Ideals are fine and dandy till you really need a loan and then help from the government doesn’t seem so bad. 🙂
Ayn Rand Institute & PPP Loan
A Lament and Call to Repentance
Pam wrote the following responsive reading based on Amos 5: 14-24 and Micah 6: 8 that we will use as a part of Tapestry’s worship gathering. My wife is pretty cool.
Speaker: Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
Congregation: Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Speaker: Therefore, this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says: “There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail. There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the Lord.
Congregation: Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Speaker: Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
Congregation: Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Speaker: “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.”
Congregation: But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Speaker: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
Congregation: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.
:(
ht Pamela
What is the Church?
A little over 10 years ago I had the opportunity to sit under Jurgen Moltmann for a few days of lecture. It was an amazing experience and one for which I am ever so thankful. So much of what he spoke about during those lectures shapes how I understand Jesus, the church, life, and ministry. Of course, continuing to read his works helps also. A few months ago I was reminded of the lectures and I tweeted about one of the statements that he made that really hit me.
Here’s the tweet:
It is such a small thing, asking ‘how do we do church?” versus asking “what is the church” but I think it has tremendous consequences. “How do we do church?” is all about the pragmatics of church and never really addresses or considers whether or not certain actions, programs, buildings, etc., etc. actually should be a part of the church.
“What is the church?” is about mission. “How do we do church? is about efficiency.
“What is the church?” leads us to ask if what we do actually fits into the core of who we are. Who Jesus has declared His church to be.
“How do we do church?” leads us to ask “does it work?” This isn’t a bad question, it just isn’t one of the most important questions.
After His testing in the wilderness, Jesus began His public ministry by reading from the prophet Isaiah. Luke records the following:
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-20)
When Jesus began His ministry He described His good news, His gospel, as being for the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. He didn’t enter the world just the set the captives free but the freedom of captives is the natural occurrence of receiving His good news.
In my opinion the danger with “how do we do church?” being the primary question we ask is that it can lead to some incredibly unChristlike actions being allowed and encouraged in the name of “doing” church better. These actions may be organizationally efficent. They may bring people in. They simply don’t represent Jesus.
His ministry began with a proclamation that declared a change in the lives of those who were viewed as weak by those in power. I am fairly sure that His church should follow His example.
It is who we are.
Or at least who we are supposed to be.
Redemption
This post isn’t for the victims of evil. It isn’t a pious call for the victims to forgive those who have abused them. Instead, this post is for me and the fact that redemption confronts and defeats evil.
I once heard a speaker (I remember the statement but not who said it so I can’t give credit where credit is due) say to a group of us pastors that at our best we are typically preaching to our younger selves at the point in our lives when we came to know the grace of Jesus. That is probably why I focus on the community of the Trinity so much. When I came to know and experience God’s grace I felt alone and that salvation from isolation seems to direct the majority of my preaching.
Right now I need to be reminded that even for the worst of us the possibility of redemption through Jesus is real.
Right now that means for some people that I am really mad at for some racist behavior.
There are a few groups that are socially acceptable to actually hate (socially acceptable does not mean actually acceptable). Racists seem to be one of those groups. If your social media feed is anything like mine it is probably very full of people rightly decrying the evil of racism. I’m not criticizing this because proclaiming racism to be evil is the right thing to proclaim. Racisim is evil. No debate there. To devalue anyone created in the image of God is a sin. Moral outrage is appropriate in the face of such evil.
It is just that sometimes we seem to really enjoy our moral outrage. We fill our cups to the brim with the intoxicant of moral superiority and empty the cup over and over again in our social media posts. We point out how evil “they” are and somehow lift ourselves up by doing this. We merely fail to realize that our sense of moral superiority comes from standing on the bodies of evildoers. It’s okay though because they’re racists and racists, like sexual predators, are okay to devour for our enjoyment.
Or at least it seems that way.
Of course, no one I know would actually admit to being a racist. It is always someone else. I heard this described on the Mockingcast as like the word “yuppie” – no one admits to being a yuppie but everyone knows what one is. The racist is also someone else and whoever they are they are the absolute worst.
