RE: A Call To Conscience Chapter Six

Photo By: David Dixon

Eulogy For The Martyred Children is the shortest speech yet included in A Call To Conscience, so if you haven't read any of of King's speeches, I encourage you to at least read this one. King delivered this eulogy at the funeral service of three children who fell victim to the bombing of a church. I have never been to the funeral service of a child.  A classmate of mine took his life when I was in high school but I'm certain that I cannot imagine the pain a parent feels at the death of a child.  King understood that no words could properly console the families after so great a loss and kept his message short.

Although it was brief, the eulogy was thick with the strong and unyielding hope that King wove into all of his sermons. While condemning the actions of hateful men he exhorted listeners to hold tight to hope, saying:

“We must not become bitter (Yeah, That’s right), nor must we harbor the desire to retaliate with violence. No, we must not lose faith in our white brothers. (Yeah, Yes) Somehow we must believe that the most misguided among them can learn to respect the dignity and the worth of all human personality.”(King 1963)

His unyielding admonishment to cling to hope, even in the wake of these racially motivated murders is astounding. I am not that good a person. I know that I become bitter and can harbor a desire to retaliate with violence when I feel powerless. I believe the secret to King's endurance was that he absolutely depended on God to be the one to work out a final victory. That kind of dependence is something I'm still learning; I pray I get there. I pray we all get there.

Photo By: slagheap

“And so my friends, they did not die in vain. (Yeah) God still has a way of wringing good out of evil. (Oh yes) And history has proven over and over again that unmerited suffering is redemptive.” (King 1963)

RE: Psalm 29

 

There’s a reason that we are drawn to epic scenery, stories, and characters: our God is epic.  The voice of the Lord shakes the desert (29:8) and twists oaks (29:9), and why shouldn’t it?  It is the same voice that spoke the swirling galaxies into existence.  It blows my mind that the same world-forming, oak-twisting voice also speaks the tender and warm words of Jesus.  Jesus’ gentle words are no less powerful than any that ever shook the earth.  Jesus’ words have done more than shake, they’ve transformed how much of the world thinks and lives.  I encourage you to reflect on the following excerpt from the sermon on the mount and ask yourself how the voice of Jesus would transform you today.

Matthew 5:3-10

Photo Credit: Zach Dischner

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

RE: Psalm 28

I was bullied a bit as a kid. Once when I still attended a Christian school, an older boy on the school bus stomp kicked my face. I didn't tell anyone, since bullying was pretty common and I didn't want to look weak. I wanted to look strong. In fact, the desire to appear powerful became a driving force around this time in my life. I wanted to show that I was strong so I wouldn't get hurt any more. I didn't want anyone to get hurt any more. I hated bullies ferociously, so I committed myself to becoming stronger than they were. Tragically, I found out that the more I tried to be the strongest, the more my friends just got hurt by me instead of by someone else. Trying to stand up against bullies, I quickly became a one myself.

I don't think this experience is too unique. Trying to out wit and out gun the corruption and evil in our lives we easily become poisoned by our bitterness and resentment, and can ultimately become worse than what we hated at first.   It is once we recognise our own sinful power struggle that we pray the words, Do not drag me off with the wicked,with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbours while evil is in their hearts (28:3). And it is with full knowledge that we are no better than our enemies that we beg for forgiveness and Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy (28:6). Thank God he remains patient and loving even when we are temperamental, judgemental, and fearful.

The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed (28:8).

Photo credit: Ian Kahn

RE: Invictus

Invictus sends chills over my skin.  Some ask, “shouldn’t Jesus be the captain of my soul?”  so for the purposes of enjoying the poem call Jesus an admiral.  Others take offense that the poem appeals to nameless gods.  I submit that a poem does not have to be Christian in order to be true.  I find that Paul agrees (Acts 17:28).

Mastering oneself is not just a poetic virtue.  It is an essential human struggle.  It is also a fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5.  The word Paul uses for self-control is egkrates, a word which here means “to hold oneself in” or “to master self.”  How cool that a fruit of submitting to God’s Spirit is to finally learn to control oneself.  Our natural state is not one of being in control, but one of slavery to impulses and emotions.  Emotions and impulses are fine things to be sure, but I’d rather them be my servants than my masters.

