind us is that it's OK to wonder what the world would be like if the Kingdom of God was here in it's fulfillment. It's what we were created for. It's how things were intended to be. And as followers of Christ, it's our responsibility. Because until Christ returns to earth one day, we're it. The Body of Christ, living and breathing in this fallen world. It's not the responsibility of governments, societies or UNICEF. Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God, we keep it going and advance it, and one day, hopefully soon, He will fulfill it. Is it easy? No. Is it realistic? No. Is it possible in? Not until Christ returns, but try. And we Imagine.           

Over There

It's easy for us to desensitize ourselves to death when it's "over there".  The memories of 9/11 are difficult for Americans because we saw it happen here. The people that suffered and died were familiar. They were like us. They were us.

But when we allows ourselves to move out of the insulated conditioning that most of us live with, we see the world differently. When we see life through the perspective of the Kingdom of God, we realize that "they", "those people", the ones "over there", are familiar as well. They are like us. They are us.

This is an email that I received this last year from a dear friend of mine, and fellow Franciscan brother. Feel the pain that he is feeling because he has chosen to see the world through this perspective. As I said in my previous blog, when we allow ourselves to mourn the loss of life anywhere in this world, the Kingdom of God is realized just a little more than it was before.

Hello All:  Asking for you to remember me in prayer today.  I believed I had made it through the 9/11 memorials without personal incident.  I avoided all references to the occasion.  But this morning as I read facebook and emails from yesterday I had a huge upwelling of anger and frustration.  I struggle with my friends and countrymen's obsession with our own losses, ignoring the massive loss of innocent life our acts of retribution have caused.  My mind flashed back to entering Baghdad in the first few days of "liberation" and seeing the city covered in small black mourning banners.    Individual families had made these banners to announce the death of a child, daughter, mother or some loved one. Estimates are 140,000 innocent civilians died in Iraq directly from warfare, the secondary death numbers are estimated at up to a million.  I have a banner I picked up from a ditch that I keep in a box in the back of my closet in memory of my complicity in the death of all the innocents.  I will carry that memory with me forever.  I try to see the experience as an uncomfortable blessing and guidance from God.  I thank you for your patience in allowing me to express my feelings this day.  Please pray for my anger to subside and that the love of Christ fills me today so that I can be a reflection of Gods love to all I encounter. 

Thank you. God Bless.

Lenten Reflections: Realistic

"Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me." - Psalm 51:5

The Psalmist came to know what we ignore.  He embraced what we reject. 

His own guilt. His own sin. His own filth. 

He owned what we refuse to buy. 


Ashes 
         to 
             ashes. 
                       Dust 
                               to 
                                   dust.

We are dust. Remember the ashes? 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

"Hey, bro. You've got dirt on your forehead."

"Really? You should see my soul!"  

 While we walk in the fog of the unrealistic, the Pslamist embraced the realistic. 

We are dust. We are filth.

But through Christ, the realistic is embraced and made clean. He doesn't see us though unrealistic eyes. He sees what is real and understands who we are. He didn't ignore our sin; He came to take it away. He came to clean us up. 

The reality of Lent is that Christ didn't come to this planet to judge the filth that we already knew we were covered with; He came to embrace the filth, live in it and give us realistic eyes. He came to bring Heaven to Earth. 

I'm filthy. You're filthy. But through Christ, we come together in complete unity; pure and clean in His Kingdom. The world's kingdoms are dumps, but together we transform this world into a playgrownd. 

Lord, help us to be mercifully realistic in our relationships with one another and with You. Help us to embrace the filth, realizing that through You, we are clean. Help us to transform this stinking dump into the Kingdom that You always had in mind: Heaven on earth. Amen   

 

     

I Disagree = I Hate You

Over the last few months, I have become more and more frustrated with division in the Church. It seems that even within the most accepting Christian communities, disunity finds it's way in, stakes a claim and develops a stronghold. The roots dig deep and are unyielding to movement. In the effort of creating open and accepting communities, we sometimes produce just the opposite. Conservative Christ followers open their doors of acceptance to "seekers", allowing them the honor of joining their "open" community, but only if you develop the same mindset. Come as you are, but only if you leave as we are.

Conversely, liberal Christian churches are just as guilty, creating an atmosphere of tolerance but only remaining tolerant if you agree with each and every aspect of their particular theology.  Rather than unity in the Church, we end up with a chaotic mess of anger and division that is hardly what Christ had in mind from the beginning.   

I try to remain as neutral as possible, realizing that we all have something to contribute to the mix. I love the words of a pastor that I used to work with who when asked about his political views said, "I love the idealism of the democrats and the pragmatism of the republicans and hate the hypocrisy of both." Rather than choosing sides, I try to see the inherent good in all people and celebrate that. By the same token, I despise hypocrisy and will point it out, regardless of theological beliefs or political ideology.  Being fairly outspoken and opinionated, I tend to get attacked from both sides. I suppose that makes me an equal opportunity offender.

