Getting Snarky with Scriptures (A Rant)

There have been many tweets and Facebook updates over the past few days that have sought to remind us all that no matter what the government or the Supreme Court says, God's law as found in the scriptures is perfect and unchanging. We have been reminded that we humans are not allowed to pick and choose which laws to follow, we just have to obey. And somewhere, I have no doubt, there was a thrice-divorced man lying in bed with his friend's wife, tired after a long day of eating shellfish and pork and mowing his lawn on the Sabbath while failing to burn a sacrificial lamb as an offering to the LORD lamenting that this country is going to hell in a handbasket because of same sex marriages. You want to get into a game of Let's Quote Leviticus? Bring it on, my friends!

The Pharisees- you know, those guys Jesus referred to as "a brood of vipers"- loved them some Leviticus. The law was everything, and they were constantly trying to trip Jesus up on the subject. One day they laid an especially tricky trap for him, asking him this loaded question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:36) They knew that no matter which of the Levitical laws he chose, it would open him up to doubt and scrutiny from the Jewish crowd that was following him. They could expose him as a fraud and a false prophet. Jesus was was going down! But instead of trapping him, the Pharisees had given him an unexpected opening. His answer to their trick question changed EVERYTHING- not just for the listening crowd, not just for the Pharisees, and not just for the disciples- but for everyone of US- because it put the law into a whole new language. And the language was LOVE. "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40)."

Jesus was not saying anything new here. The "Love God" section comes from Deuteronomy and the "love your neighbor" verse can be found in Leviticus. As the Messiah himself said he didn't come to refute the law, he came to fulfill it. Putting these two verses together and calling it the greatest commandment gave us a new filter through which to view God's laws. The laws had been given to God's chosen people as a way to keep them in relationship with the LORD, and they had failed miserably. The very presence of Jesus on earth was proof that God knew there needed to be a new way. The love of God whose name is Jesus was and is that new way. And when asked what was most important in life, Jesus skipped over the opportunity to list 600 things we shouldn't do. He passed on telling us which rituals were most important to God. He left out trying to scare the hell out of us. He simply said that loving God was the most important thing. That, in and of itself, wouldn't have been too earth shaking. But when he said "and the second is LIKE it..." WOW! Loving your neighbor is just as important as loving God. That's what the law is all about!  And then just to really kick the Pharisees while they were down, he defined "neighbor" by telling the parable of The Good Samaritan. If the hated Samaritans were their neighbors, and the greatest commandment said to love their neighbors- well HOLY CRAP! We're supposed to love everyone? Everyone? Even that jerk Ted who borrowed my Star Wars movies and never brought them back? Seriously? This was a game changer. And it still is.

Here's the deal. There are sins, and we are all sinners. There are laws, both biblical and societal, that we seek to obey. What the Pharisees- both historical and modern day- miss so often is that the law was always intended to be about what is in our hearts and minds and souls. The laws were given to connect us- as individuals- with God. It was never intended to be a way to judge the people who believe or sin differently than we do. It's about our own faith and our own sins; about the log in our own eye and not the speck in another's. So if we are going to be cherry-picking laws from Leviticus to shape our modern Christianity we need to proceed with great caution. Divorce is spoken of often in scripture, and it is forbidden. But we let that slide. Eating certain foods, like the spicy steamed shrimp I feasted on at Joe's Crab Shack last Saturday night, is forbidden. Barbeque platters at Stamey's in Greensboro are forbidden. But we let the food law violations pass by unnoticed. We shatter countless other laws (I'm guessing most of you don't have tassels on your robes) on a regular basis without even noticing- or sometimes without even knowing. We pick and we choose and we look like gigantic hypocrites. Yes, we should seek to be keepers of God's law as it was fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah. But first of all, last of all and most of all, we need to be keepers of the greatest law. Love God, and love one another. Miss out on that and all the "thou shalt nots" in the world won't do us any good. Now I'm going to have some leftover shrimp. Peace, my friends.

Because of Jesus,

Carl's Road Rage Rant!