Who they actually are is someone who stands in the need of redemption and in Jesus redemption is possible. Even for the racist. Instead of seeing them as someone so hurt that they can’t even see the difference between good and evil, I am tempted to see them as somehow less than. Someone beyond Jesus’s grace. Their redeption may not be possible for humans but with God all things are possible.
Of course, redemption isn’t actually “letting someone off the hook.” If anything it is the opposite. If you think grace, offering mercy, is just saying “oh it is okay” then you don’t understand redemption. At least not biblical redemption.
Biblical redemption implies ascent to the fact that you have participated in evil. Redemption calls evil exactly what it is … evil. No bouncing around it for nicer words. Redemption begins with the perpetrator admitting that what they did was sinful, evil, and wrong. What I did was evil. It is acknowledging what I did and what that action makes me.
I am the one who did this. I am the evildoer.
This isn’t letting someone “off the hook”. If anything it is pushing the hook in deeper. At the end of the South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission, everyone actually knew what the evildoers had done. The perpetrators didn’t escape justice because they were given absolution. Everyone knew exactly who they were and what they had done. When they walked down the street they were known by the whole community as the one who did that evil. When they went to the store, the pool, the park, or even to the church, they were known for the evil they had done. This is why some of them would rather have faced judgment than receive forgiveness. Biblical redemption is tough.
This is one of the things I really like about Alcoholics Anonymous and many other recovery meetings. When you are in one of those meetings you don’t deny that you are a mess. You lean into the fact that you have done evil. “My name is Robert and I am a sinner … let me detail the ways for you.” You acknowledge what has defined you so that Christ may then place His definition upon you.
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.“
I think this is why so few actually receive the free gift of mercy. It is simply too difficult for us to admit that we have sinned. To admit the evil that we have willingly perpetrated. We would rather just offer a vague meaningless apology than actually admit “I did this and it was evil.” The gate is narrow after all.
We bow our heads in shame and cry, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.“
And He lovingly says “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, I will have mercy on you.”
Man that is tough.
The Letter to the Romans & Dawn
I am presently reading and studying Paul’s Epistle to the Romans for the next Tapestry message series. After reading through the letter several times part of what has hit me is that while the letter has some of Paul’s most amazing teaching it is also basically just a missionary appeal for support. Paul writes them to say “hey God is doing this work and you should support it and me in doing the work.”
Since Tapestry does much of its mission support through the Cooperative Program with lots of other Southern Baptist churches. We don’t have a ton of missionaries coming through asking for support. Instead, the missionaries that come through are usually saying something similar to “this is the work you have already supported.”
We do, however, support quite a few local ministries and those that specifically go out from us. Which is why I want to mention one of our own to you. For the good of this person’s mission, it is best that I don’t write her name, so we will just call this person Dawn
As I wrote, Dawn is one of our own. She is going to be working with an organization in helping Somalia refugees in the US. You should read about the work on her blog. It is good, God-honoring work, that reaches out to the stranger in our land. That’s why Tapestry as an organization is supporting her and many of us who make up Tapestry are supporting her individually. I believe in what she is doing in the name of the Lord and I would encourage you to consider supporting the work of which she is a part.
I don’t meet many Somalia refugees in my daily life, but when I support Dawn I get to be a part of Christ-loving these refugees through her. When you are family what one does we all do.
Systemic Evil
I started writing this post about 5 years ago. I was in Chicago for some chaplain training, which was wonderful but one of the side issues of being at a conference for good or bad is that I am often separated from what is happening in the world. It can be a nice break from reality. It can also lead to some heartbreak when I suddenly learn of horrible events that have taken place. I came home to find out the there had been two police shootings of black men that made national news while I was hidden away in my training. I hurt for my friends. I have written before about how I hope to see the Imago Dei in people and believe that thus seeing people might help.
I wanted to start writing in response to some preachers and spiritual bloggers I saw that were responding that the racism that was probably behind such actions wasn’t a skin issue but a sin issue. They said that all that needed to be done was “introduce people to Jesus” and things would change. Their argument was that fighting for institutional or societal change was the wrong answer because ultimately this was a sin issue and sin issues require personal repentance. I struggled to find the words to blog so I never hit “publish” on the post and it sat as a draft.