When looking at divisions in the Church, I always go back to Paul's interaction with the Stoics and Epicureans at the Aeropagus in Athens. (See Acts 17:16-34)  I suppose you could classify Paul as the Conservative Fundamentalist, and the philosophers as the spiritual seekers, maybe Universalists.  Maybe just Rob Bell followers. Had to stick that one in there!  :)  I actually love Rob Bell.  But either way, Paul is presenting the truths of Christ to a group of people with very different beliefs; the antithesis of the truths that Paul is defending.  In essence, he's asking them to reject their pluralistic philosophy and beliefs, and embrace a very narrow view of theology.  Both parties had ample opportunity to begin throwing stones, especially the Athenians who were more threatened that Paul.  Division could have developed and the discussion shut down before it even began.

But something refreshing happens at the end of this discourse. Paul finishes saying what he has to say, making clear the truths of God and his belief in the resurrection through Christ. "When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council." (Acts 17:32 & 33)  

We see three interesting things in this small verse that I think can help all of us avoid some of the divisions that inundate faith communities from time to time.

1. Face it. There will always exist people that firmly and angrily disagree with you, and from time to time, you will respond with anger to those who disagree with you. (some of them sneered)  It's going to happen. We're all messed up people. Let us do the best we can to keep our hearts open and loving toward one another.  "Love one another" leaves no room for hate. (John 13)

2. Dialogue can continue, even when we adamantly disagree. "We want to hear you again on this subject." Translation: I respect your views and beliefs. I love you and would love to talk again sometime. I'll buy the coffee! 

3. Change the subject! End it! When disagreements arise and come to a stalemate, we need to learn to leave it alone for a while.  "At that, Paul left the Council."  None of us are ever going to agree on everything and it's impossible to change someone views just by a simple conversation. That's a good thing!  We all don't have to share the same beliefs in order to celebrate community together.  Disagreements do not have to equate to anger or hatred. 

Let us learn to to rejoice in what we agree on, but also celebrate our difference as well.  The journey of life and faith would be a pretty boring if we all walked upon the same path.  

  

A Lost Passage From The Gospel of John: Jesus Teaches on the Kingdom of God

From the Gospel of John.  Chapter a verse unknown

On his way to Galilee, Jesus and his disciples saw a man sitting on the side of the road.  The man appeared troubled and was weeping.  Jesus approached the man and sat beside him.

As he continued to weep, Jesus put his arm around the man and drew him close.  So the man leaned against Jesus and began to weep even more.

Jesus' disciples approach them and said, "Rabbi, who is this man to us?  Why should his troubles concern us so?"

"The weight of a mountain lies on this man's shoulders, " said Jesus, "a weight so heavy that he is not able to bear it any longer.  It is for this reason that our paths have crossed.  Where else are would we to go at this moment?  For you, the Kingdom of God lies in Jerusalem, in the streets where all can see and praise awaits you.  For you, the Kingdom of God lies in Rome, beholding a great military victory.  For you, the Kingdom of God lies in a destination.  Somewhere we must go to.  But I tell you the truth.  The Kingdom of God is here, in this moment, lifting the burdens from this man's shoulders and carrying it for him.  The Kingdom of God is here and now."

At this, Jesus' disciples were amazed and said nothing more.  They sat down with Jesus and the man and asked Jesus to teach them more about the Kingdom.  They also made a fire and prepared a meal to share together.

Jesus said to them, "Are you still unsure of what I have told you?  There is nothing more you need to know of the Kingdom of God, but what you see here.  You're questioning and doubts only delay us."

After they shared a meal together, the man looked at Jesus and said, "Lord, I see the Kingdom of God.  It is at hand and I believe in the words you speak.  I will follow you."

Jesus looked at the man with compassion.  "You do believe and you will follow. But for now, my path is not your path.  Leave your burdens here.  Go and reveal the Kingdom of God, just as you have seen it, for where you go, the Kingdom will be."

Immediately, the man got up, picked up his cloak and went on his way, praising the Lord and declaring the Kingdom of God.

Jesus' disciples said nothing, but left this place, also praising God and declaring His Kingdom in it's fullness."         

Love One Another: The Cost of Love and the Low Rate of Return

A friend of mine posted the following blog this morning.  As we approach Valentine's Day, I thought the theme of loving one another seemed to fit well.  I love reading other blogs because all of our perspectives are different when looking at the Kingdom of God and what it should look like.  In reading the thoughts of others, we often have that "light bulb" of revelation flash on and wonder to ourselves, "Why didn't I think of that?"  It may be a concept so simple, but because it was generated from another mind, it's revealed a fresh, new and vibrant.  The words of my friend Brother David Hutton represent just such a scenario and what it means to really love one another in the realm of God's Kingdom.    

We all long to see the love of God moving in people's lives through His Spirit.  We all want to see transformation and our efforts produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.  But the problem is, none of us are promised any of this in each and every situation.  As followers of Christ, we're called to be obedient to Him, His call in our life and furthering His Kingdom.  We aren't promised accolades and pats on the back.  We're not guaranteed measurable success in our ministry endeavors.  When we love others, as Christ loves us, we are never promised that others will love us back. (John 13:34-35)  What we can be assured of is that when we take steps of obedience to Christ, He is faithful and will use each word, each prayer, every touch and every dollar spent to advance His Kingdom here on earth.  Not an ounce of humble effort for God will remain ineffective.  Brother David reminds us of this in the following words.  
            