There are lots of things about driving that irritate Carl. Actually to be more accurate, there are lots of things about other drivers that annoy Carl. So today Carl gives you another post in his Things I Believe (and you probably don't) series as he presents Carl's New Rules of the Road! How upset is Carl? He's writing in third person. It doesn't get much worse than that!

• Most modern cars come equipped with turn signals. USE THEM!!! Failure to do so should be punishable by being forced to binge watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians!
• People who are exiting a parking lot at a place where traffic also enters the lot and place themselves in the middle of the road so no one can get in or out make me nuts. And it's almost as bad when you are over to your side of the entrance but people won't turn in because they are afraid they don't have room. UGH!  If you can't drive a huge SUV go buy a Volkswagen Bug. And when did people forget how to make close turns? 
• If you are driving in a torrential rain storm without your lights on I should have the right to launch bumper-to-bumper missiles and TAKE YOU OUT!
• Drivers are required to share the road with bicycles. That is fine. Yet bicycles seldom regard the rules of the road, especially when it comes to traffic lights. And bicycles drive on sidewalks like they own the things, giving no thought to pedestrians (and their dogs) using the sideWALKS. Drivers can get tickets for not sharing the road; cyclists should lose their front tires for riding on sidewalks. Or both tires and the seat if the street they are NOT riding on has a bicycle lane. Fair is fair.
• On a similar note, signs and bumper stickers remind us to "Be Careful. Motorcycles are everywhere." And we do need to heed those warnings, because they are indeed everywhere. Driving down the emergency lanes. Creating their own lanes in traffic jams. Pulling up between 2 cars at a traffic signal. Weaving in and out of traffic like a zebra being chased by a lion. The warnings are for us, not them!
• If you are stopped behind me at a stop light, and then the light turns green and you blow your horn at me less than 5 seconds after the light changes I should have the right to just sit there through an entire cycle. Wanna' be impatient? Go right ahead...
• There is a special place in hell reserved for people who drive 45 mph in the left lane of an interstate highway. That happens a LOT here in Florida (God's Waiting Room).
• If my car really did have missiles I would be in so much trouble. Passing me, pulling back over in front of me and then slowing down for no good reason? BOOM! Putting on make-up and driving? BOOM! Slowing down as you approach a green light? BOOM! Smoking, talking on your phone and driving at the same time? BOOM! Changing lanes without looking? BOOM! Oh the destruction I would leave behind. No people would be hurt in these attacks- but their cars would be toast!
• And finally...Road signs were a wonderful invention. In many cities even if you don't know where you are going and have no GPS, road signs are there to help you know what lies ahead. Some drivers should occasionally read one. If one more person acts like they didn't know a lane was closed ahead after there were signs for 2 miles preceding it I may just lose my mind!

I feel better now, and I hope you do too. Let's implement my new rules ASAP and save valuable temper tantrums from impatient drivers like me. And btw...I encouraged you to use your turn signals. Turning them off is a good thing as well.  Have a safe and wonderful Father's Day Weekend!

"Enjoy every sandwich"

The Song That Never Ends

For the past few days I have been writing about my personal experiences with our system of justice and the aftermath of those events. You can read those by clicking the links below:
It Was One Year Ago Today...
Probation Frustration
"This Now Defines You"
And now for the conclusion of this series...

Remember this one?  "This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends! Some people started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll continue singing it forever just because..."  A silly song with poignant message for us today.

On April 2, 2014, thanks to the help of many friends, a fine attorney, a thoughtful Ware County, GA judge and lots and lots of prayers, my probation was terminated 3 years early. After 7 years I was free to travel, free to be around my friend's children and free of monthly visits to a probation officer. There was much celebration and joy and I wrote here of Crossing Bridges and beginning a new phase of my life. And much of that has happened. Let me be very clear before I start whining today- life after probation is MUCH, MUCH better than life on probation. But as you know from my banishment from Disney World, my lifetime ban from Facebook and a few other things I have mentioned over the past few days, convicted sex offenders may be released...but they are never really free. Once the legal system starts singing their song, you are forever trapped. It is truly The Song That Never Ends.

