Have you ever noticed that we as human beings seem to be caught in a constant struggle between freedom and being burdened? Perhaps you have. Perhaps you’ve never thought of it in such a fashion. Let me try to explain.
First the freedom part. Perhaps this is easiest to explain since we have just come through the Fourth of July holiday and our nation celebrated its independence. There is something about the human spirit which does not like to be contained. It does not like to be told what to do. It does not like to have any sort of burden placed upon it. As Elsa from the movie Frozen sings in the song “Let it Go”, “No right, no wrong. No rules for me. I’m free.” We long for such freedom.
People who work cannot wait to be free from the responsibility of their job. There are more than a few who are workin’ for the weekend as Loverboy once sang. Most modern music that you hear today is all about finding a party–escaping reality–finding freedom from the daily grind. We long for those times of vacation. We count down the years until retirement. We gripe about government intrusion into our lives. We quip to others who would impose their values upon us, “What works for you, works for you, but don’t tell me how to live my life!” We want to set our own agendas. We want to call our own shots. We want to have complete freedom to do so.
And if we find ourselves overburdened. If we find ourselves with too many rules and regulations. If we find ourselves constrained as if someone kept pushing down on us, eventually, we will snap. It’s like a pressure cooker. If the pressure keeps building and building and building with no release, something bad will eventually happen. We will fight for freedom. Historically, this has taken place over and over and over again. There is a part of human nature that longs for freedom.
But here is an interesting twist to this phenomenon of freedom. We do not want complete freedom for anyone and everyone. We want some sort of system of rules that govern us as well. Why? Think about it a moment. Even those in our culture now who believe in relativism–the idea there are no universal truths say something interesting, “Believe whatever you want to believe and do whatever you want to do–as long as you don’t hurt anyone else.” Do you see the qualifier? Relativists don’t believe in true relativism. They don’t believe anything goes. Because we know what happens when anything goes. We know what it is like when there are no rules. We’ve seen this happen historically over and over and over again. When there are no rules, the strongest take over. The strongest surge to power and authority, and they prey upon the weak; they prey upon those who do not give obedience to them; they prey upon those whom they do not like. Various factions arise centered upon the powerful, and open warfare reigns. Many, many innocent people get hurt. Anarchy is not a beautiful thing.
We know this. We know this deep at the bottom of our souls. Somehow it is built into us–the need for freedom and the need for rule. We keep swinging back and forth back and forth along this pendulum in society and in our individual lives.
At this point, you might raise a question: Pastor, I see how this happens in society. I see how this happens historically, but what do you mean by saying this happens in our individual lives? Are you talking about working and wanting to be free from work like you spoke about earlier, or is it something else?
Let me expand this point a little. In each and every one of us, there is a desire to be free. We don’t like having a whole lot of responsibility. We want to enjoy living our lives in a carefree manner. We want to be at peace. We want to be at rest. And being at rest means being at a place of fulfillment–a place of peace–a place of joy. We want to be unburdened so that we can rest, and so we think about all those things that burden us. What are the burdens in our lives?
• Work.
• School.
• Family.
• Housework.
• Social responsibilities including church.
These are some of the ones we immediately think about. The obligations we feel toward these things give us a sense of burden. They seemingly weigh us down, and so we look to cut them off. They do not seem to give us a sense of peace, and so we look to something else.
• Vacation time.
• Sports.
• Partying.
• Music.
• Television.
• Drinking.
• Sex.
And the list could go on and on. We believe that such things give us freedom, but you know what actually happens? Do you know what truly happens when you start looking to all of these things for freedom? Do you know what they start doing to you? They begin to demand your time and energy. They begin to demand your allegiance. They begin to demand your heart and soul. The things which once gave you some sense of pleasure and peace now begin to dominate your time. They begin to consume your thoughts. You become a slave to them. It’s easy to see this in the lives of others. It’s easy to see this in the alcoholic who is a slave to the alcohol. It’s easy to see this in the pastor who devotes all his time to the church. It’s easy to see this in the person who sits, chomping at the bit to leave work as soon as the clock hits 5 so that she can get home to watch her favorite shows. It’s easy to see this in the person who cranks the radio up as loudly as possible without regard to what anyone else thinks. It’s easy to see this in the person who doesn’t miss a single baseball practice or game while skipping work and other social obligations.
The reality is, when we think we are escaping from one thing, we simply replace it with another. Whenever we think we are free from one particular aspect in life, we are simply trading it for something else. Never are we truly free. We are always bound. We are always in a constant sense of rebellion because of this. We are always have a constant sense of unease. We are never at rest. We are never at peace. We are never fulfilled. Why?
It’s because we keep burdening ourselves with the wrong burdens. We keep burdening ourselves with those things which will always put demands upon us without truly giving us freedom. So what is the answer? Is it possible to be at rest and still be burdened at the same time? Is it possible to be free and still have rules?
The answer Christianity gives is yes. Listen to Jesus’ words from our Gospel lesson once again, “28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
How can Jesus say this? How can Jesus say that if we take His yoke upon us–being burdened–we will be at rest? This seems like a contradiction in terms, but it’s not. Not at all. In fact, when you think it through, it makes perfect sense.
You have to remember where it all begins, though. You have to remember that it all begins with the gospel. You know the gospel: for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him. And this was done not by any work you or I did. This reconciliation was carried out by Jesus and Jesus alone–not because we were loveable or good or holy, but precisely because we were not good; we were not lovable; we were not holy. Jesus died for us when we were still sinners.
Think about that for just a moment. Jesus died for you when you were still broken–when you were still breaking God’s commandments–when you were not loving your neighbor as yourself. You were still in the midst of your sin–your disobedience, and God died for you anyway. In just about every case in this world, if you are disobedient; if you are not following the rules, you get punished. You do not receive a reward. Yet, when you were not following God, He took on flesh and died for you to give you eternal life. This is an amazing act of love–an act that is beyond comprehension–an act that many would deem foolish. Why say that?