Then it happened again.
Once again I read about horrific, hate-filled actions directed at people of color and saw many say and write “it is a sin issue”. Again from some I read the response that preaching the gospel was just about people “coming to Christ” rather than also the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, the outcasts being brought back into society, and evil being confronted because of the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 7:22).
When Jesus walked into villages the salvation He brought wasn’t just repentance of personal sin but also the confrontation of evil in all its forms. Where Jesus walked the kingdom of God came and where the kingdom of God arrives captives are set free. Sometimes that captivity is to systemic evil and Christ brings freedom from it. Again I never could find the right words, so I worked on the draft of this post again and then left it as a draft.
Then it happened again.
So I started to write out my feelings on how this world, and our contribution to it, sadly, I worry, my contribution or lack thereof to it, has led to views that certain groups are somehow less than and not as worthy of the same rights and protection as other groups. But I couldn’t put my feelings down in a manner that I wanted to publish on my blog so I merely saved it as a draft knowing that the same incident would happen again.
And it happened again.
And it continues to happen because we have evil that is systemic. It has invaded our institutions. It has seeped into some of our societal values. It is so ingrained that it is easy for us in the majority to miss it, while those in the minority never seem to be able to escape it.
The Fall did not just taint personal humanity but also the humanity of our institutions. My Calvinist sisters and brothers in the faith hold that because of our sin, humanity is totally deprave, incapable of doing the work and will of God without redemption. While I don’t always agree with these fellow believers I do believe that the implications of this are accurate here. It means that not just we as individuals fall short of the glory of God but also our institutions. The organizations, cultures, and societies we are a part of are corrupted by sin.
Scripture says (Ephesians 6:12)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Walter Wink wrote a great series of books discussing how the powers and principalities are often the organizations and institutions of our society. We are part of and surrounded by organizations and institutions that are just as tainted by the Fall as we are personally because they were created by and are made up of individuals who are fallen. Because of their fallen nature, our organizations and institutions also need to be redeemed and transformed. We need to look through Holy Spirit transformed eyes at these organizations and ask for Christ to show us how they are to be transformed and empower us to be a part of transforming them. Institutions, cultural norms, and societies don’t just change because individuals within them change (though that helps). These institutions themselves need to be renewed. Their values need to be questioned. They have to be redeemed or destroyed because of the evil inherent in them. But institutions, societies, and cultural norms aren’t redeemed in the same manner as individuals.
You don’t preach the gospel to institutions and societal evil. Institutions can’t “accept Jesus as their personal Savior.” Transformation through the power of the Kingdom of God has to happen with such institutional/systemic evil. Some would call this “social justice”, a phrase I am completely okay with because scripture defines God as a God of justice.
I feel like this is quite often forgotten by the evangelical community, at least the white evangelical community, because we don’t experience it and we don’t view it as a part of our reality. Our brothers and sisters who are People of Color experience this systemic evil far too often. As messed up as social media can be I am thankful for it at moments like this because it enables me to hear some of the pain, fear, and anger of my friends who go through this, and hopefully, it helps me to see what I have been swimming in without ever noticing.
The theologian James Cone responded in an interview regarding why he thought white theologians weren’t responding as much to racism. He stated:
If theologians perceived their own sons and daughters and parents as being discriminated against, they would not only write passionately against it but would make their rejection of injustice an essential part of their reflection on the Gospel.
I hope and pray that we see God defeating this evil as an essential part of our “reflection on the Gospel.” Jesus’s death and resurrection wasn’t just about defeating personal sin. It was to defeat all sin. Both personal sin and communal sin. Those of us who claim to be His disciples should look for the redemption of all that has fallen.
Racism is a societal evil and societal evils don’t change until they are confronted. The kingdom of God confronts such evil. William Wilberforce knew this and his faith led him to fight against the systemic evil of slavery. Robert Raikes saw the systemic abuse of children in the industrial revolution and started Sunday School as a part of his faith educating children to get them out of poverty. Martin Luther King saw the systemic abuse of his people and led a modern exodus through his faith.