"Recently I was terminated by an incarcerated gentleman with-whom I had worked the last several months. He sent, I suppose, what could be considered the equivalent of a 'Franciscan Dear John Letter' to me from prison. He made it quite clear he didn't need my friendship or prayerful support, but instead money in his canteen fund.

He let me know honestly that he didn't appreciate anytime spent o n prayer on his behalf, the sort of support he needed was someone who could give him a place to live and a job once he was released.

I read his letter several times over (which wasn't hateful or mean spirited) and I even jotted some notes in reply, but in the end, I saw he spoke his truth plainly and honestly and threw my reply in the trash.

Had I fumbled? Maybe he thought my prayer was to change him? Instead of asking God to guide him. Had I come across with a little too much 'preferential option for the poor'? Did I lose the Man, while looking for the Soul?

Oh, I won't lie to you. I wanted him to see a loving God. One without all the trappings we some time place on God. You know the one; "God is Love". I wanted him to see the God who created us All in that image. Without exception, but I won't shove that down anyone's throat.

Maybe he knows this God of Love, but for some unsettling reason, I fear he doesn't, and that bothers me a lot. It's tough enough some days when we do know God, let alone when we think he doesn't exist or is the white bearded man casting lightening bolts on people from a golden throne in heaven. 

I don't know the outcome of this particular situation, but I hope just the same." 

None of us know the outcome of this situation, David.  But what we do know is that God does.  He knows each and every aspect of this man's future journey, and will use every amount of effort, every prayer and every loving word that you uttered as a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Capital Punishment & The Kingdom of God

Before reading this blog, please know that I am approaching this topic from a Christian perspective.  I am purposely choosing not to address this as a social issue, and not from our government's perspective on the death penalty.  My thoughts and opinions fall into the realm of the Kingdom of God and what I believe Jesus had in mind for what that Kingdom would look like.  I feel that this approach must be taken because this is an area in which we are not comparing apples to apples when choosing our stance.  If we claim to be followers of Christ, the choice must be made to follow His teachings and His alone.  To be honest, the secular opinion of American society is irrelevant in this situation.         
 
Over the last few days, there's been a lot of talk about the death penalty.  With the execution of Troy Davis in the state of Georgia, the discussion has crept up again and needless to say, opinions are very strong on this issue.  For the purpose of this blog, I will not get into the details, but in the case of Davis, evidence proves that it is very possible that he was innocent and that at the very least, the execution should have been delayed in order to re-examine the case and determine if these claims were warranted.  In my personal opinion, there is a very good chance that an innocent man was killed.  You can read the details of Troy Davis at your leisure on any of the popular news websites of your choice. 

The reason that I choose not to get into the details of Davis' case is because they are not the real issue of what we are witnessing in this situation.  Putting opinions aside of this specific case, and dismissing the fact that an innocent man may have been killed, it's imperative that we ask ourselves the question, "Should the death penalty be accepted as morally acceptable within the Christian Church?"  Whether a man is 100% innocent, or guilty of the worst atrocities that one can imagine, is it acceptable to thoughtfully consider a person's crimes and offenses by a judge and jury and make the premeditated decision to kill another human being because of the sins they have committed?  Again, I am approaching this from a Christian perspective, believing that the "murder" of another human being is a sin.  Murder in this case being considered a premeditated killing of another person that does not fall into the case of innocent accident, self-defense or government sanctioned war, in which the soldiers are doing their job commanded by the US military.  Although the instance of war could be argued from a Kingdom perspective, I'm not naive enough to believe that war can be avoided.  I am not a pacifist, but I definitely do not celebrate war, nor do I think that it should be encouraged as something good and valued from a Christian perspective.  But I'll leave that issue for another blog.        

At this point, you are probably wondering what my opinion is on the death penalty, so let me cut to the chase.  I am 100% against capital punishment.  As I stated before, I am choosing to look at this issue from a Christian perspective; not socially.  I choose to look at life from God's perspective, thus seeing all life as sacred, regardless of the horrendous acts that many people chose to commit.  Does this mean that the man, Jake Kampe, does not believe that some people are worthy of death?  No.  Does this mean that my human nature would not want to see the death and even suffering of those that kill the innocent, those that molest children and rape woman?  Does my opinion of the death penalty mean that somewhere in the dark recesses of my soul, I would resist pulling the trigger of a gun pointed at the head of someone who killed someone that I love?  My wife or one of my boys?  Let me just say that that is an area that I don't even like to think about.  The "man" is capable of much more outside the realms of God's Kingdom.  Which is why I chose to retreat within His borders.

Yes, there is violent imagery in the Old Testament and the death penalty was condoned by Mosaic Law.  But it's important to consider a few issues before we use these illustrations as a justification for capital punishment in today's society.  First of all, as a good friend of mine reminded me of today, two reputable witnesses had to be presented that both witnessed the crime deserving of death.  How often do we have one solid witness at our disposal during a trial, let alone two?  The death penalty was taken very serious in Old Testament Israel.  Which leads to the second issue: "why" was the death penalty condoned in the first place?