Because, if you are a parent, you know doggone why it’s foolish. If your children are misbehaving and you give them cookies, they will just keep misbehaving. They won’t change their ways. You’ve got to punish them to make them get in line! But what if their behavior led to them being arrested and convicted and sentenced to death. As a parent, what would you do? Would you gladly take your child’s place and suffer their punishment? Would you die so that they might live? And if upon seeing your love for them, what do you think your children would do? If your loving parent stepped in and died for you when you deserved death, how would you respond? Would you keep doing the things you had always done, or would you be profoundly changed by their love? You would, of course, be free to continue in the path you had always walked. You could still do the destructive things you had done before. You could still rebel against all the rules and regulations. You would be free to do so. Your parents had kept you from the punishment. But at great cost. Would you let their sacrifice go for naught?
I hope not. I hope that having such love shown to you would radically transform your life. I hope it would completely change the way you operated as you realized the extent of what it cost your parents to step in and save you from your disobedience. Not because of guilt or obligation but because of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for your undeserved life at their expense. It would seem like foolishness to some, but to a parent, it would be worth it.
If what Jesus did for us on the cross is anything like a parent willing to die for his or her child–and I think it is–then we too can be transformed by that kind of love. We too can be transformed by that kind of good news. We know we are free because of what Christ did for us, but at the same time, we freely choose to be obedient to Him. We freely choose to take His yoke upon us. We freely say, “I will follow you and your commands, Jesus because of what you have done for me.” At one and the same time we are obedient and we are free. At one and the same time we are burdened and at rest. We are no longer bound by all the things that once put demands upon us in this world. We have freely turned to another yoke–the yoke of Jesus–the only burden that can bring us rest. Amen.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Back to My Roots
This afternoon (July 2), I listened to that small voice inside which said, "This afternoon is family time." Office work would wait. Holy family time was needed.
I thought we'd go to the Houston Museum, but as we prepared to go, I remembered the kids bowl free stuff we signed up for at the beginning of summer.
"Museum or bowling?" I asked the kids
"BOWLING!!!"
It's rare we have a unanimous decision. Bowling it was. Brenham bowling alley, here we come.
But there was a problem. A summer school program or camp had invaded the bowling alley. Too crowded. We needed an alternate plan. We got in the car, and I simply started driving up SH 290. As we drove, I thought about the Cotton Museum in Burton. We'd never been. Kaylee had studied about it in second grade. Perhaps this would be a worthwhile activity.
It was.
Video presentation. Cotton gin tour. Kids getting to see how cotton was ginned with a miniature gin. Questions asked and answered.
Then, Kevin asks, "Daddy, can we pull a cotton leaf?"
There was a reason he asked this question--a reason dating to over 20 years ago when I was working with my grandfather in the cotton field.
It was the last year my grandfather farmed before he succumbed to cancer. We were cultivating the cotton, and it was my job to ride on the tractor, spot weeds, flag my grandfather when I saw them, jump off the tractor, and then pull the weeds putting them in a burlap bag. Grandpa liked his cotton field absolutely clean.
During a particular stop in a weedy patch, Grandpa told me to take a water break. When I climbed on the tractor to get a drink, Grandpa asked, "Kevin, have I ever showed you God is in the cotton?"
I was in my second year of college studying Theology/Philosophy. I thought Grandpa was about to get philosophical on me--perhaps talk about his love of farming and how it showed him God. I had been exposed to all sorts of ideas at Texas Lutheran, and I thought I'd hear another one.
Boy, was my assumption completely wrong. Grandpa had other ideas. Very concrete ones.
"Go pick me four or five big cotton leaves. They have to be really big ones."
I did exactly as my grandfather instructed and brought the leaves to him as he sat on the tractor. He took a leaf in his hand and pulled out his pocket knife with the other.
"Now," he spoke, "you need a really sharp knife, and you have to cut the leaf in just the right place."
I watched as he spoke these words. Grandpa's hands shook, and he had a hard time holding the knife steady. He made a cut, looked at his work, swore, and threw the leaf and stem to the ground. Picking up another leaf, he spoke again, "You need a really sharp knife, and you have to cut in just the right place..."
He cut again. Looked at his handiwork again, and this time held the remaining stem for me to observe. Looking at the cut, which had been made right near the juncture of the stem and leaf, I observed something mind blowing. Wonderful. Amazing.
The veins which brought water to the leaf formed the letters G...o...D.
It was as if God left His signature right there in the midst of that field on each and every plant--on each and every leaf. No wonder Grandpa had a special affinity for cotton. God was in it.
I had told this story to my kids. I had tried to show them at one point, but the leaves were too small. Kevin, Jr. remembered. He wanted me to cut a leaf and show him while at the cotton gin museum.
So I asked the lady giving us the tour, Linda, if I could have a cotton plant leaf.
She replied to Kevin, Jr. "Well, ordinarily, I would let you, but if I let you, then I would have to let other people as well. Then, our plants wouldn't have any leaves on them."
My wife rose to the challenge. I didn't want to talk about Kevin, Jr.'s reasons. My wife had no such inhibitors. "Tell her why he wants the leaf."
Linda's curiosity was piqued.
"God is written in the cotton," Dawna said. "If you cut the leaf just right, you can read the word God in the stem. I thought he (me) was crazy when he first told me about it, but then he showed me. It's there."
"I've never seen that!" Linda said. "I want to see that."
She took me outside to their cotton plants which grew in wooden barrels.
"First, you need a really big leaf, and I hope my knife is sharp enough..."
We went back inside, and I sat in a chair. Linda talked with my kids and another couple visiting the museum.
I cut the leaf. I put my knife where the stem met the leaf. I hadn't done this in years. I wondered if my knife was sharp enough. I wondered if I was cutting in the right place. I cut slowly and carefully. After separating the leaf from the stem, I looked. Kiera, my eldest was right there looking over my shoulder. "There it is!!" she exclaimed.
Sure enough: G...o...D.
The couple from San Antonio was next. Exclamations of amazement as well as attempts to capture what they saw on camera. Pretty difficult to capture on a cell phone.
Linda took the stem in her hand. Being a little older, it took her moving the stem to where she could focus. "Wow. I never knew..."
