Category Archives: Society

Solving “problems”

16 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

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How do we solve problems?  It depends on what the problem is.  How do you solve the problem of some homeless guys who the church is helping?  How do you solve the problem of people learning to hate other people because of skin color, or nationality, or language, or sexuality, or…?  How do you solve the problem of North Korea?  How do you solve the problem of drugs?  How do you solve the problem of ______?

I don’t think there is an easy answer.  That’s because all of these “problems” involve people and people are messy.  They aren’t black and white.  They aren’t either us vs. them.

There are people who try to classify the world this way.  But the problem with this way of thinking is that people themselves become the problem – another thing to be fixed, another box to be checked off.  People lose their humanity that way.  When people lose their humanity then it becomes acceptable to dehumanize others in terms of words, physical violence, killing, and extremists belief systems.  When we dehumanize people – we no longer see people as people – but rather as things.

How do we change this?  You can’t force others to change for one thing.  We can only model a different way to live.  One change is identifying names and using people’s names.  It might seem small and pointless, but we know that a person’s name is the most important word they know.  Further, when a name is attached to a person, they are no longer seen as the problem, but in a problem situation.

It’s really difficult to judge someone when you know them by name and you have met them face to face and you see their humanity.  Not impossible obviously, but a lot harder.

The crappy part about this is actually doing it.  As much as I just want to give the one finger salute to the white supremacists and yell at them and call them evil to their face (boy, wouldn’t that feel good and I get to feel all self-righteous), that is not modeling a better way to live.  It’s dehumanizing someone who I frankly abhor and makes no sense to me.

For those of us that are Christians, Jesus calls us to live differently.  It’s not easy, by any means.  I’m not saying that I’m going to go and make a friend with a white supremacist just so I can better understand him.  I’m not inviting a white supremacist over for dinner either.  But I am a bit more aware of how I respond to white supremacy.  First, by not adopting the tactics, language, or attitude of extremists.  Jesus calls us to live differently.  Sometimes that really sucks.  Sometimes I’d rather just let my real feelings rip out and let someone have it.  Sometimes I’d rather dehumanize because it would be easier, feel better, and show my obvious opposition.  But opposition to evil doesn’t mean we adopt evil ways.  We change the message and show a different way of living – an alternative way of living.  A better way of living.  And we pray for those who are blinded by fear and hatred because that’s about the only thing I know how to do right now.

What are the poor capable of?

09 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society

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So, if i asked you what a poor person was capable of, how would you answer?

Did your mind immediately go to a negative?  As in what crime is a poor person capable of?

Or did you start to think of all the possibilities that a poor person might have available to them to change their life?  Did you think of how lazy a poor person must be?

Or how about this – did you think about all the things that a poor person couldn’t possibly do because they are poor?

What are you basing your answer on?  Do you know anyone who is poor – or (gasp!) homeless?  By that I mean, do you know someone who is really poor or homeless by name and could easily have a conversation with them, or do on a regular basis?  As in you are essentially involved in their life and they are involved in yours?

Often we middle class folks don’t like to get involved with the poor or homeless – it messes up our lives and is messy.  Making eye contact or getting to know a person’s name might just mess up our schedules, or force us to see the humanity in someone else.  Or it might cost us something.

But here’s something another pastor told me yesterday that struck me – God has a way of messing our plans up and stirring the pot.  When we encounter the poor and homeless, it stirs the pot of comfort, of what is expected, and of what is considered normal.  Those that are different make the rest of us uncomfortable. But it is in that uncomfortableness that we have an opportunity to see why we are uncomfortable and we can grow from that.  And we can learn what it means to really help someone who is poor and homeless.

What does it mean to help someone like this – it means not making decisions for them, but to walk along side someone.  That’s no different from if someone is helping you – do you like to be told what to do?

What are the poor capable of?  Well, for one, they are capable of putting a mirror up to us so we can see the fear that we have – fear of being in their place and situation.  Secondly, they are capable of humanizing us again by giving us an opportunity to see the humanity in someone different from ourselves.

All or nothing

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

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It’s either all true or it’s a lie…

It’s either my way or the highway…

It’s either (my political party) or else it’s the spawn of Satan…

You either agree with me 100% (and therefore you are right) or any disagreement means you are wrong and heading to hell in a hand basket.  Did I mention that you are going to hell, you heretic!  (Doesn’t that make you want to give up your beliefs and adopt mine)

It’s either this or it’s that…(And that is presented as a terrible option, if you want to call it that)

This is the logic that many people operate with today.  Then again, it’s not new.  It’s the logic that argues that either the Bible is inerrant (meaning incapable of any errors) or it’s a book of lies.  There’s no middle ground.  There can’t be.  It’s all or nothing.  Remarkably, fundamentalists and atheists use the same argument here.  Go ahead and tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor or irony now.

