When Scripture Contradicts

I am reading through an article written by Brian McLaren entitled Is God Violent? I'm not a huge McLaren fan. In fact, I'm not sure I'm a fan at all. I stopped reading his work a few years ago. When I saw Sojourners publish this article on their website I had to check it out though. I'm not sure what I think about it all just yet but there was one portion I wanted to share. McLaren discusses the tension of reading the Old Testament scriptures that reveal God's violence and the Old and New Tetament scriptures that reveal God's compassion and mercy. He was wrestling with the the tension and in doing so was reworking his approach to scripture and theological issues. In his explanation of this approach he writes,

...if I see a tension in scripture, rather than appealing to Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Scofield, or the pope to resolve it, I should first turn to Jesus. If Jesus truly was the highest and fullest revelation of God, if Jesus was truly the logos, the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of God's nature, the fullness of the godhead in bodily form, and in very nature God, then his life and teaching mattered in tensions like this. And if the Bible was intended, as Jesus said, to bear witness to Christ, or as Martin Luther said, to be the manger on which Christ was presented to the world, then "when in doubt, consult Jesus" seemed like good advice.

This is my view as well. Jesus is the pinnacle of God's revelation to mankind. If there seems to be a contradiction or some sort of tension in scripture that causes confusion theologically then we ought always to turn to Jesus and see what he said and did. This is true for issues like violence, but also for issues like marriage, sexual immorality, finances, and compassion.

The second half of John 12 points us to the unity between Jesus and the Father when Jesus is written to have said, "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken" (v. 49). In his sermon on the mount, Jesus points to Old Testament teachings and corrects the way the Jewish people have wrongly learned and applies them. It seems as though he is contradicting the old way of things when he is not. If we believe Jesus is who he says he is and who the apostles said he was then we have to side with him first and foremost when we find tension in scripture (no matter the issue).

I first came to this conclusion with firmness when I read through The Moral Vision of the New Testament by Richard B. Hays.

Replacing Gifts with Entitlement

Life is a gift. It is the first gift our Father gives us. And like he said, it is good.

We're so used to being gifted that we often begin to see gifts as rights and we gain a sense of entitlement that we were never meant to have (even with God's original plan). I'm entitled to people being kind towards me, entitled to a home, to food, to whatever else. Well, that's what I want to think anyway. But the truth is, I'm not. In a perfect world I could expect those things at every turn but this is a world filled with sin and is no longer perfect. As soon as Adam and Eve left the garden they had to work for food, clothing, shelter. Outside the garden there was murder, sexual sin, etc. Inside the garden was only perfection. Gifts were nonstop and were the only thing one could expect because they were the only thing one could know! What was once expected was no longer such after sin entered the world. Paradise and perfection still can't be expected because sin still infests the universe. We're not entitled to anything but holy justice. Even then, we're shown mercy in Christ! To expect anything seems ungrateful of what God gave us, gives us, and promises to give us in the future. It ignores what we've done and what we continue to do as sinful people.

Homes, friends, health, comforts; These are mercies. These are gifts from a good and righteous Father to sinful and undeserving children. Now I'm not saying sinful people deserve rape, murder, homelessness, or anything like that. After all, we are supposed to treat one another well. However, those terrible happenings are results of sinful people. Of course babies don't deserve to be raped, but they also don't deserve to be born into a world of sin. Yet they are. And every child ever born has been born into a sinful world and every future born child will be because every human being (outside of Christ) has sinned and created a world which destroys the opportunity for continually expecting good. What we deserve because of sin is an eternal matter. What we get right now because of sin is consequences and unfortunately they aren't always fair. It's not fair that innocent children are harmed but that's the result of having sinful people living in the world before the birth of that child! We've created a world that was not intended exist. It's not right but it's also not what God wanted. If it is good, it is a gift. If it is bad, it's a result of sin (either by men or angels).

We should provide food and safety for those entering the world and those wandering in it. We should do all we can to be like Eden even though we can't make that happen on our own efforts. We must accept the tension of the already-but-not-yet-kingdom found in Christ Jesus. We know things SHOULD be one way (good and fair) but we also ought to know we don't deserve things to be that way and thus we can't expect things to be that way. We can expect things to be bad and unfair. We can expect to get what is wrong according to what God planned and created. It sucks but that's how it is. Things are supposed to be good but that doesn't mean we deserve things to be good or that we even ought to expect them to be good. However, we can hope for good. Even with this outlook we can rejoice in the good and be disappointed with the bad. We recognize the way things ought to be and feel the pain of when things don't meet that ideal. We rejoice greatly when things do meet that ideal though! In all of this, there is hope. Even if we have negative expectations we can have positive hopes.