I didn't either until my grandfather showed me in that cotton patch many years ago. Linda thanked me profusely for showing her God in the cotton. I thanked her for the tour and a walk down memory lane--memories which took me back to my roots. Roots which include cotton hoes, mile long rows, hot sun, cold drinks, the sounds of a roaring tractor engine, an old man smoking cigarettes who took some time to show his grandson God's signature.
Amazing how it still affects me today.
I thought we'd go to the Houston Museum, but as we prepared to go, I remembered the kids bowl free stuff we signed up for at the beginning of summer.
"Museum or bowling?" I asked the kids
"BOWLING!!!"
It's rare we have a unanimous decision. Bowling it was. Brenham bowling alley, here we come.
But there was a problem. A summer school program or camp had invaded the bowling alley. Too crowded. We needed an alternate plan. We got in the car, and I simply started driving up SH 290. As we drove, I thought about the Cotton Museum in Burton. We'd never been. Kaylee had studied about it in second grade. Perhaps this would be a worthwhile activity.
It was.
Video presentation. Cotton gin tour. Kids getting to see how cotton was ginned with a miniature gin. Questions asked and answered.
Then, Kevin asks, "Daddy, can we pull a cotton leaf?"
There was a reason he asked this question--a reason dating to over 20 years ago when I was working with my grandfather in the cotton field.
It was the last year my grandfather farmed before he succumbed to cancer. We were cultivating the cotton, and it was my job to ride on the tractor, spot weeds, flag my grandfather when I saw them, jump off the tractor, and then pull the weeds putting them in a burlap bag. Grandpa liked his cotton field absolutely clean.
During a particular stop in a weedy patch, Grandpa told me to take a water break. When I climbed on the tractor to get a drink, Grandpa asked, "Kevin, have I ever showed you God is in the cotton?"
I was in my second year of college studying Theology/Philosophy. I thought Grandpa was about to get philosophical on me--perhaps talk about his love of farming and how it showed him God. I had been exposed to all sorts of ideas at Texas Lutheran, and I thought I'd hear another one.
Boy, was my assumption completely wrong. Grandpa had other ideas. Very concrete ones.
"Go pick me four or five big cotton leaves. They have to be really big ones."
I did exactly as my grandfather instructed and brought the leaves to him as he sat on the tractor. He took a leaf in his hand and pulled out his pocket knife with the other.
"Now," he spoke, "you need a really sharp knife, and you have to cut the leaf in just the right place."
I watched as he spoke these words. Grandpa's hands shook, and he had a hard time holding the knife steady. He made a cut, looked at his work, swore, and threw the leaf and stem to the ground. Picking up another leaf, he spoke again, "You need a really sharp knife, and you have to cut in just the right place..."
He cut again. Looked at his handiwork again, and this time held the remaining stem for me to observe. Looking at the cut, which had been made right near the juncture of the stem and leaf, I observed something mind blowing. Wonderful. Amazing.
The veins which brought water to the leaf formed the letters G...o...D.
It was as if God left His signature right there in the midst of that field on each and every plant--on each and every leaf. No wonder Grandpa had a special affinity for cotton. God was in it.
I had told this story to my kids. I had tried to show them at one point, but the leaves were too small. Kevin, Jr. remembered. He wanted me to cut a leaf and show him while at the cotton gin museum.
So I asked the lady giving us the tour, Linda, if I could have a cotton plant leaf.
She replied to Kevin, Jr. "Well, ordinarily, I would let you, but if I let you, then I would have to let other people as well. Then, our plants wouldn't have any leaves on them."
My wife rose to the challenge. I didn't want to talk about Kevin, Jr.'s reasons. My wife had no such inhibitors. "Tell her why he wants the leaf."
Linda's curiosity was piqued.
"God is written in the cotton," Dawna said. "If you cut the leaf just right, you can read the word God in the stem. I thought he (me) was crazy when he first told me about it, but then he showed me. It's there."
"I've never seen that!" Linda said. "I want to see that."
She took me outside to their cotton plants which grew in wooden barrels.
"First, you need a really big leaf, and I hope my knife is sharp enough..."
We went back inside, and I sat in a chair. Linda talked with my kids and another couple visiting the museum.
I cut the leaf. I put my knife where the stem met the leaf. I hadn't done this in years. I wondered if my knife was sharp enough. I wondered if I was cutting in the right place. I cut slowly and carefully. After separating the leaf from the stem, I looked. Kiera, my eldest was right there looking over my shoulder. "There it is!!" she exclaimed.
Sure enough: G...o...D.
The couple from San Antonio was next. Exclamations of amazement as well as attempts to capture what they saw on camera. Pretty difficult to capture on a cell phone.
Linda took the stem in her hand. Being a little older, it took her moving the stem to where she could focus. "Wow. I never knew..."
I didn't either until my grandfather showed me in that cotton patch many years ago. Linda thanked me profusely for showing her God in the cotton. I thanked her for the tour and a walk down memory lane--memories which took me back to my roots. Roots which include cotton hoes, mile long rows, hot sun, cold drinks, the sounds of a roaring tractor engine, an old man smoking cigarettes who took some time to show his grandson God's signature.
Amazing how it still affects me today.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
No, Marcus. Jesus was God.
Because of Facebook, I was exposed to this blog post by Marcus Borg. The content is disturbing on more than one level, not the least of which is the heresy of Arianism which he openly preaches. It is also disturbing because there are many within my denomination who follow Dr. Borg ideologically and embrace his teaching as the doctrine to which the church should preach and teach.
Dr. Borg is an intelligent man. He is well read and well versed in many things, but he is completely and utterly wrong in making many of his assertions in his attempt to make Christianity relevant (dare I say palatable) to a particular group of people.
Let's simply take the following assertion from his blog post:
1. Was Jesus God? No. Not even the New Testament says that. It speaks of him as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth, but never simply identifies him with or equates him with God. As John’s gospel puts it, he is the Word become flesh – that is, he reveals what can be seen of God in a finite human life. To say, “I believe Jesus was God” (as some Christians do, or think they are supposed to) goes beyond what the New Testament affirms and is thus more than biblical. He is the Word incarnate – not the disembodied Word.
