Tag Archives: culture

Death

06 Wednesday Sep 2017

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It’s a subject most people don’t like to talk about.  We live in a culture that has a difficult time even saying the word.  We’d rather avoid it and say “passed away” or “fell asleep.”  Yet, it is the one thing in life we’ll all face.

Death is inevitable.  Yet, we don’t know the day or the time.

Our culture has a weird relationship with death.  When we see death in entertainment, we don’t shudder or fear it.  Is that because in entertainment, we know it is fake?  The actor will just get up and go on with life?  I wonder what kind of effect this has on how we deal with death.  Does it cheapen death or push the reality of death even farther away from us?

Yet death is inevitable.

But it doesn’t have the final say.  God has made sure of that and made a promise to us that death does not have the final say.

On Sunday I spoke about why we say the creed.  There are many reasons to say the creed in worship, but I focused on one reason.  During a funeral, you have a body – a dead body or the ashes of a dead body present.  Death is there – very present.  The people who show up to pay their respects have to deal with death.  There is no escape, there is no way to distract from the reality of death.  And it is at this very moment when the promises of the creed become very relevant – the promise of the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.  We say the creed in church in preparation for times when it might be difficult to belief what we claim.  Yet, the promise is there.

Death is inevitable, but the promise of God is sacred.  And God doesn’t ever fall back on God’s word.  That is a certainty.

We may not know the time or the means, but we have the promise.  The promise that we will not be forgotten.  The promise that death will not have the final say.  The promise that God will resurrect and restore life and all of creation.  The promise that God wins.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

What is Christianity?

17 Friday Mar 2017

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Is Christianity the culture?  Is Christianity tied to what it means to be American?  Is it counter cultural?  What does that even mean?

Christianity came about because of Jesus, who lived in the first part of the first century CE (or AD if you prefer).  He lived in Palestine, which was under Roman jurisdiction – actually it was under the rule of a client kingdom.  This may sound like a technicality, but it’s important.  It was an independent kingdom that paid tribute to Rome and did what it could to keep itself in Rome’s good graces.  This of course would end after Jesus’ death.  The Zealots (political extremists who didn’t like any dealings with Rome) were often causing problems for the ruling party and eventually created a rebellion that ended when the Temple in Jerusalem was leveled by Rome.

Christianity rose up in the midst of this.  It continued to grow, thanks to people like Paul, who spread the message far and wide throughout the Roman empire.  It grew large enough that it caught the attention of the Roman rulers who eventually persecuted Christians – they needed a scapegoat when things got bad and a minority religion was a perfect fit for this.  (Yes, I’m simplifying things greatly here.)

Because of this, along with the radical teachings of inclusivity, overturning honor and shame in society, monotheism, and more, Christianity was counter cultural.  A huge difference, and cause of great pain, for Christians was loyalty to the reign of God, rather than the reign of Caesar.

It was only later with Constantine that Christianity became a state religion, and then the official religion of the state.  He used it for his own purposes and power.  And it became a part of the state and what it meant to be Roman.  And as a result, criticism of the empire changed.  You can’t be criticizing openly the very people who are building you basilicas now, can you?

Yet here we are almost two thousand years later and an ocean and sea apart from the origins of Christianity.  A great deal has happened since that time.  If we are guilty of anything, it is thinking that we fit into the early story of Christianity – as if anyone around at the time of Jesus knew there would be a USA – let alone a land across the ocean, outside the known world.  The world was believed to be flat back then remember?

Is Christianity counter cultural?  It has been.  It has also been the basis for the culture, or so we like to think this way.

Is Christianity American?  Nope.  We can’t lay claim to it solely.  Besides, which version of Christianity are we talking about anyway?  What does it mean to be an American Christian?  Where do our loyalties lie?

When we look at the American landscape we see a wide variety of Christians which mean there is no one answer to these questions.  And maybe that’s the point and a good thing.  Uniformity is a nice idea, but I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind when he said “Follow Me.”  I don’t think he meant that to mean “do as I tell you to do like a bunch of robots.”  I think it means variety and context.  And it will change over time and with location and different people.

Christianity might be counter cultural.  Or it might be totally consumed by culture.  Or, just maybe, it will be both depending where and when we are talking.

House of Culture and Learning

09 Thursday Feb 2017

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As we left the Cathedral of Learning, we took one last view of this incredible building that houses culture and learning.

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There’s a ton in the building.  I couldn’t help by wonder – does it get a lot of visitors?  I hope so.

Do people actually appreciate the different cultures?  The different languages of those cultures?  The long histories of these nations and peoples?  I have no idea.