Thank God for his mercy. He gives us so much more than we deserve. He helps us move towards what he intended for us. He works within and among us to bring about restoration so that someday we can expect good things at every turn. It's in Christ we find that hope. Praise God (from whom all blessings flow)!

How to Be Thankful

As people who often are more focused on rights than gifts we forget how to be thankful. There are many things we can do to increase an attitude of thankfulness within us.

1. Giving - Seeing thankfulness in others will propel us toward giving thanks. When we give we also acknowledge, by our action, that we have more than we need. That is, we have been blessed with abundance. We should be thankful having anything. We should be more thankful for having more than something.
2. Remembering/Recalling - When we remember or recall how we have been blessed it is near impossible to not give thanks. When we recall we often are reminded of blessings we've overlooked or forgotten. This happens more when we remember and recall the past together as a group of people. Some of us remember what others do not and we then share thanks.

I Don't Support Soldiers?

A Christian sister on twitter (who I am familiar with through blogging) accused me of not supporting soldiers and implied that I'm part of the reason so many war veterans attempt suicide. Earlier in the day she had called me anti-American.

Now, I'm use to slander; I get called all sorts of things for not supporting war, violence, or hate. I've been called anti-American, a communist, pussy, coward, god-hater, you name it. I rarely fight these sorts of labels because I've learned that it is a waste of my time. My actions and words are evidence of who I am and nobody who knows me would honestly call me any of those things (as far as I know). However, this accusation is one that I feel I should address since it is an easy claim to make.

It's true that I do not support the violence of the U.S. military and the "wars" that the U.S. have started or engaged in. I won't deny that. One reason for my rebuke of such violence is because I deeply value human life. I believe all people are created in the image of the Creator God and that I am to love those people. I believe part of loving someone is looking out for their well being (mentally, physically, emotionally) and bringing them as close to God as possible.

By standing against the violence of the U.S. wars I support the soldiers of the U.S. and the nation's enemy soldiers because I am expressing my desire for no one to be injured or killed. It is partially for the sake of the soldiers that I fight against war. Not only can soldiers be killed (and their families hurt as a result) but soldiers can sustain many terrible injuries that affect their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. I support these men and women warriors by supporting them not merely as citizens of a particular nation or members of a certain profession but on a deeper level of human beings. It is for this same reason I denounce abortion, the death penalty, and torture. Again, I value human life.

I deeply respect people for doing what they believe is right, even if I think it is wrong. All anyone can do is take the information they have been given and do their best with it. I respect people who do. Many of those people are soldiers. I also respect people who want to stand up for what they believe in, protect others, risk their lives for the sake of others, and take the hard road. Soldiers do those things and I highly value them for it.

Yes, I believe their willingness to kill is unloving towards enemies and a direct disobedience to the commands of Christ but that does not mean I do not support them as human beings. I simply don't support certain actions and attitudes they've seized. I've written a blog about how nonviolent folks can admire military persons and I'm an advocate for reform in the way of conscientious objection so that people may engage in international and political conflict resolution with less damage. In fact, it is my advocacy for reform that inspired the slanders.

I'm also an advocate for the Church being a community of people who provide healing for veterans. I desire to see people return from battle and be able to return to society as healthy citizens. There are too many stories of soldiers coming home only to kill others or themselves. The Church is the best resource for these war-torn men and women. If war is hell and the Church has the kingdom of God then it only makes sense for Christians to lay hold of these warriors and love them into healthy living (should they need it). Here is a prayer I recently came across thanks to Project29 I really enjoyed.

Lord, surround those with trauma from wars past and present with your abiding love and peace. Give new vision to those who only see the blood and destruction of war every time they close their eyes. Give understanding and patience to those who love those who have partaken in war who remain traumatized by all they were witness to. And give your hope for a new day to those who want it all to end today. Amen.