Fair fairing, friend.

More William Ernest Henley online.

More William Ernest Henley on Amazon.

Love & Curses

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.” Luke 9:51-56

Jesus' message is good news, which he shared and preached with love and patience. He forgave and ate with sinners who society had rejected, he touched the unclean and gave hope to the hopeless. We Christians who know how good God is, can get very offended and angry with people who hate our Lord who we have every reason to love. Jesus however, does not lose patience so easily. When James and John wanted to call down curses Jesus rebuked them. Jesus knew that kindness, love, and the Holy Spirit draw people to faith, and that revenge and resentment have no place in a Christian's heart.

Challenge: Who makes you really mad? This could be a sibling, a political movement, an author, or anyone else. Take a moment to remember that Jesus died for their sin too; Jesus loves them as much as he loves you, and you are just as in need of forgiveness as they are. Let go of anger and resentment and allow God's love for you, and for them, to replace your hurt.

Human Concerns

The logical follow-up to yesterday; written by the only logical person.  Thanks again Beth.

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Matt 16:21-23

I love this passage. I hate this passage. It’s been a strange relationship. I’m fascinated about when this happens. Just a couple verses ago, Jesus blessed Peter for speaking his faith boldly. Today, instead of seeing God speaking through Peter, Jesus sees Satan. That’s a pretty drastic change.

Peter can be so spot on one moment, and then out in left field the next. As a kid, I used to think he was stupid. The older I get, the more I see my face reflected in his foolishness. God has called this instance to my mind many, many times. I have a lot of ideas about what God wants. I think many of us do. We tell God that He does things this way, that His justice looks like this and that He wouldn’t do that. We put our ideas for us and for other people in His mouth.
Peter didn’t know that trying to keep his Jesus from death would have kept the world from the overwhelming Grace and Salvation that God had planned from the beginning. We don’t know what we may be trying to keep back by wanting God to do things our way.

Challenge:
What things are you trying to control today? Hand these things over to God, and let His Will be done. He has only the best for you.

Jesus' Mother & Brothers

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” -Mark 3:31-35

Your parents have probably told you that, “family comes first” at some point. I'd be very surprised if they never have. Families care for one another, influence one another, and shape children into adults. It was, and still is, and incredibly counter cultural idea that God's family is closer than blood ties. To Jesus your position in society doesn't matter. A role of authority doesn't get you anywhere with Jesus. Jesus is interested in your heart.

Challenge: Imagine a church where everyone treated one another as true brothers and sisters. Write about it if that helps you think. Now pray for it. Ask God to use you to strengthen and expand his family.

Who Is The Greatest?

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” -Mark 9:33-35

Whenever the disciples do something stupid I'm tempted to say that I would have acted differently. Honestly though, John is my favorite, and I'd have argued that he was better than Peter until I was blue in the face. Jesus ended that insipid debate expertly. Jesus is impressed by humility and service, not by power or authority. He taught his disciples to honor service, and proceeded to set the greatest example of service.

Challenge: Who do you know that does an incredible job of serving? Thank them today. Find a way to serve them.

RE: The White Man's Burden & Kony 2012

In the weeks since the Kony 2012's viral launch the expression “White Man's Burden” has been thrown around quite a bit. The expression has generally been used badly, so I've written a short guide to help us better understand the expression and where it comes from.

The White Man's Burden is an expression that comes from an 1899 poem of the same name. The poem was written by Ruyard Kipling. If you don't recognize his name he's the same author who brought us The Jungle Book. While the book version didn't contain Disney's famous “I wanna be like you” song, Mowgi's story in the novel and in the film are very similar. The story goes that Mowgli, a feral jungle “half devil and half child” who was raised by wolves finally found redemption once he left the jungle for civilization. If you're not picking up on the symbolism I'll just say that Kipling had some racially biased opinions about who was and was not civilized.

