Resisting nationalistic idolatry

Since we talked about it a week ago at our church- my teaching followed by discussion and engagement with the issue, I've been thinking about nationalism a bit more in the past several weeks. Several things, rather independently, reinforced the significance of looking at this with respect to our faith as followers of Jesus.

A good friend of mine, Jeff Munroe, who is currently in Europe involved with a ministry, is in the U.S. on a visit and noticed a neon sign in front of a business where he used to live which said, "God Bless America." He wrote these words on his blog this past week: "To a European, God Bless America carries with it a certain arrogance that hints at feeling like God’s favorites. A European mentality would challenge us instead to put up a sign that asks God to bless our enemy – maybe a God Bless Afghanistan sign by the highway. Imagine the scandal that would cause."

That morning, early, as I'm reading/reflecting/praying, I read these words by Eugene Peterson about the prophet Jeremiah, "...Jeremiah was designated 'prophet to the nations' [Jeremiah 1:5]...The title 'prophet to the nations' is a deliberate rejection of any understanding of the life of faith that is identical with a single nation or a particular culture...Biblical faith always has and always will have this global dimension to it." (p. 182, Run With the Horses)

Then, that same day, I led to these hard-hitting words with respect to the sin of nationalistic idolatry, "People just know that God (or the gods) is on our side and against our enemies. It’s obvious, right? Nothing in history has caused more bloodshed than this arrogant and unfounded assumption. Nor, I submit, is anything more contrary to the Kingdom Jesus brought than this assumption." (Greg Boyd in an October 9 blog entry)

That led me to one of the sentences I remember from seminary days. (Funny- some of the things you remember.) I remember not expecting to hear it from this prof. He was the oldest faculty member at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and about ready to retire. Plain. Nothing fancy. Not a dynamic teacher. Not hip. He said something very close to this, "The greatest sin we find in the Bible is that of nationalism." He was an Old Testament prof and he would cite examples during my three years of Jonah, or Jeremiah, or the nation of Israel, etc. and how it was destructive for humanity. He said it often. You may or may not agree with him.

These were reminders to me that we must resist the pull of nationalism. We say "no" to it. It has caused, and continues to cause, untold harm.

And, we also say "yes" to what it means for followers of Jesus to live in ways that demonstrate that any theocracy is tossed out the window. That we, followers of Jesus, sojourn with those who are from all languages and nations and race and tribe. That we display a love and acceptance and compassion for all people, knowing the every person bears the image of God.

I'm glad for these voices again this week.

What are you against? Or, what are you for?

I'm against having an American flag in the sanctuary of a church where I would serve as pastor (or be a member). I'm against the death penalty. I'm against human sex trafficking. I'm against the Florida Gators football team (oops). I'm against...

Do you find it easy, like me, to blurt out the things you're against? That it might be even easier to say the things you're against rather than the things you're for?

From a faith standpoint- and mine on this path with Jesus, there are times when one must say "no" when we're moving forward with the "yes." In our church this fall, we're using the term Greg Boyd has used in stating things we believe we must "revolt" against as we are attempting to embody the good news of Jesus and his kingdom. Revolting against things like violence, individualism, judgmentalism, greed, nationalism, etc.

So, we sometimes need to say "no" to the things that harm or derail us from the good and true, light and wholeness.

But...There is often a "but." The priority is on what I'm for. What I believe in and will give my life to. This I'm for.

In attempting to start this church in Denver, it is easy to say what we're against, what we don't believe, and what we do not want the church to be or look like. But, that is not the focus and cannot be the focus on what will bring energy and life.

What am I for? I can't put it into a few words, but it includes things like: authentic relationship with God, family, life, forgiveness, genuine relationships, loving others (including enemies),...where do I stop?!

What are you for? It doesn't diminish the things you might oppose, but who wants to spend one's life living out what one is against?

There are times when we ought to say "no," and loudly, at times. But, front and center will be the "yes" that moves us, and with it will be the path it carves saying "no" to what we oppose.

When we help serve a meal to the homeless, it says no to poverty. When we take steps to forgive someone who has wronged us, it says no to hating enemies. When we listen with love to my next door neighbor who is Muslim, we say no to building walls with people. When we respect and look for ways to serve our spouse, we say no to dominant/subordinate relationships. When we...

