Category Archives: Humanity

Aren’t you tired yet?

02 Tuesday May 2017

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Aren’t we tired?  Tired of war?  Tired of the mother of all bombs?  As if the mother of all bombs will actually bring peace.  It won’t.

Aren’t we tired of the killing.  Tired of the killing of a Muslim judge who was found a couple of weeks ago?  Killed because she was Muslim.  What was the point of killing this woman?

I’m tired of the irrationality.  I’m tired of knee-jerk judgements.  I’m tired of people being afraid and anxious.  I’m tired of people being upset at a whole group of people, just because. I’m tired of the scapegoating.  Aren’t you?

I’m tired of people being afraid of “others” without even knowing anyone who fits into the “other” group – ever, in your life.

Or anyone in any other group for that matter.

Get out.  Live a bit.  Travel.  Go to a foreign culture and spend time there.  Learn the language.  When you learn a foreign language in a foreign culture, you learn a great deal about other people.

Go to a religious service of another religion.  Do it just once.  Not to be converted or to convert someone, but simply for educational purposes. Do it see that these are human beings.

To see that these aren’t “others,” they are people, just like you and me.

I’m tired of people deciding that they are better than other people.  I’m tired of the dehumanization that goes on that makes it alright to kill other people.  We should have to tell the families of those we kill what we did.  We should tell the families of those we dehumanize what we are doing and why.  I imagine the killing and dehumanizing would end pretty quickly.  This should be a human law – applies to everyone.

Bigger bombs don’t get bigger results.  They just create more damage and death and anger and violence and revenge.  More of the same crap that humanity has been doing to each other since Cain killed Abel.  How long until we have an even bigger bomb?   And what’s the point?  So we can kill more of “them?”

Great.  Then they get mad and go after us and kill more of us.  Then we kill more of them.  Then they kill more of us.  Then we kill more of them.  Then they kill more of us.  Etc.

Anyone tired of this ride?  It’s insanity.  Literally.  Humanity has been doing this so long we think it’s normal.

I’m curious – if someone dropped a bomb on us, all in the name of getting rid of “bad guys”, how would we react?  How would we feel about that?

Oh that’s right, we’re the good guys.  Self-defined good guys…just like the people we kill.

Do you think we’d be all in support of it because this foreign power was going after what they are labeling as bad guys?  Or would we be at least a little worried that some foreign nation stepped all over our sovereignty to bomb our land with the mother of all bombs. How do you think we’d respond?

When will it end?  Aren’t we tired of doing this?  Aren’t we tired?

Jesus is calling…

19 Wednesday Apr 2017

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Ring, ring…

Ring, ring…

(Humanity answers the phone…)  “Hello…”

“Yeah, it’s me…Jesus.  I have a few things to tell you.  I just have to get these off my chest.”

“So, I’ve been thinking.  I’m thinking that you all have a slight problem. Ok, a big problem.  Many of you claim to be my followers.  Yet, when I look around, I’m not seeing much following going on.  I’m seeing a lot using my name and pretending to be followers going on.  You know, the whole consumerism thing going on in the West.  Yeah, that’s not something I’m really about.  Remember how I taught to give away all the stuff that got in the way of following me?  No…I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah, and about enemies.  You don’t seem to understand what I was saying.  I said to love your enemies.  Yet you seem intent on killing them.  But not with kindness…or love.  No just killing them.  I think we have a failure to communicate here.”

“Yeah and the poor, the marginalized, the persecuted, the defenseless.  Yeah, do I really need to go into detail here.”

“Oh, and you’re not going to like this one – putting country or political party above me is not my cup of tea.  We had this same problem in the past.  Just in case you haven’t learned this, no worries, you will.  The end result is always the same.  Country and party end up as something else.”

“Hello…are you still there?  Figures.  I’ll try again later.  Maybe you’ll listen.  Regardless, please hear this.  I still love you.  Even when you ignore me.  Even when you stop listening.  Even when you use my name but go on your own path.  Oh, and I’ve got you covered.  Just in ways you may not understand.”

