Haiti relief… and Pat Robertson

Earlier this week I was seeing and reading the first reports of the earthquake in Haiti and at almost the same time confronted with video of Christian “leaders” (quotes indicate sarcasm) like Pat Robertson painting those same earthquake victims as God-less scum. Suffice to say, I found it hard to contain myself, and didn’t…

Here was my immediate reaction at the time on facebook:

“Pray for Haiti (despite the fact that Pat Robertson says they deserve it because of “selling themselves to the devil” …in all Christian love, I hate that guy).”

and later I wrote:

I do think that it has been far too long that people like Pat have been given a soapbox to speak for all of Christendom… purveying hate and the complete opposite of love for people of other cultures and ideals. Pat has been quoted in the past as saying that “Katrina was God’s retribution against the sinfulness of New Orleans” and other such horrible unloving nonsense. Now he is saying that Haiti made a pact with the devil to gain independence, and now they are getting their divine justice…

That kind of “Christian leadership” does NOT represent the attitudes or beliefs of the majority of Christians, and it is high time we say so. The people of Haiti deserve empathy, mercy, and love… along with all those who suffer terribly.

Now, I didn’t start thinking this way on my own… in fact, I should probably take a moment to credit Brian Mclaren, Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, and others for the ideas. Not that I am quoting them, nor probably doing their writings justice, but at least the attitude of purveying love and mercy rather than judgment and condemnation has come straight from their pages.

…and in that vein, I spent the better part of the week seeking how to deal with my emotions concerning those like good ol’ Pat. I HATE IT when people say things like “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” 99.999% of the time, that actually means, “I have an excuse to justly proclaim condemnation over you while [falsely] saying I care about you. What I actually care about is making sure you follow the rules, and if not, you’re out.” You most commonly hear this kind of two-faced talk when speaking with persons who are Christian and anti-gay when referring to gay individuals.

Now, don’t get hung up on the last sentence of the last paragraph… because I almost caught myself this week thinking the same way about Pat.  I caught myself thinking, “I believe in mercy for all persons, but I really hate what this guy says. I can’t love him at all because of what he says.”

Now, I will still say that I completely disagree with him. I completely disagree with his approach to ministry. From a ministry stance, I can boldly say that he does not speak for the majority of Christians, and certainly not for me. But what about my personal feelings toward him? On a personal level, I fight the feeling of utter disgust for Pat Robertson and others like him.

Suffice to say, I’ve mulled this around quite a bit, and I don’t have a cohesive conclusion yet. However, this blog by Donald Miller (author of Blue like Jazz) gave me a good alternative view… at least, a starting place.

A Response to Pat Robertson’s Comments about Haiti by Donald Miller

Struggling with criticism…

I recently read this blog post by author Brian Mclaren and it helped me a lot. I find that when in ministry you become an easy target for people to fire at… and despite repeated mantras of “It’s almost never about you,” or “Don’t take it personally,” it is still an ongoing struggle to absorb that kind of “surprisingly vicious, factually irresponsible, and admirably persistent” criticism (quote per Brian’s post). Hope this helps you as much as it did me!

Enjoy!
http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/q-r-on-liberal-and-conservative.html

Ancient words ever true, changing me, changing you…

We have come with open hearts, now let the ancient words impart.

Here, a familiar exchange…

“At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,” said the gentleman, taking up a pen, “it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.”

“Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge.

“Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge. “Are they still in operation?”

“They are. Still,” returned the gentleman, “ I wish I could say they were not.”

“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?” said Scrooge.

“Both very busy, sir.”

“Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,” said Scrooge. “I’m very glad to hear it.”

“Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,” returned the gentleman, “a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?”

“Nothing!” Scrooge replied.

“You wish to be anonymous?”

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.

I saw George C. Scott utter these words so convincingly as I watched the 1984 version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” today on television… words written in a book published in 1843.

If you take a moment to read the preface to the book, Charles Dickens offers a word to his readers…

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.