Dr. Borg is an intelligent man. He is well read and well versed in many things, but he is completely and utterly wrong in making many of his assertions in his attempt to make Christianity relevant (dare I say palatable) to a particular group of people.
Let's simply take the following assertion from his blog post:
1. Was Jesus God? No. Not even the New Testament says that. It speaks of him as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth, but never simply identifies him with or equates him with God. As John’s gospel puts it, he is the Word become flesh – that is, he reveals what can be seen of God in a finite human life. To say, “I believe Jesus was God” (as some Christians do, or think they are supposed to) goes beyond what the New Testament affirms and is thus more than biblical. He is the Word incarnate – not the disembodied Word.
"I Want My Mask!!!"
While on our cruise, I excitedly awaited our final port of call: Cozumel, Mexico. We planned to go to the beach at Chankanaab National Park with the kids. Knowing we could snorkel there, I bought the kids and I some cheap equipment while in Belize.
The afternoon after purchasing the equipment, I took the kids to the ship's pool to show them how. My oldest loved it. The younger two--not so much. They decided wearing the mask was o.k., but the snorkel wasn't fun to breathe through. Their choice.
When we arrived in Cozumel, we packed up the equipment, minus the youngest kid's snorkels and headed to Chankanaab. The beauty of the beach was breath taking. The kids couldn't wait to get in the water.
At the recommendation of the beach staff, we put all the kids in life vests and headed to the appropriate entry places--Cozumel is a coral atoll, and there are several places where there is no gradual entry into the water. You literally have to climb down rocks or metal stairs to enter. The kids weren't thrilled with that, but they still couldn't wait to swim.
My eldest began snorkeling right away. My middle child, put on her mask and began observing the underwater features. My son had decided to forgo any thoughts of snorkeling when we were putting our stuff in the lockers. "I don't want my mask!" he dictated.
Suddenly, my eldest surfaced. "Check out all the fish!!!" she exclaimed.
My middle child stuck her head underwater, surfaced, and shouted out, "Cool. They are so close. I almost touched one!"
My son yelled out, "I want my mask!!!"
Fortunately, he has a nice uncle who went back and got it.
Maybe he learned a lesson. Maybe.
In our world--particularly in our United States Culture--we have an affinity for everything new. We have an affinity for the latest and greatest. We believe we need to focus on the young folks who have new and amazing insights. We need to strive to experience things ourselves and forge new pathways.
There is nothing wrong with this--as long as it is rooted and grounded in the wisdom of the past.
I mean that in all sincerity. I used to be one of those craving the newest and latest stuff--especially in the Church. New insights into theology; new worship music; new methods of interpreting Scripture. This was the stuff which would turn the decline of the Church in the U.S. around.
NOT!
If my son would have listened to me, he would have taken his mask with him from the get go. He would have understood there was something really neat to experience under the water for which his mask would be a huge asset. But wanting to do things on his own without regard for the knowledge I had, he almost missed out. Almost. Fortunately, I had the forethought to pack his mask even though he was adamant he didn't want it.
Perhaps it is time many of us in the Church listen more carefully to those who have gone before. Perhaps it's time to acknowledge contemporary scholars and their contributions to theology, but to ask them, "How does this relate to the Old Time Religion--the religion founded upon grace; the religion that cuts everyone to the heart (Acts 2); the religion which states there is no other Gospel (Galatians 2).
"For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith," and this is not any work that you did on your own. It was God's work, and God's work alone. This is the wisdom of those who have gone before--extending back to the earliest disciples of Jesus. This was the message which caught the world by fire (the Spirit) and water (baptism).
Much of the church in the U.S.'s focus is on what we are supposed to do instead of what God has already accomplished. We have done a poor job of being heralds. We love being advisers and telling people what they should do. We focus on our action instead of God's.
Perhaps it's time to trust the wisdom of those who have gone before.
The afternoon after purchasing the equipment, I took the kids to the ship's pool to show them how. My oldest loved it. The younger two--not so much. They decided wearing the mask was o.k., but the snorkel wasn't fun to breathe through. Their choice.
When we arrived in Cozumel, we packed up the equipment, minus the youngest kid's snorkels and headed to Chankanaab. The beauty of the beach was breath taking. The kids couldn't wait to get in the water.
At the recommendation of the beach staff, we put all the kids in life vests and headed to the appropriate entry places--Cozumel is a coral atoll, and there are several places where there is no gradual entry into the water. You literally have to climb down rocks or metal stairs to enter. The kids weren't thrilled with that, but they still couldn't wait to swim.
My eldest began snorkeling right away. My middle child, put on her mask and began observing the underwater features. My son had decided to forgo any thoughts of snorkeling when we were putting our stuff in the lockers. "I don't want my mask!" he dictated.
Suddenly, my eldest surfaced. "Check out all the fish!!!" she exclaimed.
My middle child stuck her head underwater, surfaced, and shouted out, "Cool. They are so close. I almost touched one!"
My son yelled out, "I want my mask!!!"
Fortunately, he has a nice uncle who went back and got it.
Maybe he learned a lesson. Maybe.
In our world--particularly in our United States Culture--we have an affinity for everything new. We have an affinity for the latest and greatest. We believe we need to focus on the young folks who have new and amazing insights. We need to strive to experience things ourselves and forge new pathways.
There is nothing wrong with this--as long as it is rooted and grounded in the wisdom of the past.
I mean that in all sincerity. I used to be one of those craving the newest and latest stuff--especially in the Church. New insights into theology; new worship music; new methods of interpreting Scripture. This was the stuff which would turn the decline of the Church in the U.S. around.
NOT!
If my son would have listened to me, he would have taken his mask with him from the get go. He would have understood there was something really neat to experience under the water for which his mask would be a huge asset. But wanting to do things on his own without regard for the knowledge I had, he almost missed out. Almost. Fortunately, I had the forethought to pack his mask even though he was adamant he didn't want it.
Perhaps it is time many of us in the Church listen more carefully to those who have gone before. Perhaps it's time to acknowledge contemporary scholars and their contributions to theology, but to ask them, "How does this relate to the Old Time Religion--the religion founded upon grace; the religion that cuts everyone to the heart (Acts 2); the religion which states there is no other Gospel (Galatians 2).