The Jungle Book has a lot in common with The White Man's Burden. Both works depict non-whites as a poor souls in need of a civilizing outside influence. Kipling proposed in The White Man's Burden that it was the responsibility of “civilized” white men to “fix and reform” the “savage” colored peoples of the world; the arrogance of his proposal is astounding. Sadly many people thought Kipling had the right idea and they used their whiteness and alleged moral superiority to excuse the exploitation of Africans, Indians, Native Americans and countless other peoples. C.S. Lewis calls this sort of morally motivated oppression the “worst sort of tyranny.”

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. -C.S. Lewis

So “The White Man's Burden” in a nutshell is the flawed idea that white person's supposed superiority gives them both the responsibility and authority to take leadership and resources away from anyone who is not white. This ideology couples tightly with the tyrannical idea that non-white persons are unfit to govern themselves. “The White Man's Burden” is an abominable propaganda tool that is used to excuse exploitation and oppression. This isn't what I've seen from Invisible Children.

I personally haven't seen this idea represented in Invisible Children's videos or literature. The founders of the organization, and many of it's volunteers, are white. The citizens of Uganda are largely black. As long as Invisible Children isn't attempting to take power or resources away from Ugandans then I don't care in the slightest what color any of them are. The core problem with The White Man's Burden poem is not that it promotes people of one race helping people of another race, its problem is the awful idea that one race can be inherently superior to another.

There need be nothing racist about a white person supporting a program that assists black persons, just as there need be nothing racist about a black person supporting a program that assists white persons. Race may not be an issue. I would take issue with anyone who refused to help their neighbor because of their neighbor's race, and I may even take issue with someone demanding to help their neighbor because of their neighbor's race. Those actions are racially motivated. Invisible Children's work doesn't appear to be racially motivated. They talk about children and they talk about soldiers, but not race. Invisible Children promotes people helping other people; more specifically they promote students helping other students. It is hard for me to see that as racist.

Parable Of A Mustard Seed - 3rd Thursday In Lent

“He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.'” - Matthew 13:31-32

The kingdom of heaven is just awesome, though it is not a bit what the Israelites expected. It's not what anyone expected, because God's kingdom is as much unlike an earthly kingdom as it is superior to an earthly kingdom. The kingdom of God doesn't move forward with conspicuous revolutions, brave violence, or government change. The kingdom of God moves forward in unearned forgiveness, in undeterred faith, and in unconditional love. Just like a mustard seed, the kingdom of God is not always impressive to look at, but inside it dwell life, comfort and growth unlike anything else the world has ever known.

Challenge: Have you wished and worked for a human kingdom instead of God's kingdom? Lay your ambitions, not matter how great or small before the cross. Knowing you are forgiven and made new, advance the Lord's powerful and unseen kingdom today by loving, forgiving and serving your neighbors.

Grandpa Jesus - 1st Sunday in Lent

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

My grandpa is commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. He doesn't think about himself in these terms, in fact he doesn't really think about himself very much. People who are so much like Jesus tend not to. He just lives simply, thanks God for what he has. My grandpa doesn't wrack his brain for ways to change the world; he just lives, is full of the Spirit's fruit and the world changes around him.

When we abide in Christ our hearts become aligned with God's heart, his power flows through us and our everyday acts of love, peace, patience, and kindness become supernaturally empowered.

Challenge:

Read Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is the most tangible evidence that God is at work in and through you. Take a moment to reflect; do you see these fruits? Do you see bad fruit? Ask forgiveness for the times you've failed to let God's Spirit shine through you. The good news is that God forgives you, the other good news it that the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of trying harder. On our own we cannot please God and God knows that, ask him to produce good fruit in you. Depend on him to do so, and I promise he will.

We Wrestle Not With Flesh, But Sometimes With Our Flesh

I am bugged by analogies that compare the Christian church to an army. When I hear talk of spiritual war I flinch and try to steer the conversation in a new direction. It's not that the church-as-an-army is actually a wrong idea, but too often I see this idea being used to turn Christians against their neighbors instead of against the Enemy who lies and divides (Eph 6:12). Sadly idea of a holy army always makes me think of well dressed church-folks shouting at poor people.