I still don’t have the words I want to write about the evil that my friends who are people of color face. I also know that simply saving this as a draft until it happens again isn’t really an option. Oh it will happen again but I will never have the right words other than calling the stated or very often unstated treatment of people as less than because of the color of their skin as evil. When my friends’ blackness is viewed as a threat and the police are called merely for them being black that is evil. The fact that I can go running without fear while others can’t because of their gender or race is evil. The fact that if I were detained for forgery I would almost certainly receive much better treatment than George Floyd received is evil. The fact that I never have to worry that someone may call the police on me simply for being somewhere is evil.
I doubt I will ever be able to find the right words other than making sure my friends who are people of color know I love them and I want to support, advocate for you, and fight alongside you against this evil.
The kingdom of Christ fights against evil in all its forms. I hope as a follower of Jesus I do too.
Ahmaud Arbery
I’ve been attempting to write down some thoughts concerning Ahmaud Arbery. Try as I might I can’t.
All I know is that when I go for a run I never need to worry about people driving up and holding me at gunpoint. Pam never needs to worry that I might not come home from a run because I have been shot. Both of our boys are around Ahmaud’s age and they both run. Neither Pam nor I need to warn them that there are people out there who will view them as a threat just for who they are.
The reason for this is the color of my skin. The color of my boys’ skin. I have no idea what I would tell my boys to keep them safe if they were young black men. I hurt for my friends of color. I want to support them. I hope they feel that I do.
I believe God will hold us accountable for supporting the systems that support such hatred. May He have mercy on us. May we begin to view people as He views people and live that view out.
Conspiracy Theories and Bearing False Witness
As is typical many on the internet and social media are spreading absurd conspiracy theories. This is nothing new. Unfortunately, many who claim Jesus as Lord are jumping on the bandwagon and posting this same stuff. Even more unfortunate is that this is nothing new either.
Ed Stetzer has a wonderful article on Christians spreading such false info “On Christians Spreading Corona Conspiracies: Gullibility is not a Spiritual Gift“
I really appreciate Stetzer’s article and I like the point that he makes concerning “bearing false witness”. It is something I have thought about for quite sometime. Literally this post started as a draft in 2015.
If you knowingly share false information against a person (even a politician😋) that you disagree with then you are committing the sin of bearing false witness against them (if you unknowingly do this you still might be). You are speaking (knowingly or unknowingly) evil against another upon who God’s image sits. If your argument is “how do we know that this isn’t true” then you are still bearing false witness. Unless you positively know something is true then you aren’t supposed to speak it to others. To do otherwise is a sin against God because you have defamed another who bears the image of God. You have spoken lies against one who is a physical reminder of our Creator. This should shame us when we do it because I am certain that it hurts Jesus when we falsely defame the character of one of those whom He loves.
I bring this up because bearing false witness is a pretty big sin. It is one of the sins specifically mentioned in the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments).
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
Let’s call this what it is. When you spread this info not only are you spreading misinformation and thereby possibly hurting your brother and sister, but you have sinned. You need to repent. Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. God cares deeply about this.
You Bear the Imago Dei
I feel like I talk and write a fair amount about us seeing the Imago Dei (the image of God) in others and allowing that vision to shape how we respond to those around us. Right now though I want to remind each of us that the same Imago Dei is upon each of us.
God created you, He shaped you, and He placed that His image upon you. You are important, you are loved, you are not rejected,or left alone. You bear the Imago Dei and you are special as a result.
During our present isolation, some of the worst voices in our lives and heads can begin to shout the opposite very loudly.
“You aren’t doing as well as others!” “You are rejected!” “You aren’t loved!” “You’ve messed everything up!” “You are alone because you are unlovely!”
These voices are from the Accuser. They aren’t from the One Whose image you bear. Jesus said that whatever we do for “the least of these brothers and sisters” of His we did for Him because they bear His image.
We need to remember that sometimes we are “the least of these”