“And for the few of you who are listening and doing your best to follow…thank you.  Keep it up.  Trust me, it’s worth it.”

“By the way, the dinner invitation every week stands. You can come to my place and you’ll be fed the best food and drink ever.  And we’ll talk about things that make you feel so very alive and ready to face the week. And of course the company will be interesting and sometimes challenging.  But like them, you’ll be my guest.”

“Talk with you again soon. Peace.”

(The call ends…)

We are so removed from violence

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

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So for Holy Thursday, last week, I made a last minute decision to add in a specific prayer of intercession for the victims of violence, terror, and war.  I came across a website (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_April_2017) which lists terrorist incidents in the world.  It lists them by day, with the number of victims, and the location.  If you want, you can go to the bottom of the page and see incidents for a specific year or month.

During the prayers, I only read off the locations for incidents that happened between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday.  There were 25 incidents in those 5 days.  25.  Let that sink in for a moment.

In the US we are so far removed from violence and terrorism.  Yes, there are incidents here and there, but they are pretty rare compared to places like Iraq, Somalia, and Afghanistan which seems to dominate the list.

25 incidents across the world.  And that’s just related to terrorism.  That’s not counting war or war-acts, like when we bombed “militants” in Syria and killed 36 militants.  Or other wars – either declared or happening anyway.

And that’s not counting other acts of violence that happen in the world each day.  Violence against women and children, violence in the form of crime, violence because of gangs.  Those are traditionally thought of as violence.  Some would throw in violence against nature in that mix along with violence against animals.  There’s plenty of that to go around as well.

Death and destruction seem to have a hold on the planet and humanity in particular.

Yet here we are post-Easter.  We are told that Jesus has conquered death.  But sometimes it’s hard to believe it when we see violent acts continuing.  Sometimes even in God’s name.

But Jesus never said there would be no more death or violence.  Just that death has been conquered.  That means that death does not have the final say.  Death is not the end of the story.  Ultimately, God has the final say.  And while we may not like the fact that violence continues to stubbornly exist along with death, we have been promised that these things will come to an end.  It’s just not on our time.  It’s a reminder that time didn’t start when we were born and it doesn’t end when we die.  God looks at time far different than we do.

For the month of April, 2017, there have been 78 incidents as of this writing.  There were too many dead and injured to count up.  Death keeps rearing it’s head – in the name of God, in the name of country, in the name of ideology, in the name of theology, in the name of whatever.  Yet, regardless of whose name it happens, or rather it is claimed in, we should remember this – just because something is claimed in the name of God or country, doesn’t mean God or the country agrees with it.  I imagine God is looking upon humanity and saying – “here we go again…When will they ever learn…I don’t desire conformity of belief, but rather love.”  And God will continue to live out that love in creation.

I’d like to apologize on behalf of Christians everywhere

06 Thursday Apr 2017

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That might seem a bit arrogant actually.  I just don’t know how to word it, so I’m going with this.  I hope you can give me some flexibility here.

Some of you who read the title are already making judgements about me – just based on the title.  Here’s another person who is apologizing for everything ever done.  No.  That’s not quite it.  Read on, if you dare.

I’m doing this because frankly I’m sick and tired of arrogant “Christians” who make a mockery of Christianity.  I’m sick and tired of “Christians” who love the label but refuse to live out the calling of what it means.

So here goes.  I’d like to apologize on behalf of Christianity to non-Christians and to other Christians alike who have developed a certain perception about Christians in general. Trust me, a small, arrogant minority doesn’t equal what every Christian is actually like.  Most Christians I have come across are actually quite pleasant and doing their best to live like Christians – sometimes it works out better than other times.  No one is perfect, nor should we be.

But there are some people who make it extremely difficult to have a positive view of Christianity – even for Christians.

I’d like to apologize for Christians who thrive off of picking fights on any number of topics.  Each denomination has these individuals.  They are more concerned with being right than with the well-being of any person.  I’m not sure if they were somehow scarred by the church at some point, but they see no issue with scarring others.  These are people who will find something wrong in any circumstance, just to be right.  I really wish these Christians would read Matthew 7:3-5 before they open their mouths or type words in social media.

