Tag Archives: current events

  • gay hurricanes

    God’s Judgment Coming Through Disasters

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    gay hurricanesEver stop to think that maybe God’s really upset with open fields? And farmers? Seriously. Do you have any idea how many tornado’s go rampaging through open fields every year? We all pay attention when a tornado hits a populated area or a pro-gay church gathering, but the vast majority of tornado’s hit open fields and farm land. And since (according to some people’s thinking), natural disasters are a sign of God’s wrath, then God must have some big beef with open fields and farm land – right?

    Or did you ever think through the implications of the fact that our planet couldn’t support life if it wasn’t so dynamic? Without geological process which lead to earthquakes and volcano’s and even weather events like hurricanes doing their part, life could not exist on Earth. So if destructive weather events and earthquakes and volcano’s and such are the result of man’s sin (the teaching of some folks), then if everyone stopped sinning, the planet would become stagnant and we’d all DIE. Now there’s a reason to carry on fornicating if ever there was one!

    OK, OK, I’m being silly. Piper and Driscol their ilk not withstanding, I think all reasonable people understand that natural disasters are the result of the normal processes of the planet and not sent by God to punish us for pissing him off. And yet – believe it or not – I don’t think the “Hurricane Katrina was caused by Mardi Gras” people are entirely wrong to think that there is a link between God’s judgment and natural disasters. In the bible, natural disasters are sometimes linked quite explicitly to God’s judgment. But I don’t think it works the way some people think it does.

    First of all, major weather events and calamity aren’t caused by people sinning and making God angry. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornado’s, volcano’s and the like were happening long before we were here to piss God off. And life on earth does depend on these dynamic processes. The bible says that God “causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the good and evil alike.” Rain can mean flood and sun can mean drought, so this isn’t just a statement indicating blessings, but also disaster. So both good weather and bad weather will happen regardless of whether people are good or evil.

    Or consider the time that Jesus and his disciples were on their boat in the middle of a terrible storm. Many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen. These weren’t the sort of people who were likely to panic over a little rain and wind. Or even a lot of rain and wind. So this must have really been some storm to get them thinking they were about to die. Worse than any they had experienced before, perhaps. Pretty clearly, this storm wasn’t caused by sin or an example of God’s judgment on Jesus and his crewmates.

    Then there’s this lovely description of Elijah’s encounter with God:

        And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

    God is not in the wind or the earth shaking or the fire. God was the gentle blowing, inviting Elijah from his cave to speak with him.

    When disaster strikes, it is not because God has sent it as judgment on us. But it may happen that when the wind, the fire or the earthquake comes, it will be followed by God’s still, small voice inviting us to speak with him.

    The reason I say that I do think there is a connection between natural disasters and God’s judgment is because of the way judgment actually works. Judgment isn’t about punishment or condemnation, but about being confronted with reality. Repeatedly in scripture, a connection is made between God’s judgment and the truth of men’s sins being made known:

    Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. ~ 1 Corinthians 4:5

    God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:14

    Judgment is like a being shown a cosmic mirror which forces us to look at the reality of who we are, what we love and serve. We can plot and scheme and play nice much of the time while fooling ourselves about what we’re doing. But when we are pushed into extreme situations – like say, during a disaster – and we’re working off instinct, that’s when who we really are becomes clear.

    Are we the sort of people who take pictures of someone who is about to be hit by a train or do we jump on the tracks and pull them to safety? Do we take a few minutes to gather our valuables as a tornado approaches or do we run to the neighbors to make sure they are getting out before the storm? As destruction approaches, do we wish we had time to settle some scores or to tell someone we love them? Do we find a picture in the rubble after the buildings fall and hold onto it in case we can return it or do we toss it aside to continue the search for our own stuff? In ways big and small, disasters will bring the reality of our hearts to the surface. And when we are face-to-face with the reality of our good or evil hearts, that’s judgment.

    One of the often overlooked aspects of God’s judgment is that as a rule in the bible it comes on nations rather than on individuals. When someone first pointed this out to me, my immediate reaction was that this was unfair. I should be judged on my own merits, not on the merits of the group I belong to. But we are social creatures – we are made for relationship with each other. God doesn’t just want us to be good as individuals, he wants us to have properly functioning communities and nations. And much like with us as individuals, the way we react as a nation, community or group reveals the truth of who we are as well.

    Do we fail to help the poor get out of the way of impending disaster? Do we make plans to meet the needs of the poor in the wake of a disaster? Are there families ready to look out for and comfort the children affected by disasters or have we lived our lives in such a way that we have masses of kids without the men and women they deserve to help them navigate traumatic situations? Do we provide security for those living in poor areas during major disruptions or do we deploy our resources to protect the well-to-do from further loss of their assets? Are we investing our money to maintain the services and infrastructure which keep the needy afloat and allow them to recover from disaster? Or do we give to the already secure under the guise of expecting them to create opportunity and security for the vulnerable?

