Tag Archives: love

Love is…

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

I recently read an article that defined love as the absence of power.  The fascinating thing about this definition is that it was in relation to an article about politics. Given that information, I’m not surprised that the author defined love that way.

But I think the author was way off.  Love isn’t the absence of power at all.  In fact, love is very powerful.  Maybe part of the difference here as to do with definitions – specifically for love and for power.

I think love is the presence of power.  But it is not power that is held over someone or used to force someone into something.  That isn’t love at all, but rather coercion, or manipulation.

Love, however, is powerful.  Love is the power behind forgiveness.  Love is the power behind grace.  Love is the power behind freedom.  Love is the power behind mercy.  Love is the power behind peace.  Without love, why would we live any of these things out?

Being fed and feeding

07 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in Sermon Prep, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday’s reading in the Revised Common Lectionary were all about feeding.  Isaiah 55 spoke of coming to the water, and asked why spend money on that which is not food.  Our Gospel story was from Matthew 14 and told of the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000+ in a desolate place.

There is a great deal debate over this reading – did Jesus do a real miracle by multiplying the loaves and fishes, or was the real miracle that people saw Jesus sharing what little there was and they began to share.  I don’t think it matters – regardless of the how, thousands were fed – that’s a miracle.

Instead, I would rather focus on the fact that this was a desolate place – that’s the terminology we are given.  Desolate, deserted, empty – they all mean the same thing ultimately.  These terms signify that there is no life, nothing of value.  And this is where Jesus goes.

The people go to where Jesus is.  I think it’s quite fitting that the crowd would search out Jesus in a desolate place.  Desolation isn’t just a physical place – it’s a state of being for some people, maybe for many people.  So many people are empty, exhausted, and their state of being is desolate.  There is no life where they are.  Yet, if they are searching, they are hungry.  They are hungry for food, for love, for attention, for care, for mercy, for forgiveness.

But where there is desolation, Jesus shows up and amazing things happen.  Jesus shows up and people are fed.  Not just enough to kill the hunger pains, but we are told to their fill.  But it doesn’t stop there – the disciples collected the leftovers and found 12 baskets full.  That’s because when Jesus shows up, there is overflowing abundance – never to run out.

Jesus shows up and amazing things happen.  People are fed love – in overwhelming ways.  Where they had only received conditional love, Jesus gives unconditional love – to the point of death.  We are overwhelmed by God’s love and have more than enough to give to others.

Jesus shows up and we receive forgiveness.  Forgiveness that we don’t deserve and can’t possibly do enough to earn.  Yet, it is given – in overflowing abundance.  So much so that we take the extra and give it our to others who need forgiveness.

Jesus shows up and we receive mercy and grace and so much more.  And we receive these things in overwhelming abundance.  So much so that we give it away.

The miracle isn’t that God is this good.  The miracle is that we are invited to participate in handing out God’s overwhelming abundance to others.  The miracle is that it doesn’t run out – ever.  When Jesus shows up to places where there is desolation – to lives where desolation runs rampant – lives change in overwhelming and abundant ways.  Thanks be to God!

God in the movies

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Society, Theology

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

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.

Love your enemies…

07 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Let’s hop in the way back machine, or TARDIS if you prefer, and head all the way back a couple of weeks to February 19, 2017.  So long ago, I know.  The lectionary reading for that Sunday had quoted Jesus as saying:

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

This is from Matthew 5:43-45 (NRSV).

Here’s a few really practical questions – what in the world does Jesus mean by this?  And what would it look like to actually live this out?

First, let’s just cut to the chase – we’re all guilty of not following this.  In some sense, it’s impossible for us mere mortals to follow this.  We all have enemies, whether we want to admit it or not.  Jesus isn’t dismissing this fact.  What’s he’s saying here is about how we treat our enemies.  Do we treat them like enemies, or do we treat them differently?

When I read this, I see Jesus saying that we are to treat our enemies with love.  That’s not easy.  In fact, it sucks!  Royally!  What fun is having an enemy if we can’t blame them for everything bad in the world?  Who are we supposed to demean and dehumanize?  Who are we supposed to call names to?  Who are we supposed to direct our irrational rage and anger at?

Maybe Jesus is getting us to see our enemy different for a reason.  Yes, to force us to deal with the fact that we are called to be peacemakers.  But there is more.  Maybe to examine what it is that makes our enemy an enemy.  Maybe if we did that we’d see something really ugly – a piece of ourselves that we really don’t like.  Maybe that’s part of what makes our enemies an enemy.

