Cringe

           I wanted to avoid commenting on the culture wars. There has been more than enough fodder to tempt me. It is not that I do not have an opinion. However, I believe that my Christianity calls for a nuanced response to much of what happens. I have been content to use this blog to work out my own thoughts on matters of a life with God while the world sprinted by. Much of the time my silence comes from the idea that if I am not directly affected by an issue silence is the best comment. Even when I am troubled with a development, I have not been wanting to take the time and energy to write about it. Finally, though, I have witnessed a truly cringe-worthy event. I also know that there are those of you who read my blog, all twelve of you, that you might want to know my thoughts. Even if you don’t, here goes.

           A certain state has decided that the Ten Commandments are required to be displayed in school classrooms. I am not opposed to the Ten Commandments, so that is not the source of my cringe. Neither is that this is clearly a violation of the concept of separation of church and state. I clearly support such a separation. It has more to do with not wanting our politicians to have a say in my faith. But that is not the source of my unease. As a Christian I clearly support efforts to proclaim my faith. But the vision that Jesus held for us, and still holds for us, cannot be accomplished through politics or nation states.

           In the bible, the apostle Paul clearly warns of “principalities and powers.” He refers to them as “rulers in a dark age.” We have already seen the quest for Christianity to be a political power make a mockery of everything that God holds dear. Our involvement in the residential schools is but just the tip of iceberg at how horribly things can go wrong when we seek political power.

I have no illusions that posting the Ten Commandments will make schools any better or more Christian. I spend a significant amount of time in a country that has an “unofficial” state religion. It has really made no difference in how people live their lives. Yet, that is not the source of my cringing.

It is this that causes my cringeness. I for one, am really tired of the central message of Christ being portrayed as you need to behave. Not that I don’t think we need to behave, but it is not his central message. Unless I have missed something, that would be the sole purpose of posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. I think a much better biblical quote would be:

           “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” And “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matt 25.35 - 40

 

Anyway, that is my opinion.

 Not an Apology

           One of the more well known parables is the “Prodigal Son.” The story is quite simple. A father has two sons, the youngest one decides he wants his inheritance early, and when he gets it he leaves. He blows his money on wine, women, and song. Then, when he realizes what an idiot he has been, he returns to his father to ask if he can live as a servant in his father’s household. The story resonates for me, for I am the younger of two brothers. It is actually three, but I did not meet the oldest brother until much later in life. I also squandered much in the way of wine, women, and song. I too had that realization of just how badly I had blown it. I too, had the journey of repentance.

        There are those who would hold that our Christian faith is to be lived in contrition for the sins that we have committed. In doing so they move a life of faith into the life of an apology. I believe that we need to come to recognize that we are undeserving of God’s grace. We need to come to those moments when we realize just how badly we had misjudged life. Those are the moments that we need in order to come to grace.

          In the Beatitudes we are taught that being of ‘poor of spirit’ is how we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I think it needs to be this way, so that we are willing to leave our old concepts behind. The Kingdom of Heaven is just that different than we imagine. I continue to occasionally experience those moments, particularly when I have been a little shit to the Feisty One. I experience those moments often enough that I never rely too heavily on my own understanding. However, those moments are always meant to be in transition, they are not a destination.

          One of the aspects that strikes me with the parable is that the father, God, is not interested in the apology, he is not interested in the practiced speech the prodigal son is about to deliver. The father listens to the first part of it, and then calls for a celebration. If I read the story properly, it seems that the Father is more interested in how the son has come to understand where he needs to be. The story does not end with a “happily ever after” nor does it describe the next day, week, or month after the return of the son.

          We are not called to live an apology. Those moments of “I am a worthless worm” while required are to be short lived. Yes, I should always recognize my short comings, so that as I look upon another, I recall that there but for the grace of God go I. But living an apology is not what I am called to do. There was a time when I did live that apology. That I needed to see that how I approached life was terribly wrong and harmful.

        Then, I was called to live a life of victory. To celebrate the victory that I had experienced over my addiction and the chaos of my life. Honestly, I am grateful that things were that bad. It has been in the stark contrast that I have come to understand the victory that was given to me. Yes, I am to live a life of gratitude. It is funny, that when there is no gratitude one can never have enough. Yes, I am sorry of those truly cringe worthy moments, in the distant and not-so distant past. However, I am called to live a life that celebrates the victory that I now live.

 Anway, that is my opinion.

Do not be a Jerk

In the Beatitudes we are told that we are blessed when we are persecuted for pursuing righteousness. Further to this, we are blessed “when people revile you, persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on his account.” This is in keeping with other comments that Jesus makes through the Gospels. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (John 15.18)

          We do need to be cautious in using this as a metric as to whether we are following Christ and pursuing righteousness. It is far too easy to ascribe people’s reaction to us as being the result of being “holy.” Maybe, we are just being jerks. In fact, when those around us ‘revile’ us we might want to stop and check as to the cause.

          We also might want to be aware from where this ‘persecution’ comes. When we consider who we follow, the example he set, it was from within the religious organizations that his persecution came. If we are loved and accepted within our congregation while being despised in the world, then we may want to consider why. (That might be another post.)