I have a friend named Marshall. We went to college (Mid-America Christian University) together and he's one of my closest brothers. I love him deeply. He joined the U.S. Marines this year. He and I both know that there is tension between us because of his pursuit. But we also both know we deeply love one another. There is no question in his mind of my support for him. He calls me and e-mails me often to talk about his marriage and his military experience. We have fantastic conversations in which we challenge and encourage one another.

He knows that even if he returns from war with 100 kills under his belt I'll love him and support him and seek to build him up. He knows I won't ever be proud of his killings or thank him for them but he knows I won't dehumanize him or condemn him. I don't treat Marshall any differently than any other soldier I meet. I also respect and love my Father and Grandfather who both fought for the U.S. in past wars. I'm glad they did what they believed to be the best thing. I'm not incredibly wise but I'm wise enough to think that I can support human beings even if I do not support all the things they do.

TSA Is Funny

"What do you want to do, get blown up by a goddamn Arab at 30,000 feet or we get to see your private parts? It's up to you, the ball's in your park," head of the TSA's scanning department, Rodney Schroeder, told CNN. (source)

For some reason I don't think those are my only choices.

A Common Prayer & Calendar

A lot of Christians that I know neglect the blessings known as the Book of Common Prayer and Christian calendar. Noticing this, a few well-known folks associated with the "new monastic" movement have come together and formed a book and website for the average [evangelical] Christian. The website provides prayer material for every day of the year.

Each day's material consists of responsive prayer, scripture, song, quotes from historic siblings of faith, and personal prayers. I've been accessing this site daily as of late and it has been a real blessing. The site also provides prayers for different times of the day. One feature of the website that I like is the 12 month Christian calendar. Catholics know about the Christian calendar but many protestants don't. It's a shame.

I'm sad to say that I've yet to be a part of a congregation that embraces a unique Christian calendar that intentionally (because they all celebrate the major Christian holidays) works on a timeline based off scripture and Christian tradition instead of the land they live in. I've yet to be a part of a church that celebrates the days attributed to certain martyrs/saints (though no congregation has ignored the witnesses of the past).

Along with that, I've yet to be a part of a church that uses a calendar that incorporates their personal victories that are unique to the congregation. I've also never been a part of a congregation that has developed their own book of common prayer/worship that includes songs, prayers, and quotes written or collected by the members of the congregation.

I have been lazier than I'd like. I want to be a part of developing a book of worship/prayer for a congregation as well as a calendar. I see amazing potential for these types of tools, especially in the way of unity.

The Comparison Game

We play a lot of games. One of them is the Comparison Game. Unfortunately, it is not difficult for this game to be played without notice. Too often I find myself playing it. Even more unfortunate is the fact that this game hurts ourselves and those around us. So how does the game work?

The rules are easy. Compare yourself to others. That's it. That's the game. Easy right? Right. Maybe too easy. Think about how often you hear people comparing and contrasting themselves to others. "I work harder than all my coworkers! I do this task but they never do." "I'll never be as attractive as that guy on TV." However it is phrased it is easy to see that people compare and contrast themselves to others in ways that either build them up or tear them down. Usually the instances that build the narrator up tend to tear others down and when they build others up they tend to tear the narrator down. Neither of these are healthy.

Instead of looking at others and comparing yourself to them or comparing them to you try to meditate on the truth that everyone doesn't have to be the same and can not be the same. Admire those people who impress you. Feel free to take notes and begin the journey to self-improvement. Figure out who you are and let the inspiration you find in others propel you forward instead of hold you back. Encourage those who don't impress you. Build them up and come alongside them humbly (and perhaps subversively) to help them become better versions of themselves (and not versions of you). We're all different from each other. It's important that we embrace that and realize those differences are good and for the benefit of the whole community.

What does God want of you? Who has he told you to be? What basic guidelines do we find in scripture to answer this? While we all should arrive at similar/same places in many ways there are always going to be ways in which we can not be similar. We have to learn how to discern between the two. Having diverse people around us who are aware of these truths and an encourage us will be a great help. May you and I learn to stop comparing ourselves to others when we shouldn't and learn to imitate Christ* and seek to become the men and women of God that we can best become. May we have grace for ourselves as our Father has grace for us. May we do what we can and be joyful abut where we are as we continue to strive towards being better versions of ourselves.

*Imitation/reflection does not require comparison. It requires discernment, striving, and grace.