It's important to know what was going on in Old Testament times in terms of the Nation of Israel.  This nation was selected as God's chosen people.  These were the people that would bring God's redemptive message to the world.  These people bore the message that would eventually pave the way for Messiah, redemption and all things being made new.  A great change would eventually happen to the world and the people of Israel were the instruments that God chose to use.  Therefore, it was imperative that God protect His people regardless of the cost.  As with the seemingly ridiculous laws found in Leviticus, the death penalty was another example of the extremes God had to go through to make sure Israel survived, persevered and was protected, even from themselves.

While capital punishment may have been necessary in Old Testament times, with the coming of Christ, He in fact made "all things new".  The world had been redeemed through Him and His eventual death of the cross and His resurrection.  Jesus came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, which He did in completion and perfection on the cross.  The Kingdom of God had been inaugurated and Christ's ministry began a way of looking at the world from a radically different perspective.  The Kingdom of God is about everything that will eventually be realized.  It's not complete, but our job as the Church is to reveal it in as much completion as humanly possible, even if it makes no sense to society.  Standing against the death penalty is one of those instances.

As followers of Christ, we face a constant tension of duality.  What might be acceptable by societies standards, may not be within a Kingdom perspective.  Like I said, I may stand against war with God's Kingdom, but understand that war is an unfortunate reality in our world.  By standing against capital punishment, we are showing the world what Christ stood for in it's essence.  We show the world that we are willing to love our enemies, even when all logical reason tells us otherwise.  It shows the world that we are willing to turn the other cheek, even when our other is bloodied.  It shows the world that we are willing to lay down our sword, even when we are 100% justified in wielding it.  It shows the world a Kingdom that chooses life, not death and that it's continuing cycle will not redeem mankind.

When Jesus was confronted with the woman found guilty of adultery in John 8, he had every right to allow her to be killed.  According to Mosaic law, a woman found guilty of committing adultery could be legally stoned to death.  Jesus could have easily forgiven her of her sins, promised her eternity in paradise and given his approval for the stones to begin flying.  Instead, Jesus asks all of us to examine our own lives, drop our stones and ask a very simple question.  If the wages of sin are death, then why am I still alive?                   

9/11 Reflections - The Kingdom of America or the Kingdom of God?

Yesterday seemed to have a "feel" to it. Every year, on this solemn anniversary, it's as if a cloud descends upon my world, and the events seem to be happening in real time. Similar to Christmas Eve, the day seems to be magically alive, but not with expectation and joy, but with heavy meditation and sadness. The anniversary of 9/11 has always been a very reflective day for me. I always find time to meditate, pray, and talk with others about what we've learned from such a culture-altering event. I remember that Tuesday morning as if it happened yesterday. I remember exactly what I was doing, as I sat at my desk. I remember how the sun looked as it crept through the trees outside my office and through the window. I remember thinking that it looked and felt like Fall, although it was still very hot and humid in typical South Texas style. I remember receiving the first email about the first plane that hit the World Trade Center, and not paying much attention. And I remember the feeling of darkness I felt as I began to realize what was happening when the second plane hit. 

I also have memories that leave me feeling a little empty, saddened and a little angry. Looking back, I remember the "pep rally" atmosphere that seemed to develop almost overnight, including in the Church. Churches of all denominations began pumping their fist, chanting, "USA! USA!, wearing red, white and blue and covering the cross with the flag. When I heard the news of the first attacks on Afghanistan, I spoke to a pastor friend of mine to discuss what was going on. His reaction, "Light 'em up, baby! Light 'em up!" My heart sank, I sheepishly said, "Yeah! Right!", and quickly made an excuse to leave. But I'll admit, part of me was sharing his emotions at that time.

"Light 'em up, baby!" Think about that for a second. Like most people at that time, my friend was excited that America was retaliating. It's somewhat natural to take joy in the vindication of the evil that had been inflicted on so many innocent people. But what he was not considering was that at that very second, people were dying. His first reaction to the bombing of human beings, and what would become the beginning of a long period of war and death, was excitement. Yes, at that time, many of these people were our enemy, but whether we want to admit it or not, innocent children were dying, women were screaming and holding their babies, and men who had nothing to do with their country's politics, were doing their best to protect their families. That's the reality of war. That's the reality of a fallen world.  The same fallen world that saw the death of thousands of innocent Americans.  

Now, don't get me wrong. The events on 9/11 were tragic, and unfortunately, America had to react in some form of retaliation. I'm not advocating pacifism. I feel the same pain and sadness as any American at the loss we suffered.  What I am questioning is our "reaction"; reactions to war as Americans, specifically those of us that call ourselves followers of Christ. The Church. The Body of Christ. Should we react to war as if it is a football game? Should we cheer on the sidelines, hoping that our opponents get their skulls crushed as we rush down the field of enemy territory to victory? Or should our reaction be more solemn? Should we pump our fists in the air, chanting, "USA! USA!", or should our fists be folded in prayer, asking God to protect the innocent and allow peace to return to His kingdom quickly? Should we be so quick to wave the flag before we lift up the cross? Should our reaction be hatred for our enemies, or a nation, or should we consider the words of Jesus Himself who said, "But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44)  Those are radical words.  Difficult words.  Ridiculous words.  But that's what Jesus' Kingdom is all about.  Foolishness. 