    As with individuals, the heart of nations are exposed when disaster strikes.

    The reality is that disasters aren’t sent as judgment. But they can be a powerful means of rendering judgment on us by what they reveal. Of course, one of the other things which the “God is setting forests on fire because of abortion” crowd doesn’t get is that judgment isn’t always bad. Sometimes in judgment, we see what is ugly in us. But with heartening frequency we do discover that there is something very good in us as well.

    When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” ~ Fred Rogers

  • light_in_the_dark__wallpaper

    The Power of Good vs Evil

    December 13, 2012

    2 Comments

    The other day, two very different news stories caught my attention. The first was the news of a young man shooting people at a mall in Oregon, killing two shoppers and himself. The other was news that the mother of football player Jerry Brown extended forgiveness to the teammate whose drunk driving caused her son’s death. I was struck by the contrast the stories presented. But also by the likelihood that the way we think about these two very different events reveals how little we understand the nature and power of good and evil.

    It is seen as almost a given these days that these are dark times we live in. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and may never fully recover. Pessimism about the state and trajectory of things is practically the default position. However, a proper understanding of the power of good and evil reveals something entirely different going on. For example, which event will have greater impact: the shooting at a mall or the mother who forgives? The mother’s forgiveness. By a long shot.

    Odds are excellent that you are familiar with the bible verse which says that God will visit the sins of the father onto the sons. I had always heard it was to the 7th generation, but in scripture it says to the 3rd or 4th generation (Exodus 20:5). However, not nearly as much attention is paid to the fact that scriptures say that when we are loving and obedient to God, those blessings will be passed on through 1000 generations (Deuteronomy 7:9, Exodus 20:5). That is why no matter how dark the times appear to be, good is guaranteed to prevail. It is so much more powerful than evil. When evil enters into the system of humanity, if you will, it will do several generations worth of damage. But when good enters into the system, its benefits will remain pretty well indefinitely. And that is why despite all the attention paid to evil around us, it is not only rational to be hopeful about our world, but it’s irrational to be as pessimistic as we are. Continue reading »

  • faces-vase

    “What is truth?”

    October 25, 2012

    7 Comments

    So, are you sick of the arguments yet? You know the arguments – Romney vs Obama. “Job Creators” vs Inequality. Creationism vs Evolution. Pro-Choice vs Pro-Life. Old Fashioned vs New Fangled. Text Speak vs Grammar Nazi’s. Toilet Seat Up vs Toilet Seat Down. Whatever it is, if we can figure out two ways of looking at an issue to divide ourselves into, we do it. And then we argue and argue and argue. We refine our arguments and wonder what the hell is wrong with the people who don’t agree with us. But aren’t you sick of it?

    I remember years ago an older, wiser friend told me, “arguments don’t work. You never change someone’s mind through arguments.” At the time I was a bit flabbergasted. If we didn’t argue, how would the other person know they were wrong? And if we can’t get everyone pretty much on board, how do we keep the world from going to hell in a hand basket? I mean, what was the alternative?

    Of course, today we have reams of research and endless gigabytes of internet conversations to prove that what my friend told me was true: arguments don’t work. They rarely change anyone’s mind. And I think all but the most die-hard believers are starting to get sick of them.

    So what is the alternative to argument? Do we just agree to disagree – you have your opinions and I’ll have mine? And what about truth? Aren’t some things just true and shouldn’t we stand up for and advocate for them? If we can’t argue and persuade our way into some consensus about what’s true how can we function together to get anything done? The live and let live concept sounds fine until we need policies to get the economy going or fix serious social problems. Then what? Continue reading »

  • hafiz

    Bloggy Linky Goodness

    September 16, 2012

    1 Comment

    I saw a sign yesterday which said “‘Let’s agree to disagree’ is just another way of saying ‘you’re wrong but too stupid to change your mind so let’s stop talking about it’.”Oddly enough, my husband has repeatedly proposed getting through this election cycle by “agreeing to disagree”. And here I was thinking he wanted to agree to disagree because he was feeling threatened by my razor sharp logic and superior grasp of facts!

    I wonder why we have such a hard time dealing with people who disagree with us? Perhaps deep down we all feel like my mom did when she told me once, “I’d rather be wrong than change my mind.” I don’t have a particularly good answer to the quandary of conflicting opinions, but this week’s Bloggy Linky Goodness does have some excellent advice for those trying to find their way through this election season without being an ass. And some other excellent stuff as well. So here goes!