When Jesus calls on us to love our enemy, maybe it’s more than just faking it until we make it.  Maybe it’s Jesus putting a mirror in front of our face and saying “look.”  Look and see what you don’t like about this enemy.  We’re probably projecting a crap load of bad stuff on them, and judging them.  We personify the bad crap into someone else and then blame them for this.  Maybe Jesus saying to love our enemy is about seeing the person for who they really are, and detaching all the crap that we project and assume on them.

So the second question is how do we actually live this command out?  It depends on context – you and your enemy.  The idea is that this won’t be easy or short. It’s a long-term commitment.  I think it starts with praying for our enemies and what we do and say will grow out of that.  But the point is that there is movement in the direction of love towards another person.  And in the process, there is love of self and God.  But really, it starts with love of God.  When we start with God as the foundation, then our wants and focus changes.  How we see others start to change.  We’re not looking for perfection here – ain’t gonna happen.

Instead, we are responding to something else – God changing our status from an enemy of God, to a child of God.  And you know what – so is that person we call an enemy.

I don’t think Jesus is calling on us to make our enemies into best buds.  I think the point is that we aren’t harboring ill will against someone else, we place them in God’s hands, and we treat them with the human dignity they deserve – they too are children of God.

What does it mean to be a Christian today?

23 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

220px-christian_cross-svg

So what does it mean to be a Christian at the end of 2016 in America?

Have you ever really thought about this question?

For many, being a Christian is just another identity to add to other secular identities.  Apparently, many seem to think that Christian is just another moniker to add to the list of how a person defines themselves – adding to the list that includes their political party loyalty, nationality, and a host of other things I’m not going to get into here.  Because that’s not the point of why I write this.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

It’s something that transforms who we are.  Our loyalties lie with God and the Kingdom of God first.  A Christian follows the way of Christ – attempting to follow out what he told us to do and be.  Forgiving as we are forgiven.  Living peace, as are instruments of peace.  Showing mercy, as mercy has been shown to us.  Offering love, as we have been loved.  Giving grace, as we have received grace.  And when we screw up and break relationships with God, one another, ourselves, and the rest of creation – then acknowledging that, and receiving forgiveness so we can go at it again.

That’s one answer to what it means.  But not “the” answer.

It seems easier to define what being a Christian is not.  But what’s the point of talking about that – there are plenty of voices who argue about this already.

Being a Christian isn’t about fighting over what being a Christian is not.  It’s about how Christ transforms us and changes us to be something different in a world that is more interested in power, being right, control, violence, dominance, might, and more.

Being a Christian is attempting to live out an ideal – one we will never live up.  Yet, that doesn’t mean we give up on it.  If Christians kept trying to live into what we were called into, the world would change.

However, here’s the rub.  It’s not about what we do.  That should be apparent.  We’ve been trying for centuries – and the result has been a ton of death and destruction and lives ruined.  Most of the time because it’s our version of what we think Christianity is and using Christ to support our way of thinking and believing.

Yet, being a Christian isn’t about that at all.  It’s about dying to self.  It’s not using God for our advantage.  It’s being conformed to God’s will.  It’s surrendering.  It’s being in a right relationship with God.  It’s not about rules.  It’s about joyful living. It’s about accompanying people in the crap of life.  It’s about so much more than most of us even come close to knowing.

What would it mean for your life if you actually lived out what Jesus calls us to?

How would that change your life?  What are you waiting for?

How would it affect the world?

Being a Christian today is more than a political party sub-label.  If that’s all it is, it’s worthless.

But if it’s something that changes lives – then watch out.  Christ might just call us to live differently.  Christ might just call on us to interact with other differently – especially those we consider our enemies and opponents.  Christ might just call on us to give up some things so there is room for us to receive other, better, things.

What does it mean to be a Christian today?  I would guess it looks a lot different than what most people think it does.

Take the first step

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by in Humanity, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

2656648042_0ced853512_z

Take the first step…

That’s the anthem that is going through my head these days.

Take the first step…

We Christians claim to believe in and have faith in faith, hope, and love.  Yet, how often do we wait to receive these things before we step out in faith, hope, and love?

Take the first step…

We Christians claim to follow Jesus, one who lived his life by way of peace.  Yet, how often are we clamoring for war, violence, and revenge?  How often are we more concerned with being right and making everyone else agree with our ideas – beating them into submission?