I apologize for Christians who apparently spend most of their waking days attempting to destroy denominations who disagree with them and then go beyond that – by being  either Islamophobic or anti-Semitic or anti-something or someone else.

I apologize for Christians who see no separation between what they believe politically with their religious beliefs – and treat anyone who differs with either one like trash. Apparently, loving one’s neighbor doesn’t apply when it comes to religion or politics.  Then again, maybe they missed the part where Jesus says that everyone is our neighbor.

I apologize for Christians who think the Sermon on the Mount has nothing to do with how Jesus calls us to act towards others.

I apologize for Christians who love the name Christian, but refuse to live out what it means to be a Christian.

I apologize for apologizing.

On second thought, maybe there’s a better way to go about this.

Replace apologize with the word “Prayer.”  Now read what is written.  We aren’t called to change others – we can’t.  We can only be honest about what bothers us, explore why it bothers or harms us or others.  And we can pray.

Prayer is about letting go. It’s about letting go of our version of being right.  It’s about eliminating us and them.  It’s about handing it over to God and allowing God to realign us to God’s will.

Prayers don’t have to be perfectly worded.  But prayers ought to be honest.  We can’t hide from God anyway.

I’ll be praying for many people.  I just hope that those who have a problem with me are praying for me as well.  If we can do that, imagine how the world would change.

Why do so many want to be blind?

27 Monday Mar 2017

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Yesterday’s Gospel reading was about Jesus curing the man born blind.  His neighbors, the Pharisees, and even the man’s parents didn’t like this change – it was out of the norm.  Turns out the only ones who could really see were Jesus and the man.  Everyone else had blinders on.

The neighbors had blinders on – the man lived in a community, but the people around him didn’t even know his name.  They just knew him as the name who was blind and who begged.  It would have been too messy for them to get to know him. They would have had to do something, and well, they are really busy, don’t you know.  Better to just walk past.

The Pharisees had blinders on – they saw the man as a pawn.  They knew what they believed and so this man could provide ammunition for them.  He only mattered so long as he was useful to them – if he gave them the answers they were looking for.  Their blinders were with a narrow view – right thinking and belief.  Everything else outside of their purity test was messy and didn’t belong.  Anyone outside of the orthodox thinking was labeled as an other and sent out and away.

The man’s parents had blinders on too – they were afraid and so they hung their son out to fend for himself.  This shouldn’t be shocking though – why was the man begging at all?  Apparently his own family didn’t care for him.  Maybe he was the family secret that his family didn’t want to talk about.

How many of us have blinders on?  How many in our society have physical sight, but are spiritually blind?  We find it messy to even notice those who are begging for food – those that we pass by over and over and over again.  If we found out their name, we’d feel like we’d feel like we needed to do something.

How many of us have blinders on? How many in our society see people as a pawn in a political or religious game – to be used to support our ideas and beliefs about what is right.  When people are just something to be used, we’ve made our beliefs and thoughts idols where we sacrifice others at the altar of being right.  All in the name of God of course.  That makes it all ok right?

How many of us have blinders on? What family secrets are we hiding?  What family secrets do we just not talk about?  What about the family members who have committed suicide, have a drug addiction, spent time in jail, have a pornography addiction, are homosexual, have committed a sexual crime, suffer through a financial crisis, are in dangerous and abusive relationships, and more?  It’s not polite to talk about these things and people.  We might feel the need to do something about it – so much better to keep the blinders on and not see them or talk about them.

Yet Jesus takes the blinders off our eyes.  He shows us the mess and forces us to look at it.  And he comes to the mess and heals the blindness, so that there can be healing for those that are broken.

It’s time to take the blinders off.  Yet I don’t think any of us willingly take them off.  I think that we, like the parents of the blind man, are too afraid to see what’s really going on around us.

Instead, Jesus is the one who takes the blinders off of us when he determines we’re ready.  Ready for what?  Ready to respond, to live our his call to care for those around us – our neighbors who have a name.  When the blinders come off, it’s time to look around and actually see the world around us.