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Of course we can’t make people care.  Spending our time forcing people to care is a waste of time.  The only ones we have real influence over is ourselves.  And even then, sometimes I wonder.  Forcing people to appreciate culture only makes many people have a negative reaction.  But invitation usually has a better effect.

Lesson for church: I heard a preacher on the radio this past Sunday talk about change starting in people through their heads.  I think that’s bogus.  Want people to change – reach them at their heart level.  Look at the current environment in politics – all of the talking is directed at the head.  And the reaction – we have two sides that are farther apart now than they have been in awhile.  Let’s not be like politics.  We’re in the heart business church.  Touch the heart and it will impact the head.

A room with a view

08 Wednesday Feb 2017

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After the Welsh room, we headed up to the 36th floor of the Cathedral of Learning.  From there, we had the opportunity to get some incredible views of the Pittsburgh area, which we took advantage of.

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Considering I have a pretty severe fear of heights, I even amazed myself with being the one taking the pictures.  Maybe I was fine because the windows were not that big and I didn’t feel like I was going to be sucked out to my death.

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Regardless, I was thrilled to be able to enjoy the view.  Small steps my friends, small steps.

Lesson for church: Small steps. We can’t expect huge changes in the church. Change is not the norm in church. It’s an institution and institutions don’t change on their own or willingly.  The church has a culture and cultures don’t like to change either.  There has to be a good reason to change – you can’t just change for change’s sake.  There’s no purpose to that.  But we can and should change in order to better carry out the mission of God.  Any step in that direction is a step forward.

Let me tell you a story…

02 Thursday Feb 2017

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The next stop in the Cathedral of Learning was the Japanese room.

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It is very simple, yet eloquent at the same time.  It is very functional, yet not off putting either.

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In the back of the room (shown above) you see some Japanese writings.  Here’s a close up of the one on the left.

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I’m told that often these images and the words that go with them are telling a story.  It’s my understanding that Japanese culture is conveyed through story very often and that the Japanese are master story tellers.

Lesson for church: we have a story to tell.  The culture won’t tell the story for us anymore, which I think is a positive thing.  The Rev. Dr. David Lose once said that the church in the US has gotten lazy with telling its story.  I agree.  It’s time to relearn the story of faith and proclaim it.  This isn’t a story about facts and figures – it’s a story about relationship:  God with creation, including humanity.  Tell that story, and see what happens.

How Facebook can be a bridge and not a river

25 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Society, Theology

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I have an interesting Facebook news feed.  It includes Americans and those who make other nations their home.  I have friends on Facebook who are super patriotic Americans and friends who are citizens of countries that many here would consider to be “enemies” of the US.  I have friends who are Republicans and Democrats.  I have friends who are political activists within liberal/progressive movements as well as within more conservative/libertarian movements.  I get the sense that I am an anomaly.  I often wonder how Facebook decides what shows up in my news feed?  Today when I was scrolling through I saw quite a variety of things.  There is the typical happy stories – a family adopting a dog.  There was the daily pun and jokes I enjoy.  There’s the inspirational quotes that are great.  There is the daily prayer.  There were updates on sick family members, requests for prayers for others.  There were obituaries of both young and old.  And there was politics.

The amazing thing about the political posts on Facebook is that one post was critical of the Woman’s march and the very next one was in support of it.  Then I scrolled a bit further and the very same thing happened.  One post critical and the next was supportive.  This happened over and over again.  I was fascinated by this observation and couldn’t help but wonder about it.  You may also be wondering, how can someone have such a diverse range of friendships.  I can’t imagine how people couldn’t.  Then again, given how divided we are as a nation here in the US, I’m not surprised.  I wonder if our attachment to our political parties and ideologies limits who becomes our friends.  Do people practice political self-segregation?

When it comes to the Women’s march, I’ve heard quite a variety of arguments, one-liners, guilt and shame-inducement statements, and personal stories (from both supporters and opponents).  I’ve heard about abortion and many other “issues.”  Some people are very eloquent and others are, shall we say, a bit rougher in their language.  But this is just the latest installment of my cross-cultural and cross-belief Facebook news feed.   All throughout the 2016 election I watched the election play out in my news feed – those for this candidate and those for that candidate.  And a smaller segment who were for no candidate too.

Every time some divisive issue pops up, I can count on hearing both sides of the argument just by watching my Facebook news feed.  I’m guaranteed to be able to read articles and see quotes supporting both liberal and conservative viewpoints from a variety of sources – and I read many of these – not just the ones I know I will agree with.  Because what’s the point of that?  What did I actually learn from that?  Nothing.

I love this and I hate it at the same time.  I love the fact that there is such a diverse range of opinion on any given subject all at my fingertips.  There is creativity with proposed ideas.  There are serious criticisms.  There are great arguments for and against positions.  And of course there are insults – I see the range of responses from rational argument to emotional tantrum.