The Source & Depth of Forgiveness

When we encounter forgiveness it changes us. We’re transformed by the unique love that washes away our mistakes and trespasses. If you have wronged someone and been forgiven you can easily understand this. After we encounter Christ we live in a new way (Romans 6:4), we become new people (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10), and we never return to who we use to be. A result of this washing and transformation is the ability and desire to treat others in the way we’ve been treated by God. We are not only obligated (John 13:34) but also inclined by gratefulness and excitement to reciprocate what we have received. As some say, we “pay it forward.” 

We love because we’ve been loved and we forgive because we’ve been forgiven (John 13:34, 15:9-17, Ephesians 5:1-2). We understand how powerful forgiveness is because we’ve experienced the transformation from sinner to saint and because of this we have hope that forgiving others will transform them as well for with God salvation can come to any person (Luke 18:18-29). Hope makes sense to us now. When we forgive others we make room for the Spirit to work in someone’s life. To forgive is to live out the gospel of Christ. Forgiveness is a form of scattering seed that God can nourish in the hearts of his wayward children. 

True forgiveness and love is evident in our actions and words. Our lives are the proof for our salvation. Our approach and continued treatment of others (especially those who have wronged us) is directly connected to our union or lack of union with God’s Spirit. If we love God we will love the way he does and follow his commands (John 14:15, 1John 23-6). The fact is, we can not withhold love from any person and still be true lovers of God (1John 3:10-24, 4:8). 

True forgiveness does not speak words of forgiveness and then abandon the person being forgiven. No, true forgiveness proves itself with a commitment to seeing reconciliation/redemption occur. In as much as we are able, we are to bless those who curse us. We don’t say a prayer, make a phone call and use nice words, and then call it good. If we can, we should invest in the transformation of those who wrong us. We must be sincere and our forgiveness full. Anyone unwilling to see to it that their trespasser is shown love in practical form is also unwilling to truly forgive (Hebrews 10:24, James 2:14-18). When forgiveness has truly come about then the heart only has room for love and no room for bitterness or a record of wrongs (1Corinthians 13:4-7). Forgiveness is not confined solely to our hearts. It is external as much as it is internal.*

Many people who are trying to follow Jesus are committed to forgiving people in their hearts but say they can not or will not treat others who have wronged them in a loving way.  This isn’t right according to the witness of the New Testament. However, it is in no way wrong to allow people to experience the consequences of their actions. For instance, we can forgive the man who rapes our daughter, murders our friend, assaults us, or robs our home but that does not mean we keep them out of their own wake. They deserve jail. It can actually help them. We can even love people during their time in jail! We should love people and build them up as they suffer the consequences of their actions. The duty and pleasure of the Christian is forgiveness and transformative love. 

Love is always harder when it has to cover sin. This is why Christians have a difficult task; They know the difficulty sin brings to relationships. Sin destroys. That’s the truth. Forgiveness is scandalous because it seeks to mend what the power of sin has ripped apart. It seems almost unnatural to us because we don’t see true forgiveness often. But if we have experienced the transforming love and forgiveness of Christ then we are know that forgiveness and love overcome evil and sin.

Jesus says the law and the prophets hang on the commands to love God completely and love neighbors. He instructs us that if we do not forgive others then we will not be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). We forgive because we’ve been forgiven and if we cease to forgive then we cease to be forgiven. We reap what we sow. So we’re left with a decision. Will we take what God has done for us and give it to others when it is hard or will we prefer destruction of ourselves and our neighbor by neglecting forgiveness? My prayer is that we will all be able to say to our Father “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12)” and that our actions will follow.

Tooth for Tooth

Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:38-48).

The law Jesus is referencing that states “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” is one that restricts a person’s reaction to injustice found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. Some of those include “life for life.” That law ensured that the victim would not retaliate with greater injustice than was brought upon them. It limited the injustice in the world by creating a people who no longer reacted to injustice as severely as they saw fit but instead a people who showed mercy when they were wronged. The most extreme manner in which a person was able to respond justly was in kind. Knowing that, Jesus contrasts that law with love.* He says “This is what you once knew but I’m telling you something better.” It may be more accurate to say Jesus was communicating “You once heard this, but the message you missed was actually this…” So in this instance Jesus says “You once heard to live a tit for tat life in regards to injustice but what you were supposed to know is how to love in response to injustice.” Many believe this is where Paul gets the saying “do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” These verses revolutionize our lives even today.