    Politics: A Biblical Approach I’m not entirely sure that this ought to be labeled “a biblical approach”, but it’s definitely a good approach anyways. I especially appreciate that she starts of with a warning to “be intentional in how you present history”. Today may not be ideal, but the past wasn’t nirvana either, folks! Continue reading »

  • cross

    It’s Becoming a Wonderful World

    September 11, 2012

    12 Comments

    I wrote this for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. I think it bears repeating.

    Christians know and will sometimes actually say that Jesus won. But I don’t think many people fully appreciate how true that is. 2000 years ago, Jesus preached a radical message to turn the world upside down. In God’s Kingdom, the first would be last and the last would be first. Oppression would loose its grip, the suffering would be comforted, and we would be servants to the least. Jesus was speaking this into a world where power was absolute, life was cheap, illnesses could not be treated or cured and women had no rights or respect. In order to appreciate the victory that Jesus won, let’s just take a look at the world we live in today.

    We now live in a world where the most powerful feel an obligation towards those most in need. The most powerful people in the world actually sit down together and make plans to relieve the suffering of impoverished people all over the world. The Romans barely gave a thought to the poor in their own empire much less starving people beyond their borders. The idea itself would have been absurd. Right now, Bill Gates – one of the most powerful, wealthy men in all of human existence has dedicated his life and wealth towards helping to alleviate suffering around the world. Do you realize how astounding that it? That is a victory for the kingdom way!

    In the most powerful parts of the world today, human rights are seen as a non-negotiable good. In Jesus’ day, there was no freedom of speech. All of the apostles were martyred for practicing freedom of religion. Property rights existed only for the wealthy and powerful – no one else had much property to take! There were no laws in place to protect people from exploitation and fraud – these were normal ways of doing business. Slavery was accepted and the economy depended on forced labor. Continue reading »

  • mistakes

    Bloggy Linky Goodness

    August 12, 2012

    2 Comments

    Well, it’s been a slow week around here as you might have noticed. Next week will be different, but you’ll have to head down to the bottom of this week’s Bloggy Linky Goodness to find out more about that. In other news, I shaved my legs and pits for the first time in months. Most exciting thing to happen around here in a while, I tell ya!

    But I do have some good writing/reading for this week’s Bloggy Linky Goodness to share with y’all:

    Radical Practice Needs Deep Roots in Doctrine I love synchronicity – great minds think alike and all that. This beautiful post by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove at The Everyday Awakening explaining the gospel, suffering, atonement theology and more reads like if you took my own posts on suffering, the church and the sacrificial death of Jesus and put them into one post with much more skill and clarity than I have. Really great stuff. Continue reading »

  • prime directive

    It’s the Prime Directive

    August 2, 2012

    28 Comments

    Yesterday, I saw a blog post by an atheist asking, “If I had the power to save everyone at the theater because I was all-powerful and all-knowing, and I didn’t do it, wouldn’t I be evil?” The old theodicy question – how do we explain a world of evil if God is all loving? It’s a legitimate question. And one that we have a hard time answering well. So, I was thinking about that atheists’ question last night while laying in bed. And then because I was drifting off to sleep and thoughts become more slippery and less reality tethered as you drift off, my mind wandered to ants. You see, my daughter Sophia had spent some time last night watching an ant colony in the rocks in front of the house. She tried to convince me to let her bring out some sugar for them – probably so she could watch ants carrying sugar crystals. I told her the ants didn’t need any help from us – they do just fine on our own. Partway to sleep, I thought about ants preparing to go off to war against another ant colony while Sophia was watching. What if she could step in to stop it? Would she? Should she? And my mind slipped back to that question – “If I had the power to save everyone at the theater because I was all-powerful and all-knowing, and I didn’t do it, wouldn’t I be evil?” Would Sophia be evil if she didn’t step in to stop an ant war? And just then the words “it’s the prime directive” popped into my head. Which woke me right up.

    “Honey, what exactly is the prime directive again?” I asked my husband whose dream is to have us wear our federation uniforms on a replica of the deck of the USS Enterprise cum entertainment room.

    “You can’t interfere with the internal affairs of any civilization in any way, for any reason.”

    “And if they are getting ready to destroy themselves or do something really awful?”

    “They have a right to their own stupidity,” he answered, “grmpzzzzzzz . . . “ (I think he’s kind of used to me asking strange, random questions when he’s half asleep by now.)

    I lay back down thinking that I should go to that post and leave the comment, “it’s the prime directive, dear.”