But I also hate the news feed.  I hate it because I know the people who comment.  I hate it because I know that these people don’t know the other people who comment on the same issue but from an opposing viewpoint.  I hate that these people appear physically close in my news feed, yet don’t even know that the other person exists in reality.

I feel like a bridge over a river that never gets crossed.  I grow richer from a diversity of opinions, ideas, presentations, and arguments, while people on either side of the river are locked in echo chambers only getting feedback from like-minded people.

I hate it because I know in the grand scheme of things, this type of behavior only contributes to the divide we have in our country and in the world.

I hate it because I don’t know how to bridge the two lands separated by a river.  I don’t even know that the two lands want to meet each other – it seems as though they would rather just yell at each other.  It gives each side the ability to feel justified, self-righteous, right, angry, etc.  But it doesn’t bring us closer to truth.  It doesn’t bring us closer to unity.  It doesn’t bring us closer to understanding.  It doesn’t bring us closer to reconciliation.  It doesn’t bring us closer to advancing our nation economically, culturally, spiritually, or in any other way for that matter.

Here’s my challenge to you – make a friend with someone you know you disagree with.  Read all of their Facebook posts, and just listen.  Don’t respond, don’t argue.  You aren’t going to convince someone on Facebook anyway so don’t waste your time or their time.

The point isn’t who is right.  The point is to see that other people come to very different conclusions for what are good reasons when it comes down to it.  They don’t have to make sense to you.  People come to their conclusions and hold their beliefs because of things in their past, their culture, their education, their parents and friends, their religious faith, and things they observe and experience.  Many times people can’t even express why they believe what they believe, but they know what they believe.  Putting words to things that have happened to a person can be difficult sometimes.

Here’s another challenge – ask questions.  Not leading questions.  Not questions that are actually attacks.  But real questions meant to gain understanding.  Approach people who believe differently as an opportunity to learn.  I’m willing to bet that most people, when it comes down to it, want the same ultimate thing that you do.  I’m willing to bet that there is a difference in how to get there.  If we can agree to the ultimate goal, then can we let go of our attachment to the how?  Can we stop confusing the how with the endgame?

In the meantime, I’ll keep reading my Facebook news feed each day.  I’ll keep holding people in prayer.  I’ll keep having conversations with people who I disagree with in respectful ways and seeking understanding.  I won’t always succeed in this.  Sometimes I’ll fail miserably at this.  But there’s always tomorrow to start over.  There are more people to engage with.

There a great deal of cultural change that I feel needs to take place here and in other parts of the world – a foundation of trust to be built between people, forgiveness offered and accepted, mercy shown, peace sought as a way of life and not an end point, respect in interactions from all parties.

And you know what, if I wait for someone else to take the first step, it ain’t gonna happen.  I’ll just see the same news feeds.

I want my news feed to change!   Not through the magic of manipulating it.  No I want a more organic change – a change because the people posting have changed.  I love the diversity, and at the same time, I want to see more interaction, more respect, more trust, more forgiveness, more consideration of opposing viewpoints.

I’m only one person.  I wonder, will you join me?  I’m taking a step, will you step with me?  Or is there just too much at stake for you?  I’ll know your answer by my news feed.  And I’ll still love you and care about you and listen to you and pray for you.  For me it starts with prayer – it’s difficult to rip another person a new one when you pray for them.  Prayer changes how I interact with people.  How are you going to start?

 

A different culture

19 Thursday Jan 2017

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The next stop in our world tour of education at the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA was the Chinese room.

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It felt like we stepped into a whole different culture – and that was the point.

I’m sure there’s a Confusius saying just waiting to happen when you enter the room.

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There are plenty of made up sayings attributed to Confusius – fun ones too.  Saying like: “Man who drive like hell, sure to get there faster.”  Regardless, Confusius was a great philosopher who still has an impact on China today, despite China’s government’s push against the philosophy.

One of my other favorite things about this room is the dragons that you can see throughout it.

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I love the detail.

My “church” lesson from this room – Learn from cultures that are different from yours.  I did that when we lived in Finland for a year.  There was a great deal to learn and I was better for asking questions about the church there.  Yes, Finland is Lutheran like I am, but because the culture and history is different than the US, there was much to gain in asking questions and listening to answers.  And not surprisingly, there was overlap.  And of course there were significant differences too.  Yet, I found some underlying themes that were important.  How the church approaches those themes will be different in Finland than the US – as they should.  The same applies to our local congregations.  Stop trying to be the big successful church in the next town over – you aren’t them.  You be who you are, and let them be who they are.  That doesn’t me you can’t learn from each other – you can and should.  It means know thyself.