Tag Archives: Trump

You Brood of Vipers…

04 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Theology

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Here’s your fair warning – this is going to be political – painfully political.  And no, I’m not going to apologize.  I can’t just sit by and be silent.  My focus isn’t even on the politicians.  If you know me at all, you’ll know that I don’t put much faith in politicians, political parties, or ideology.  I find most of them to be worthless and primarily interested in power.  All of them are seriously flawed and frankly, I expect them to worship their idols of power, influence, money, and their other gods that they create in their own image.  I hope this post is extremely uncomfortable.  I hope it is inconvenient.  I hope this because it sucked writing this.  The focus of this post is on the Christians who read this.

Jesus said:

‘Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.’

(Matthew 12:33-37)

I can think of no better passage of Scripture that applies to the filthy state of partisan politics today than this passage spoken by Jesus.

Yesterday I received an e-mail with a link to an article by Jeff Roe on why Republicans would be mistaken to abandon Trump in the mid-term elections.  Persona and policy can get mixed up.  The GOP should celebrate the policies and not the distraction of the persona – that’s the argument anyway.  The essential argument is this – the ends justify the means.

Yesterday as I was driving around I flipped through radio stations.  Occasionally I flip over to talk radio to hear what the chattering is about.  I can usually handle about five minutes worth before having to turn the station.  Yesterday I heard the host in his usual blind allegiance of the president and the actions to cover up his affair with a porn star.  The ends justified the means apparently.  Don’t you know, it was the porn star in the wrong.

Today I saw Rudy Giuliani’s interview on Sean Hannity’s show.  During this interview, Giuliani contradicts statements Trump made about knowing there was a payoff and where the money for the payoff came from.  When the ends justify the means, who cares what was said before.

Yesterday was the so-called National Day of Prayer.  People gathered and there was an official prayer stated.  The prayer is eloquent and hits on some very good points – turning from sin, unity of the body of Christ, turning from evil, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, etc.  All things that I can get behind, but the problem is that I’m not sure if all Christians agree with the definitions of these terms.

I’m not sure that I have the same definition of unity as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their policies that do more harm than good, that uphold Social Darwinism (where only the strong survive), and where the end justifies the means is the foundation of life.

I’m not sure I have the same definition of turning from evil as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their actions by making excuses for behaviors that are unacceptable for you or I, but seem to be just fine because it was two consenting adults, don’t you know.  Yet these same people threw a hissy fit when another president screwed around with someone in the White House – which was just as terrible. But hey, when you believe that it’s a Christian virtue to lay the foundation of your life at the altar of the ends justify the means, then anything goes, right?

Does turning from evil mean that it’s ok to knowingly lie and defend those lies because the truth is inconvenient and is costly?  Does turning from evil mean that you pay hush money for an affair or that you defend someone who does this?  Does turning from evil mean that you use your Christian label as a pastor to make excuses for a worldly powerful person.  I thought we were called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus if we claimed the label of Christian.

I’m not sure I have the same understanding of the following line of prayer as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their rhetoric:

We pray for all people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together.

I’m not sure how anyone can claim to be a Christian and make excuses for a “Christian” politician who offers support to neo-nazis, labels all Mexicans as rapists and murders, who disparages numerous other groups of people.  I’m not twisting words here, go back and see what was actually said.  If you feel the need to defend these words that he said, why?  Why would you defend such vile language from anyone?  Would you defend the same exact words, spoken in the same exact tone if they came from a politician that you didn’t like?  Or do the ends justify the means?

I’m not sure I have the same understanding of the following line of prayer as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their policy actions:

We pray for God’s power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

I find it hard to say we are all seeking to unify families and communities when we put up more roadblocks to the homeless and poor.  We have families who are living in their vehicles at truck stops.  And they are working, but don’t make enough to find adequate housing.  Men, women, and children living in their vehicles.  And the typical response is something along these lines – well, they should work harder.  Well, they should have not made so many bad decisions.  Well, they get what they deserve.  Well, if they only did this or that.  Well, the churches can take care of them.

BS.