At any rate, all or nothing arguments are weak at best.  Yes, you heard me – weak.  If your faith in God can’t handle some questions, doubts, and some science that disproves some portions of the bible, then I have to wonder about your faith.

If you can’t accept that creation wasn’t made in 7 literal days, then I have to wonder if your faith is a house of cards – one card taken out and the whole things falls apart.  Are you convinced that you are going to become an atheist if you don’t buy something as it is literally stated.  What happened to faith being a gift from God?  Sounds like your faith is based on how right you are in your belief.  Which isn’t faith at all, by the way.

I also have to wonder why you pit science against religion and faith.  They don’t have to be in a mortal battle for Truth.  They could be seen different – like both helping to move us towards truth, but in different ways.  There isn’t anything wrong with that.  Accepting what science has found doesn’t diminish our faith.  At least it doesn’t have to anyway.

We can actually believe that evolution is pretty good science and still believe that God created human being in God’s own image.  (Gasp!)  We can believe that science has some pretty good ideas of how the universe was formed and still believe in the creation story (Oh the horror!).  We can believe that science compliments religion and faith.

Understanding evolutionary science has allowed doctors to better treat cancer.  That makes pastoral care much better.  Understanding the science also helps pastors deal with really bad theological statements like: “God doesn’t give us more than can handle.”  If we understand the science of cancer, we can understand that it’s not God doing this, and that cancer is random and sporadic and sometimes there really isn’t a reason for something to happen.  It’s not a test from God.  It’s not God’s fault. It’s not something designed to make you stronger.   It just is and it sucks.

But that means we have to broaden our horizons and see past the binary, A or B only, way of thinking.  We have to get out of our American, Republican or Democrat are the only options thank you very much, way of thinking the world works.

In most cases, there is a third option – and often a fourth, fifth, or sixth option.  And the amazing thing is that these options are not in opposition to one another – but they are other options.  The world isn’t about either/or only.  That would be really boring.  There would be no freedom.  Frankly, either/or sucks.  It doesn’t give us room for options.  It makes no room for freedom or love.  It kills peace and sets us on a path of division and war.  It squashes grace and forgiveness.  It ignores the reality that life is messy and rarely are the choices that clear anyway.  It isn’t based in reality.

It is great for an argument on the internet or if you are only concerned with being right though.  I’m having trouble thinking of another good use for this way of thinking though.

If you force me to pick in an all or nothing situation – I’m most likely going to poke holes in the assumption that there are only two options.  I don’t accept the premise.  I don’t think it’s based in reality, and I don’t think it’s being honest.  Which means the choices presented are themselves false.

Unfortunately, I see this way of thinking gaining a great deal of attention in recent years.  That’s unfortunate.  I hope we choose a different path in the future.  There are plenty of people who have been hurt by either/or ways of structuring society.  We owe them an alternative.  One that considers other options.  It’s time to leave either/or thinking to the dust bin of history, or else! (come on, you know you’re laughing at the ending here.  I just couldn’t help myself.)  Peace.

Trump and the Boy Scouts

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by in Politics, Society, Theology

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Do I dare?  Do I touch this?  Sure, why not.  Everyone else seems to be commenting on this, so why not me.  Maybe I can offer a different perspective.

I know it’s dangerous to talk about partisan politics – so many people have their loyalties to one party or the other and hence have a cemented opinion about political leaders, including the President. I’m just as guilty.  But I’m wondering what we can learn from this latest episode of the President speaking in front of the Boy Scouts.

Before I go on, I have to say, I haven’t seen the speech, nor read it.  There’s a pretty good chance I never will.  What I’m more interested in is the reaction to his speech.

Trump doesn’t really interest me.  I think he’s pretty predictable.  Say something outlandish in order to get a response – that way everyone is talking about him.  Whoever controls the conversation, is the one with real power.  If we have learned anything it is that he’s really good as drawing attention to himself.  And many people feel the need to be sucked into whatever the latest tweet or thing he said is.

When I contemplate this episode, I can’t help but think of this past Sunday’s Gospel lesson in Matthew 13:24-30 – the parable of the wheat and the weeds.

“He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

I’m not interesting in determining if Trump is the sower of the weeds or the seeds (depending on your political leanings), or is a weed, or something else.