You know by now that my name will remain on The List for another 24 years- unless the law changes and it becomes even longer. "Shorter" and "more reasonable" are not words you hear used a lot when it comes to sex offenders. But you probably do not know what that means. It means that every 6 months I must go to the other side of the county to register so they can be certain all of the information about me on the SO website is correct- especially my address. It means that if I move, they have to approve it. It also means that if they are signed up for the app my neighbors would receive immediate notice that a SO was moving in. If someone new moves in with me, they have to approve it. If we buy a new car I have 48 hours to report it to them- in person- or like the other things listed here it is a third degree felony. I can travel out of state, but if I am gone more than 5 days I must turn in an itinerary - in person- no more than 48 hours before leaving town. It means that there is a special code on my driver's license so that any police officer who stops me for anything will know right away that I am a SO. It means I am still banned from entering schools, even just to drop off lunch for a friend. It means that while I can get a passport and travel or take cruises, there are many countries that will not allow me in once I get there. It means that the local sheriff's department will do the occasional "drop-in" just to make sure I still live where they think I live. And judging by my experiences with WDW and Facebook it means that any company that wants to can decide not to do business with me at their whim. It is the song that never ends.

Please understand- this is a mess of my own making. I committed a crime defined as a sex offense by the laws of the state of Georgia. No one made me do it, no one caused me to do it, and I have no one to blame but myself. Having said that, I also acknowledge that for the past three days I have written about what is wrong with the system. It is broken, and the only thing that ever seems to happen to change it is they add more laws and more restrictions. So it's time to put up or shut up. What would I do if the put me in charge? Here we go:

1. Education & Prayer. Most offenses are not the headline grabbing "man grabs child off of bus" sort of things. A detective told me once that the vast majority of sex offenses are not committed against strangers, but against young women and men with whom the SO builds a relationship and spends time grooming. The potential victims are often easily manipulated because the adults in their lives who should be giving them love and attention- parents, grandparents, teachers, youth pastors and more- fail. These young people are often out there looking for adults who will make them feel special, unaware of the dangers. Their need for attention makes them easy marks for adults who twist the word "relationship" to meet their own sexual deviances. We need to educate one another on the need to offer tangible, real and meaningful attention to the young people in our lives. We need to know what they are doing, who they are talking to and what their issues might be. And we need to pray prayers of protection over our children and prayers of wisdom for the adults in their lives. I unfortunately know this to be true- evil is out there looking for children. We must be vigilant.
2. Shorten the List.  Not everything currently called a sex offense deserves that title. We need to change the list of offenses so that everyone who is labeled is someone who deserves it. Not to beat a dead horse, but getting drunk and peeing in a parking lot should NOT be a sex offense. And there are others as well.  
3. Levels.  The remaining crimes need to classified according to severity and be broken into different levels. There are different levels for murder, different levels for robbery, different levels for rape and different levels for assault- but all SOs are exactly alike? Levels would allow for more rational responses by the public and a better concept of "let the punishment fit the crime" for the offenders. Plus they would offer more public protection. If a Level 4 SO moves in next door, you know to be very afraid. Their level indicates the crime. And such crimes could also come with tougher mandatory sentences because you don't have to lump everyone under one law. Lawmakers KNOW this needs to be done. They are just afraid to do it.
4. Real Help. Make sex offender therapy something that helps rehabilitate SOs and gives them hope, rather than beats them down. Currently there are guys who enter the program having made a terrible mistake, but after hearing over and over again what monsters they are come out believing it. The come out worse than they went in. This HAS to change. A little encouragement could help SOs hang on to family and friends as well as their faith. 
5. Appeals. If the offense was your first and only offense, if you completed your sentence without incident, if your former PO recommends it and if you have the support of family and friends there should be some sort of appeals process to get your name off The List in less than 25 years. Yes- that's selfish. But I believe it is also right. There needs to be a place where the song ends.