In nonsugar-coated terms, to live a revengeful or tit for tat lifestyle is unbiblical and against the way of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:21). Christians can not hate enemies or react to them in kind (Luke 6:35). That’s it. They can’t. The Gospel forbids that the Christian demand retributive justice (Romans 12:17-21). Instead, the Christian is to offer forgiveness and love (Matthew 6:12-15, 18:21-35), doing good to the enemy (Luke 6:27) and seeking to reconcile the sinful neighbor to God through Christ (Luke 12:45, 2Corinthians 5:11-21). Part of that beckoning to repentance will come out of when the Christian mercifully responds to the injustice brought upon them just as Christ’s mercy and sacrifice brought many to repentance and restoration. This was the intent in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy but Israel did not understand. Jesus came back and taught us how to get back on the right path. He showed us the narrow Way when he died for his enemies (Matthew 7:13-14, Romans 5:6-8). We are to imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1). 

If someone wrongs you it is right to react in love. We are not to give people what we think they deserve but what they need in order to be reconciled with their heavenly Father! If you are cursed you are to bless (Luke 6:28, Romans 12:14, 1 Corinthians 4:12). If someone acts in hate or indecency then they prove a lacking of love (1John 4:7-8). The evident need in the enemy’s life is not anger, hate, or revenge but love. If they had love they would not do the evil they do. They act selfishly but the Christian is to be selfless and treat others as they would like to be treated (Luke 6:31-36). It only makes sense to give love to those lacking love just as the need in an HIV positive person’s body is not a continuance of losing white T cells but an influx of those healthy cells! The answer is not found in perpetuating the void and making it bigger but filling the void and thus eliminating it. If a neighbor is digging themselves a grave don’t grab a shovel and join them in the digging (for you may end up digging your grave at the same time)! Instead, fill the hole with dirt and plant a garden there! We must give to neighbors what they are missing. When we were sick God gave us a doctor in Christ (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31). We must give to our opponent what they lack and what keeps them from fullness. Love must be our answer to their lack of love. Our answer to evil must be good for satan can not cast out satan (Luke 11:14-20). If we return their indecency with similar action then we prove ourselves to lack love as well for we prove ourselves to be living the same life as them. If we have the same fruit we are the same tree (Luke 6:43-45). We have a choice to add or subtract love from existence with every situation in which we are wronged. We either choose to address the lacking of love by giving love and seeking to reconcile the sinner to God and to ourselves (2Corinthians 5:11-21, Matthew 5:21-26) or we choose to deprive the person and the world of love and prove that even we are a part of the problem. We build or destroy.

When Jesus told his disciples “anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” he meant it. Shane Claiborne once said “The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.” This love may take us to the point of death just as it did Jesus. If we are not willing to accept such a life then we can not be united with Christ (Luke 14:27). If we will not love others then we do not love God (1John 4:20). We have not been entrusted to live this way because it “works” (whatever that means) but because it is good, right, and Godly. We are to live this way because we are representing a kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36, 2Corinthians 5:20). We are to live this way because it is the Way of heaven and it is how God answers our pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done here on earth just as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-15). Like Christ, we must address every difficult situation that challenges us with the words “not my will but yours be done.” Even if we can not fully understand his message right now we know we can trust Him. 

Hebrews 12:14-15Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

What does this mean for your life? How does Jesus’ tit for tat message affect you? What would you add to this commentary? Do you receive these words of Christ differently? 

*Do not resist an evil person is more accurately translated as do not react in similar fashion.

How To Make Peace

Near every person I know would like to see peace throughout earth. There are many ideas on how to reach that goal. Some seek a life of loving enemies, some use legislation, others employ violence. No matter the means, most people would probably say they desire peace all over the earth. That’s a positive we can embrace. At least we’re all hoping for the same thing. That’s important! That is a reason to have hope. We all know we are in need! We know something is wrong and we want it fixed!

Today is World Peace Day (September 21st). Many nations declare a cease fire on this day to reflect on our global pursuit for peace. How this day affects September 22 on a global scale is difficult to say. It may not be noticeable to the average person. I don’t truly know. I do have hope that days like this can have a tremendous impact on individuals. Knowing that national and global change requires individual change brings me to the anchor of this article.

