Bishop Gene Robinson announced his retirement today. I've never met Robinson or even heard him speak but I've been aware of him since 2004 when he was became the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion.
Because of his sexuality, Robinson was a controversial figure and drew fire from some Christians who felt this should bar him form service in the church. I have never heard any criticism of Robinson as a pastor, a man of faith, or a human being, my impression is that he is admirable in all of these areas and it is only his sexuality that draws (IMO thoroughly unfair) criticism. I have always been struck by his coursge, even in the face of death threats, his wisdom, and the compassion he shows to even his harshest critics.
I know that his parishioners will miss him terribly and I'm sure his voice will continue to be heard. I certainly hope it will because we need voices like his.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Universe
This is really cool!
It's an interactive display of The Scale of the Universe. It starts at the left end with a planck length (theoretically the shortest length that can have any meaning) and scrolls all the way to the projected size of the universe.
When I think about this stuff, I find it both humbling and awe-inspiring. It amazes me to think of the vastness of creation and how small we and out planet are in the scope of things. At the same time, it amazes me how we are made up of such small things, cells, molecules, atoms, quarks, prions. Almost inconceivably tiny things come together in intricate ways to create all that we can see.
It amazes me to think of someone I know and imagine that every part of them, even every thought and feeling, can be described at some level as the interactions of tiny forces and particles.
I've been asked whether I am a creationist, and I don't have a simple answer. I do believe that God created the world but I am very aware that the complexity of things is not anything like scientific proof of God's existence. In other words, I believe in God, but I have no faith in "Scientific Creationism" which seems to me to misrepresent scientific method for it's own purposes.
When I contemplate the universe, one of the things that strikes me is how little I really know. We human beings have learned an amazing amount about the universe but the more we learn the more questions are revealed.
But what we do know paints such an intricate and beautiful picture that it fills us with the most religious of all feelings, a sense of wonder and awe.
That doesn't make for a very hard-headed and practical blog entry, I know, but I think that hard headed and practical might be missing the point here. Explanations and proof shift the focus back to us and our limited understanding. While I hope that science never stops seeking to understand things better, I also hope that faith never stops seeing the wonder of all we cannot know.
It's an interactive display of The Scale of the Universe. It starts at the left end with a planck length (theoretically the shortest length that can have any meaning) and scrolls all the way to the projected size of the universe.
When I think about this stuff, I find it both humbling and awe-inspiring. It amazes me to think of the vastness of creation and how small we and out planet are in the scope of things. At the same time, it amazes me how we are made up of such small things, cells, molecules, atoms, quarks, prions. Almost inconceivably tiny things come together in intricate ways to create all that we can see.
It amazes me to think of someone I know and imagine that every part of them, even every thought and feeling, can be described at some level as the interactions of tiny forces and particles.
I've been asked whether I am a creationist, and I don't have a simple answer. I do believe that God created the world but I am very aware that the complexity of things is not anything like scientific proof of God's existence. In other words, I believe in God, but I have no faith in "Scientific Creationism" which seems to me to misrepresent scientific method for it's own purposes.
When I contemplate the universe, one of the things that strikes me is how little I really know. We human beings have learned an amazing amount about the universe but the more we learn the more questions are revealed.
But what we do know paints such an intricate and beautiful picture that it fills us with the most religious of all feelings, a sense of wonder and awe.
That doesn't make for a very hard-headed and practical blog entry, I know, but I think that hard headed and practical might be missing the point here. Explanations and proof shift the focus back to us and our limited understanding. While I hope that science never stops seeking to understand things better, I also hope that faith never stops seeing the wonder of all we cannot know.
Monday, September 27, 2010
My All Time Favorite Benediction
This is from the Franciscans and I love the way it finds blessings in four such unlikely sources. I think really captures what my faith is all about.
The guy on the video is Gene Robinson, the first openly-gay bishop in the Anglican church and someone whose faith, wisdom, and courage I admire a great deal.
The guy on the video is Gene Robinson, the first openly-gay bishop in the Anglican church and someone whose faith, wisdom, and courage I admire a great deal.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Unspeakable
Pope Benedict was in the news this weekend. While on a visit to Great Britain, the Pope expressed his grief and shame about the continuing scandal of pedophile priests. I'm glad to hear the apology and hope that it is part of a sincere reassessment of the Catholic Church in dealing with this crisis. I have never been a fan of this particular pontiff, but I'd like to believe that these words contain sincere repentance and a commitment to bring about change.
One thing that the Pope said really struck me. He referred to the actions of the abusers as "unspeakable crimes."
That's a very apt phrase and it sums up what, in my mind, is a great deal of the problem. When a child is abused we don't talk about it. There's so much shame involved that everyone, the child, the family, the community all get quiet and act as if it never happened.
That's what most of the protests have been about. The abuse is terrible, but the attitude that the incident then needs to be hushed up, makes things even worse. Without honesty there is no accountability. Without victims able to tell their stories there is no justice.
That's why I am happy to see Benedict's words. Even if, as some critics say, this is more a political gesture, at lease the unspeakable is finally being spoken, and that's something that needs to happen. No matter how ugly reality is, we can never hope to change a situation until we face it.
One thing that the Pope said really struck me. He referred to the actions of the abusers as "unspeakable crimes."
That's a very apt phrase and it sums up what, in my mind, is a great deal of the problem. When a child is abused we don't talk about it. There's so much shame involved that everyone, the child, the family, the community all get quiet and act as if it never happened.