One final thought on this whole thing. I know that the idea of sexual misconduct with minors is horrifying to most of us- and it should be. When we hear the phrase "sex offender" it conjures up visions of unspeakable things happening to innocent victims. There are sexual predators among us, and we should fear and revile them. But...in our current system not all SOs are predators, and not all child abusers are SOs. There was a news story from south Florida a few months back about a woman who was arrested and convicted of branding (just like you would a cow or a horse) her small children so she could more easily identify them. Because this horrible abuse was not labeled a sex offense, she received only 3 years probation, got to keep her kids and has very few restrictions. She BURNED her children, doing permanent damage, but when her probation is up she will be on no list and have no restrictions. And to bring this 4-part series full circle, she can go see Mickey anytime she pleases. There is a certain weight given to the term sex offender that is no longer valid because it has become so watered down. We need a new label for people who physically abuse children, sexually or otherwise. We need some changes in the laws, and a much more equitable system of justice where the greatest single factor in sentencing is not money. You may well disagree, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. And I'll wrap this up with a promise- you have now heard the last of my thoughts, complaints and experiences about that time of my life. It's all out there now- and I'm done! Thanks for hanging in there with me, and thanks for loving me anyway!

"Enjoy every sandwich."

Just Say No to Capital Punishment

Another post in my series Things I Believe (and you probably don't). Yep...I'm stirring the pot again...

On some of the earliest Saturday Night Live shows Gilda Radner played a character named Emily Litella during the Weekend Update segments. Emily would come on to offer an editorial response to a story that Cheddar Cheese (Chevy Chase) had supposedly reported on a prior show. As with the anchor's name, Emily most always had her facts wrong and some words mixed up. One memorable night she came out to tell us all that she was not in favor of capital punishment for school children. She thought that just because little Timmy talked too much or was chewing gum that there was no need to kill him. After she rambled on a bit Chevy interrupted her to explain that the story had been about corporal punishment in schools....not capital punishment. Emily responded the way she always did. "Oh...that's different then. Never mind."

This editorial is not about corporal punishment. I believe that Capital Punishment is barbaric, heinous and unconstitutional. It is another example of humans seeking to play God. There is no evidence (from hundreds of studies) that it serves as a deterrent to criminals. Thanks to new technology we continue to discover innocent people who have been sentenced to die or are already dead. And in states where it is legal the death sentence is applied randomly, often to those who cannot afford decent legal counsel. It's time to put an end to this horrific tradition and ban the death penalty in all 50 states. How can we scream about public executions in the rest of the world while we continue to perform them here at home?

It is my belief that all of human life is sacred because it was all created by God. God sacrificed the Son so that we could all be saved if we believe. From the time an unborn child becomes a person (a debate for another day) until God calls them home, they are the beloved of God, created in His image. Taking a human life is a tragic occurrence under any circumstance. Choosing to kill someone because a society decides it has the right to do so is beyond the pale, and makes us no better than the person we are attempting to punish. Read the words of Jesus again, and then try to convince yourself that capital punishment is a good thing. It can't be done. Jesus revoked the law of "an eye for an eye." He preached justice, not vengeance. Jesus is the LORD of second chances and redemption. The death penalty often snuffs out both. In Romans the Apostle Paul reminds us that vengeance belongs to the LORD- and the last time I checked, that ain't us! As C.S. Lewis wrote, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. Justice requires a stiff penalty for heinous acts. But final judgements should always be left to God.

So there you have it, another diatribe that puts me out of step with much of our nation and many in the church. But I have decided to follow Jesus, the LORD of life. And this is where I believe he would stand. Have a blessed weekend.

Because of Jesus, 

I Believe in McDonald's (Sorta)

Today features another post is my ongoing series of Things I Believe (and you probably don't!). This post is both brief and insignificant, but some things just need to be said. Even if in a whisper...