As a pastor who does ministry with the homeless, I can tell you that churches are not equipped to do this.  We don’t have the resources, the training, or the people to do this.  We can do small things, but we don’t have unlimited resources.  We aren’t trained in how to deal with mental illness.  We aren’t taught what to do when we run out of money trying to help someone and they end up back on the street again because all the shelters are full and they have nowhere to turn.

If your response is “well, you should open your own doors then,” or some other snide remark, then you are missing the whole point here.

Jesus never said the ends justify the means.  That’s about as far away from what it means to be a Christian as you can get.  If that is your belief of what it means to be a Christian – then you and I can’t be unified because we don’t have the same foundation.

Is the defense of something and someone who is indefensible worth it?

Or as Jesus said:

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

(Matthew 16:24-26)

You want to get mad at me – go for it.  I’ve got thick skin.  Frankly, I’m not too happy with you either.  And I refuse to shut up because I’m pointing out something uncomfortable and inconvenient.  Your comfort is not my concern.  Especially when we have people who are homeless, people who haven’t had a meal on a plate since August, people who have families that are living in vehicles, people who are being trafficked on our interstates, people who are treated as second class citizens because of their skin color or orientation.  If that’s uncomfortable, then it should be.  Being a Christian is not comfortable or convenient.  It’s not suppose to be.  It’s supposed to smack us in the face and make us so uncomfortable and inconvenienced that we respond to the injustice we see around us.

Frankly, I’m tired of Christians who want the label, but refuse to live out the calling.  I’m tired of Christians who value their loyalty to a politician or party (any politician in either party – yes, this applies to Democrats just as much as Republicans) above Jesus.  I’m tired of Christians making excuses for “bad trees,” as Jesus called them, all because they believe that the ends justify the means when it comes to policies.

We are called to live out what Jesus commands us to do, not to have blind loyalty to some politician who is temporarily in power.

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus.  Jesus didn’t say, pick up your tweet and follow Trump.  Jesus didn’t say, pick up your sign and follow some other candidate.  Jesus didn’t say send in a check and blindly follow your party.

These are difficult times in our nation.  The call for unity is something that is needed.  However, it is not possible to have unity where there is a strongly held belief that not everyone is equal in value and worth.  How can there be unity when there are some who create us vs. them situations, where the poor are seen as an expense, where we have leaders who firmly believe that only the strong should survive, where we value things over people, etc.

But not all is hopeless or lost.  Last night I heard something that hit me.  I don’t remember the exact words, but here’s what I heard – when everything has been exhausted, there is grace.

Even in this situation, there is grace.  It’s the only thing that can carry us forward.  We humans can’t fix this ourselves – we are too devoted to our divisions and separations.  We have blind worship of our leaders and ideologies.  We cling to our sin and brokenness.

Only God can fix this.  And it may require something else – something that is deeply associated with being a follower of Christ.  It will require death.  Death of our egos.  Death of our loyalties.  Death of our certainties and answers.  Death of our attitudes towards one another.  Death of excuses.  Death of our sin and brokenness.

Only then will we experience the fullness of being a Christ follower – resurrection.  New life, renewed life, restored life, transformed life.

This is my hope.  This is my prayer.  It’s time to start acting out what we claim to believe.  It’s time to start actually being Christians, not just taking on the label.  If we don’t, we’re no better than the people who Jesus called out as a brood of vipers.

Idols among us

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Politics, Theology

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What is an idol?  Something either highly revered or worshiped.

When we think of idols, often we think of the Old Testament.  But idols are hardly lost to the distant past.  There are many human made idols that are among us these days.

President Trump is an idol for some.  I recently saw a video of several Evangelical Christian women who were interviewed about their thoughts about Trump.  These were solid Trump supporters.  They were asked about the controversy over the hush money allegedly paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.  They talked about grace and everyone getting a second chance.  They talked about how he changed once in office because he handed his life over to Christ.  They talked about excusing his behavior and tone and name calling because he was supporting “Christian” policies.  The line that sums it up came from the reporter asking this question – “So, he can’t do any wrong then, can he?”  The answer was to agree with this idea.