You see, for Christians of this nation, America is not our kingdom. America did not invent Christianity and Jesus was not from the Heartland. War should not be a sporting event and we should not be so quick to pray for our team to win. Instead, should we not pray for an end to war? Should we not pray for not only the safety and protection of our country, but also the safety and protection of the world? Because whether we want to admit it or not, the entire earth belongs to the Kingdom of God. Americans, Iraqis, and Afghans are all human beings that God created. He wants ALL to be saved, not only Americans. (See 1 Timothy 2:3-7) And guess what? Even terrorists are in need of redemption.


After things settled down on 9/11, I left work and made my way to a prayer meeting at a friends house. I stopped in HEB to grab a drink and an energy bar for lunch. As I walked out, an old woman was walking toward me, weeping hysterically. She could have been my grandmother and I felt tears in my own eyes forming. As I got closer to her, she grabbed my arm and through her sobs, she began to say, "Did you see what they're doing in New York?! Did you see what their doing to us!?" I was in tears at this point and I just nodded my head. Then she said something that sums up my feelings this morning. "Just pray. OK? Please, son. Just pray."

Pray. Just pray.  This is the first year that i can honestly say that I forgive those that attacked our nation.  I can honestly say that I love them; not because of what they've done or haven't done, but because of who they were.  I love them because I see hopeless lives that came to a tragic end leaves behind a legacy of evil.  I'm saddened because I have a glimpse from God's eyes and see people that He wanted to follow Him, but drifted about as far as a human can from the true God.  

Breaking News: It is Now OK to Love Queers

If you're a Southern Baptist, great news!  It's now OK to love homosexuals!  You can now get rid of your Gaydar Detector and take a deep breath!  Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler has shaken up evangelical circles with his recent chastising of Southern Baptists and their tendency for negative treatment of homosexuals.  The Associated Press quoted Mohler as saying, "We’ve (Southern Baptists) lied about the nature of homosexuality and have practiced what can only be described as homophobia… We’ve used the choice language when it is clear that sexual orientation is a deep inner struggle and not merely a matter of choice...That doesn't mean it's any less sinful, but it does mean it's not something that people can just turn on and turn off."  He also encouraged the denomination to repent from a "form of homophobia" and condemnation, rather than granting them a spirit of love and embracing them as fellow sinners.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright has also recently challenged conservatives to refrain from using hateful rhetoric toward the gay and lesbian community and urged compassion in saying, “It’s not only upholding God’s Word, but there’s always that spirit of Jesus that we want to seek to communicate. When we feel passionately that something is wrong, we are still called to love that person who is ignoring what God’s Word says. It’s not always easy to do.”  Note that neither of these two leaders are condoning homosexuality or rejecting the traditional doctrinal belief that it is a sin.

Most of you know that I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, but don't necessarily label myself to be a Southern Baptist.  My initial reaction to these two statements was that these leaders deserve praise for taking what is proving to be a very controversial stance.  This is a huge step for a denomination that has long been considered intolerant, judgmental and even hateful toward the homosexual community.  But after meditating on this for a while, I realized that I actually have a very different perspective on this issue and wondering if it is such a good thing after all.

First of all, I am purposely not going to share my beliefs on homosexuality.  Many of you already know where I stand on this issue and if you would like to know details on how I feel personally and how I deal with this in ministry, you can always email me and I'll be glad to elaborate.  However, the purpose of my silence of personal belief is intricately intertwined with the reason I am writing this blog in the first place, and that lies in a simple question: Why?

Why does it matter?  Why is a non-Christian homosexual any different than other non-Christians and why do Christians have to be told how to treat them?  Why does it have to come to a point where two very respected Christian leaders have to remind us that we need to love our human brothers and sisters, regardless of their particular sins?  You see, whether or not you believe that homosexuality is a sin is totally irrelevant. The overshadowing element is that our personal beliefs should have no bearing on our love for one another and should have nothing to do with how we treat each other; in this case those that claims to be a homosexuals.

From the perspective of the Kingdom of God, there are two types of people that we journey through this life with: those that know the truth, love and salvation of Jesus Christ, and those that don't.  Our mission within the Kingdom should remain focused on bringing Christ's life changing message to light; not critiquing the sins of someone that needs Christ because of sin.  Whether or not homosexuality is a sin is not the point.  The point is, we're all messed up people before knowing Christ and carry a lot of crap in our baggage.  We need His unconditional love and to understand that it doesn't matter what's in the suitcase.  That's why we need Christ and that's why others come to him in the first place.  Does it matter, or should it matter why they come?  Do our individual sins calculate differently on the salvation meter?  Because I have news for you; God looks at ALL sin as repulsive, so if that disgusting spec in your neighbor's eye is causing you chronic nausea, try removing the hideous log in your own first. (Matthew 7:3) 

This reminds me of the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8.  If you aren't familiar with the story, take a look at it in John 8:3-11  The Pharisees come rushing up to Jesus with this young woman that has been sleeping around.  More than likely, she was a prostitute, in fact some theologians think that this woman could have been Mary Magdalene.  "Teacher, this skanky woman was caught screwing some guy that she's not married to!  She’s a whore!  The Law of Moses says that we should kill her!  She's not worth salvation!  She's a lost cause!  What do you think about this?"  After all is said and done, what does Jesus say to the woman?  Does He point out the fact that her sin is more repulsive than the next person?  Does He tell her to keep her legs closed, stop sleeping around and gets her life straight first, and then come back?  Instead Jesus tells her that He doesn't condemn her.  He doesn’t judge her.  He  doesn’t make her feel like an outcast, subhuman or not worthy of the Kingdom.  He accepts her as she is and asks her to leave her life of sin; not her life of sex, her life of sin.  Did you catch that?  He doesn't rate her sins on a scale of 1-10, or point out to everyone that she’s a whore.  He just says "leave it" and "come".