I believe in Breakfast at McDonald's. It is so popular these days to use the fast-food giant as a whipping boy for obesity and unhealthy eating habits, and they no doubt bear their share of blame because their french fries, when hot and salty, are both amazing and bad for us. Seasonal Shamrock Milkshakes don't help the cause either. But there are 3 reasons why my family still loves getting breakfast from Ronald's house- which we do about twice a week. They have a wide variety, from oatmeal to pancakes to sandwiches (my family is fond of the southern chicken biscuit). They have wonderful breakfast beverages, both hot and cold (Marilyn & Will love the Mocha Frappes and Lisa prefers the iced coffee, while my diabetes has reduced me to a black coffee guy). And no matter where you go in this great country of ours, and no matter what you order, at McDonald's (for better or for worse) it is always exactly the same! There is something to be said for taste, quality and consistency. And at breakfast- really the only time we eat there anymore- McD's still has that. And I'm lovin' it!

Sorry this is so short, but I gotta' get moving. Will wants a chicken biscuit, a hashbrown and a frappe before heading into work at Olive Garden early this morning. Have a blessed Monday!

I Believe in the Prince of Peace

"I'm a writer, not a fighter..."  - Gilbert O'Sullivan

Some of you know that I am in the midst of a series of random posts called Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! This post is another in that series. Lately several of my posts have been about what it means to be more like Jesus, and one of the aspects I have focused on is his role at the Prince of Peace. This has caused several readers to question if I really believe peace in possible in our lives and in our world in these crazy times. This is my response to those queries. I know this an unpopular opinion. But it is something I believe with all my heart.

I am a pacifist (a believer in nonviolence and peacemaking) because I believe that is what Jesus calls me to be. For me, pacifism is a matter of faith, not politics. Today I would like to tell why I believe pacifism to be the way of the Prince of Peace. (The sound you hear may be half of my 2500 Twitter followers clicking "unfollow" all at once...)

I believe that if we call ourselves followers of Jesus then we must be willing to heed all of his teachings, not just the ones that are convenient in this day and age. He even goes so far as to warn us that when we follow him, we may lose lose everything- because "to find your life you must lose it." It is difficult to love our enemies, yet we are called to do just that. It is hard to turn the other cheek or walk the second mile instead of seeking revenge or "justice," yet that is the path we are called to follow. In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) Jesus gives us a quick list of life-attitudes that will make us blessed. Included are things like mercy, meekness and peace making- all of which seem so out-of-step with our society. As the great Tom Lehrer once wrote, "It takes a certain amount of courage to speak out about things no one else believes in- like peace and justice and brotherhood." It's a strange world. When Jesus was attacked at the time of his arrest and Peter came to his defense, Jesus rebuked him and told Peter to put away the sword- to my mind disarming me as well. Everything Jesus taught us encourages us to respond to others with God's love, no matter the situation. I believe that scripture declares human life to be sacred, and that there should not be exceptions to that- that pro-life should REALLY mean that God values every life, both the sinner and saint. I believe that the ways of  Jesus are the ways of non-violence. You may not, and I do not claim to have cornered the market on knowledge of what Jesus thought. But as I said before, I find pacifism to be a matter of faith. Psalm 23 reminds us to "fear no evil for God is with us."  Yet we insist on fearing and trying to protect ourselves rather than trusting in God. To again paraphrase Lehrer, "the LORD's our shepherd says the Psalm, but just in case...I better buy a gun!" I know that without grace and the love of God whose name is Jesus that I am condemned to death by my own sin. I owe him my life and my salvation. How can I not trust Him to protect me when I need protecting, even as He did Daniel, Rack, Shack and Benny? It is a matter of faith.

Over the years this stance has often made others question how I would actually respond when faced with violence against myself or my family. I have good friends, people I love and respect, who cannot imagine not fighting tooth and nail to protect their families if the need arose. They find my beliefs to be hard to understand...or downright ludicrous. Surely if I had a way to defend my family, I would. How could I say that I would respond to such a situation with non-violence?

The scenario that is often presented is this-  intruders invade my home and threaten my family. They have a gun, and I have mine. How could I know I would not kill them to save myself and my family? And the fact is that situation requires me to answer I don't know. How could I? Under those circumstances, under all of that tension, it is possible I might just shoot first. I hate to admit it, but it is the truth.