What I’m interested in is this – What are we called to?  How are we to relate and react to the President or any other politician we may disagree with, or as some believe, find to be a danger?  Remember, every President, since Washington was president, had an opposition that couldn’t stand them.  Every President has faced threats of impeachment – yes, even the “universally” loved Washington.  Every President has been viewed as evil by some and as a wonderful leader who can save the nation by others.

And in each case, the faith and hope in that person is misplaced.  Or rather, too much faith and hope is placed in that person.  It doesn’t matter if that person is Trump or if it was Obama.

Christians are called to be wheat in the world of weeds.  We are called to live differently.  To, dare I say it, have different loyalties – (sounds so un-American, doesn’t it?)

So what do we do with a politician who desires to be the center of the universe?  The same thing you do when you deal with a black hole – avoid being sucked in.  You live your life.  You stay in control of your emotional state.  You realize that you aren’t going to like what the person says or tweets and you determine the best way to stay informed without being controlled by the person.  You don’t allow this person to determine what you do each day or what your emotional state will be.

Most important – you live out your calling, no matter what.  To feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to house the homeless, to visit the imprisoned, to care for the sick, to acknowledge the humanity in others, to tap into the value of those that feel valueless.

In other words, to build up the kingdom of God, regardless of what happens in DC or who sits in the Oval Office. Yes, some people make that easier and some make it harder.  You don’t have control over that.  You have control over how you react and what you do going forward.

Our hope isn’t in the person of the President – regardless of who it is.  It’s in the person of Jesus.

Our future isn’t tied to the President, our future is in Jesus.

Our loyalty, dare I say it, isn’t to the President first, but to the kingdom of God first.

Whether you are thrilled that Trump is president or dismayed, this administration isn’t permanent – nothing here is.  At some point in time, his name will be forgotten to the ashes of history.  But God, and God’s kingdom, will not.  In the end, God’s kingdom prevails.  That is where our hope is – that is where our faith lies.

Responding to a politician with anger isn’t going to change the politician or how they act.  It certainly won’t make us feel better either.  You can’t change weeds into wheat.  You can only be wheat.  We need wheat in the world of weeds.  We need to be wheat in relation to politics.  There are plenty of weeds in the world.  Plucking the weeds is a never-ending battle that is exhausting.  Being wheat though is different.  Wheat actually feeds people and gives life to those around us.  It’s time to be wheat, and plant more seeds.

Poor people

20 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

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Poor people.

Do you get an image in your head when you read those words?  If you haven’t been poor, it is likely that you do.  Or if you don’t know someone who is poor – the same thing applies.

It’s probably the image of someone wearing ratty clothes, is disheveled and messy.

Poor people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and wearing all sorts of clothes.

Many people I know have a fear of approaching someone who is poor, or worse in their mind – homeless.

I think it’s the fear of what might happen – What might I lose or have taken away from me?

Maybe it’s a fear that I might have to do something – and I’m not sure what to do with poor people.  I’m busy after all doing stuff that’s important.

But have you ever spent time with a poor person?  Can you name a poor person that you know?  Do you know that person’s name?  How about a homeless person?  Know anyone by name?

It’s really, really easy to just drop a few dollars into someone’s hands and be off with your life thinking that you did something for someone.  But did you?  Or did you just buy off your feeling of guilt for not knowing what to do?  This isn’t something that is taught in school – how to handle an encounter with a poor or homeless person.

The first step in an encounter with a poor or homeless person – find out the person’s name.

Step two – listen to their story.

Step three – find out what the person really wants – it might not be what you expect.  But here’s the thing – it’s their life, not yours.

Step four – walk with the person and be supportive.  While you are doing that – draw out the value of the person you are walking with.  Everyone has value, find out what that value is and draw it out of them.  It’s like drawing life out of death.

A person’s name, being heard, expressing desires, and finding value is what being human is all about.  It’s what we are called to.

 

Health insurance

18 Tuesday Jul 2017

Posted by in Health, Humanity, Politics, Society

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There’s a big debate going on in the seat of government about health insurance – or “health care” as it is always called.  However, the two are very different.  Health care is what doctors and nurses and pharmicists and other medical professionals do.  Health insurance is how we pay for it.  But health insurance reform doesn’t sound quite the same as health care reform does it?

Is the Senate bill a good replacement for what our current system?  Is it worse?  Depends on who you talk with.

It leaves me with a few observations though.  These are things that I think we haven’t answered as a nation.  And because we haven’t answered them, any change we make to health insurance is not going to go over very well – no matter how it’s sold to us.  But keeping what we have currently isn’t a good option either, long term.  But we have to start somewhere right?

At any rate, here’s a few thoughts.