Take the first step…

We Christians want to keep Christ in Christmas.  Yet, how often do we not want that to change our lives?  How often would we rather just mouth the words, rather than live them because Jesus would be too inconvenient to our schedules and plans?

Take the first step…

We are called to live a Christ-like life, not wait and respond.  We are called to act first, not wait until our lives are in perfect order.  We are called to walk by faith, not by sight.  We are called to follow Jesus, not shove our version of him down others throats.

Take the first step…

It’s a step of faith to be the first to stop the circle of violence when we respond with prayer, when we show love, when we speak words of forgiveness, when serve our neighbors.

Take the first step…

That is the only way the world will ever change.  If we wait for someone else to start, it will never happen.  God calls on us to take the first step…

Walk with me, we’ll take the first step together.

Trust, love, and listening

14 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Humanity, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

im-listening

Build trust instead of just talking about it.  Actually go and do the work of building trust with people, rather than sit around and think about it or strategize about it.

Show love instead of just talking about it.  There are plenty of people who could use some love in their lives and giving love to others is actually quite good for the giver as well.

Listen instead of just talking about listening.  That means sit quietly, hear what is being said without thinking about what you will say in response, or how the person is wrong and you have to think about how you will correct them.  Just listen and begin to understand a different perspective.

The alternative to trust, love, and listening is, well, what we see around us.  It’s what gets reported on the news.  It’s what has been tried through most of human history.  It’s what we read in social media.  It’s what we hear in those we pass by walking or driving.

The alternative is not a good option.  It’s not what we are called to be.

Trust, love, and listening aren’t easy.  They take time, energy, effort.  They demand that you let go of yourself.  They require vulnerability.  That can be scary.

But they offer so many rewards too.  They offer freedom – freedom from being controlled by fear and anger.  The freedom of not having all the answers.  Freedom to be who we are called to be.

We don’t trust, love, and listen in order to get rewards though. We do it because life is so much better living this way.  We do it because these are things we have received from God.  If we are Christians, we live these out because they are who we are and what we are called to be and do.

Trust, love, and listening.  You’ve already got them in you.  Hand them out freely.  No worries, there will be plenty to go around.  And you won’t end up empty.  Give them a try. See what happens.

Lamentation and Hope

10 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in Humanity, Society, Theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Last night as I was waiting to pick up my daughter from soccer practice, I scanned through the radio stations and landed on a “Christian” station.  The preacher on the air was talking about “the LGBT question.”  He made an argument that weaved the Constitution and the Bible together very intimately and then made the following statement:  “LGBT people have no standing before the law.  They need to sit down and shut up.”

I sat in disbelief and horror of what I just heard.  Did he really just say that…out loud…on the radio for all to hear?  Did I hear that right?  Where is the Gospel in that message?  No where.

Are we going to rule and be ruled by anger?  Will the angry mob be in charge?

Anger is deadly.   It does not produce life, but rather bitterness, dissension, scapegoating, threats, ruin of careers, relationships, lives.  Anger is a flame that is uncontrollable and that burns anything in its path – both friend or foe.

Anger is irrational, not open to debate, or conversation or listening in anyway.  Anger is all consuming and demands compliance.  Anger will do anything to bring all within its deadly grasp.

The opposite of anger is calm, ease, joy, love, peace, contentment.  These things can not live in the same place with anger.  They are much like light and darkness.  The difference between them is so very clear – with anger, a person is like a violent sea, being thrown to and fro at the will of the waves – reacting to every little thing – a victim.  Love, joy, peace and calmness are a calm sea – where a person no longer reacts, but can respond.  When they respond, it is not out of necessity, but out of love.

Anger leads to blood being shed – the blood of the one labeled as the cause of the anger – regardless of the truth.  The scapegoat.

Anger leads to death – death of conversation, death of relationships, death of trust, death of people.

Why, oh why, must we traverse this road?  Why do we choose a path that is so jagged and littered with victims of those who have gone this way before – a path of anger.  Why do we choose such a path so well traveled throughout history?  Do we follow this path because it is the common path – the wide road that has been heavily traveled and so we just follow it because there have been so many who have traveled it so many times before.  Do we think that the road will be different?

Or is it something else – maybe we travel it because we know exactly where it goes.  We travel it because we feel that because we know, we are in control.  Anger is as old as the first sin – the desire to be like God.  And when we woke up to the truth that we are not God, we grew angry.  Angry that we were lied too, angry that the lie wasn’t true, angry that someone else bought into the lie, angry that there were consequences for our decision, angry that we were not in control.