But such scenarios are missing the point for a true pacifist. There is only one way I can stick to my beliefs and practice non-violence in such situations. I must simply never have a weapon. And so I don't. You may think this makes me weak. And you know what? You are right. I am weak, in so many ways. That is why I must lean on the strength of the One who has already saved me from this world. If someone wants to do harm to me or my family, they will have to deal with Jesus, and we will be with Jesus- no matter the outcome. What more protection do I need? 

This is NOT specifically an anti-gun post. I have many friends who are responsible gun owners, hunters and target shooters. But I am anti-violence, and there are far too many gun deaths in our country. More people have been killed by gunfire in the county I live in than by car wrecks so far in 2015. We have a problem. Handguns and assault rifles are not sporting guns, and many of the "people" (I mean idiots, but that seems insensitive to say!) who own them shouldn't be allowed to have Swiss Army Knives, much less high powered weapons. Something needs to change. I do not have the answer for our nation. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And for us, that means no guns. It means trusting God as we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death." It means having the faith to trust God more than guns. And I do...

Because of Jesus,

The Wonders of Gravy

Welcome to post #3 in my very random ongoing series Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! The first two post were related to church and theology, and therefore quite serious. This one is a bit more whimsical. But that doesn't mean I believe it any less- or that any fewer of you will take issue with my stance! In fact, this post is dedicated to my friend Lisa Jewett, who thinks Gravy in any form is disgusting. So let's get started!

The word Gravy means different things to different people. For many folks it is a brown, watery substance often served with pork or with turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving. For others it is simply the juice from any cooked meat, thickened up a bit and poured over mashed potatoes or bread. I have Italian friends who call marinara sauce Gravy, because they serve it over almost everything they eat. Some people treat ketchup like it's gravy; Buddy the Elf used maple syrup in a similar manner. But while I enjoy all of these different forms of Gravy, it is my belief that all pale in comparison to the one, true Gravy. I'm talking about breakfast gravy, white gravy, sausage gravy, sawmill gravy, southern gravy- whatever you call it, it is one of the great culinary creations of all-time! It is wonderful with biscuits (by the way- if you can still see the biscuit, you need more gravy!); it is a marvel on country fried steak or chicken; it brings out the true spirit of mashed potatoes; and it ROCKS on eggs and hash-brown casserole! I believe that it should join mustard and ketchup as standard condiments on the table at most every restaurant. And not just for breakfast. Sausage Gravy makes pretty much everything but dessert better. And it makes for pretty good eatin' straight out of the bowl too. Now that I have revealed a bit of my Carolina-bred, redneck southern nature, I am craving Cracker Barrel, where it's ALWAYS breakfast! Ahhhh...the good stuff!

And one word of warning- Gravy that comes from a bottle or a can, or gravy that was made more than 24 hours ahead of time is no longer gravy and is not covered under this post. That just needed to be said...

Do We Even WANT to be Like Jesus?

About 10 days ago I shared a post called Haven't We Been Here Before? that served as the kick-off to a random new series called Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! This is post #2 in the series, and again, it is a serious one. The next one will be on why gravy is its own food group. Like I said, random! So here we go with yet another attempt at rattling the cages of the institutional church...and my own life...

Steve Taylor wrote many years ago that Christians want to be clones. That could be a good thing. We should desire to be clones of Jesus- after all, Christian means "Christ-like." But Steve's point was that too many in the church want to be clones of the person sitting next to them in the pew far more than they want to be like Jesus. It's safer. It's easier. And it's far more popular in our country today. I agree. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ in these United States has no desire or intent to really be like Jesus. I know we can't BE Jesus- he was God- but we can strive to be like him. We are called to be like him. Don't get me wrong- I know there are millions who believe in God, who worship on Sundays, who read scripture and who claim Jesus as their savior. But being like him, really following him...well that's just too much for far too many of us. Just let me go to church and leave me alone! If we were like Jesus would we spend so much time and effort arguing about whether same sex couples should be allowed to have committed legal relationships, or would our efforts be spent feeding the hungry and housing the homeless? If we were as radical as the Christ would we embrace "turning the other cheek" over pulling out our handguns to "defend" ourselves? If we were like Jesus would we be less concerned with patriotism and more concerned with the family of God- all of humanity? If we were like Jesus the church would know no racial segregation and we would treat every sin, creed and nationality with equal love. We can never be perfect as he was perfect, but we could be so much better. If we wanted to.