President Obama was an idol for others.  Remember all the statements about Obama being a type of Messiah figure?  Remember how blind supporters of his were so moved by his speeches?  Remember how pundits who were infatuated with him talked about how they got a tingle in their spine that went down their leg by just being in his presence?  I imagine that if the same reporter asked a group of die-hard Obama supporters if the man could do no wrong, they would have to agree with that statement.

These are just men.  Flawed human beings.  Broken in many different ways.  They make mistakes and sometimes worse – do things that cause problems for people, stoke anger and divisiveness, and do things that many others see as wrong.  But then again, so do all of us.  They aren’t special in that regard.  They just happen to be on a bigger stage where their actions and words impact more people than anyone else – for a time.  And then their time is done and someone new steps in.  A new idol that still others will worship.

And it is all folly.  The idea of worshipping a person – to the point where you can see no fault ever in anything the person does or says – is misguided.  It’s sinful.  We aren’t supposed to live like this.

There is only one who we worship – God.  When we put someone or something at the level in which they guide our thoughts, beliefs, and daily actions, then we being idolatrous.  We have confused the temporal with the eternal.  We have traded in faith from God for table scraps from idols.  We have traded in holy daily living for anger, division, fear, and mistrust.  And when we follow this path, we should not be surprised that our human-made systems are broken.  Our systems are made up of human beings.  We are broken.

This is not the time for idols.  Let us put them aside.  Instead of giving our daily attention to the idols we make in our own image, let us listen to God’s calling for our lives.  Instead of listening to the daily talking points of our partisan loyalties, let us hear and live out the teachings of God.  Instead of swearing allegiance to and making excuses for the actions of our idols, let us respond in trust to the call of Christ to pick up our cross and follow him, to go and teach all that he taught, to live out the Sermon on the Mount.

Questions for Christians

22 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by in Politics, Theology

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I read several articles over the weekend that were pretty predictable.  They were critical of Evangelicals and their support of Trump.  There were valid points in these articles.  And I think there were some unfair points too.  Instead of rehashing any of these articles, I’ve got some different questions for Evangelicals – questions that I’m truly curious about.    If you are a self-described Evangelical Christian, please take a moment an answer these questions.  They aren’t easy.  But your answers will help me understand how you live out your faith every day and how your beliefs about the world make sense to you.

Question #1 – Would you want Donald Trump as the pastor of your church?  Why or why not?  Leave policy aside.  Forget about whether Jesus would support this policy or that policy.  Just go with personality and character.  Would Donald Trump make a good pastor in your church?  What would make him good?  What would make him bad?

Question #2 – Why are you so loyal to Trump?  What is it about him that you have sworn allegiance to this man?  Does his paying off of a porn star because of a sexual affair bother you at all?  Does it affect your support of him?  How is this different then Bill Clinton’s sexual situation?  Did you get upset over that?  Why?

Question #3 – What do you say to people who question your Christianity and claim that all you really are is a tool for the conservative political ideology?  What is your belief about how Jesus calls on Christians to treat opponents and enemies?

Question #4 – If someone doesn’t agree with you and they are self-described as a Christian, what does that make them?  Can someone be a Christian and not agree with your beliefs?  How about your political beliefs, preferences, and loyalties?  Do you believe that it is your faith that informs your politics or that politics informs your faith?  Please explain.

Question #5 – How does Jesus’ teachings of the Sermon on the Mount impact your theological beliefs and then in turn impact how you live each day?  What about Jesus teaching about welcoming the stranger?  How about feeding those that are hungry?  How does any of Jesus’ teaching directly impact your daily life?  How do you live out your faith?

These questions aren’t meant to be an insult – I am genuinely curious.  They aren’t easy questions though either.  I’d be curious to hear what difficult questions you would have for someone like me.  Careful though – I’m happy to give you my answers, but you may not like them.  For one thing, I don’t fit into the nice, neat dichotomy of left-right political ideas.

“Why are we having people from all these shithole countries coming here?” – Quote by Donald Trump

12 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Politics, Theology

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I hope that quote ticks you off.  I hope it bothers you.  I hope it upsets you to see the word shithole right there in front of you.