"For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith," and this is not any work that you did on your own. It was God's work, and God's work alone. This is the wisdom of those who have gone before--extending back to the earliest disciples of Jesus. This was the message which caught the world by fire (the Spirit) and water (baptism).
Much of the church in the U.S.'s focus is on what we are supposed to do instead of what God has already accomplished. We have done a poor job of being heralds. We love being advisers and telling people what they should do. We focus on our action instead of God's.
Perhaps it's time to trust the wisdom of those who have gone before.
Monday, June 30, 2014
It's Not About You: Sermon on Matthew 10:34-42
There is a scene in the movie “The Avengers” where things are beginning to fall apart. All of the heroes of the story have been drawn together because of a threat to earth, but they are unable to work together. Huge egos find it difficult to cooperate, and this is illustrated almost perfectly during a particular scene when everyone starts throwing accusations and blame around at each other. At one point, Captain America blames Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man. Tony abruptly turns to Capatin America and says, “Since when did this become about me?”
Captain America retorts, “Isn’t it always?”
Isn’t it always? In some ways, it is, or at least we like it to be. We tend to want to know how things impact me. How is a new law going to impact me? How is construction on a road going to impact me? Why do I care what is going on in other parts of the world if they don’t impact me? How is a new business coming into the community going to impact me? I could go on and on with this train of thought. All too often, when it comes to discussing things, we place ourselves right in the middle of it as if we were the main consideration.
We like to do that with faith and belief as well. I remember vividly going through seminary and hearing over and over and over again, “We need to make the Christian faith relevant to what is going on in the world today.” As we discussed this statement, it became more and more clear that what was really being said was, “We need to show how the Christian faith affects people in the midst of their daily lives or they won’t see any use for it.” Do you hear one of the underlying things in this statement? There is an assumption that the Christian faith must be found useful to a person or to a group in order for it to be relevant. I remember a colleague once quipping to me, “So what are you going to offer folks to get them interested in Christianity?” The assumption here is that we need to show that Christianity works–that it is necessary for someone’s life or that it will improve someone’s life. The assumption is that people are the object of the Christian faith and that the Christian faith is all about people. Taken to its smallest component, Christianity becomes all about me and how it affects me and how it works for me.
It’s the wrong assumption. Why would I say that?
Well, let’s start by looking at our Gospel lesson this morning. Let’s look at this text as if this text were all about us–the focus was our lives. Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace but a sword.” If we just stopped there, you might have a few folks whose eyebrows are raised. Those who want peace will turn Jesus off right here. Those who like to fight will be saying, “Preach on brother!” Immediately, we get division. Immediately we have some folks thinking, “Christianity is not for me!” while others say, “Tell me more.” That’s just the first line.
Jesus goes on, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Now, for those who do not have great relationships with their family members, Jesus sort of gives them justification for keeping their distance from their families. They might rejoice and say, “This Jesus is great!” However, if there are those of us who have great relationships with our families, Jesus’ words aren’t exactly comforting. We might say, “Jesus, I love my wife and my kids tremendously. I cannot choose between them and you. I cannot follow you.” If Christianity is all about me, then if something in Christianity affects me poorly, I walk away from Christianity.
But let’s keep going and head to the last few verses. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” If Christianity is all about me, well, then if I seek to follow it, I have to get pretty worked up about this particular teaching as well. I have to ask myself, “How do I welcome Jesus? How do I welcome a prophet? How do I welcome a righteous person? How can I make sure to give a cup of cold water to the least of these so that I obtain my rewards and do not lose them?”
For you see, if Christianity is all about me, then I am using it to receive rewards. I am using Christianity as a means to an end. I am trying to make my life better, do the things that bring about my happiness, my joy, my peace. I am using Christianity to get the rewards and avoid the punishments. I am embracing Christianity because it works for me, and if Christianity stops working, then I can disregard it and stop adhering to it. After all, it’s all about me.
In my estimation, and in the estimation of many others, this is not why Christianity is to be followed. Christianity is not to be followed because it works, it is to be followed because it is true. And Christianity is not followed because it is about me; rather Christianity is to be followed because it is about Jesus. And it is through Jesus, and through Jesus alone that I finally find peace, joy, happiness and meaning. I cannot get those things as long as I am the focus. They only come when Jesus is at the center–when Jesus is the focus.
This is an important thing to remember because all of Scripture is colored by what Jesus has done. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.” Remember, this was done not because we were exceptionally good people–not because we were righteous people–but while we were still sinners. While we were still unlovable, Christ came and died for us, and this shifts the focus from what we have to do to what Christ has done. Knowing this, let’s now take another look at what Jesus says in our Gospel lesson today.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Looking at this from the perspective of what Christ has done for us, it makes more sense for oftentimes, our family members become the center of our lives. We seek to make our family members happy. We seek their approval. We want them to love us, and we will oftentimes do anything and everything we can to stay in their good graces. When Jesus becomes the center of our lives, we don’t stop loving our families–not in the least. We continue to love them, but we no longer seek their approval. We no longer try to make them happy as if that is our sole responsibility in life. When this happens, someone gets upset. Not us, but those who once were the only focus of our attention. Division takes place, but not because we want it–it’s because we are no longer giving the attention we once were. Yet, we don’t stop loving our family. In fact, we grow to love them even more because we know that Christ died for us when we were unlovable, and because of what He did, we know we can love our parents, spouses, our in-laws, and our children when they are unlovable. When Jesus is the center of our lives, there is division, but we are moved with love despite this.
Moving on further down. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Remember, this isn’t about you and what you have to do. Remember, it’s about Jesus. Whoever welcomes Jesus welcomes the one who sent Him–God the Father. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet’s reward. Let me ask you: who is the ultimate prophet? Who do we name as prophet, priest, and king? Jesus. Whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. Who is the only person who has ever been totally righteous? Is it you or me or any purely human being who has ever lived? No. None is completely righteous before God except Jesus. The reward of the prophet is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely. The reward of the righteous is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely. And that reward can never be taken away from you. God loves you too much to take it from you.