And then there's the issue of money. Jesus said to the rich young ruler that to enter the Kingdom he had to "sell what he had and give it to the poor." Are any of us lining up to do that? Quite the opposite, many of our church leaders are gathering great wealth even as you read this. We have churches that teach classes on accumulating wealth, and others who see material gain as a sign that we are in God's good graces. These leaders also tend to portray under-resourced people as lazy, stupid and beneath them. That is not WWJD! God will be their judge, but if it really is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God then people like Dave Ramsey and Franklin Graham have shrinking needles. And the humps on those camels are growing larger every day. In this country we tend to pay homage to our God and to worship our nation and our wealth. We treasure riches- you know, the stuff moths will eat, rust will destroy and thieves will break in and steal (Matthew 6:19) according to Jesus. We also love power. We love being in control, feeling like we are somehow above those around us. That's the antithesis of being like Christ. It has been said that the ONLY way to follow Jesus is on our knees. It's about surrender- and we are not fans of surrender. It's for the weak. Well guess what- so is Jesus. And anyone- ANYONE- who chooses hate over love, power over humility, aggression over peace and the flag over the cross is not going to "be like Jesus." We fool ourselves because we can be like the people in the pews and still make those choices. But that is not like the Christ. Jesus was inclusive, forgiving and sacrificial. So that's the bottom line for us all. Do we fit that definition? Or are we happy with the Jacob's Ladder description of faith? "Sing along, send some money and join the chosen few..."

So how do we become more like the One we claim to follow? He already told us. Be humble. Don't judge. Be a peacemaker. Be a servant. Take care of the sick, the downtrodden, the prisoners and those who don't think like us. Give up what we think is important and recognize that whatever the question, love is the answer. For too many years the church has buried itself in political issues, power and judgement, wanting people to be like US more than we want them to be like Jesus. It's time to quit playing church and BE the church. And the only way to do that- the ONLY way- is to be like Jesus. Do we want it? I remain unconvinced...

Because of Jesus,

Haven't We Been Here Before?

This is the first in a series of random posts you will see over the next few months that I am calling Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! Some will be goofy. This one is not. So be warned...

This world is a mess. We have known that for a while. But lately it is this nation that concerns me more. Laws have been passed, presidential campaigns begun, verdicts handed down, history rewritten, leaders quoted and social media exploding all with the same message- unless you are like me, I don't want you here. And it doesn't matter where here is, you aren't welcome. This would be disconcerting under any circumstances, but to hear so much of it coming from people who call themselves Christians is especially painful. My heart hurts. My brain hurts. And as a student of history I find myself asking the same question at my prayer time each day- Haven't we been here before?

It seems that many of my brothers and sisters (although some of these folks could care less what my sisters think) in Christ have taken a stance that anyone who does not agree with them is not only wrong, but somehow less a child of God than those who do agree. They come from two primary angles. You must be Christian- their version of Christian- and exclude and fear anyone who is not. In this version of the faith, judgement is a key element, and you worry less about your own soul and more about how to make others more like you. You must also hold to the theory of American Exceptionalism. It is no longer enough to love your country. Now to prove our patriotism we must adhere to the thought that the United States is and always has been superior to the rest of the world. If that means throwing out the facts to make history agree with the point, so be it. This country was not founded on exceptionalism, it was founded on and by the "wretched refuse." Our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world! These two ideologies are being used by the "elite" to exclude anyone who doesn't agree with them. People of color, our LGBT friends, immigrants and people of differing religions are more and more being targeted by people who claim to have a relationship with Jesus and being told that they do not belong. They are not Christian enough and they are not American enough. How is "religious freedom" enhanced by laws that encourage discrimination? 