Though lighthearted, I love how he uses the phrase “may it haunt their houses”… Maybe the following lines should haunt us even today as we debate issued such as equal rights for all, or health care for those without… maybe we have our modern day “Tiny Tim’s” staring us in the face…

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faultered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

It held up its chain at arm’s length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again.

“At this time of the rolling year,” the spectre said, “I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!”

May no one wish to lay these words aside at this season, or any other.

A thought as we celebrate Thanksgiving, begin Advent…

Maybe your passion is with the people of Africa, or possibly somewhere else… China, Guatemala, or the streets of Washington D.C., Detroit, or your own city… but wherever your heart is, remember those people first as we progress through this holiday season.  Seek to set aside the cultural drive to spend inordinate amounts of money and time on “great deals” and “black friday doorbusters.” Rather, allow God to expand your worldview… use you to express love to the least… give hope to the hopeless… pray WITH those who are in need.

Take a moment to watch this video, and even if Africa isn’t where your heart is, let the idea of this video inspire you for wherever your heart is.

 

A good blog to read…

I just wanted to draw attention to the blog of a good pastor friend of mine… Charlie Farnum regularly gives his thoughts as he explores the lectionary in a way that relates well to contemporary thinkers and believers.  His blog is a great tool to those who want to explore marking time through the Christian year… exploring a deeper spirituality both in study and action. Check it out today!

Listening to the Lectionary <<<Click here!

Eight pointed star…

I recently had a church member ask me if the ear plugs (3/4″ for you piercing aficionados) that I wear were pentagrams… as they are a star inside a circle. I found this an interesting question, as it is loaded with implication… mostly down the road that pentagrams, or five pointed stars, are the representation of evil.

Let’s unpack that very briefly…

The meaning of multi-point stars have changed and been adopted/re-adopted over the years by many religions and sects. It is an interesting study. However, five (5) pointed stars have been predominantly a Christian symbol until the last 100 years or so. Modern fundamentalists would view the pentagram as evil, although, only when used upside down would the meaning actually ever be considered counter to Christian teachings (with the “top point” symbolizing Spirit at the bottom instead of the top, thus subverted). Here is an interesting article on pentagrams and their meanings:

http://www.angelfire.com/id/robpurvis/pentagram.html

But… alas, my ear plugs are not pentagrams. They are eight (8) pointed stars. I think they have a very profound meaning… see for yourself here:

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/symbols/8-point-star.htm

So, the lesson I would hope we can all learn from this is that most symbols have much deeper meanings than those we have been taught to automatically assume. Symbols litter our churches, logos, and even our choices of body piercings and tattoos… and litter they will stay until we dig deeper to explore the rich artistic and tradition-laden meaning behind these simple relics.

…and thus ends our lesson of the day. Blessings to you all!

An article for my worship leader friends…

Are churches offering worship to God or to worship leadership? Are our hearts as worship leaders centered on the true purpose of worship? Are we demonstrating that purpose with our own lives?

…a great article addressing these questions… check it out!

Christianity Magazine – “Worship Idol”

I’ll admit that I think this article is a bit harsh at times on worship leaders. It is easy to question the motives and “heart” of worship leaders because they are on stage, or get paid… but often the average church community member does not get to know the person before making such judgments.

My only major feedback would be that you get to know the person before you start offering your criticisms. Just because someone plays electric guitar with intensity does not mean that they want to be a famous rock star. True Christian relationships mean that you have an intimate community… and only in that kind of close-knit love can you offer genuine criticisms that edify instead of tear-down. Worship leaders are just people on a journey like anyone else.

Cash for clunkers = more cash for the rich

So, I’m thinking tonight about this new C.A.R.S. program… lovingly dubbed “Cash for Clunkers”…  that the government has recently instituted. The media loves it, and car dealers are falling all over themselves to up-sell the idea along with their own special spins and deals.

Problem is… this program only applies to new cars at car dealerships.

#1 – Screw the poor, we want new cars!

Anybody see where I am going with this? Ok… first, even with the (up to) $4500 CARS rebate, a new car is likely to cost you over $10k. A single person living even slightly above the poverty line would struggle to purchase a new car in the $10 – $15k range. This would be a standard payment of around $200-250/mo. If you look at your average lower middle class family living just above the poverty level, this would become almost impossible (especially assuming that they bought a “family size” sedan or other vehicle with a payment slightly higher). Taking it a step further down the ladder, your average American living in working poverty would  be taken totally out of the game.