What are you for?

The Pledge of Allegiance

I don't recall saying The Pledge of Allegiance since my school days. I did it automatically, didn't think about it much as a child, and we didn't really talk about it at home. Although, the combination of my home church not having a flag in the church building, and the emphasis on serving others around the globe, did have a subtle impact on me growing up.

About the time we stopped saying it in school is the time I started to think about what it might mean to recite this pledge.

Fast forward to 1999: I'm the director of a faith-based, non-profit that helped lower income persons start or reinforce their own small business. As part of the networking and building of relationships in the community, I was invited to join the Rotary Club in that city. It was a huge one. 500 members. One of the top ten in the world with the number of members.

My first meeting, a luncheon on Mondays, I found myself faced with a decision: should I recite the Pledge of Allegiance, a practice I wasn't aware of? I didn't want to offend the friend that sponsored me to become a member, or those who were doing great things in the community, or those who had a different understanding of the Pledge. But, I didn't believe I could recite it in good conscience.

Why? It is tied to my understanding of my faith in and commitment to Jesus. It goes along two lines...

First, I see myself, and the church I'm part of, as "resident aliens" with respect to my posture in any culture or nation state. (The term that Stanely Hauerwas and Will Willimon that caught on for many.) I'm respectful and seek to be a responsible citizen of the country where I reside; but, I'm not anchored in, nor is my allegiance with that country.

My allegiance is to the transnational Kingdom of God, and to the King of this Kingdom. That's where my loyalty and allegiance resides. It embraces followers of Jesus spanning every tribe, language, race, and nation.

Second, I see everyone as a bearer of the image of God as Creator. Everyone. Not just those who choose to follow Jesus and believe in God. When my allegiance is to my nation (whichever nation that would be), that can begin to impact how I view others.

What did I do that day in Rotary? Maybe I was a bit chicken. I ended up putting my hand on my heart, as the rest of the 250 in that room did that day, but I didn't say the Pledge. I prayed. I prayed my allegiance, in a whisper, to Jesus. I prayed for others around the world in those seconds. (Which is what I did each week at Rotary.)

Maybe the Pledge isn't the main issue. What I do hope is that our churches will pledge allegiance to Jesus, envision a church where "in Christ there is no East or West," and that we will live and love in ways that view each person as a bearer of the image of God.

Part II of missing the point: "I hope you come back in a body bag!"

It seems like everyone is getting a word in on the question of civility, or lack thereof, in the likes of incidents in Serena Williams threatening words to a line judge at the U.S. Open, Kanye West ego-drive to the stage of the MTV awards and grabbing Taylor Swift's mike, or Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst smack dab in the middle of President Obama's speech. I chose to say something about Wilson's outburst in my last post.

To say it again: I'm appalled by Wilson's disrespectful outburst. But, this is not about partisan political or philosophical viewpoint. It has to do with character, how we treat one another, whether we listen to each other, and how we talk to each other when we have disagreements.

Story #2: during the first Gulf war, I felt compelled to join some people to express our sadness, as well as our opinion that we disapproved of going to war and advocated a different approach to dealing with this conflict. So, one very cold January morning, on the corner of the busiest intersection in Toledo, I joined 25 people or so with signs and standing together in solidarity with our desire for another way. I'll have to admit, I was nervous yet felt this is something I needed to do.

I was with some people I knew and others I did not know. At this one moment, I was standing next to a woman who I did not know when the light turned red and a man in a white pick-up truck rolled down his passenger window. He was wearing fatigues and started yelling at us. Cussing. Calling us cowards. The woman next to me decided to take him on.

He said things like you guys are cowards, that we should be happy that we'll start killing crazy people in Iraq, that we should have something better to do than this.

She yelled back things like you don't know what you're talking about, we are the ones with true courage, the problem is with people like you, etc.

He: "Well, I wish I could be over there right now fighting for the U.S.!"

She: "If you went, you might end up in a body bag!"

He: "Well, I'd rather come back in a body bag than to stand there doing what you idiots are doing!"

And then...her line. The peace activist. She said, angrily: "Then, I hope you come back in a body bag!"

What?? What did I hear? That you hope he comes back in a body bag??