Why do we not learn from the past?  Why do men and women willingly carry your heavy burden, oh Anger.  Why?  Why do we think we can master you when history has shown that we become your slaves?  Why?

Why do we willingly reject peace, love, calm, and hope?  Why do we always only give these ways such a short leash that whenever there is a sign of challenge, we rip ourselves away from them to go back to our habits which lead to death?

Why do people not see the predictable fate that you, oh Anger, lead to?  Why?

Why do people who serve you not see what they become under your tutelage?

What are we to do, oh Lord of peace?  Are we to fight anger?  Or in fighting, do we become angry and become that which is not us.

Or instead, do you call us to something completely different?  That regardless of what others may do, do you call us to live a way of peace, love, hope, and calm.  Do you call us to live these out, not waiting for the perfect time and scenario because right now is the perfect time to live these out.  The perfect time to live the way of peace, love, hope and calm is in the midst of the fury of anger.  To be a light in a world lost in darkness.  To be the calm, small, still voice that calms the waters of the turbulent seas of anger.

You call us, Lord, to be your hands and feet in service to our neighbors and our world.  You also call us to be a message of peace, hope, love and calmness through your word and through our lives.

You don’t call us to the well-worn path, but rather to the path less traveled.  It is not an easy path.  You know the anxiety we feel in the center of our very being.  You have equipped us to carry on, not in order to earn anything, but to be your light in this dark world.  Help us to be that light always and if we have to, to use words – give us those words when the time is right.  We don’t know what is along this path, but we know where the less traveled path leads – it leads to a city, the New Jerusalem, where the water and the tree of life flow from its very center to nourish and replenish and restore all of creation.  It is a city where there will be no more tears of sorrow.  Death will be no more.  Mourning and crying and pain and anger will be no more.  For they will have passed away.   All that is left is you.

They will know we are Christians by our…

05 Thursday May 2016

Posted by in Humanity, Society

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

…loud obnoxious rant that does nothing but piss other people off because we aren’t interested in having a conversation, but rather in being right and if you aren’t with us, then your evil and you’ll burn in hell.

That version of the song didn’t make the cut.  I wonder why?

I’m talking about some people’s self-defined version of Christianity.  Reminds me of another song:

At any rate, what I’m talking about are protestors going into Target, and loudly proclaiming their message, feeling smug and justified in their actions, all because they don’t agree with Target’s bathroom policy.

I don’t know, call me crazy, but I think there’s an easier solution – if you don’t like something a store is doing, don’t step foot in it.  It would actually make everyone happy – you can be all self-righteous and dress up in your Pharisee robes at home and everyone else can shop in peace.  Seems like a win-win.

I was going to link to the article that showed videos of some of these “protestors” in action, but then I thought better of it – I would be assisting in spreading their false version of the Gospel where they are yelling “Repent or Burn!!!!!”

Here’s my problem with these antics and why I’m taking the time to write about this.  This type of activity is completely irrational.  It’s an in-your-face method.   It’s telling the world that you are not interested in debating the subject at hand and that you are not open to conversation.  These people obviously believe that the world is black and white and that it’s either my way or the highway (or worse).  There is absolutely no love in their message.  There is no peace in their method.  There is no Gospel either.  There is only division, condemnation and judgement (which is apparently theirs to give).  This is a false gospel message of fear that says there is an us and a them, that we are right and they are wrong.

What happened to “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.  Yes they will know we are Christians by our love?”

Or how about these gems that apparently didn’t make the latest edition of the literalist Bible:

Matthew 7:1-5

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Or Luke 6:37-38

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

 or John 8:1-8

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Here’s my message to people who experience these protests – On behalf of Christians everywhere, I’m sorry you have to endure this childish outburst.  I’m sorry that there are people who think being in your face is the best way to try and convince people who see the world differently.  I’m sorry that this is the public impression you are getting of what being a Christian is all about.

I’m sorry you are not hearing the Gospel – a message of hope, love, grace and forgiveness.  But there is always hope.  I don’t hope that these antics will stop.  My hope is that these antics are ignored.  I don’t hope that the gospel of fear will go away.  My hope is that God’s Gospel will overwhelm false gospels by being lived out and touching many lives.  I don’t hope that people are going to change because of anything I say.  My hope is that God’s message will touch all of our hearts and change us all – because that’s the only thing that possibly can.