Category Archives: Society

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?

What’s the point of war?

04 Thursday May 2017

Posted by in Politics, Society, Theology

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What is the point of war?  To win?  To show that “our” side is right?  To show that the other side is wrong or evil?  To defend our way of life?

To make peace?  How does that even work?  How does killing and causing destruction – things that are in complete opposition to peace – bring about peace?  Is peace just the absence of war?  Or is it a different way of living?

What is the point of war?  To make a profit? To reduce a population? To conquer? To destroy?  To show how masculine a country can be?  To show how much a leader is in charge?

What’s the point of war? To eradicate an enemy?  But why? What will have been accomplished?  Do we really think that nothing will take its place?  Do we really think that life will be better when the other side is eradicated?

What’s the point of war? To rally around the flag? To rally around the leader? To defend a set of values?

When is war necessary? When attacked? Prevention?

When do we know that it is time to end the war? And what happens to our relationship with those who were our enemies while we were at war?

What about nations that have gone out of existence?  What was the point of them going to war? To preserve their nation? But they are gone.  Was it worth it? What did it accomplish?

Rome, and many other empires built their very existance on war and crushing their enemies. It is how they brought peace to their rhelm.  Yet, they are all gone to the ashes of history. What was the point of it all?

Maybe, just maybe, there’s another way.  With a different set of answers and questions.  One that doesn’t rely on power struggles for things that will eventually fade away.

Funeral in advance

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

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This week at the seminary was Academy Week – we get to hear several speakers come and talk about a variety of topics.  One of the speakers talked about Revelation and how it wasn’t about predicting the future so much as being written in opposition to the Roman empire – you know, the empire that was crushing people in the known world, that promoted the idea that peace came through crushing one’s enemies, and that everyone must bow and worship Rome.

At any rate, the speaker went on to tell us that a good part of Revelation is actually a funeral for Rome.  It’s the idea of insulting Rome by showing that if it continues on the path it is heading, it will lead to its own demise and death.  And so Revelation is a funeral pronouncement on Rome and everything that goes with it.  It’s also casting an alternative – the reign of God and everything that goes with it.

This got me thinking about the idea of writing a funeral in advance.  It’s a powerful notion.  The whole idea of writing a funeral in advance is a direct smack in the face of whoever/whatever the funeral is for.

It got me wondering, who or what would I write a funeral for in advance?

That’s not an easy question.

Maybe it would be for partisan politics.  The message would be that if partisan politics continues on its path, then it will inevitably lead to its own demise and death.  The power that parties seek will be the same power that crushes them.  But there is an alternative.

Maybe it would be materialism.  The message would be that if materialism continues on its path, then it will inevitably lead to its own demise and death.  The stuff that materialism seeks will finally just bury us alive.  But there is an alternative.

I think you get the idea.

What would you write a funeral in advance for?

God in the movies

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

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So recently I’ve watch a couple of movies that involve angels – you know messengers of God.  The first movie was called “Gabriel.”  Take a wild guess about which angel this is about.  The movie is described as a mix between Western and the Matrix.  Which is pretty accurate.  The other movie was called “Legion.” it’s like the end times meet zombie movie.

I’ll spare you the details of both of these movies and tell you that both movies had really bad theology.  Let’s just put it this way – when you movie makes Michael the archangel into a fallen angel or disobeying God’s command, where you get the theology around Purgatory wrong, and where God is so ticked off at humanity that God decides to use angels to destroy humanity, you’ve got some bad theology going on.

Regardless, the benefit of watching these movies is to see how God is popularly displayed for entertainment purposes.

The message that is put out is that God is angry and ready to kick butt and take names.

The message is that the forces of good will use evil means, as if those means were the only option available.

The message is that might makes right.

These of course are the messages that our culture and world live by and have for most of human history.

Last week was Holy Week, which is a big contrast with these messages.  Holy Week shows us Jesus who carries a different message.  A message of Good News, even if the message is often misunderstood or ignored.  That doesn’t matter, Jesus kept on spreading the message anyway.

It’s a message that Jesus didn’t conquer through force, but rather love – self-emptying love.  To the point of death.

Evil uses force in order to get its way.  It has to.  But here’s the thing, in the end, it is that very same use of force that destroys evil.  It is self-destructive.

Love on the other hand is different.  It’s expansive.  Which is exactly what God is.

But I don’t expect there to be a movie that focuses on God’s love.  It wouldn’t fit into a popular movie theme.  There wouldn’t be a good guy and bad guy.  There wouldn’t be fallen angels.  There wouldn’t be the use of force to win.

But that’s ok because God’s love isn’t made for a movie.  It’s made for life.  For us to experience it and for us to live it out and share it with others.

We are so removed from violence

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

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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.

Youth, the church, and LGBT

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Church, Health, Society, Theology

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This past Sunday I had the opportunity to be a part of two conversations about the church and LGBT.  One was for a confirmation class – the topic was selected by the students and led by the pastor.  The other conversation was part of a youth group gathering and I facilitated the conversation.

Let me address a few things regarding these conversations –

“Church” – we didn’t try to speak for all churches here – just the ELCA.  There are far too many churches and denominations – we would have never covered them all.  And plus this was an ELCA setting, so it just made sense.  However, we did try to address what we’ll call the “traditional” thinking was versus a more “contemporary” thinking concerning LGBT.

Specific texts – in the confirmation class, specific texts from the Old and New Testament were brought us that have traditionally been seen as against homosexuality.  Again, here we talked about the verses openly and explored understandings in context, culture, and the way we look at the text through interpretive lenses – this last point is extremely important.  So is how we define terminology.

My overall impression is that these were healthy conversations.  The youth were genuinely interested in what the church had to say – they wanted to know what their church taught.

In the second conversation we had a wide ranging conversation where I asked the students how they might handle preaching some of these passages if they had to.  Again, honest discussion identifying concerns in the congregation if they did address these texts versus skipping them.  We had conversation about how sexuality is viewed in school and  I asked them what ways the church could be beneficial to them in relation to sexuality.  The overall answer was that open forums like this were very helpful – a chance to talk in a space where there would be no judgement, where questions could be raised, and people would be respected.

During one of the conversations, a student stated something to the effect that they were glad they could talk about this here.  The point being, if we can’t talk about touchy subjects in church, where are we going to talk about them?  I think this is true for sex, sexuality, money, identity, and so many other things that get to the heart of who we are.  Ultimately, the reason we should talk about such things in church is because these aren’t just issues – they are people, they are a part of people, they impact people.  And church is about how God is active and touching the lives of all people.  These conversations start off uncomfortable – they always do.  But why should we let comfort dictate what we talk about?  When it comes down to it – the Gospel is uncomfortable – it forces us to see the mess in our lives and in the world.  And then it talks about how God is active and changing our lives and the world.  If that isn’t uncomfortable, I don’t know what is.

I hope your church makes space for these uncomfortable conversations.  They need to be happening.

Why do so many want to be blind?

27 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

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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

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

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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.

Hey, let’s talk past each other

21 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Society, Theology

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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

Posted by in Finland, Humanity, Society

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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.