At that moment, after being stunned, I decided to leave. I shook my head and said "No. No." to her, and I left. We, who were advocating for peace and non-violent solutions, cannot take that approach, for it completely nullifies the message we want to communicate. I want no part of this. One bad apple was spoiling the whole bunch of us gathered that day.

What we say and how we say it is part of the message.

Now, I did not agree with the particular viewpoint of the man in the pick-up, but I'm called to love, not just those I agree with, but even my enemies.

For those who take up the name "Christian," and say we are followers of Jesus, must show a different way in our discourse and actions. Part of that is cultivating a character that is open to questions, will ask questions, and enter into respectful dialogue.

Part I of missing the point: "You lie!"

A heads-up from the beginning: this is not about partisan politics. In fact, far from it.

It appears, far too often, in the arena of politics that a game is being played and you toss out the rules that guide behavior in other walks of life. (I'm referring to "politics" in a specific sense- that of the halls of Washington, state capitals and local municipalities.) It gets nasty. It's increasingly partisan. A game. Posturing.

If you've been around this blog some you will know that I don't place my emphasis, hope or focus in this sphere. My focus is on the call of Jesus of what life as a transnational citizen of the kingdom of God looks like, and seek to embody that in the world. But, there are times when you just have to "name" things out there.

What Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina did during President Obama's speech last week was appalling, in my mind. Reprehensible. To call out, "You lie!" to the President, during his speech, is stunning. This is one who is elected to serve in congress?

Flat-out rude.

This is not about the issues at stake in a discussion about health care; there is a setting for that discussion. (And, you can argue, well, in fact, that there's a great deal of more maturity needed in the halls of congress when issues get debated in this or any issue!) You can totally disagree with the President's viewpoint and direction, and there should be informed and compassionate debate about the issues. But...but, you don't yell out in the middle of a speech the President is giving.

I know there was a small slap on the wrist that the House of Representatives gave yesterday, but I'm still shocked that there would not be overwhelming rejection of this type of action from all political parties. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be shocked.

So, I'll call it from my end: rude, disrespectful, immature. This is not how you engage the issues.

Is it a surprise, then, that lack of decorum and respect will be accepted by others in society if this is not denounced?

This does lead me to the fact that in our communities seeking to follow Jesus, we must be good models of how we talk to one another, discuss issues with which we disagree, and dialogue about tough issues. "Agreeing and disagreeing in love," as we say in some circles.

Perhaps that's the main point: that we must model this in our churches and communities of faith. We say "yes" to this way of dealing with our differences; and we say "no" to the "You lie!" outbursts and ways of engagement.

It applies to wherever one is along the continuum of beliefs, politics, philosophy, etc. That's why this is Part I. Part II is another story to follow...

Safe place to ask hard questions

I had lunch recently with a 29 year old guy in a Thai restaurant on a fun street in a popular neighborhood. A good Thai restaurant and my first time there. Great yellow curry dish. Have you had a yellow curry chicken meal recently?! Ok, that’s beside the point…

In the course of the conversation we talked about The Bridge, this church that is a year old today. He asked me about the church, how it started, the vision, and where I see it going. Does he know what he’s doing by asking that question? For one, it means he’ll finish his food and mine will get cold while I relish the opportunity to talk about this stuff!

And I did. Imagine that.

And I asked him about life and what he’s looking for and church and community. Those things. It was a great conversation. I learned as I listened. I plopped down my jotter on the table and took notes on my 3X5 cards. Is there ever a time when one doesn’t learn from a meaningful conversation?

In response to my question of what ideas he would have for our church, he said: “One of the most important things you might offer is a safe place for younger adults to ask the hard questions.” And then he went on to talk about that a bit.

A safe place to ask the hard questions.

I’m with you! A safe place to ask hard questions, and to engage and have dialogue around those questions; that is built into the intent of The Bridge as it began.

I pick up this polarization that is floating around. On the one hand, questions are encouraged but there is a notion, whether implicit or explicit, that there are no answers. Only questions. On the extreme other end, answers are given for everything and you might as well not ask questions. For, either there is no point to asking questions or you might be judged and looked down upon for your question or doubt.

There is a third way. As I find to be the case with rising frequency, we don’t have to choose between these two poles. One of the things I hope that we can convey in our church community, is that we believe there are some answers. Some important answers to significant issues related to meaning, life, the quest for truth, about loving God and loving others (enemies included). We are not left with only questions.