What is natural?

24 Friday Mar 2017

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An accompanying question would be “what is normal?”  I’m thinking specifically of American culture right now.  Is what we are experiencing normal?  Is it natural?  Are we on a trajectory on the cycle of civilization?  Can it be stopped or changed?  Should it?

I don’t have the answers.  But then again, I don’t think the answers matter that much.  It’s the questions that matter.  The questions are what open us up to possibilities.

These questions have been a constant through theological history too.  It’s a question of predestination – or is everything all set and there can be no variation?  Another variation of this expresses a different view – the end result is set, but the way we get there is open.  This opens up possibilities whereas the first view leaves us hopeless, mere puppets in a play.  I wonder how there can be love when there is no openness to possibilities of how things progress.

What is natural in our world?  Sin, death, anger, violence, power, control.  There have been more positive things too, but when we measure and mark history, it is often based on events like war, devastation, and rulers.

The Gospel and the reign of God are the things that are unnatural in this world.  That’s because the world is broken by sin.  The world’s norm is that might makes right. Yet Christ declares that the meek and poor in Spirit are blessed.  The world celebrates the division and war, yet Christ declares that those who are doers of peace are the blessed ones.

What is natural?  What is normal?  Is it what the vast majority of human history has been made up of?  Or maybe this history is not normal at all.  Maybe it’s out of whack.  Maybe Christ has what normal is, but we’ve been looking at the world upside down.  Maybe he’s turning the world right side up again – making all things right – bringing the world back to normal.

How many people have to be hurt?

23 Thursday Mar 2017

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How many people have to be hurt in the name of flawed ideas?

How many people have to be wounded in the name of bad theology?

How many people have to be tortured in the name of country?

How many people have to have their livelihoods wrecked and destroyed in the name of being right?

How many people have to die for the sake of an ideology?

How many people have to be killed in the name of God, or freedom, or justice, or revenge?

How many people have to be hurt in the name of __________.

Hey, let’s talk past each other

21 Tuesday Mar 2017

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Have you ever been in a “conversation” where the other person just talks past you?  You know what I’m talking about – they say something, then wait for you to say something and while you are speaking, they are thinking of what they will say next.  They are concerned with either making a point, or shooting down your idea or argument, or having the last word.

This happens more often than we like to admit.  I’m not sure why though.

I wonder if social media has anything to do with this, or if it just a symptom of it.  I don’t know.  Maybe it has nothing to do with it.

When it comes to politics and religion, this happens a great deal.  We talk past each other on important and unimportant issues.  We talk past each other on immigration and health care and a whole host of topics.  Why though?  Are our beliefs about these things so shallow and weak that we can’t handle some questions and criticisms?  Do we believe that we must have all the answers and that our beliefs must be air tight?  Do we believe that if our opponent finds a weakness somewhere in our argument that the whole thing will fall apart like a house of cards?

This happens in religion and theology too.  We talk past each other when it comes to abortion, the existence of God, and high church vs. low church.  Why?  What do we have to gain by talking past the other person?

Talking past someone is a completely defensive posture.  In a sense, there is a belief that we have nothing to gain from the other person – nothing to learn.  We are afraid of losing something.  Here’s the real deal though – if this is your posture, you’ve already lost.  It’s just a matter of time until it all comes tumbling down.  You can’t survive by contracting and becoming smaller.  You thrive by expanding and growing.  Not necessarily in terms of literal numbers, but rather in terms of growing relationships, knowledge, wisdom, experience, being open and vulnerable.

So, what do you do if someone is talking past you?  Change things up.  Stop and ask questions.  Be honest about what is going on and confront the other person too.  Is there a willingness to change the conversation so it is really a conversation?  If not, you’re wasting your time.  If they are and you are, then you’ve just entered something great.

Quick fixes won’t fix us

20 Monday Mar 2017

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American culture has a fascination with quick fixes.  I don’t think I need to go into detail about this.  Just look around.  Think about the next time you are sitting at a traffic light and you grow impatient waiting for the light.  Or how about waiting in line at the grocery store.  Americans don’t like a church service to go over one hour.  Our political candidate “debates”, if you want to call them that, offer candidates 1-2 minutes to express their solution to any given problem facing the nation – as if fixing a large problem can be solved in a matter of a few sentences.