History has taught us that there are few things more dangerous that religious extremism and radical nationalism. We live in a world where terrorists who fly an Islamic flag have made us afraid of all Muslims. ISIS is a band of extremists (who, by the way, walked into a leadership void WE helped create when we invaded Iraq in 2002) who in no way represent the entire religion. A few weeks back President Obama compared the extremism of ISIS to the Christian Crusades and was taken to task for it by many (As a side note, I read someone attack Obama by saying George W. Bush would have never said anything like that, and I cannot agree more. I have little doubt that W. has no idea what happened in the Crusades...). The truth is, he was right. There have been numerous atrocities committed in the name of Jesus, from the Crusades to standing in support of slavery to blowing up abortion clinics. Extremism is ugly no matter who is carrying the flag. Nazi Germany was all about lifting one nation, one race and one religion above all others and seeking to wipe out anyone who didn't "fit in." It almost worked. And yet even with all of this history to learn from, we find ourselves again posting new versions of "Whites Only" signs, fearing religions we don't understand and hating people we don't know. And doing it in the name of Jesus. We have been here before.

My big issue is this- these Christians who claim religious and cultural superiority often do it by choosing to ignore the teachings of Jesus. They see his teachings about peace, love, justice, mercy, grace and forgiveness as a part of the biblical narrative that can be debated and diluted through filtering and watering down. Then they can use their religion to exclude people, when Jesus clearly preached inclusiveness. His call to love our neighbors means loving our gay neighbors, our black neighbors our Muslim neighbors and our really hard-to-love neighbors. Some would respond with Old Testament scriptures (which Jesus gave a new spin) or twist the teachings of Paul, saying Jesus is only part of the story. Well friends, listen up, because I am about to drop some serious theology on you. Jesus is not a part of the story- Jesus is the POINT of the story! If we are willing to ignore his teachings, then everything else falls apart. Yes, there is a theology of salvation and a standard of morality that Christ-followers seek to embrace. But as Paul wrote in that passage they read at all the weddings, without love none of that other stuff means skubala (Carl translation). When we use our arms to push away rather than embrace, we are ignoring his teachings.

I confess there are days when this all seems hopeless, when it feels like the church is failing badly and there is nothing we can do about it. We are too often part of the problem in this country. But we must not- we CANNOT- give up. We serve an awesome God, a God of light and love, and we must take back our faith from those who seek to pervert it. Back in the early 1980s the band Styx recorded a rock opera called Kilroy Was Here about a morally superior bad guy named Dr. Righteous. He knew all the rules but understood nothing about love, mercy and individual freedoms. The story followed a band of rebels who worked under dangerous conditions to get the truth out- a truth that Dr. Righteous controlled. My favorite song on the album (yes, even better than Mr. Roboto) shares its name with this blog post. The lyrics are below:

Haven't we been here before
Footsteps lead down to the note on the door
That says I can't stay here anymore

And haven't we felt this same way
Sure in our hearts, but afraid just the same
To say I can't stay one minute more

You might think that it's hopeless
Beyond our control
But that's not necessarily so
Can't you see there's a chance
For the daring young soul
Who's finally learned to say no

No, I won't be misused
Ignored or refused
And I won't just give up and let go

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing can stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Dark would turn into light
We'd be strong
We'd be right

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing will stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before
Oh, and I believe if we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Hearts could change overnight
We'd be strong...We'd be right
So stay with me now
The future is ours
And we'll be the ones who go on

The time is now for a Jesus Revolution. It is time for us to be the daring souls who say no to this blatant misuse of Christianity. Politics can corrupt the church; they cannot corrupt Jesus. Exclusivity may be championed by our politicians, but it will never be championed by Jesus. It's time to take a stand and Take Back Our Church- #TBOC (It should really be take back HIS church, but TBOC is a much better hashtag). Christianity was never intended to be a religious organization, it was intended to be a movement founded on the life and teachings of a radical Rabbi who was also the Son of God. It's not about moral superiority, or cultural warfare or national exceptionalism. It's all about love. Think of those final words of the song as being a direct order from the Christ. "Stay with me now, the future is ours, and we'll be the ones who go on." More than ever, it has GOTS to be all about Jesus! And that's all I have to say about that...

Because of Jesus,