But more so, I hope it makes you really upset when you realize that he is talking about whole groups of people – people who look different, sound different, and think differently than our protected president.

I hope it makes you really upset that the president thinks it quite normal to degrade entire groups of humanity because they are inconvenient.

I hope it makes you really upset that the president has no trouble throwing anyone under the bus who doesn’t go out of their way to make him look good, doesn’t agree with his spin, and doesn’t meet his standards for what makes a human being have any value and worth.

I hope it makes you really upset that the president spoke these words and there was no one in the Administration who attempted to deny these words were said – validating that they were in fact said.

Where are the pastors who came to the White House to offer prayers over this president?  Where are the pastors and prominent “Christian” leaders who essentially declared that the gospel of Trump matched up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Where are the “Christians” who declare that Trump is a good Christian, regardless of his multiple marriages and infidelities, shady business practices, mistreatment of many business people and others, his provoking nations towards hostility, and more?  Where are you John Hagee?  Where are you James Dobson? Where are you Jerry Falwell, Jr?  What sort of Christianity do you align yourself with anyway?  Be honest.

Where are you?  I can’t hear you through your silence, which condones such speech, ideology, and behaviors.  Your silence is deafening. And it upset me – no it ticks me off and makes me wonder if we both have the same understanding of what it means to be Christian and what God we both worship.

Here’s my question to you – how long do you think it will take for Trump to throw you under the bus the first time you offer any criticism of him?  Do you really think that he cares about you at all, beyond what he receives from you?

What is your Christianity founded in?  Is it founded on the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount or on a politician who cares only about himself who will use the label of Christian for his own end?  Jesus spoke the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.  Christianity is supposed to be about becoming disciples of Jesus.  Christianity is about proclaiming that our salvation resides in Jesus, not the empire, or the emperor.  Proclamation means speaking that out and living it out.  Where are you Christians?

 

 

 

Jerusalem and Rapture – Two wrongs don’t make a right.

07 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by in Politics, Theology

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It was announced that the President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, ordering the move of the US embassy there.

President Donald Trump’s decision Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has temporarily derailed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, two senior White House officials acknowledged after Trump’s speech.

(Source)

Ya think?

I mean, what could possibly go wrong with this decision?  It’s only the world’s oldest powder keg region.  We have a few major religions which place significance to the city.  We have wars that have been fought over the modern state of Israel.  We have disputes over the actions of the Israeli government.  We have a host of terror related actions throughout the region.  Why not poke people in the eye while were at it.  That should certainly help the peace process out.

Throw in Rapture theology and you have the recipe for disaster and war.  The potential for peace has just been diminished significantly.  Rapture theology is all based on Jesus being pissed off at the world and coming back to destroy everything.  Rapture theology supports a large-scale war that would set things in motion.  Rapture theology is all about the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.  Not for the sake of the Jews, but for the sake of setting events in motion to bring about the return of Jesus – as if humanity controlled the schedule of when Jesus was returning.  Rapture theology takes verses of the bible out of context and strings them together when they have no business being strung together.  And it relies on interpreting words and phrases in a twisted way, all the while claiming a literalist interpretation of the bible.  Never mind that the meaning of words changes when you go from ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to English and from the ancient Levant to modern-day America.

If I’m not clear enough, let me state it here – Rapture theology is wrong and it is dangerous.  It has serious and destructive geopolitical implications.  And it is at the heart of evangelical support for the decision to move the embassy.

The evangelical connection to Israel has many roots, including some linked to end-times prophecies that include Jewish control of Israel and Jerusalem, a war of civilizations, and a choice for Jews to either convert to Christianity or die.

(Source)

That whole statement could be summed up in Rapture theology.  To be fair, the article cited does say that some support the move for other reasons.  But these same figures cited, like Pastor John Hagee, are huge proponents of Rapture theology – making millions off of the theology through the sale of books, videos, and other resources.  You can browse and buy a whole variety of apparel, books, gifts, movies, and music from a variety of Hagee family members and some other guests who are invited in on the action.

