Rev. Emily C. Heath: Jesus, Bullies on the Bus and the Rest of Us

Posted on July 8, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

Reverend Emily Heath recently wrote a commentary on the incident where some boys harassed a bus monitor and posted the video on YouTube. The article can be found here: Rev. Emily C. Heath: Jesus, Bullies on the Bus and the Rest of Us.

I would like to make a pair of points in response to the article.

First, the article purports to be be a Christian response to bullies in general and that instance of bullying in particular. Emily rightly points out that Christians are to be agents of healing and we are called to live above such behavior. I agree with this and applaud it.

My problem is that nowhere in the article does Rev. Heath explain how we can do this. Notably absent is any assessment of the root cause of bullying. That root cause is our sin nature. There is a bully in each and every one of us which can only be conquered through the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. It is Jesus’ death that makes the way for sin to be subdued. It is our individual taking up of our own cross that allows us to live in the freedom from that inner bully.

While culture, upbringing and peer selection can influence a child’s behavior, these are all external and do not deal with the internal problem. Only God through the work of Jesus Christ can begin transformation and transformational change. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are in need of transformation (Romans 12:2) and that transformation comes as a result of surrender on the basis of God’s mercy.

The second issue I have is where Rev. Emily states, “I want to be clear here for a minute that I am not saying this should become a country of Christians.”

Now if she is saying that she does not want the state to force anyone into claiming Christianity then I am completely with her. I do think that our founding fathers were wise in preventing America from having a state church. Every time the church has gotten political power it has been a train wreck for the church and for the people.

Now if she is saying that she does not have the desire for everyone to become a Christian then I must disagree with her. If we have the Truth, then why would we not want everyone to know it and be liberated by it? Yes, we should honor the wishes of those who do not want to hear our message. No-one should be forced to hear what we have to say. But respecting someone’s boundaries does not meant that I cannot wish them to be other than they are.

Our Gospel is truly good news or it is a false hope. If it is not true, they why should I bother believing it? If it is true, how could I not wish others to share the same joy that I have found? If Christianity is just one more social club or one more religious expression then count me out. If Christianity is just one way to gain spiritual enlightenment I don’t want it. I am not a Christian because it is convenient or easy.

I am a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). If he is that then I am compelled to present him as the only way the ultimate truth and the path to life. If he is not then Heaven help us, we have nothing to offer.

Social media and the need for validation

Posted on July 2, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 4 Comments

I recently read where a social media guru said something to the effect of, “there are two types of people involved in social media, those who want more followers and those who are lying about it.” There is a part of us that wants to be validated by those around us and social media provides a means of numerically providing that validation.

In contrast to this, the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 1:10, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Paul makes a distinction between pleasing men and serving God. The servant must find his validation in his master and not his peers. Christians should find validation in relationship with Jesus Christ and obedience to his commands.

Part of living in community is to refrain from giving offense to your neighbors. There is something appropriate about taking feedback from the people around so that we can know how we are perceived by the community. Those who do not accept this feedback are considered antisocial or worse.

Paul is not saying that he does not care how he is perceived. What Paul is saying is that he cannot let public opinion keep him from following the path laid out for him by his Master, Jesus Christ.

While the desire to be liked may not be inappropriate, if that desire keeps me from doing what is right, it then becomes an improper desire. As a recovering man-pleaser this can be a struggle for me.

There are times when I should speak up and say something appropriate to the situation but remain silent for fear of causing someone to dislike me. There are other times when I have joined in conversation in an inappropriate way so that I better fit in with the group. I can cave in on something that I think is important so that I do not make any waves. I have found that peer pressure does not stop with the end of formal education. I can be side-tracked by emotional bullies.

Perhaps I might make a case that my compromises are small ones, yet they are still compromises and some of them are sin. Paul sets the example by stating that the only thing that matters for the believer is whether or not he pleases God. While we cannot earn our salvation, by being obedient, we can one day hear that coveted blessing, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Matthew 25:21).

While the drive to be liked, followed or otherwise connected on social media is morally neutral, if it keeps me from being obedient to God, then it is an idol that requires smashing. The same is true of setting up other measures of “man-pleasing” such as church attendance, sermon downloads, etc.

We are called to emulate Jesus in being full of grace and truth. If we compromise on the truth for the sake of popularity or acceptance, we are not being faithful to our call to live as salt and light in a world that desperately needs it.

Discussion question: How do you determine when you are becoming a “man-pleaser?” Please add your thoughts in the comment section below.

This little light of mine – Thoughts on Matthew 5:14-16

Posted on June 22, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 3 Comments

#14 in the Sermon on the Mount Series

Matthew 5:14–16 (NASB) — 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

For those of us who grew up in the church, we can easily power through these verses thinking the song “This little light of mine” neatly sums up what they are about. But in thinking about these verses, I would like to make some observations about the source, the nature and the effect of the light.

The source

Light of the Moon — Image provided by Freefoto.com

Jesus tells us that He is “the light of the world” in John 8:12 and John 9:5. If Jesus is the light, how then can we also be the light? The classic analogy is that of the moon and the sun. The moon dominates the night sky with its brightness, but the source of the light is the sun. In the same way, we may be excellent or poor reflectors of the light of Jesus. However in the darkness of night, even a poor reflection may provide sufficient light to be a guide.