Come.  I like that about Jesus.  He asked people to come to Him, and they did.  When He walked the earth, he just wanted to be close to people, not caring where they’d been or what they’d done.  He just wanted people to come.  The Church is His Body, His hands and feet.  Why should we add qualifications that He never did?    

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30                 

The Kingdom of God: Where Does Our Alligience Lie?

Within theological circles, there are many views and interpretations of what Jesus meant when He talked about the Kingdom of God.  There are about 140 instances in the New Testament where this is referred to directly or alluded to in other wording.  Either way, there has been an ongoing debate about what the kingdom of God exactly referred to.  Some have claimed that the Kingdom was wholly manifest in Jesus’ presence on earth and represented in His words and deeds.  Some claim that any reference to the Kingdom is completely a reality of the future and is associated with Christ’s second coming.  The most common interpretation has to do with elements of both arguments and is sometimes referred to as the “already/not yet” tension.  In essence, the Kingdom of God was inaugurated with Christ’s first advent, exists today and will be complete when he returns again.  Today Christ’s love exists through the life of the Church, but the world is still subject to evil to some extent.  This is the view that I personally ascribe to and contextually what Scripture seems to be referring to.  (See Luke 10:9, 11:20, Matt. 3:2, Mark 1:5, Luke 17:21)    

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on what the Kingdom of God should look like and what my responsibility is within the Kingdom.  What is my responsibility and what is the Church’s responsibility in advancing the Kingdom?  Obviously, since the Kingdom of God exists, what we do with our lives has a direct effect on its manifestation and advancement.  Consequently, since there exists this “not yet” element to the Kingdom, what we don’t do, or the negative aspects of our lives, hinder the Kingdom.  The more we live as Christ and represent His Body as the Church, the more that the world will see the Kingdom and understand what God originally intended for the world.  When we live in opposition to Christ, the Kingdom is reduced to mere words, hypocrisy and a lack of belief from culture.  

I bring this up because people often ask me about my political views and party affiliation.  I admit that there was a time when I was the typical conservative right-wing Christian that had the world view that Jesus was not only American, but started His movement right here in the good old USA.  I believed that Jesus would have only voted conservative and cheered for us when the USA went to war.  As long as Jesus and His teachings lined up with that picture of American Christianity, I was OK with being His hard-line follower.  But over the last five years or so, my views have radically changed. 

 

Well, before you accuse me of being a bed-wetting liberal, communist or socialist scumbag, allow me to explain.  First of all, I don’t consider myself to be a liberal or Democrat either.  In fact, I no longer side with any political party and refuse to align myself with the “left” or “right”, unless I’m reading a map.  I’m no longer registered as a Republican voter, and will not side with the Democrats either.  I don't use God to promote my view of politics and choose coffee over tea.  For lack of other options, I assume the government would classify me as an “Independent”, but I never identify myself with that label either.  Going one step further, my citizenship as an American is secondary and not really how I identify myself as well.

 

Now, let’s be clear.  I’m not one of those people who are ashamed of America, believe in anarchy or have a Utopian view of what the world should look like.  I don’t believe in John Lennon’s “Imagined” view of life and tend to look at life through a more realistic set of lenses.  Believe it or not, I’m still a pretty black and white person.  What I’m getting at, is that if the Kingdom of God is a reality, even if incomplete, it is the Churches responsibility to make it a reality.  And the first thing we have to do is decide to put His Kingdom first, even if it means denying our allegiance to man-made kingdoms.  Jesus said, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else," (Matthew 6:33)  This is the only way that the kingdom of God will be seen as a reality and cause culture to want to be a part of it.  It has to overshadow culture, country, communities and even individual churches.

What would this look like?  Well, C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, that if Christians were functioning and living as they were originally intended to, most people would scoff and label it socialism.  And you know what?  He’s right.  If we model the early Church and all that Christ taught in the New Testament, we would be living a very socialist existence.  Selling our possessions, sharing all that we have with anyone in need, choosing non-violence and actively loving others, including our enemies, looks more like a hippie commune, doesn’t it?  But here’s the thing: these ways of living life cannot be mandated by a government and this is what this blog is all about.  The principles of socialism are not bad in and of themselves, but when a man made government initiates them, and they are based on man and not God, the end result is disastrous.  Only the Church can initiate this kind of revolutionary way of living.  Only the Church can and should look this way.  These are supernatural principles.  When we live as Christ calls us to live, people see a counter-cultural way of living and advance a Kingdom that doesn’t make a lot of sense to the world.  It really has nothing to do with politics or party affiliations.  It has to do with following a King that rules a radically different Kingdom.  It has to do with citizenship and where it ultimately lies.                       