And here’s Hagee talking about the move:

“…I believe at this point in time, Israel is God’s stopwatch for everything that happens to every nation, including America, from now until the Rapture of the Church and beyond,” he said.

(Source)

Now granted, Hagee isn’t the only one making a nice profit off the Rapture, but he’s one of the big names promoting this flawed theology.  And why his credibility continues is a good question.  This is a man who has predicted the Rapture with specific dates many times, all accompanied with books, movies, and other merchandise to help followers prepare for the event.  And each time, he has been wrong.  Yet, people stay loyal.  I guess after you’ve bought into the idea, and bought the merchandise, you experience cognitive dissonance and double down on supporting a flawed and failed idea.

Am I being harsh on Hagee and adherents of Rapture theology.  Yes, I probably am.  And for good reason.  Rapture theology is dangerous for humanity and the world and I’d rather not see it grow and have us suffer the consequences of implementing this theology.  I’m not a big fan of war and destruction.

Instead, I much would much rather see a different apocalyptic vision come to fruition.  That of Revelation 21:1-14.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.’

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ 10And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

This isn’t a pissed off Jesus coming to destroy everything.  This is Jesus fulfilling his promise that was made at the end of the Gospels – to bring resurrection, restoration, and transformation.  This is Jesus coming to restore all of creation to what it was at the beginning of Genesis when God said “it is good” about creation.  Yes, creation is broken because of sin. But if we believe that Jesus conquered Sin and Death, then someone needs to explain to me how God is still pissed off and wants to destroy everything as opposed to bring life.

This decision regarding recognition of the capital of Israel in Jerusalem is a bad decision. It doesn’t move us towards restoration, resurrection, and transformation.  It moves the world toward war and destruction.  And I can’t be silent about that.

 

Being predictable

19 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Society

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I may be in the minority on this.  I may be wrong – way wrong.  I’m open to those possibilities.  But you have to concede some level in truth in what I’m about to pose.

A great deal of life/society/politics/theology/culture/etc. is predictable.  “But, but…what about Trump?”  “But what about technological advances?” “But what about theological thoughts?” “But what about changes in society and culture?”

Predictable.  All of it.

Let me be clear though.  I’m not arguing that we know exactly what is going to happen and when or by who.  I’m not arguing for a future that is set in stone and every detail is planned out. That’s something different.

Maybe a definition would be helpful.  Here’s one I like – predictable is behaving or occurring in a way that is expected.

A good bit of life is predictable.  Since tomorrow is Tuesday, I’m willing to say that you’ll most likely do your regular Tuesday routine.  I’m not predicting every moment of the day, just the general nature of what will happen for you.  It’s really not a radical concept.

Let’s take on a few more of the predictable things that someone might list.  Trump – very predictable.  He’s going to say or do something that will be controversial and draw attention to himself in the end of next week if not before.  I don’t have any idea what it is and it really doesn’t matter what it is.  But I’m willing to bet he’ll do it – he’s predictable.

How about economics.  There’s going to be some ups and some downs.  There will be people who time the market wrong and lose a lot.  There are people who know the right people and will do well.

How about religion.  There will be a continuing focus from many people about the decline in organized religion while missing the stories from congregations and missions that showcase how God is alive and active in the world.

How about culture.  New pop stars will emerge, others will disappear.  Stars will be embroiled in bad relationships.  Fashion will change each year.

These aren’t wild predictions – they are more like observations on life.  They are things that are to be expected based on past experience.

Being predictable isn’t a good or bad thing.  It just is.  It’s what we do with it that matters.  predictability allows us to get a sense of what is coming so we can prepare for it.  It allows to respond, not react.  That’s a good thing.  Reacting is usually not that great.

How do you see things as predictable?  Remove yourself from the outcome.  Look at the situation as an outsider would – someone who is a disinterested party who doesn’t care what the outcome is.  Then look at the situation – what’s happened up to this point, what direction are things going, who’s involved, what’s the leadership like, what’s the culture and environment like, etc.  When you look at those things, you start to see patterns and those patterns become predictable.