It's not that I don't believe that Christianity stands uniquely opposed to the habits and systems of the world. It is precisely because I believe that Christ and Christianity are so opposed to the world that military analogies bother me. The trouble with overextending these analogies, is that they turns people towards the wrong sorts of battles. My revulsion most often comes up when I hear the phrase “Defending the faith” and at the heart of that annoyance is, in actuality, a loathing for the ass I can be when I'm at my worst.

I spent my freshman year of high school engaged in what I believed to be the holiest of wars for the kingdom of God. At every opportunity, and with any excuse I could find, I wrote and spoke about God's word and my faith in Jesus Christ. That sounds fine if not excellent, but unfortunately what I was often doing was trying to set myself apart from people at the school whom I thought were evil. I was trying to show them that if they had faith they could just stop being evil and be like me. That was a pretentious mission with a rather faulty premise. A Christian who is under the impression that their faith makes them superior to others has missed the point of faith. Faith is a gift (Eph 2:8), and not the mark of some holier tier of society.

If people become Christians solely because they find that the Christian way of thinking is morally or philosophically superior to all others, they are not the sorts of people I really want to call brothers and sisters. Race, gender, religion, and every other conceivable distinction between individuals has been used since the beginning of time as an excuse for one group to call themselves superior to another. Christ's religion does not have room for that nonsense. Christ came to serve, love, and bless anyone who wanted him. Christianity even thwarts those who would earn God's favor. The Bible tells Christians that we are “the worst of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) who are justified freely by the action of God. (Eph2: 8-9)

Here's what I think about truly “Defending the faith”:

Arguing does not defend Christianity. Arguing, as I understand is a competition in which two people stroke their own egos while belittling the beliefs of others. This closes down opportunities to minister while isolating and dividing peoples. Arguments honor a winning intellect, but Christianity exalts humility (Lk 22:27). When the faith is defended, it is by Christians of humble spirit who do not conform to the petty and adversarial patterns of this world (Rom 12:2). A smart Christian defends the faith when they value loving their neighbor above proving their neighbor wrong.

I know of no one who was intellectually persuaded into faith in Jesus Christ. Bringing people into God's kingdom is rarely done in debate (though God may make use of any means he likes). People are brought into the kingdom of God by generous Love. More practically, people are brought in by Christians who politely listening to people they disagree with, who show authentic friendship, and who act with generosity and kindness (Romans 2:4). These things are much more attractive than arguments, however clever the arguments are.

“Christian” is not a badge to pin to one's chest nor is it a set of rhetoric that explains why one is better or smarter than anyone else. Christianity is a loosing of the cords that bind and blind the rest of civilization. Christianity is freedom. It is freedom from pride, violence, bigotry, judgment, and fear which sap our energy, kill our joy, and repulse our neighbors. Christ sets us free indeed (John 8:36).

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8&9)

The Power Of God's Word

In the unshaped world before there was man or woman there was darkness, a formless and empty void observed only by God's Spirit. Into this world God spoke and as the vibrations of his words filled that world light broke forth. Created from nothing, existing everywhere with brilliance and vivacity that the universe had never known but will never again be without; there was light. God separated the irresistibly stunning light from the darkness that had been there before the beginning and called it good.

This is the imagery with which the Bible begins.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated he light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4)

The Bible introduces God's word perfectly. God's word causes light to burst forth in the midst of darkness that has never known light, and from then on it has never ceased to provide light when all other lights go out.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

God's word does more the illuminate and enlighten. It would be incredible enough if that's all it did but throughout scripture we find that when God speaks, realties change, conforming to his word

God said, "Let there be light," and there was light (Gen 1:3)

'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." So . . . Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. (Ex 7:9-10)

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:13)

God's word is not just trustworthy in the sense that a good man's word is trustworthy. In Hebrews 6:18 it says that it is impossible for God to lie. Based on what happens when God speaks, it appears that the actual universe changes, comes into being, and ceases being, at the sound of His word.

This still happens. This is why it is essential for us to read and speak God's word. Because God's promises of faithfulness and compassion and his announcement of free forgiveness have the same power as his first word to creation.

Let there be light.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5)