So… point #1 is that basically this program is only for those with a solid middle class or higher income. These are the people who can typically afford to purchase vehicles on an as-needed (but maybe not “as-wanted” basis). Why do we need to subsidize those who already have the means to function comfortably? Oh yeah… because we need to create a false market to boost business for an otherwise failing industry… with tax dollars…

So, we’re not actually rebuilding the market… nor creating a sustainable system with our tax-to-business subsidies… instead we’re using taxpayers’ own dollars to create a temporary false market to make us feel good about buying more new stuff (incurring more debt) while not moving an iota toward actually solving any economic problems (nor the addiction to spending and debt that got us here to start with).

What’s that old saying about addiction? The addict will typically go right back to their bad habits if given the chance… and just use the new information learned to further justify their addiction. Cash for clunkers is like taking an advance on your credit card to buy cocaine. We’re taking an advance on our tax funded economic bailout money to fund our craving for more STUFF.

#2 – You want capitalism? nah… we want BIG BUSINESS!

All of those out there who love capitalism are quick to fight hard for a free market. Bet at least 50% of them just bought a new car and got their CARS rebate though… and why? Because capitalism, like any other ideology, goes straight out the window when personal gain comes into play.

Now… I’m not keen about making a pro-capitalism argument… but think about this… America loves capitalism soooo much, but the little guy always gets the short end of the stick. Who is the little guy in this case? Well, do you have a car for sale in your front yard priced more than a few thousand dollars? Hope not… because it will be there a good long while. Why? because the government doesn’t subsidize your private sale, just the big business dealers’.  So, while we’re artificially boosting dealer sales, nobody is monitoring how many thousands of cars are going unsold in front yards across America.

Who does this hurt?

Well, who would need to sell their car the most? Perhaps those who are falling on hard economic times and needing the cash to survive. Possibly those families who are acting responsibly and reducing their situation to a one-car-family. Basically, anyone who isn’t willing or able to trade it in for a brand spankin’ new dealership car (and a boat-load of debt).

All of this is in addition to the fact that most private car sales are a cash transaction… which is far more responsible and good for the long term economy than incurring more debt. Our government is actively encouraging more personal debt… coupled with taxpayer funded government debt (the rebate)…as a “viable” alternative to responsible financial management.

This is one of those moments where theology meet action. As an act of social justice and responsibility, I will NOT be taking advantage of this program. I encourage you to consider doing the same.

TV/Radio teaches me how to treat people as inhuman…

My wife suggested that I watch this YouTube video (audio recording) today of Glen Beck on his radio show. Now, I present to you…

“How to treat people as inhuman.”

Total lack of respect for human beings… the mainline view of TV and radio “news network” hosts.

“Argument against the idiots” is the name of his new book… Glen says, “The best book we’ve ever done”

“Idiots like this woman…”

He never once let her finish a sentence. He was constantly patronizing from the moment the phone call began… there was no conversation going on there at all… just disrespect (and the hilarious yet stunning screaming). Then, at the end of the clip he is justifying the disrespect with calling her (and everyone who disagrees with his new book) an idiot… and all you have to do is read his book (which he won’t quote or discuss with this lady) to get the “facts and logic.”

wow.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of Glen Beck… nor any other opinionated over-the-top TV/radio host… but really… about these TV “news” networks. They promote people like this, and teach Americans that this is how we decide issues… we disrespect and patronize each other, never allowing anyone to actually speak or have an opposing opinion. If they disagree, they are a “pinhead” or “idiot”  …either way, subhuman… and then we from there can treat them any bad way we want. We wonder why entire groups of people then act this way in real life. Both sides do this…. this is not a purely conservative or liberal issue. It is not just the politicians and talking heads… it is the soccer moms and regular church-goers.