I challenge you today to try this.  Try it with a subject you really don’t care about.  Then get dangerous and try it with something you really do care about deeply.  I’m willing to predict that you’ll be surprised by this practice.  It will open your eyes to this subject in a way you haven’t seen before.  And it will allow you to go deeper in that subject, to consider alternatives than what you thought, and to be open to new options and people.

Trump and the Boy Scouts

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

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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.

Changing the narrative

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Society, Theology

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Regardless of what you think about President Trump, you have to admit one thing – he’s really good at controlling the narrative.  It’s a strategy of his actually (I don’t have proof of this, but hey, who needs proof these days, right?).

Just about every day, you can see a tweet, or a statement, or something come from the White House or the POTUS’s twitter account.

Of course, this isn’t new.  Obama did the same thing, so do many politicians.  There is an underlying unspoken belief that plays out here – If people aren’t paying attention to me, I must not be important.

Don’t like it?  Then stop responding.  Responding is not the same as leading.  Leading means moving and directing others in a particular direction, towards a vision, carrying out a mission.

No worries, there are plenty of people who will respond.  But then again, you can’t lead if you are busy responding all the time.

You aren’t going to change the person who controls the narrative – why would they change – they are controlling the narrative and people are responding.

Instead, change the narrative around you and when you absolutely have to respond, do so, but do it in a way that draws the narrative back to what you want to talk about.  Someone asks you a question about Trump, answer, but then shift the response to what you are trying to accomplish.

Here’s an example – Let’s say you care deeply about education.  Someone asks you a question asking you what your favorite tree is.  A possible (fictional) answer might be “I love maple trees.  They remind me of when I was growing up.  We had maple trees all around our school.  The teachers would bring us out side and we’d enjoy their shade and we’d study them.  They were an important part of my education.  And that’s why I think we should all be supporting the legislation to increase funding for our schools (or whatever is your thing).  Kids need a solid education so they too can learn about the trees and create memories they can share with their kids.”

Of course, I just made that all up, but I think you get the idea.  Or here’s one that directly deals with the question at hand.  Someone asks you what you think about the wiretapping that President Trump accused President Obama of.  Let’s assume I really care about faith formation, which has nothing to do with this situation.  Here’s how I might answer.  “yeah, that a weird situation isn’t it?  It certainly raises a lot of questions about trust – trust of government, trust of the executive branch, trust that what the President is focused on, etc.  And you know, trust is important – it’s how we build up a civilization.  And it goes far beyond politics and government.  Which is why I’m deeply concerned with faith formation in our church.  You know, faith and trust are intimately connected.  Faith is a gift from God and trust is our response.  I want to work with people who want to build an environment of trust within the church so that it can impact the broader community in which we live.  I think faith formation is one way to do this.”

Now you might be sitting there saying – “You didn’t answer the question.”  And my response is “No kidding.”  You might call that spin doctoring.  I call it “I don’t feel like talking about and spending energy on stuff that I have no influence over. I’d rather focus on what I’m called to focus on.”  Does that mean we should never respond directly – No.  It just means that often, we respond without needing to.  The responses become a distraction from our real work – building a better world.

Change the narrative when you can.  Others might not follow suit or join you.  That’s fine.  Some will, Some won’t, so what, what’s next?

The Apprentice: Judicial Edition

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Politics

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So this Breaking News! just arrived in my inbox:

The two judges who have been considered the top finalists to be President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court — Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman — are being brought to Washington ahead of tonight’s White House announcement, sources tell [news source which shall go unnamed].

The move comes as there were increasing indications that Gorsuch will be Trump’s choice, sources briefed on the White House deliberations told [same news source that shall continue to go unnamed].

Those close to the process warn that until it is announced, Trump could change his mind.

Trump is scheduled to unveil his Supreme Court nominee at 8 p.m. ET.

(Sarcasm warning – don’t read what I write here literally.)

Am I imaging things, or does this sound more like the preview for the final show of a season of Trump’s old reality show The Apprentice?  “It all comes down to tonight.  Who will be chosen, and who will be fired?  Tune in to the The Apprentice: Judicial edition to find out at 8pm ET.  Check your local listings.”