    Now, to be clear, I’m no deist. I don’t think that God created us and is just sitting back watching from a nice, heavenly vantage point. The bible and the existence of Jesus and many of our own lives all point to the reality that God is intensely interested in and invested in us. Like Captain Kirk, God has violated the prime directive many times. However, I have been thinking for a while that our understanding of God’s relationship with us is almost certainly skewed and needs adjusting. Continue reading »

  • culture-warrior-clay-bennett

    Our Faithless Culture Wars

    July 31, 2012

    13 Comments

    A while ago, I finally realized that I needed to take Jesus’ teachings much more literally. He said, “don’t judge” and I said, “I’m not judging, but clearly some things are wrong. It’s not judging to say that.” He said, “love, pray for and serve your enemies” and I heard, “love the sinner, hate the sin.” He said, “do not resist the evil man” and I signed petitions against groups and politicians in order to protect Jesus’ values. Jesus said, “so do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” and I wonder if we should make plans to attend the financial planning series the church is holding on Thursday nights. Jesus said, “the first shall be last and the last shall be first” and I work really hard to be at least in the top quintile in everything I do. See the problem here?

    So, haltingly and stumblingly and often failingly, I have tried to unlearn the ways we do things here in the world and adopt the Kingdom way of doing things. What I have learned in the process is that what we see as “standing up for Jesus” or “hate the sin, love the sinner” is really a form of faithlessness. We don’t trust God enough to be able to work things out according to the ways that Jesus told us to do them. We fight and opine and advocate because we are convinced that without our help, God won’t get his way. We think that all that talk about not judging and not resisting and not worrying are good – so far as they go. But there are important issues at play here. If we don’t stand up and fight, we could lose! We could be eating cat food in retirement. “God doesn’t get what it’s like down here” is what I’ve sometimes told myself. Only that’s ridiculous – God made “down here.” He came down here and suffered the worst we could throw at him. And God wins. Always, everywhere. Period. Amen. The reality is that every time I judge or fight or worry or try to keep my position, I’m throwing my lot in with the losing side. Really. Think about that and then think about our culture wars and you can start to see why “the church” has failed so miserably in fighting them. And even more alarmingly, how breathtakingly faithless we are. Continue reading »

  • deficit

    Birth Control, The Catholic Church and HHS

    February 8, 2012

    1 Comment

    This is the least frightening picture I've ever seen of General Palpatine, I mean Pope Benedict

    Perhaps you have heard that the Obama administration has decided that they have the duty to force religiously affiliated employers to provide their employees with insurance coverage which includes birth control, the abortion poll and sterilization.  The Catholic Church is preparing for a massive show-down on the matter.  Now, before you say, “they should provide birth control! What right does the church have to force their employees to follow church teachings on such matters”, stop.  Let me make a few points:

    1. Not having insurance coverage for birth control DOES NOT deny anyone access to birth control.  I know, I’ve gone without insurance coverage repeatedly and not once did that have an impact on my ability to procure birth control.  Is it easier when I have insurance coverage? Sure - it means not making a trip to a county clinic or Planned Parenthood (which I thought we were providing tax payer money to in order to meet such needs, but any ways).  But I’d also like insurance coverage with no deductibles which would cover dental.  Dental is a real issue.  Millions of people cannot afford to see a dentist.  I promise you, despite all the “easier access to birth control” rhetoric, there is not a single piece of research which has found that an inability to get birth control is leading to more unplanned pregnancies.  An inability to use it properly, well that’s a whole other matter.  It’s an idea which makes intuitive sense to people who don’t have to deal with such things themselves, but there’s no data to back it up.  There is zero evidence that this is a real problem with serious consequences being attacked here, just an ideological hammer looking for a nail.

    2. Catholic Charities is one of the largest provider of medical and social services in this country (the largest in the world).  Um, maybe we outta say “Thank you” rather than forcing them to shut down just to make a point?  It doesn’t matter if you agree with them Continue reading »

  • difficult-coworker

    Brooks, Dreher, DeYoung et al vs “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus”

    February 3, 2012

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    True dat!

    Perhaps you have heard about the time religious rulers asked Jesus what the greatest of the commandments was and he answered, “ ’Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  Did you know that it wasn’t Jesus but another popular rabbi of the time, Rabbi Hillel who was responsible for popularizing the golden rule among first century Jews?  Jesus would almost certainly have been familiar with this man and his teachings.  (Rabbi Hillel was also well known for teaching against judging others and opening the study of the Torah to those who were interested but could not pay.)  In fact, Rabbi Hillel took it a bit farther than Jesus did; he listed “Love your neighbor as yourself” as “the main idea of the Torah”.  Jesus put it next to loving God. 

    I tell you all of this to point out that new, revolutionary ideas do not arrive whole-cloth out of the ether.  They get built on protests and tweaks and half-steps and built-up experience.  And it is in this context that I think we need to understand the viral phenomena that is “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus“.  It’s a spoken word piece by Jefferson Bethke a 22 year old from Seattle which is the subject of David Brook’s (poorly written, poorly executed) column today in the NYT.    Continue reading »