The Practice of Love

Most of you know that I recently had the opportunity to join a community of authors in writing for The Practice of Love: Real Stories of Living into the Kingdom of God.  This is a collection of essay by a community of writers that examines what it means love God, ourselves, our neighbors and our enemies in today's culture.  We know that God has called each of us to love in extraordinary ways in all facets of life, but reality proves that this is sometimes easy said than done.  This book provides real life personal stories that will cause the reader to examine what it really means to love in the Kingdom of God.

In contributing to this project, I experienced a lot more personal spiritual insight than I thought would.  I chose to write about what it means to love our enemies because this has always been a difficult thing for me.  We live in a very self-centered culture, so our first reaction in dealing with enemies is usually to place focus on ourselves and how we've been hurt. I don't know about you, but I often think of the person who wronged me and immediately contemplate how I can get revenge and make the offender hurt as I've been hurt.  Not only that, but I usually feel the need to be justified.  What I mean is that I want the other person to realize what they've done was wrong and know, deep within their heart, that they are wrong.  Nothing aggravates me more than someone arrogantly strutting around as if they've done nothing wrong, completely oblivious to the pain they've caused me.  But as a follower of Christ, is this what He calls me to do?  Is this the kind of reaction that will advance the Kingdom of God?  Or does my returning anger with anger, only hinder others seeing the Kingdom in the way Christ wants it to be seen?  These are the questions that I wrestled with as I wrote my essay.    

Ironically enough, over the last few weeks, we have been witness to possibly the quintessential example of an enemy in Osama Bin Laden.  Consequently, with his death, we have all been given a opportunity to examine this issue in the clearest example that we will probably ever have before us.  To me, it was as if God revealed this scenario to me and said, "OK.  You just wrote an essay on what it means to love your enemy, right?  Well, here's THE enemy.  Love him."  Really, God?  I tell you that it's hard for me to swim and you throw me in the middle of the ocean?     

After my experience with The Practice of Love, I find myself wanting to love more.  Specifically, I find myself wanting to expand the way that I love my enemies.  Basically, I came to a realization that I don't want to hate anymore.  I don't want to judge anymore.  I'm finding that I don't feel the need to be "right" all the time, and "win" the arguments, whatever "winning" means.  Instead of actively seeking reasons to be angry with my enemies, dislike or even hate them, I'm learning to seek out ways that I can love them.  What are ways that I can connect with that person and find unity?  Whether or not they "feel" my love for them, how can I really love them, and more importantly,what does that look like in the Kingdom of God?

Those of you that know me, know that I can have somewhat of a temper.  It doesn't take much to set me off, and usually that comes out in dealing with my enemies.  But many years ago, a mentor of mine gave me some advice that I've never forgotten.  It was one of those gems of wisdom that is written on your soul, under the file name: Wisdom.  This man, that was quite a bit older than me, recognized that I often got angry with those that hurt me.  Not only that, but he also recognized that I had the somewhat obsessive desire to "be right" or "win" the argument.  One day, he sat me down and said the following: "Jake, people are going to wrong you throughout your life.  It's going to happen again and again.  But YOU have the choice of how you are going to react to them.  Why is it so important for you to be justified?  Instead, allow them to believe that they've won.  For whatever reason, they felt the need to hurt you.  Let them have it.  It's theirs.  Instead, find a way to do something kind for them.  Find a way to show love to them.  By doing that, you will almost always soften their hearts.  When that happens, then, and ONLY then, can you sit down with them, explain how they hurt you.  99% of the time, they will understand and ALLOW you to be justified.  Then you both win.  That's a better deal, right?"  Yes, Pat.  That's a much better deal.  Thank you.

Norms & Fringes

I got into an interesting conversation this week with a good friend of mine.  We're about the same age and started discussing the punk movement of the late 70s and early 80s that we grew up with.  Neither of us were really considered "punks", but we listened to the music and were influenced a great deal by the philosophies that arose from the culture.  As we talked, we began to ask each other how this type of culture compares to the "norm" of society today.  What determines "normal" American culture?  What determines some groups to be considered "sub-cultures" of fringes of society?  Is there a "right" and "wrong" way of living, simply in terms of amoral lifestyles?  Who sets the standards, and are those standards necessarily deemed as "normal" just because they have been determined to be standards?

Meditating further on this, we discussed trends in history and how other countries have followed similar paths.  Western culture differs greatly from Eastern, and influences in philosophy, as well as religion, have developed the images we as common.  We see this in the development of the enlightenment, modernity and the post-modern culture of today.  My friend also pointed to the fact that authority has great influence on what is considered normative, and results in the inevitable descent and those groups that consequently become subcultures.  Regardless if something is considered moral, those in authority dictate what is considered "normative" and to a great extent, how a culture develops over time.  You can see this narrowed down from state to state, and even city to city.  Any way you look at it, a great deal of normative and fringe culture comes down to one thing: authority.