I’m wondering if Trump is going to bring both judges in to the Oval Office, let them talk about their accomplishments like the contestants did and then tell one of them “You’re hired!” like he did at the end of his reality show when it was down to two contestants.  The loser gets to walk out the door, get into a limo and be sent back to where he came from.

It’s all just so exciting isn’t it?  I think I now know what Chris Matthews meant when he said he had a tingle down his leg when he heard Obama talk.  Maybe Trump can do this for all governmental openings from now on.  Our culture seems obsessed with being entertained, so why not have an Entertainer-in-Chief.  He can hire and fire people all in a public show that will get massive ratings and the winner gets to come work for the Trumpster.  How exciting.  So much better than the old days huh?

 

 

Do the ends justify the means?

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Society, Theology

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Do they?  Here’s another way of asking the same question – are you more concerned with the end result of something, or does the way you get there matter?

If the end result is all that matters, then the way you get there doesn’t.  Think about the consequences of this though before you jump in with both feet.  If the process doesn’t matter, I wonder, do the people in the process matter?

Here’s an example – the executive orders that have been issued.  Trump issued an executive order re-starting the Keystone Pipeline.  Obama had issued an executive order halting construction of the pipeline.  Both were done by executive order.  Supporters of Obama cheered when he did this and critics were upset and claimed that this was an abuse of power.  Now that Trump has used an executive order to restart the pipeline, those that support him are cheering and critics who are upset are claiming that this is an abuse of power.  I’m guessing that the people who have been openly vocal about this, on either side are more concerned with the end result rather than with the process used – executive orders.

Yet, both of these sides should be concerned with the process.  If one president can make a policy with his signature on an executive order, then another can reverse it.  It’s very efficient.  It’s also one person’s decision.  In essence, that one person becomes the law.  There’s no need to involve anyone else, make arguments in public, go through the mess of the legislative process, deal with potential compromise or legitimate criticism about a potential policy.  Nope, just sign it and poof – it’s now essentially law.

So much for checks and balances.  But hey, you got what you wanted right?  Never mind what kind of precedent it creates.

In our Gospel reading this past Sunday, we heard Jesus preach the Beatitudes.  I’m going to argue that Jesus isn’t making an argument that the ends justify the means here.  Based on what I read, I hear Jesus saying that the process matters, because the people in the process matter.

In each of Jesus’ sayings in the Beatitudes, he is speaking in the present tense – “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “Blessed are those who mourn,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” etc.  He is referring to people who are these things right now.  The second half of each Beatitude deals with the future, but I argue that is not the thrust of each of these statements – it’s the present tense statement that comes first and therefore are emphasized.

Not all of the beatitudes are what you could call “processes.” What they are is something different – they are people who are going through life, experiencing something.  This is Jesus blessing people in the midst of life – not just at the end of life or sometime in the future.  They are in the process of life right now.

So why does this matter?  Go back to the original question – do the ends justify the means?

Here’s a variation of this – Are we as a church going to respond to political actions with political approaches, political rhetoric, and political language that focuses on legalities?  Is our primary focus just to get the result that we want?  If the ends justify the means, then the answer is it doesn’t matter how we interact with politics because it is the end that matters.  If the end is the only thing that matters, then demonizing political opponents and winning are all that is important. Except I don’t think that’s what Jesus taught.

If the process matters, then I think our options are far different.  Christianity isn’t only about what happens to us when we die.  It’s not just about the end result. It’s also about now – life.  It’s about the process of living.  Jesus made statements of how we are to live right now.  Peacemakers aren’t looking at peace as a destination – it’s a way of life.  Being poor in spirit isn’t about the end result, but rather an outlook of how we live and relate with God and others.  Being merciful isn’t about arriving at the destination of mercy or waiting for someone else to show mercy first, it’s showing mercy all along the journey of life.  The process matters.

If the church is only interested in the end result, then we are no different from any other political movement through human history where victory is a destination and the ends justify the means – which means the enemy and opponent can be destroyed in the process because the process and all people in the process, don’t matter.

When I read the Beatitudes, I see a different story and hear a different message.  One where it’s not just the end that matters, but how we get there as well.  Because there are going to be God’s blessed along the way.