Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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The radical call of Jesus

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Radical ChurchWhile growing up in the church, I did not grasp the radical nature of Jesus as he encountered the world in which he lived.

We think that things are so much different today as compared to Jesus’ world. But are they? If the people of the Jesus’ world were alive today what would it look like?

Jesus would have gone to Wall Street or perhaps Washington, D. C. to recruit Matthew. James, John and Peter would have been found at the Union Hall, standing around the bed of a pickup truck with a cooler full of cold drinks. Jesus would have pulled Judas from an Ivy League business school.

Pharisees would be using conservative talk radio to get out their message of pulling yourself up by your theological and economic bootstraps. The Sadducees would be on NPR preaching their message of universal tolerance. The Zealots would be buying land in Idaho and arming themselves to prepare to overthrow the oppressive government. Name any other broad category of people in  Jesus’ day and you can find a modern parallel.

The point is that Jesus called men from various backgrounds and pointed them all in a new and completely different direction.

In 21st Century America, we too often come to Jesus and add him to our current lifestyle rather than allow him to redirect our lives. Conservatives seek support for their economic policies in the Old Testament. Liberals seek support for their agenda from some of Jesus’ statements.

The Son of God is not a liberal or a conservative, he is not pro democracy nor is he a socialist. Jesus did not fit into any of the popular categories of his day, nor does he fit into the categories in ours. He defies the world’s categories and sets up one new one. We are either completely his or we are not.

Too often we Christians group ourselves into bodies based on our preferences that have nothing to do with the Gospel. We associate with people who look and act just like us. But look at the diversity in the first disciples of Jesus. For example, Matthew was a tax collector and a de facto supporter of Rome. Simon was a zealot who wanted to break the grip of Rome. Apart from Jesus, these two would be mortal enemies. But as a result of the call of Jesus, they lived and worked together.

Jesus was a radical. He did not fit into any of the categories of the world around him. If we are comfortable in any of the categories in our world then perhaps we’ve missed something in our understanding of Jesus’ call.

Don’t quit your day job

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Flock of BirdsMy day job has kept me very busy of late and there has been less time to sit and reflect. Social events and family obligations have also contributed. But none of these tell the entire story as to why I haven’t posted.

This week my thoughts were like a pack of birds in a field. I could see them from afar, but when I got close to one, the entire pack would fly away. For this reason, I haven’t posted since Monday and that post was queued up for a while in advance.

I am reading through Numbers right now for devotional reading. One of the recurring themes in that book is that God does not look favorably on a rebellious heart. God also takes sin very seriously and the remedy for sin is costly. There is no free lunch, someone has to pay.

The good news is that Jesus has paid that price and we can come into relationship with God through Jesus’ work on the cross. I know this, believe this and live in confidence that I am saved from the penalty of my sin.

That being said, when I read Numbers, I am faced with acknowledging that mine is a rebellious heart. I do not want to submit, I constantly want to assert my rights. I want God to do things my way, and my way is defined as anything that pleases me or increases my comfort. The only solution for this rebellion is repentance.

Another part of my unrest is a sense that the world is becoming increasingly hostile to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe it has always been hostile, and I’m just now seeing it. Or perhaps the hostility was hidden behind external conformity which is now out of fashion. But for the first time in my life, I see persecution of Christians as a real possibility in the United States.

The question is, what can one individual do about the chaos that is around him? The correct answer is that on his own, he can do nothing. That is the bad news.

The good news is that when God wants to work, he can use the most unlikely characters to accomplish his will. For this reason, I love the story of Gideon. He was not  brave, nor was he a natural leader, but God chose him and used him to deliver the nation of Israel.

Most of us are not called to preach to large audiences, nor are we called to organize a massive spiritual movement. We are called to be in relationship with Jesus through prayer and Bible reading. We are also called to be faithful to obey what he commands. The rest is up to him.

It may turn out that a smile directed at someone who is having a bad day may be used by God for encouragement. A thought prayer quickly delivered for the frazzled person you encounter will make a difference.

The point of this ramble is that God redeems all of life, even the aspects of life that seem to have no eternal value. To be faithful in a difficult or boring job is as much an act of grace as teaching a Bible study. To serve your family in humility is of more value than serving in a church program. Faithfulness goes a long way in God’s economy.

There is an old saying that if you “mind your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” In the same way, I need to mind my own thoughts and actions and God will take care of the rest of the world.

Despite my restlessness, God remains in control.

Isn’t it ironic?

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In a recent Washington Post article detailing a video message to the NARAL Pro-Choice America annual dinner, President Obama is quoted as saying,

“This is a country where the success of all of us depends on the empowerment of each of us, where all Americans should have the freedom and opportunity to reach their potential. And I know that’s what you’re fighting for every day.”

I wonder if I am the only one that sees the irony in this statement. Our success as a nation depends on individual empowerment, but abortion takes away the rights and power of the most helpless constituent, the unborn children.

While on the surface we are more civilized than ancient nations who practiced child sacrifice, the net result is the same. We sacrifice our children to appease the gods of convenience and success. We don’t have to bang drums to drown out the children’s screams so perhaps the death we deal is more tolerable, but the result is the same.

The point of this post is not political. It matters little if there is an R or a D behind the names of our politicians. We, as a society, do not have the moral outrage at this miscarriage of justice. Like the duped Germans in the 1930’s, we turn a blind eye. Our politicians give us what we want, the freedom to exercise a choice that is not ours to make. We apparently never learned the lesson that two wrongs do not make a right.

Politicians like our President, see abortion supporters as just another constituency, one more voting block which needs to be secured. They pander to the group that can secure the next election. Unfortunately, the unborn cannot vote and therefore have no voice.

Like the culture around them, these politicians have tossed away their moral compass to allow them the freedom of being lost. That freedom comes at a high cost. I agree with the President’s statement. The success of the country does depend on the empowerment of each of us. The problem is that he forgot that the unborn children are included in “each of us.”

Until those unborn children are given the opportunity to reach their potential the success mentioned by our President will continue to elude us.

Isn’t it ironic?

My reluctant New Year’s Resolutions

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ResolutionsI’m not a big fan of making a list of resolutions every year. My experience is that they are likely to be broken or forgotten before the end of January. Resolutions are the product of good intent, but often lack commitment and a plan for achievement.

In spite of my aversion to resolutions, I did come up with five for 2013. These are things that I have been thinking about and working on anyway, so I might as well make them resolutions and share them with you. Here they are with some explanation:

  1. I resolve to be open to have my plans changed so that God can bring about something better. Instead of being locked in on what I think I need to accomplish, I want to be available for those around me. People are more important than accomplishment. I do not want to miss out on any opportunity to learn or grow or help someone else.
  2. I resolve to pray more. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. (NASB) I find lots of ways to waste time; prayer is a much better use of that resource.
  3. I resolve to go slower and deeper in my Bible reading. Rather than work on reading the Bible in a year or some other fairly aggressive reading plan, I choose to read smaller portions and spend more time meditating upon them. My current plan is to read one chapter per day. At this pace, I will read through the Bible in a little over three years.
  4. I resolve to be a better steward of the body God has given me. Age and heredity have recently conspired together to force some dietary changes. In addition, I need to be more regular in getting aerobic exercise. Though I am healthy, there are a couple of indicators going in the wrong direction. I hope to show improvement in those indicators by the end of the year.
  5. I resolve to read 12 good Christian apologetics books this year. I would really like to read more than this, but I thought one per month is a reasonable objective. If you have any suggestions as to books which should be on my list, feel free to make a recommendation in the comment section.

What about you? Did you make resolutions? If so, feel free to share them in the comments.

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