What is the role of government in our nation?  This has been an ongoing debate since the beginning – one that we haven’t answer yet.  You’d think we’d have an answer after 240 years right?

What is our vision for the nation?  Where do we want our nation to go as we move forward in history?

What is the relationship between the government and the people?  If government is the one responsible for providing health insurance, does it bother anyone else that we have distrusting relationship between people and government?

Why in the world is health insurance still attached to employment?  How does this even makes sense anymore?

I wonder what a reformed health insurance would look like if the extreme ends of the political spectrum were left out of the discussion and the folks in the middle made changes.  Would it be better?

How much do we really spend on paying for health care?  Is there a better way to do it?

Why do we in the US focus all of our attention on sick care as opposed to more focus on prevention?  Prevention ends up costing a whole lot less, and it means that people are healthier.

What does our American culture and mindset force us into concerning health care and health insurance?  In other words, what are the things that are unnamed and hidden from view that drive the direction of health policy – good and bad?  Are these things that can be changed?  Or are we stuck?

Tell it like it is

03 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Society, Theology

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Why do many people like someone who “tells it like it is?”

…and what does that really mean anyway?

Is telling it like it is about truth when it comes down to it?  Or is about being really pissed off and expressing anger vocally?

Are those that are interested in someone who “tells it like it is” really just interested in someone who sounds pissed off because that’s what they are?

Does “telling it like it is” give that person a license to be a jerk?  What if someone else calls that person a jerk because they are “telling it like it is” about that person?

Is there a way to tell it like it is in a different way than being rude and obnoxious?

Is there a metric or something to measure against what the “it” is – you know something that fact checks the “it” in “telling it like it is?”

Or is that just not important because the person who is “telling it like it is” is saying whatever they are saying with passion and lots of emotion for others to get wrapped up in.

Do we really believe that there really are politicians who tell it like it is out of the goodness of their hearts?  Politicians, whether long-term politicians or new comers, couldn’t possibly “tell it like it is” in order to build up their own power could they?  In order to manipulate and get more support for a political message, maybe?

What if asking all of these questions is a way of telling it like it is?  What if you don’t like it?  Does that matter since I’m telling it like it is?  Or am I not doing that because I’m not insulting you, the reader, in the way I tell it like it is?

Someone else told it like it is – long ago.  But did it in a far different manner.  He pointed out the flaws of society and culture and offered an alternative.  It was very upsetting, but not because he insulted people or was rude.  It was upsetting because he told the truth about the world – a truth that the world didn’t want to admit.  It was so upsetting that he was killed by those who didn’t want to acknowledge the truth that he talked about.  That person was Jesus.  Jesus told it like it is.  Yet somehow, so many don’t want to listen to what Jesus had to say and continues to say today about the world, society, and culture.  Jesus’ telling it like it is doesn’t fit into our anger – we want someone to pay damn it!  Jesus’ telling it like it is doesn’t fit with our desire to exclude and separate.

Maybe telling it like it really is not something we really want to hear – especially when it is focused on us and our lives and our culture.  Maybe we’d rather just be angry and throw a tantrum and be a victim instead.  It’s much easier.  It’s not pleasant to be told what it is, regardless of what “it” is.

But that’s what Jesus does.

 

Power, Authority, and Relationships

30 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Organizational theory, Politics, Society

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What is the basis, the core foundation, of a relationship?  It can be a number of things.  Part of this depends on who is involved in the relationship. It could be between individuals, or groups, or institutions, etc.

Power is one basis of a relationship.  When power is the basis of a relationship, then it will probably end in war or a power struggle of some kind.  That’s because most people who base relationships on power believe that power is a limited resource that only a few can possess – and guess who should possess it?  That’s a false understanding about power though.  It’s a better understanding of authority though.  Power and authority are two very different things.  Not everyone can have or be in a position of authority.  But you can be in a position of authority and have no power.  You can also be in a position of absolutely no authority, but have a significant amount of power.  Authority is a title that is given.  Power is based on the relationship between people.

Politics is ultimately about power – who’s got it and what are they doing with it.  But it’s combined with authority – or rather tainted by authority so that often the two are seen as intermixed and interrelated to the point that there is a belief that there is no difference between the two.

So we end up with a few people with authority fighting and clawing at each other to gain and horde as much power as possible because they confuse power with authority.  Just look at Washington, DC for some examples.  It really doesn’t matter which party you look at – it’s been this way for quite some time now – well before any of us were born.

Those that have authority, but lack self-confidence and self-awareness, will try to make up their lack of self-confidence and self-awareness with a pursuit of power.  They think if they have power, it will fill in any weakness or gaps in themselves.