The late Michael Jackson once sang, “If you want to make the world a better place you’ve got to take a look at yourself and make a change. You’ve got to get it right while you’ve got the time cause when you close your heart you close your mind… I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking if he’ll change his ways.” This song reflects the wise words of Leo Tolstoy, “Everyone thinks of changing the world but no one thinks of changing himself.” Today, let us not only hope for global peace (no matter how probable it may be) but let us pursue peace within ourselves.

It is incredibly easy to call others out and demand change from those around us. It’s even easier to do that to people in the public eye such as presidents or celebrities. The same is true for various organizations and governments. It’s great to challenge those powers to change for good and to pursue peace but the problem with it is this: It’s too easy. It is much harder to change ourselves and how we interact in this world. If we truly want peace we must be peaceful people.

Psalm 34:14Turn from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
 
1Peter 3:8-12
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 
   “Whoever would love life 
      and see good days 
   must keep his tongue from evil 
      and his lips from deceitful speech. 
 He must turn from evil and do good; 
      he must seek peace and pursue it. 
 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous 
      and his ears are attentive to their prayer, 
   but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Scripture makes it clear that we must change. Jesus shows up on Earth and says “Repent [change] for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). St. Paul instructs us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2) Without a doubt, Gandhi was correct in saying that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. Are you getting the picture yet? Peace starts at home. It starts in your heart. It must grow from the bottom up and not come from the top down. It’s a lot like a plant that breaks out of a small seed, works it’s little way through the dirt, emerges into the sunlight and flourishes inch by inch. It may be unnoticeable at first but it eventually becomes a nourishing beauty that is hard to ignore.

In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7), Jesus teaches us to be careful about removing the speck out of a neighbors eye. Odds are we have a tree trunk in our own eye! Before we can be of use in helping our neighbor with the delicate process of removing their speck we have to do some hard work and pull the trunk from our own eye. This is true for peace as well. Now that’s all well and good. I mean, we’ve all heard this before. So what does it look like to not just call others out but to actually start being peaceful people? 

Recently I wrote about The Peace of Christ. I firmly believe that if we want to see less violence and hate in this world then we must rid ourselves of hate and all forms of wickedness so we may embrace the peace of Christ that he has offered us. He left us his peace as a gift (John 14:27). In Jesus Christ the Lord we find hope and power.  The first step is to seek Christ (we can’t imitate him if we can’t see his example).

We must not simply seek the absence of violence or conflict. That would be shortsighted. True peace is not an absence of anything but the presence the kingdom of God. It is things being as they ought to be. When we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done here on earth just as it is in heaven” we evoke the peace of God and dedicate ourselves to bringing that element of heaven to where we are. Jesus says we must be peacemakers. We must create peace. That implies constructing something and not simply tearing down something. To do this we have to engage in conflict. Let me repeat that. To create peace we must engage in conflict! We have to work hard and be creative in bringing about reconciliation. On a personal level this means we change our attitudes, our thinking patterns, our active vocabulary, ourperception of others, and finally our deeds. I’ll break these down quickly.

If we are to embrace holistic peace within ourselves then our character must change. How we approach difficult situations is important. We must train ourselves to take our thoughts and feelings captive and submit them to Christ and his way. When we get a sour attitude, the urge to verbally tear down a person, or we have violent thoughts towards others (not just thoughts about violence itself but thoughts that violate) we must battle them and win. We must overcome these thoughts, attitudes, and perceptions with love. When someone upsets us or does wrong to us we must take a moment and remind ourselves who that person is. That person is always a child of God, created in his image, and in need of love. There are no exceptions to this. None.

But prevention isn’t enough! Defense isn’t sufficient. We have to practice peace by thinking well of others, focusing our attitudes, speaking well of others and blessing people when we are upset or wronged, give people the benefit of the doubt when we can, and intentionally do good to others. That’s hard stuff. It’s easier said than done. Remember, it’s like a seed breaking open, and then crawling through dirt. It gets harder before it gets easier. But that’s the way of love. It isself sacrificing. Only when we embrace a Christ-like love are we fully capable of true peacemaking. Only then will we meet conflict with peaceful means and achieve peaceful ends. Here’s a hard to swallow hint: It’s going to involve a lot of forgiveness.