How do I know this? He sent Jesus to be the prophet, the righteous person that we were supposed to be. Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live and has given us that merit. Furthermore, Jesus received the punishment we should have been given. He died the death we deserved so that we no longer have to live in fear of punishment. We now know that because of Jesus we have life forever. We have satisfaction. We have peace. We have joy. All because of Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. Amen.
Captain America retorts, “Isn’t it always?”
Isn’t it always? In some ways, it is, or at least we like it to be. We tend to want to know how things impact me. How is a new law going to impact me? How is construction on a road going to impact me? Why do I care what is going on in other parts of the world if they don’t impact me? How is a new business coming into the community going to impact me? I could go on and on with this train of thought. All too often, when it comes to discussing things, we place ourselves right in the middle of it as if we were the main consideration.
We like to do that with faith and belief as well. I remember vividly going through seminary and hearing over and over and over again, “We need to make the Christian faith relevant to what is going on in the world today.” As we discussed this statement, it became more and more clear that what was really being said was, “We need to show how the Christian faith affects people in the midst of their daily lives or they won’t see any use for it.” Do you hear one of the underlying things in this statement? There is an assumption that the Christian faith must be found useful to a person or to a group in order for it to be relevant. I remember a colleague once quipping to me, “So what are you going to offer folks to get them interested in Christianity?” The assumption here is that we need to show that Christianity works–that it is necessary for someone’s life or that it will improve someone’s life. The assumption is that people are the object of the Christian faith and that the Christian faith is all about people. Taken to its smallest component, Christianity becomes all about me and how it affects me and how it works for me.
It’s the wrong assumption. Why would I say that?
Well, let’s start by looking at our Gospel lesson this morning. Let’s look at this text as if this text were all about us–the focus was our lives. Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace but a sword.” If we just stopped there, you might have a few folks whose eyebrows are raised. Those who want peace will turn Jesus off right here. Those who like to fight will be saying, “Preach on brother!” Immediately, we get division. Immediately we have some folks thinking, “Christianity is not for me!” while others say, “Tell me more.” That’s just the first line.
Jesus goes on, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Now, for those who do not have great relationships with their family members, Jesus sort of gives them justification for keeping their distance from their families. They might rejoice and say, “This Jesus is great!” However, if there are those of us who have great relationships with our families, Jesus’ words aren’t exactly comforting. We might say, “Jesus, I love my wife and my kids tremendously. I cannot choose between them and you. I cannot follow you.” If Christianity is all about me, then if something in Christianity affects me poorly, I walk away from Christianity.
But let’s keep going and head to the last few verses. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” If Christianity is all about me, well, then if I seek to follow it, I have to get pretty worked up about this particular teaching as well. I have to ask myself, “How do I welcome Jesus? How do I welcome a prophet? How do I welcome a righteous person? How can I make sure to give a cup of cold water to the least of these so that I obtain my rewards and do not lose them?”
For you see, if Christianity is all about me, then I am using it to receive rewards. I am using Christianity as a means to an end. I am trying to make my life better, do the things that bring about my happiness, my joy, my peace. I am using Christianity to get the rewards and avoid the punishments. I am embracing Christianity because it works for me, and if Christianity stops working, then I can disregard it and stop adhering to it. After all, it’s all about me.
In my estimation, and in the estimation of many others, this is not why Christianity is to be followed. Christianity is not to be followed because it works, it is to be followed because it is true. And Christianity is not followed because it is about me; rather Christianity is to be followed because it is about Jesus. And it is through Jesus, and through Jesus alone that I finally find peace, joy, happiness and meaning. I cannot get those things as long as I am the focus. They only come when Jesus is at the center–when Jesus is the focus.
This is an important thing to remember because all of Scripture is colored by what Jesus has done. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.” Remember, this was done not because we were exceptionally good people–not because we were righteous people–but while we were still sinners. While we were still unlovable, Christ came and died for us, and this shifts the focus from what we have to do to what Christ has done. Knowing this, let’s now take another look at what Jesus says in our Gospel lesson today.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Looking at this from the perspective of what Christ has done for us, it makes more sense for oftentimes, our family members become the center of our lives. We seek to make our family members happy. We seek their approval. We want them to love us, and we will oftentimes do anything and everything we can to stay in their good graces. When Jesus becomes the center of our lives, we don’t stop loving our families–not in the least. We continue to love them, but we no longer seek their approval. We no longer try to make them happy as if that is our sole responsibility in life. When this happens, someone gets upset. Not us, but those who once were the only focus of our attention. Division takes place, but not because we want it–it’s because we are no longer giving the attention we once were. Yet, we don’t stop loving our family. In fact, we grow to love them even more because we know that Christ died for us when we were unlovable, and because of what He did, we know we can love our parents, spouses, our in-laws, and our children when they are unlovable. When Jesus is the center of our lives, there is division, but we are moved with love despite this.
Moving on further down. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Remember, this isn’t about you and what you have to do. Remember, it’s about Jesus. Whoever welcomes Jesus welcomes the one who sent Him–God the Father. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet’s reward. Let me ask you: who is the ultimate prophet? Who do we name as prophet, priest, and king? Jesus. Whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. Who is the only person who has ever been totally righteous? Is it you or me or any purely human being who has ever lived? No. None is completely righteous before God except Jesus. The reward of the prophet is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely. The reward of the righteous is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely. And that reward can never be taken away from you. God loves you too much to take it from you.
How do I know this? He sent Jesus to be the prophet, the righteous person that we were supposed to be. Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live and has given us that merit. Furthermore, Jesus received the punishment we should have been given. He died the death we deserved so that we no longer have to live in fear of punishment. We now know that because of Jesus we have life forever. We have satisfaction. We have peace. We have joy. All because of Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
"Daddy, Why Do You Try to Make Them Laugh?"
I admire the folks who work on cruise ships.
They have to put up with an awful lot.
They are trained to serve the guests on ship and cater to those guests' every whim. They greet you with a smile. When you complain or point out things, they graciously listen and seek to make you happy--even if you may be wrong. They bend over backwards to provide you with a fantastic vacation so that you will come back--and spend a whole lot more money, BTW.