They see power as something like a spot light – it will shine on them – and they will use up all of the light that is shining on them.  Instead, what power does for these folks is show the weakness of character for all to see.

Light isn’t designed to be horded – but to be spread.  The same is true for power.  It is best used when it is spread out and touches as many people as possible – when many are empowered to make decisions about their own lives and used for the betterment of the many.

It is abused when it is used for the betterment of the few or the one at the expense of the many.  Then it is just tyranny.  And it is why those who horde power end up losing it or having it taken away.

There are other options though.  We can base our relationships on love, respect, trust, etc.  These are much healthier.  And they have a different focus – outward, towards the other.  These things are focused on empowering others, seeing what is best for all involved.  They are risky though.  They take time and they leave us vulnerable.  You have to have confidence, or maybe a better word is faith.  Faith that the other person is seeking the same thing that you are – a thriving life.

What are your relationships with others and with institutions based on?

The lie of growth hacking

28 Wednesday Jun 2017

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I can’t tell you how many articles I have seen that include the word “hacking” in them.  It’s the idea that you can do a short cut to something and expect to get some kind of great result.

Lately, there have been plenty of articles about life hacking – doing things that make your life great, but done in such a way that you are cutting out steps – saving you time or money or energy, or something else.

Here’s the thing – it’s a lie.  It’s a lie that you can life hack.  It’s a lie if you think you can cheat life by cutting corners and expect to be wildly successful.

Anything worth doing isn’t done by cutting corners.

Sure, you could cut corners on parts of your life, but the only one you are really cheating is yourself.  You could cut corners and save yourself the hardship of hurt feelings, sadness, loneliness, anger, and other negative emotions, but then would you really enjoy and appreciate all the good emotions that come with true success?  Would you really appreciate the joy? Should we even be trying to avoid all of those “bad” emotions really?  Aren’t they a part of what it means to be human?

You can life hack, but if you get what you want, will it really be what you want since you didn’t put in the time, yourself, or anything else that goes with it?  Will it have the same value, or will it be disposable, like most things in our culture?

If you put in very little, you’ll get get very little out of that same thing, relationship, person, profession, money, etc.

If you feel like you have to life hack to get something, I’m going to offer a suggestion – you really don’t want it that bad.  Maybe you should spend some time looking in the mirror and asking yourself why you want it and what you are willing to pay to get it.  Anything worthwhile has a high price.  And there are no shortcuts.

Covfefe is all the rage-fefe

01 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Humor, Society

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Ever since POTUS came up with an alternative word – covfefe – the internet has been all abuzz with it.

It’s made it into memes, and posts, and used for humor and ridicule.  And since the POTUS never makes mistakes this obviously isn’t a mistake either.

At any rate, I kind of like the word.  I’ve been thinking about its meaning though.  We need to have a consistent meaning so that this word can make it as the word of the year for 2017.  I think it’s pretty symbolic of 2017 as a whole and is a great candidate for word of the year – the best one ever.  And just think, we didn’t need anyone to pay for it either.  Then again, maybe it’s already the best word ever tweeted.  Plus, we need a consistent way to say the word.  Maybe the POTUS can clarify for us.

At any rate, here’s my shot at what the word covfefe means.  I welcome your definitions:

Covfefe – slang for a favorite type of coffee

Covfefe – slang for a favorite covert operation

Covfefe – “cover your dog Fe Fe”

Covfefe – Tweet for “we’ve covered that, you now you have to pay two fees.”

Covfefe – Tweet for “I like the music album cover with Fe Fe on it.”

Covfefe – Tweet for “That corvette is so expensive I can’t afford all the letters.”

Covfefe – Cover all the fees, yes, even the hidden ones.

Covfefe – The sound someone getting ready to sneeze.

Covfefe – a new swear word for anyone who disagrees with POTUS.

Covfefe – the name for the super secret club that only a few people are a part of.  The tweet was telling them to come over to POTUS’s tree house for the next meeting where they will be trading super hero cards and baseball cards, and talking about that yucky girl Jenny in fourth grade.  She has some serious cooties!

Covfefe – a new translation of the Bible.  (Just think of the possibilities here.)

Here’s something else to consider – maybe covfefe is so great of a word that it has more meanings than any other word that ever existed.  Isn’t that just great!  No wonder our world has been so screwed up – we’ve been living without this incredible word for all this time.  Now that covfefe has been tweeted, there will be peace and prosperity.

Or maybe covfefe doesn’t actually exist and it’s all been a worthless distraction because some of us can’t admit a mistake and some of us can’t resist poking fun at a mistake.  Nah! That’d be so covfefe.

What do you think covfefe means?