What we must attempt to do is be transformed into people of peace. We must make choices day by day and moment by moment that end up forming our character. We do this already. We’re always forming ourselves into certain types of people. Our thoughts, attitudes, words, patterns, and actions make up our character. If we harness these aspects of ourselves and make decisions that create peace and bless others then we will eventually become peaceful people who instinctively pursue peace and blessings. After much struggle and discipline we will reach a point where our default response to conflict will be peace! That’s the beginning to global peace. Working ourselves into people who not only hope for peace but create it. This will force us to become more creative in our methods of conflict resolution. Engage your imagination.

This will look different for everyone. For some people it may mean blessing someone who cuts them off in traffic after already cussing them out. For others it may mean meditating on the truth that their boss is a child of God who is going through a difficult situation and realizing they aren’t a tyrannical monster, or it could mean they need to discover the peace of Jesus Christ. We’ll all end up fighting ourselves no matter what is demanded of us. Not only that but we’ll all fail. We’ll all mess up after we’ve made progress. That’s okay. Nobody is saying “be perfect.” We’re trying to be realistic. For now, today, let’s just say “start changing.” First, figure out how you can start defending against temptations to destroy or tear down. Second, learn where you need to spend time becoming more bent towards peace in your character (remember the categories from earlier?). Third, pursue small daily changes with various disciplines. Fourth, celebrate the small victories and forgive the slip-ups of others and yourself.

Peace is possible. Holistic peace (shalom) is possible. It’s available in Jesus Christ and it starts in your heart. From there it spreads like yeast in flour. Now go and be a seed, planted in the soil of love, sprouting through brokenness, trudging through the dirt of this difficult life, seeking peace, and finding nourishment and growth for yourself and eventually others. Achieve the peace that is possible because you can and we all need you to.

Romans 14:19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 1Peter 3:8-12Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,    “Whoever would love life       and see good days    must keep his tongue from evil       and his lips from deceitful speech.  He must turn from evil and do good;       he must seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous       and his ears are attentive to their prayer, 

   but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Holiness

Holiness is something I’m fairly familiar with since I was raised up in a holiness movement called the Church of God (out of Anderson IN). Unlike the trailblazers of this reformation movement I keep my approach simple. I’d say I’m slightly more liberal than they were but that’s all opinion.

Holy. It means to be set-apart. To be holy is to be unique or uncommon (Leviticus 10:10) in such a way that it raises an eyebrow and drops a jaw. God is holy. There is none like Him. Israel in the Old Testament was a holy nation, set apart by God for His purposes (Exodus 19:6). The Church is holy as a group of people gathered under the Lordship of Jesus Christ for the purpose of revealing His kingdom to the world (Ephesians 5:27). This means Christians are to be holy (1Corinthians 1:2). But what does that look like in daily life? Can we really be holy or does God have to make us holy? Don’t we need to die before we can become holy?

Well we certainly don’t have to die to be holy. John the Baptizer was called Holy in the book of Mark (6:20). The Father, Son, and Spirit are all called holy (Mark 1:8, Luke 4:34, John 17:11). Holiness refers to God most of the time in scripture. It’s pretty clear that holiness originates with God. If we want to be holy then we must first look to God and then imitate Him (Leviticus 11:44, Ephesians 5:1). Luckily we have seen Christ and been taught about Him. In Christ we have an example of what it looks like to be holy as human beings (God knows we need it)! Colossians 3 also gives a good outline for what practical holiness looks like.

For some, holiness is represented by modest dress, abstaining from certain types of technology, not dancing, or even prohibition towards alcohol. Obviously true holiness is living in a way that reflects God. For some people, in some places, and some times, that could be any of the above choices. There is no scriptural command to abstain from alcohol, not show ankles, refrain from using a car, or keep from gyrating one’s hips. It’d be nice to have a list of dos and don’ts so we could easily measure our holiness (and many try to do exactly that) but that’s not the way God operates so stop looking for such a list! Holiness is more than keeping all the rules. Holiness is being a type of person. To be holy is to live a life of love, hope, and faith. We’re called to be an uncommon people in this world and not to just do good things.

We can most clearly see holiness in terms of identity (as opposed to deeds). Scripture says we are foreigners, aliens, and strangers to our lands (1Peter 2:11), in the world but not of it (John 17:16-18), belonging to another kingdom outside this world (John 18:36). Christians are said to have taken off an old self and put on a new (2Corinthians 5:17), to be light in darkness (Romans 2:9), to be something difficult to understand. We are to be a people that unmistakably stick out in the world because of the way in which we live. Remember the song “One of these things is not like the other. One of these things does not belong…?” That’s the idea. People know we belong to God because of who we are in a holistic sense and not simply because of a few specific things we do or don’t do. In every aspect of our lives we ought to have the kingdom of God shining through us. 