And there are some who take advantage of this. There are some who whine, gripe and complain to the staff a lot. There are some who treat the staff as beneath themselves--as indentured servants or even slaves. There are some who look down their noses at the staff of the cruise ship and believe those folks must not have much drive, education, or what have you to have to work as they do. And I know this hurts those staff folks deeply. But they buck it up. They do their jobs. They smile to your face, but in the privacy of their quarters and with others, I am sure they have to let loose. I would. I did when I worked in a service industry many years ago.
I am cognitive of this whenever I deal with folks who work in public service: cashiers, waiters and waitresses, my cabin steward on the boat, the maintenance man working to fix a busted air conditioning unit, the head waiter, the waiter's assistant, the guy busing my table, the guy handing out towels at the swimming pool, and the many, many others.
On occasion after occasion, I try to offer a good word. I try to offer a word of humor and laughter. My kids noticed.
"Daddy, why do you try to make them laugh? Why do you try and make them smile?"
"Because, there are people who do not treat them nicely. There are people who look down upon them and the work they do, but they are working hard to make a living. They are just like us. We don't like being treated badly, so we don't want to treat others badly. In fact, we like laughing, so I want to make them laugh to. I hope to bring a smile to their day when there are others who don't."
In some ways, I can see this beginning to rub off on my children. They treated our cabin steward like gold.
"Dorla, the towel animals are awesome!"
"Dorla, you are AWESOME!"
"I'm going to miss you, Dorla!"
"Thank you for the monkey, Dorla!"
Dorla's smile radiated each and every time my kids thanked her and hugged her. She was calling them her precious children by the end of the cruise.
I just smiled.
It's too easy to look at others as our servants; as those who are here to meet our expectations and do the things we want them to do. It's awful easy to think that other people are responsible for our happiness, our joy, our success, and when they do not perform up to our expectations to become angry and frustrated with them.
But as Aung San Sun Kuo said, "I see people as people instead of performing beings."
I haven't always been so thoughtful. There are times when I still falter, but knowing better God's grace has helped me become more humble. It's helped me understand the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Why do you try and make them laugh?
Because everyone likes to laugh and smile. They don't want to be treated like hired help. They want to know you see them as a fellow person, a person who wants to be treated as an equal. And we equally share laughter and smiles.
They have to put up with an awful lot.
They are trained to serve the guests on ship and cater to those guests' every whim. They greet you with a smile. When you complain or point out things, they graciously listen and seek to make you happy--even if you may be wrong. They bend over backwards to provide you with a fantastic vacation so that you will come back--and spend a whole lot more money, BTW.
And there are some who take advantage of this. There are some who whine, gripe and complain to the staff a lot. There are some who treat the staff as beneath themselves--as indentured servants or even slaves. There are some who look down their noses at the staff of the cruise ship and believe those folks must not have much drive, education, or what have you to have to work as they do. And I know this hurts those staff folks deeply. But they buck it up. They do their jobs. They smile to your face, but in the privacy of their quarters and with others, I am sure they have to let loose. I would. I did when I worked in a service industry many years ago.
I am cognitive of this whenever I deal with folks who work in public service: cashiers, waiters and waitresses, my cabin steward on the boat, the maintenance man working to fix a busted air conditioning unit, the head waiter, the waiter's assistant, the guy busing my table, the guy handing out towels at the swimming pool, and the many, many others.
On occasion after occasion, I try to offer a good word. I try to offer a word of humor and laughter. My kids noticed.
"Daddy, why do you try to make them laugh? Why do you try and make them smile?"
"Because, there are people who do not treat them nicely. There are people who look down upon them and the work they do, but they are working hard to make a living. They are just like us. We don't like being treated badly, so we don't want to treat others badly. In fact, we like laughing, so I want to make them laugh to. I hope to bring a smile to their day when there are others who don't."
In some ways, I can see this beginning to rub off on my children. They treated our cabin steward like gold.
"Dorla, the towel animals are awesome!"
"Dorla, you are AWESOME!"
"I'm going to miss you, Dorla!"
"Thank you for the monkey, Dorla!"
Dorla's smile radiated each and every time my kids thanked her and hugged her. She was calling them her precious children by the end of the cruise.
I just smiled.
It's too easy to look at others as our servants; as those who are here to meet our expectations and do the things we want them to do. It's awful easy to think that other people are responsible for our happiness, our joy, our success, and when they do not perform up to our expectations to become angry and frustrated with them.
But as Aung San Sun Kuo said, "I see people as people instead of performing beings."
I haven't always been so thoughtful. There are times when I still falter, but knowing better God's grace has helped me become more humble. It's helped me understand the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Why do you try and make them laugh?
Because everyone likes to laugh and smile. They don't want to be treated like hired help. They want to know you see them as a fellow person, a person who wants to be treated as an equal. And we equally share laughter and smiles.
Monday, June 23, 2014
A "Psychological" Crutch
I just got back from the Caribbean. My father-in-law celebrated his 70th birthday by taking his family on a seven day cruise, and it was a fabulous time. I have several reflections regarding this cruise and will take a little bit of time to visit them in the next few days/posts.
My kids never have been on a cruise. This was my third. To say that my children were a little overwhelmed would be a slight understatement. They were absolutely amazed by the experience, and my joy on this cruise was simply watching them as they experienced new thing after new thing after new thing.
Of course, there were a few not-so-new things: like swimming. We swam every day of the cruise whether on ship or at the beach. The kids love swimming.
My son; however, is not a strong swimmer. He's still in the beginning of learning, and for the first couple of times we went to the pool, we did not take his swim jacket. Instead, he spent his time jumping from the edge of the pool into my arms. Over and over and over again, he would jump and have me push him to the side. He never tired of this little game. Of course, I got a little tired of it. You can only get splashed in the eyes with salt water so much before you need a break--much to my son's chagrin.
"Daddy, catch me!" he would say as I stopped for a breather. And before you knew it, he was hurling himself toward me knowing I would catch him. He never feared going under because he knew I was there to lift him up and get him to safety.