Without Jesus and the good news concerning his birth, death, burial and resurrection, we have no light to offer. It is only the gospel of Jesus Christ that can rescue us from the darkness.

The nature

Darkness and light cannot coexist. When I turn on the light, the darkness vanishes. Where there is light there cannot be darkness; the converse is also true. This was true in Jesus’ day and remains true today. Light and darkness cannot be mixed; you have one or the other.

The same is true in the spiritual realm. I can embrace the truth or I can embrace a lie. There is no middle ground. Jesus is the light and truth or he is not. He cannot be “sorta” true. Jesus made some very bold claims about himself, claims that are ridiculous if they are not true. Just consider the “I am” statements in the gospel of John if you would like a taste of those claims.

The effect

It is the nature of light to dispel darkness and when it is given the opportunity to do so, the light of Jesus will dispel the spiritual darkness. He came to light our path to God. When that light shines, men are called to make a choice. We see this in John 3:20-21:

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Some prefer the darkness and seek to remain in it. Because light and darkness cannot coexist, to remain in darkness requires a suppression of the light. Should we be then be surprised by the level of animosity that is expressed against believers by those who want nothing to do with God? We should not.

Others move into the light that Jesus provides and move into relationship with God. There is no middle ground. There is no semi-light, no gray (or is it grey, I can never remember). When our deeds are exposed to the light, we can confess them and move toward forgiveness, or we can prefer those deeds and move away from the light.

I remember Chuck Colson once saying that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. This is true because the candle makes the darkness flee. Even a dim light allows sight and movement. We should strive to be the best reflectors of the light of Jesus we can be but even a poor reflection can provide sufficient light to draw men to Jesus.

Three ways we can shine Jesus’ light to those around us

In reflecting upon this, I thought of three ways we can convey the light of Jesus to the world around us:

We can be the light that keeps people from danger – a lighthouse
We can be the light that makes the path forward clear – headlamps on a car
We can be the light that provides comfort in difficulties – fireplace

I am sure there are others. Can you think of some other ways that we can shine the light of Jesus? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Farewell to a neighbor: Four lessons I learn from his death

Posted on June 17, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

Gravestone — Used by permission of freefoto.com

He was my neighbor. On Friday he was found in his home, the victim of an apparent heart attack. He had been dead for quite some time but no-one knew. His death was entirely unexpected.

I would like to say that he was a good neighbor. I would like to say that he was pleasant and friendly. I would like to say that he had a kind word for anyone and everyone. I would like to say all of these things but none of them were true. He was not a nice man and he terrorized the neighborhood with threats and misinformation.

I am relieved to have to no longer deal with my neighbor’s nonsense. But I find that the initial sense of relief is giving way to a sadness that is of an intensity that is surprising to me.

I will admit that I prayed many times that my neighbor would either move away or be healed. Certainly I did not enjoy the status quo, not knowing if he would become violent or carry through on one of his threats. I also did not enjoy the fact that he took a particular dislike to me. I would have been happy to find that my neighbor moved away. But I was not happy about getting the news of his death.

The way it ended was not something that I wished for him. Ezekiel 18:23 declares “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? This story could have had a much nicer ending.

In the end, my neighbor chose a path that left him alone with no-one to comfort or care for him. He died friendless because of poor choices throughout his life. He was like the proverbial dog that bit the hand of the one who fed him, reaping the consequences of his actions. Over the years people had reached out and tried to help my neighbor but some combination of pride, delusion and anger prevented him from receiving that help.

Could something have been done to help this man? Should the state have stepped in long ago when his behavior started being erratic and antisocial? If current child protection laws were in effect in the 50’s and 60’s could the abuse that my neighbor suffered at the hands of his father have been avoided? If so, would the outcome have been different?

These questions are unanswerable; any answers would be speculative at best. But they highlight one source of my sadness. My neighbor’s life did not have to be what it was. He was the victim of poor choices, some his own and some the choices of his own father. A life not lived well contributes to my sadness.

As a Christian I also understand that there are eternal consequences to the choice that we make in life. Part of my neighbor’s rejection of the people around him was tied up in his rejection of God.

I mentioned above his particular dislike for me. Prior to our purchase of our house, it was a rental property. One of the tenants while it was a rental was the pastor of a local church. His name was also Mark and he also shaved his head. In his delusion, my neighbor would sometime get me confused with that pastor and would express his hatred toward God and the church.

In Matthew 7:23, Jesus warns that a relationship with Jesus is the requirement for entrance into Heaven. I do not presume to know if my neighbor ever entered into that relationship, but there was no evidence that he had. This also contributes to my sadness and forms the bigger portion of it.

All this reminds me of four things:

As C. S. Lewis pointed out, statistics prove that one out of one of us dies. We all must face that ultimate transition and how we end up is a summation of our choices, both small and large. We should, moment-by-moment, choose well.
I am reminded that it is all about relationship. In the end there is one relationship that matters and that is the one with Jesus Christ. The first great command is to love God with our entire being.
The second command is to love our neighbor. It seems to me that one who seeks to live out the two great commands will not die friendless. I am reminded that people matter more than accomplishment or things.
I am reminded that we fathers have a huge responsibility. We must follow the medical code of “first do no harm” and above that seek to do good for our children.