And right on the tail of that…we also do not have answers. No one person or group has answers to all questions, dilemmas and doubts. There is a ton of, to use a well-worn word these days, mystery.

So, bring on the doubts, questions and search for truth and God. We will not come out on the same page when wrestling with these questions. We do believe there are some key beliefs and ways of living that we believe to be true, and centered in Jesus as the fullness of God revealed to humanity. But, there are many questions that will keep us searching and in dialogue as a community.

Come to think of it, that yellow curry dish is not beside the point. Enjoying great conversation over great food in a fun neighborhood is part of life. Part of this search for joy, life, truth and meaning.

I don't want to die...now

I don't want to die. Gail doesn't want to die. I don't want Gail to die. Not now.

Fact: I am going to die. Gail is going to die. Some day.

I don't think about this a lot. But, that changed on July 23 when we ended up in the emergency room, and through a series of tests (CAT scan, MRI, etc.) we were told Gail has a brain tumor. After the numbing jolt to our very being- body, mind, soul, spirit- that thought consumed us for the weekend: dying.

As I wrote in my last post, things have changed since our July 23 ER visit (being told this mass is very likely a malignant tumor and inoperable due to its location) to our subsequent visits to a new neurosurgeon.

In the two visits, and with some further tests (ophthamologist and endocrine tests), he has consulted 3 other neurosurgeons and his neuroradiology team. They all believe this: that this "mass" in Gail's skull is not malignant, that it has likely been there for quite some time, and that the best course is to monitor this closely. The next step: a follow-up MRI in October to see if there has been any change (he tends to think there will not be a change). If there is no change, then there will be MRI's at 6-month intervals for a year.

Of course, if there are any symptoms that would indicate some possible changes, we would meet with Gail's neurosurgeon. During these past four weeks, with the exception of Gail's last day on staff with Young Life (a very painful/stressful day), she has had no symptoms. We have been grateful, and continue to pray for this to continue down this same path.

Thinking about death...

That first weekend was horrible, the weekend after the ER visit. Everything is going through your mind- the fear, terrible grief, unimaginable life without Gail, the loss of a very part of me. Each moment, each hour was pregnant with meaning.

We all know that we cannot determine when death will reach our door. I might help the odds, and even fool myself into believing that I can somehow determine the length of my life; but, I am not in control of this. I eat my share of fruit, vegetables, grains, healthy cereal and grab those 23 almonds daily for a snack. I drink enough water. A glass of red wine for my heart (and taste). I exercise regularly. And so does Gail. And we can't control the day we will die.

I know this. I know that I have lived, at age 54, longer than many in our global village. I know that far, far too many in our human family suffer and die daily due to inequities and injustice. I know I could live to be 95 or I could die tomorrow. But, I'm not ready to die nor am I ready to think about my closest friend, lover, intimate companion, and partner on this journey in life and ministry dying.

I have also pondered this, frequently, over the past 5 weeks: heaven. More specifically, a "new heaven and a new earth." Or, as N.T. Wright calls it, "life after life after death."

What has troubled me about the "heaven" thing in some religious circles is that it is the only thing that matters: you're born, sometime you believe that Jesus died for you, and then you go to heaven when you die. Period. That's it. All there is to it. And, I don't believe it- that is, this is all there is to it.

I believe, from my standpoint as a follower of Jesus and a faith in a God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that this life matters. Life now. Life that is robust with meaning ("eternal life"). Joy and beauty and wholeness. And, living in such a way that loves and cares about the marginalized and the "least of these." Living life to the fullest and seeking justice where it is absent. Seeking even to love one's enemies. This new realm, this new reign, this new "Kingdom" that has broken into our world...NOW.

I believe that. I want to live my life aligned with that truth.

And...I believe in life after my life has ended in its current state. That there will truly be a new heaven and new earth (whatever that will look like) that will not be this huge dichotomy between the physical and spiritual being.

I have thought much more about this in the past 5 weeks. It's not an either/or: this life or life after death. This is where history is headed, where God will redeem and restore and bring all things to completion. That gives me great hope even as I walk through life on this earth. Another one of those both/and deals.

While I'm not ready for that today, I know that much more awaits me, and Gail. It will be the fullness, completeness and perfection of the Kingdom of God that we are already beginning to experience now.