Sigmund Freud said that humankind invented God to be such a safety net--at least psychologically. In our despair; in our times of frustration; in our times of unknowing; in our times of a felt need of assistance; we could turn to a heavenly "father figure" who would emotionally help us through certain situations. He believed a sign of maturity was getting past this need to the point which we could rely upon ourselves and face situations without the need of such a psychological crutch.
There are many who have argued, I think successfully, that one could turn Freud's argument around and say that atheism could also be seen as a psychological crutch in facing reality--a crutch in the sense of not having to deal with some sticky questions in the moral arena. But at this time, I do not want to go down that road.
Rather, I would like to ask a couple of questions:
1. Are there times when "crutches" are required?
2. Do we ever reach a point when we do not need a "crutch"?
To the first, I would argue--absolutely.
To the second, I would say--probably not.
My son definitely needs my help swimming at this point. If I, or someone else does not help him, he would drown. Period. He requires my presence to get him through this stage of swimming.
But what happens when he learns to swim on his own? Will he need me any longer? No. He won't. This is a step in maturation for certain.
But I do not think you can compare the maturation in achieving the ability to swim with the maturation in living what I would call the good life.
That last term deserves some defining, I think. I define the good life as a life lived to a particular moral standard: one who does not cheat, steal, kill, destroy--who seeks the greater good for his or her self and for others as well. Who is compassionate, kind, understanding, and respectful of others no matter how one is treated to the contrary. Who does not think only of one's self, but readily and willingly seeks the betterment of one's neighbor and tries to paint all one's neighbor does in a positive light. I could probably add a few things, but let this suffice for now.
Can anyone achieve this kind of life? Can anyone perfectly attain it? Can we as a species overcome our own, instinctive self-interest to become such people without assistance?
I personally do not believe so. I personally believe we need guidance, assistance, a crutch to lean on when we fail over and over and over. Other humans are inadequate in helping us achieve the good life, for in some way or another, no human being can live the perfect, good life.
But there was one who took on human flesh, lived among us, and achieved this kind of life. Christians call Him God incarnate: Jesus. He lived the life we should live, and rather than hold this achievement over our heads and look down upon us as inferior beings, He loved us and called us to follow Him. He looked upon our brokenness and our failings; He endured our misdeeds--misdeeds that cost Him His life, and rather than call for revenge, said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
I know my own misdeeds. I know my own brokenness. I know I cannot achieve the good life on my own. I know I fall far short of it. It would lead me to despair if I didn't know I had a crutch to lean on--a crutch of forgiveness; a crutch of grace.
I don't think it is a psychological one.
I think it's real and an absolute necessity for anyone who seeks to live the good life.
My kids never have been on a cruise. This was my third. To say that my children were a little overwhelmed would be a slight understatement. They were absolutely amazed by the experience, and my joy on this cruise was simply watching them as they experienced new thing after new thing after new thing.
Of course, there were a few not-so-new things: like swimming. We swam every day of the cruise whether on ship or at the beach. The kids love swimming.
My son; however, is not a strong swimmer. He's still in the beginning of learning, and for the first couple of times we went to the pool, we did not take his swim jacket. Instead, he spent his time jumping from the edge of the pool into my arms. Over and over and over again, he would jump and have me push him to the side. He never tired of this little game. Of course, I got a little tired of it. You can only get splashed in the eyes with salt water so much before you need a break--much to my son's chagrin.
"Daddy, catch me!" he would say as I stopped for a breather. And before you knew it, he was hurling himself toward me knowing I would catch him. He never feared going under because he knew I was there to lift him up and get him to safety.
Sigmund Freud said that humankind invented God to be such a safety net--at least psychologically. In our despair; in our times of frustration; in our times of unknowing; in our times of a felt need of assistance; we could turn to a heavenly "father figure" who would emotionally help us through certain situations. He believed a sign of maturity was getting past this need to the point which we could rely upon ourselves and face situations without the need of such a psychological crutch.
There are many who have argued, I think successfully, that one could turn Freud's argument around and say that atheism could also be seen as a psychological crutch in facing reality--a crutch in the sense of not having to deal with some sticky questions in the moral arena. But at this time, I do not want to go down that road.
Rather, I would like to ask a couple of questions:
1. Are there times when "crutches" are required?
2. Do we ever reach a point when we do not need a "crutch"?
To the first, I would argue--absolutely.
To the second, I would say--probably not.
My son definitely needs my help swimming at this point. If I, or someone else does not help him, he would drown. Period. He requires my presence to get him through this stage of swimming.
But what happens when he learns to swim on his own? Will he need me any longer? No. He won't. This is a step in maturation for certain.
But I do not think you can compare the maturation in achieving the ability to swim with the maturation in living what I would call the good life.
That last term deserves some defining, I think. I define the good life as a life lived to a particular moral standard: one who does not cheat, steal, kill, destroy--who seeks the greater good for his or her self and for others as well. Who is compassionate, kind, understanding, and respectful of others no matter how one is treated to the contrary. Who does not think only of one's self, but readily and willingly seeks the betterment of one's neighbor and tries to paint all one's neighbor does in a positive light. I could probably add a few things, but let this suffice for now.
Can anyone achieve this kind of life? Can anyone perfectly attain it? Can we as a species overcome our own, instinctive self-interest to become such people without assistance?
I personally do not believe so. I personally believe we need guidance, assistance, a crutch to lean on when we fail over and over and over. Other humans are inadequate in helping us achieve the good life, for in some way or another, no human being can live the perfect, good life.
But there was one who took on human flesh, lived among us, and achieved this kind of life. Christians call Him God incarnate: Jesus. He lived the life we should live, and rather than hold this achievement over our heads and look down upon us as inferior beings, He loved us and called us to follow Him. He looked upon our brokenness and our failings; He endured our misdeeds--misdeeds that cost Him His life, and rather than call for revenge, said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
I know my own misdeeds. I know my own brokenness. I know I cannot achieve the good life on my own. I know I fall far short of it. It would lead me to despair if I didn't know I had a crutch to lean on--a crutch of forgiveness; a crutch of grace.
I don't think it is a psychological one.
I think it's real and an absolute necessity for anyone who seeks to live the good life.
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