Quick fixes sound good on the surface, but they are like microwave dinners.  Sure, they look good on the packaging.  Sure, they smell good when you take them out of the microwave.  But if you don’t scare it down in a matter of minutes, the meal is cold.  And to be honest, it doesn’t taste nearly as good, and isn’t even close to as healthy if you took the time to make a proper meal.  But hey, who has time for that right?  Just don’t expect to be healthy then.

I don’t have the answers to our culture’s challenges that we face. I don’t know what policies we should be implementing.  Based on my experience, I do know this much – there are not one-size-fits-all solutions for any problem out there.  What works here probably won’t work in another part of the world, let alone in another part of the country.  That’s because there is a unique set of people, with their own experiences, knowledge, level of trust, and more.  It’s what makes us the context of an area.  It’s what makes it unique.  Sure, there are some overarching themes that can be taken from one place to another, but when it comes to implementing those themes, I’m willing to bet that they must be implemented in different ways for different cultures and contexts.

So, does that means we just throw our hands in the air like we just don’t care – no, of course not.  What are we to do.  Here’s a start – sit down with people and eat with them.  Sit and eat and drink and talk.  This is how community is created and sustained.  Eating and drinking with others has this weird effect – it slows things down, it forces conversation, it equalizes people, it opens people up.

I think this works in a variety of situation – not just people you have a relationship with.  Ever try eating with someone who is your enemy?  Try it sometime.  You might see someone different at the table across from you than you thought was there.  You might be different too by the end of the conversation.

I’m willing to bet that when we eat with people – regardless of friend or foe – we’ll come away with new insights.  We may find that the person across from us is a lot better than we thought.  Then again, we might also come away realizing that they are worse.  We aren’t living in la-la land here.  We may come away with brand new ideas, ways of doing things.  We also may come away having shared something incredible too.  And these things could take on a whole new life of their own.  Even if none of that happens, even if you head isn’t full of new ideas and options, even if your heart isn’t full of appreciation and love, your stomach will be.  And that’s a start.

Here’s a way to “fix” the country

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Want to fix what’s wrong with the country.  I have a solution.  We just had a snow storm with at least a foot of snow.  And I think this might be the solution for “fixing” the country.  Yes – snow.  Of all the solutions for the country, I bet you never saw this coming.  I bet you were thinking about some great policy initiative, or electing some great politician or leader, or something of that nature.  Nope – snow is the answer.  Here’s why:

We live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA.  Monday night into Tuesday morning we were hit with a nice snow storm that dropped over a foot of snow.  Schools were closed.  Things were delayed.  And inevitably, people started to come out of their homes to start shoveling and clearing out their walkways, sidewalks, and driveways.  Neighbors help each other, greet each other, show appreciation, and stop and talk with each other.  It’s a time to catch up and meet people we haven’t had the chance to meet before.

Doesn’t sound much like a solution, does it?  Well, here’s the thing.  As I cleared out my driveway, I watched as people helped each other – people who not so long ago were divided politically between Trump and Clinton supporters.  And here they were, setting all that aside to help one another out – joyfully too.

When it comes down to it, I don’t think the problems we face in this country have much to do with policy.  Sure, policy impacts people – make no mistake about that.  But that’s not the root of the problems – that’s more of a symptom.  I think if we dig down deeper we’d see the real problem.  We have a habit of not trusting one another.  And so, we treat each other less than we should.

But throw in a snow storm and see how much people change.  We break down barriers because we have a common cause.  We express gratitude because we recognize that we can’t go it alone.  We talk with people, even people we don’t like, because we see their humanity and how much they are just like us.

No policy and no leader can bring this kind of change.  There isn’t a speech or a slogan that can do it.  Nope, just regular life mixed with nature.  Imagine that.  And yet, there are so many that think that politics is the solution.  Maybe it’s more of a problem than a solution.  Snow, now that’s the solution.