I don’t care what your politics are… if at any point they lead you to stop caring for ANY real person… cause you to disrespect another human being… or act as a justification for conducting  yourself in a way that sub-humanizes other people groups… You sir/ma’am have lost your own humanity. Fail.

Tattoos, piercings, etc. (Pt. 2)

In part one we covered some biblical justification for why Christians should feel comfortable embracing tattoo culture. The overall goal here is to bring some of these topics to light, discuss them, and begin to erode away some of the old biblical arguments which Christians have typically used as an excuse to show disgust or disrespect toward fellow tattooed or pierced human beings. Although I may not succeed in getting rid of the attitude, at least it is on them now, rather than justified through their faith.

Now, in part two, I would like to touch briefly on two inter-related topics:

• Stewardship
• The Human Perspective

Editorial Note: This blog entry is not meant to be exhaustive… so I will leave out the extensive scriptural references, or at least save them for another day when I can spend far more time on it.

Stewardship and tattoos (and other body mods)

A steward is defined as a person who manages another’s property, finances, or other affairs (Source: answers.com). In the Christian context, this is an integral theology. God has given us the earth, the animals, other people, and ourselves to care for… but not ownership.

As a steward you must attempt to follow the intent and wishes of the owner (in this case, the God of creation) as best as possible when you are exercising care over the property (creation).

Throughout the Bible we see the intent of God for his creation. Clearly there is not enough time to fully explore issues of creativity, justice, caring for the poor/disinfranchised, the role of humans as God’s image-bearers, etc… but here are a few references that you can look at to remind yourself:

• Matthew 25:36
• Acts 20:35
• James 2:1-3
• 1 John 3:17

and yes, those all relate to the poor… I told you this was not going to be exhaustive. My point at the moment is, however, that if we are to be stewards of all creation, including ourselves and those around us, I would propose that getting a tattoo (in some cases) would be in the same category as buying a sports car.

Consider for a moment that many tattoos are for your own personal satisfaction. Even those who get religious artwork inked are typically doing so more for themselves than as a witness or ministry tool. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, however, from a Christian perspective, we are called to think beyond personal satisfaction, and consider the use of our money wisely. So, my only major thought here is that tattoos (and various other body mods) are expensive ($200 – $500 for the avg. tattoo), so would that money be better spent elsewhere (such as serving someone needy).

What I am NOT saying is that art is a friviality or a misuse of money. Art, inside the “Christian context” or outside, can be a great tool in displaying the needs in the world, the quest for justice for the suffering, or the deep hidden emotions of the human heart (among countless other things).

In fact, art can be one of the greatest conveyors of a message… often easily creating what author N. T. Wright calls the “thin places” where people can experience the divine… sometimes far beyond what mere words can say. Art can express the needs for justice, the suffering of the war-torn, or the wanderings of the heart in fresh unheard ways. You can read more about that in some of my previous blog entries.

Tattoo art is not necessarily frivilous, like a sports car, but I think it boils down to thoughtful and prayerful intent. Thoughts need to surface inside your thinking mind that fully understand your intent and goals through getting the tattoo. Then, your prayers need to seek the desire of God in your life, body, and money to determine his guidance in your choice. I won’t go beyond that statement, because anything further would be legalistic. Your choice is between you and God… my encouragement is simply to seek what God asks of us outside of ourselves (especially when spending money in our ultra-consumerist culture).

God can use body mods for ministry

My personal experience has been that my extensive piercings and tattoos have opened ministry doors that otherwise may have been shut. Many groups of individuals within certain american sub-cultures have easily embraced me as a friend and peer where their attitudes toward a typical “straight-laced” Christian would have been extremely negative.

Friendships and community are so integral to a true Christian relationship. If you can’t get your foot in the door, chances are good that they’ll never hear the message… at least not from you.

We are not all the same. God calls us where we are, and his relationship with us is not conditional upon a certain selection of clothing, jewelry, or artistic taste.

Christians in churches often ask me, “why do you have all of those piercings?” Often their question smacks of a bit of shock and disgust along with curiosity.

Almost always my reply is, “This is not for you, but please consider those that it might be for. God loves all different kinds of people.”