My friend asked me what I think the standard looks like, and if there is a so called standard, then what does the fringes look like.  I'm a very visual person, so I instantly came up with a picture in my mind.  Think of a tree branch with several smaller branches stemming from the main one.  The main branch would be the average American picture of normal and the smaller branches would be considered fringes, or possibly subcultures.  However, that got me thinking as well.  Normal would depend of the culture you reside in, right?  The normal branch will look different for me because of the culture I currently live in.  For me, it's the typical suburban, minivan, 2.5 kids, soccer on Saturday picture of Americana.  But for someone living in Manhattan, their picture of normal is going to look very different.  Hence, the fringes are going to look different as well.  So depending on what the main branch looks like, the smaller branches are going to vary in how they look and what might dictate them to be such.  A fringe branch may be a main branch in other circumstances and cultures, and vice-versa.         

So, this got me thinking about culture and how it all coincides with faith.  One of the basic tenants of Christianity is that God is our ultimate authority for life and how we live.  Through prayer, revelation and Scripture, He communicates the details of His standards and we follow suit the best we can by implementing these aspects into our life.  When you think about this from one perspective, there would consequently be a normative life picture that would develop, right?  But let's look at this from another perspective.  Let's look at this from the point of implementation.  How I implement God's standards into my life may not look like someone else's implementation because of the culture we each live in.  From person to person, each may be identically incorporating God's standards into their lives, but from a cultural standpoint, they may look very different.  One may appear to be socially normal, and the other may seem to be in the fringes.

But when we look at culture from God's perspective, we see that the normative lines of society fade quite a bit, don't they?  When choosing to live in the Kingdom of God as a reality, we begin to see that the only authority worth serving is the one who rules the Kingdom.  Instead of setting cultural guidelines for normal living, He simply sets standards for the citizens to live by.  The normal becomes relative, as well as the fringes because we no longer few each other according to "normative" aspects.  The man in the business suit walks side by side with the skinhead.  The doctor shares a meal with a homeless man.  The drug addicted prostitute shares coffee with the stay at home mom.  The former Pharisee and murderer of Christian talks philosophy and theology with some Epicureans and Stoics. (See Acts 17:16-34)  Neither one sees each other as above or beneath.  Just citizens of in the Kingdom, following a higher standard than culture can dictate.  Do this sound like a Utopian view of life?  Idealistic?  Liberal?  Maybe.  But isn't that what the Kingdom of God is?  Isn't this more of what the King wants from His citizens?  And imagine what this would this look like in American culture?

Drunks and the Kingdom of God

Lots of talk about community these days, and specifically what "real" Biblical community really is.  You may have heard the question asked many times, "What does real Biblical community look like?"  Hmmmmm.  You know, I'm actually not quite sure what the answer is.  I'm not even sure that it's a legitimate question.  I guess it would be similar to asking, "What do "real" people look like?"  Sure, there are certain distinguishing characteristics that make a human being a human being, but the individual details are so varied that one cannot paint a broad enough picture to include every single personal scenario.  In the same way, Biblical community is difficult to classify.  Sure, there are certain, and very specific requirements for a community to be classified as "Biblical", but each community differs drastically because of the individuals that represent the community.  And that's the one aspect that gives Biblical community such a vast array of images: Individuals.      

Last week a friend of mine invited me to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.  I'll admit; I had no idea what to expect, but he did a pretty good job explaining the gritty details of what I might experience.  But as usually happens, the picture that I had in my mind did not represent reality.  Let's admit it.  For people that have never been to a meeting, the name Alcoholics Anonymous might bring to mind certain cliche images.  A group of old timers, with visible signs of years of alcohol abuse?  Tattoos? Chain smokers talking about how they are coping with day to day life?  Motor cycle riders?  Auto mechanics?  Aging musicians?...Wait a second...Doctors?  Lawyers?  Teachers?  Pastors?  Coaches?  Moms?  Dads?  Me?

My point is that from my perspective, many different types of people was represented in this community.  In fact, it was one of the most eclectic groups of people that I have ever seen.  And that got me thinking.  When we look at our Biblical communities, what do we see?  How varied are the personalities, lifestyles, backgrounds, nationalities?  Can we honestly say that our communities represent all, walks of life?  Even many walks of life?  Is it easier for culture to describe what the typical Christian might looks like?  Think about your church.  Think about your small group.  Think about your Sunday School class.  What do you see?

Now don't get me wrong.  I'm not making a blanket statement that indites the entire Church.  I've been in many Biblical communities that range in age, color, nationality and even sexual orientation.  But in my experience, this is unfortunately not the norm in today's culture.  After visiting Alcoholics Anonymous, I found myself asking a very sobering question: Do these meetings represent more of what a church should look like?  Is this more the kind of honest, open and trusting community that our Biblical communities should try and emulate?  Granted, there were aspects absent that would theologically not classify AA as a "Biblical" meeting, or church for that matter.  But I'm talking more about the "communal" aspects.

Just for a few minutes, think about the human condition, and just how messed up we are without the saving grace of Christ.  Think of what we are capable of doing without God's guidance.  Think about the awesome unconditional love of Christ.  Think about the outcasts that Jesus surrounded Himself with when He walked the earth.  Think about those he turned away, or those that wanted nothing to do with Him.  Now think about those that fill our churches.  Our small groups.  Our Bible studies.  Compare and contrast.  How often does someone walk in off the street, sit down among us and announce for all to hear:

"Hi!  I'm Jake.  And I'm a messed up sinner with a messed up life."

"Hi Jake!" 

(Insert hug here)