          I have had two dinners ruined by religious pontification. The first was by a woman who decided to go on at length as to what Jesus had done for her. The second was by an atheist who decided to hold court as to the fallacy of God. Both were less than appreciated by the audience. In the first example, those at the dinner were fairly devote Christians. The second was to a group of people simply enjoying Christmas dinner.

          We are in the midst of what is called the “Great Unchurching.” We have seen unprecedented declines in those who attend church. We have seen similar growth in those who state they are atheist, agnostic, or are just spiritual (the religiously unaffiliated.) I might be alone in being a Christian that is not distressed by this trend. Our faith has never been intended to be a popularity contest. While we have been commissioned to go and make disciples of all the world, it was never intended that our success lies within our popularity.

          We carry a message that comes in two parts. The first part is that all is not well with the world. That the world, is not a good place. Further, all is not well with each of us. As Paul, the apostle says, ‘I do that which I do not want to do, and do not do that which I want.’ Most of us know this about ourselves.

          As the Church has sought increasing political power and have entered the ‘culture wars’ our message has become skewed and toxic. It seems to be that we emphasis those sins we find repugnant while minimizing those sins we enjoy. We tried to engage the world without being responsive to the world. Of the youth that have left the church the most striking reason was put this way. “The Church answers questions we have not asked.”

          The second part of the message that is that Christ offers us salvation. The message of the redemption offered by Christ is obscured through the first part of our message. We have stressed how wrong have people have it to the exclusion of the grace of God that is offering. It is hard to hear “God loves you” when it is drowned out by our yelling “you are sinful!” We forget that we, all of us, are in the same boat.

          I am not advocating ‘domesticating the Gospel.’ Both parts of the message are to be carried. If there was an action that I would be advocating, it is that we collectively be quiet on the public stage. Our aims and goals are not accomplished through politics. I am advocating a personal engagement.

          The Gospel is best delivered through our personal connections with others. We are the ones who carry the Gospel; thus it might be an idea if we live our lives in this fashion. I would add that the Gospel also compels us to be humble, kind, compassionate, and sincere. Those qualities that are called for in the Beatitudes.

          I think the Beatitudes can be summed up in one sentiment. Do not be a Jerk.

 Anyway, that is my opinion.

 Striated versus Smooth Spaces

 

          I came across a new favourite quote today. “Christ’s commandment contains the law, but the law does not contain Christ’s commandment. Therefore whoever fulfills the commandments of Christ implicitly fulfills the commandments of the Law.” [1]

 

          There is a concept that is helpful for you to understand obedience to the Lord. This concept is roughly called Striated versus Smooth Spaces. This idea comes to us from two philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. I owe a personal gratitude to one of my mentors Dr. Christopher Iwestel Kinman who introduced me to this concept. This concept is that there are two kinds of spaces in life, smooth and striated. These spaces are formed by striated and smooth lines.

          Being a prairie boy by heart, the prairies are an excellent example. Naturally, there are no straight line on the prairies, with perhaps the exception of some sections that have the horizon as being a straight line. The spaces in the prairies are all contoured. Or at least they were until the settlers came.

          With the influx of the European came straight lines. This is offered as an example, not a criticism. Straight lines allowed us to distinguish between the land that is yours and the land that is mine. Thus, there is value in striated lines. However, the value of striated lines is very limited. One only has to witness a prairie storm to realize how limited straight lines are. There have also been lawsuits over seed from one piece of land being blown to another piece of land. It does not take long to realize that striated spaces are simply a product of our imagination.

          Likewise life is full of smooth spaces. Yes, there are some absolutes, such as “Thou shalt not kill.” Yet, how much violence is done by my considering some lives are of less value than others? Is this not the basis of exploitation? That the value of the life of the person who sews my blue jeans is less than mine. I may not have been the person that directly exploits the worker, but does not my purchasing those jeans exploit the person? Yes, I may not have murdered the person, but I have diminished the person and made their life less.

            God's desire does not fit well within stiated lines. When I read scripture I can see the hard and fast lines of "Thou shall not!" Yet, consider this rephrasing of Matthew 7.12 “The Law and the Prophets can be summed up in this, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Jesus has moved us in understanding what is asked of us. Thus, my new favourite quote.

          This also works the other way. I consider my Muslim neighbour. Am I not called to love him or her as myself? Am I not obligated to defend their right to worship as they see fit as I would defend my Christian neighbour? Am I not obligated to defend the right of a person to marry another even when I do not approve of that marriage? Just to provide a different perspective to this, our neighbour’s to the south did not protect interracial marriages until 1967. While in Canada, interracial marriages may have never been illegal they did more than raise eyebrows. In hindsight we can see the repugnace in shunning interracial marriages. In his teachings.

            Christ moved our understanding of obedience from following a moral code to a deeper expression of love.       

Anway, that is my opinion  

          

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[1] Anonymous, Matthew 1 – 13 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture; edited by Manlio Simonetti; Downers Grove, Intervaristy 2001) pg 101.