This is a big problem with the Church. She’s rarely holy. Christians don’t treat marriage as a holy thing and thus become less holy and more common as their divorce rates match and sometimes even exceed those outside the faith. When Christians fail to approach holy elements of the universe as they ought to they fade away from being holy people because they fade away from being like God (and this happens far too often). They lose their connection with God because they seek themselves and thus join the world around them that is controlled by sin, which is opposite holiness. Holiness is a large umbrella. To save some time let’s point out some of the largest tenants of holiness: Forgiveness, enemy love, chastity, marriage without divorce, treating others the way we want to be treated, simplistic living, faith in a providing Creator, and free of sin (which comes through Christ and our repentance). The list goes on and on. Ultimately holiness is living as God wants us to live according to scripture. Today it may mean not wearing a bikini or making sure to forgive an abusive parent. Tomorrow it may also mean laying off the horn when you get cut off in traffic or starting an orphanage. Holiness gives us a lot of hats to wear but they all look like halos to the world.

Most importantly, holiness can not be earned. It is given. God makes us holy (Exodus 31:13). However, it’s a back and forth dealing. He makes us holy because holiness comes from him and he deems us worthy. If we live in his will we are considered worthy. Originally, we were set in a holy situation and walked away from it in Eden and mankind has been walking away ever since. So we don’t earn holiness but rather we return to the gift that was meant for us, not because of what we have done but because of who He is. So grab the gift, be transformed, and continue in holiness, being wholly in God.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,

Romans 12:1-2

You are holy, holy, holy

All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”You are holy, holy, holyI want to be holy, holy God
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours

So here I am, all of me

-David Crowder*Band, Wholly Yours

7 Things Christians Do

J. Heinrich Arnold wrote a book entitled Discipleship; Living for Christ in the Daily Grind. It’s a compilation of his writings on various issues of the Christian life. It’s divided into three sections; The Disciple, The Church, and The Kingdom of God. He tackles marriage, sin, faith, dogmaticism, conversion, repentance, spiritual warfare, etc. It’s a fantastic read as a book, devotional, or reference tool. It’s a book of wisdom above all else. It has a high standing on my bookshelf (I organize by importance and impact to my life). In this book (which you can purchase here) he writes,

In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of who are hungry, thirsty, naked, and in prison. We, too, are concerned about these people, about the hunger and want of the world. But what should we do? We live too well. We should eat less and do with less, so as to share with the poor. The early Christians fasted for one or two days a week so as to give food to the hungry. We are not doing enough just by sharing among our own brothers and sisters. We should appoint at least one brother from each of our communities to seek out people in need, to bring them food and clothing, and to see that they have adequate heating, and so on. [emphasis mine]

Arnold says a lot here. He was a member of a community called the Bruderhof and if one knows about the Bruderhof they will better understand the implications found in this quote. Things we can pull from this quote (with the implications in place): According to Arnold, Christians 1) care for the needy, 2) embrace simplistic living, 3) live their lives together in close-knit community, 4) share with each other, 5) share with the poor, 6) fast for the sake of giving to the poor what they would otherwise keep for themselves, 7) seek out the needy around them. 

I’m blessed to recently have been asked to be the member of a community that seeks out opportunities for helping the needy. I’m a part of several communities in the local Vancouver (WA not B.C.) area and each bless the others. It’s a great honor in my eyes to be appointed this position. I say this not out of gloating but appreciation. Arnold’s words have perked me up and reminded me how important this task is for it is necessary for us to embrace our identity with action. If I slack I hurt my community and fail to give the blessings I ought to my brothers and sisters. If I keep from them the needy I keep from them opportunities to live in the love of Christ Jesus. However, if I am faithful in this then we all benefit and the light of Christ is not hidden. If we are faithful we are a city on a hill, salt and light of the world. 

A book that I have referenced before is Freedom of Simplicity by Richard J. Foster. Foster expounds on the idea of doing with less and provides practical application for the person and communities who seek to live a more simplistic and selfless life in Jesus. I highly recommend both these books.