That's what most of the protests have been about. The abuse is terrible, but the attitude that the incident then needs to be hushed up, makes things even worse. Without honesty there is no accountability. Without victims able to tell their stories there is no justice.
That's why I am happy to see Benedict's words. Even if, as some critics say, this is more a political gesture, at lease the unspeakable is finally being spoken, and that's something that needs to happen. No matter how ugly reality is, we can never hope to change a situation until we face it.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Pakistan Floods
I was listening to an NPR report on this the other day and both the scope of the disaster and the lack of international response are staggering. The flooding still covers an area the size of Italy and roughly the same number of people as the entire population of Canada are affected.
As the video says, there has been international support, but not at the levels seen in the Haitii earthquake or the tsunami. Some people interviewed have expressed a concern that the money will go to the Taliban but that is NOT the case.
My church, the offers United Church of Christ offers assistance in partnership through Church World Service which has an outstanding record of getting aid to the people who need it.
As the video says, there has been international support, but not at the levels seen in the Haitii earthquake or the tsunami. Some people interviewed have expressed a concern that the money will go to the Taliban but that is NOT the case.
My church, the offers United Church of Christ offers assistance in partnership through Church World Service which has an outstanding record of getting aid to the people who need it.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Phoenix Affirmations #12
The last of the Affirmations is...
12. Acting on the faith that we born with a purpose, a vocation that serves to strengthen God's Kingdom and extend God's love.
Sometimes we have the idea that there are a few gifted, heroic folks out there who really make a difference, but that most of us are ordinary slobs who don't really matter.
Nothing could be further from what our faith teaches. Everyone--every single person who has ever lived or ever will live--is important, everyone has amazing potential, and everyone can do something that will make the world better.
Some may be able to advocate for greater justice for all people, or find ways to deal more effectively with disease, poverty, and hunger. Some may be peace-makers, helping people to set aside old hates. Many will have less dramatic, but still vital roles to play in modelling kindness, honesty, integrity, and mercy. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, we cannot always do something great, but we can do something small with great love.
The bottom line is that you are important, so celebrate that. And remember, with that importance comes the power to make a difference, and the responsibility to use that power wisely and compassionately.
12. Acting on the faith that we born with a purpose, a vocation that serves to strengthen God's Kingdom and extend God's love.
Sometimes we have the idea that there are a few gifted, heroic folks out there who really make a difference, but that most of us are ordinary slobs who don't really matter.
Nothing could be further from what our faith teaches. Everyone--every single person who has ever lived or ever will live--is important, everyone has amazing potential, and everyone can do something that will make the world better.
Some may be able to advocate for greater justice for all people, or find ways to deal more effectively with disease, poverty, and hunger. Some may be peace-makers, helping people to set aside old hates. Many will have less dramatic, but still vital roles to play in modelling kindness, honesty, integrity, and mercy. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, we cannot always do something great, but we can do something small with great love.
The bottom line is that you are important, so celebrate that. And remember, with that importance comes the power to make a difference, and the responsibility to use that power wisely and compassionately.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Phoenix Affirmations #11
It's been a while since I posted one of these so here's the catch-up.
The Phoenix Affirmations are a set of ideas meant to define Progressive Christianity. They are not meant to be a series of iron-clad doctrines that believers are required to hold. Rather they are a description of what is out there in this huge, but often misunderstood, branch of Christianity.
The Affirmations are broken into three sections, reminding us of Jesus teaching to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." The first section has 4 points about what it means to love God, the second has 4 points about loving your neighbor, and the last, 4 points about loving yourself.
The last 4 can be a little controversial because "loving yourself" can sound like the narcissism, or self-indulgence. As I hope you will see, it's neither of those things.
For 1-10, see the archives of this blog.
#11.Realizing the benefits of prayer, worship, recreation, and healthiness in addition to work.
Modern people, and especially Americans, have a tendancy to think that work is the highest possible good. To be a worthwhile person you have to put in long hours at the job, even if that means neglecting things like personal health and time with your family. We value people by productivity, and we measure this by the time someone puts in, and by how much they earn.
But this is a terrible way to evaluate people's worth. Jesus didn't value people like this, but saw the value in them regardless of their earning potential or how likely they were to wil Employee of the Month. He taught that every person is a child of God, and there's more value in that than in any reward we get in the marketplace.
That's not to say that we should slack off. Doing what you do with pride and dedication is a wonderful thing. It has to be put in perspective, though, because there are other things that are just as--or more--important. God doesn't just want us to be hard-workers, but good parents, friends, spouses, neighbors, and much more. We can do these things only if we take time to spend with the people we love, to cultivate our spirituality, and to just have fun.
God wants you to be productive, but God also wants you to be happy, loving, spiritual, and fulfilled... I wonder why it seems so hard for us to do it.
The Phoenix Affirmations are a set of ideas meant to define Progressive Christianity. They are not meant to be a series of iron-clad doctrines that believers are required to hold. Rather they are a description of what is out there in this huge, but often misunderstood, branch of Christianity.
The Affirmations are broken into three sections, reminding us of Jesus teaching to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." The first section has 4 points about what it means to love God, the second has 4 points about loving your neighbor, and the last, 4 points about loving yourself.
The last 4 can be a little controversial because "loving yourself" can sound like the narcissism, or self-indulgence. As I hope you will see, it's neither of those things.
For 1-10, see the archives of this blog.
#11.Realizing the benefits of prayer, worship, recreation, and healthiness in addition to work.
Modern people, and especially Americans, have a tendancy to think that work is the highest possible good. To be a worthwhile person you have to put in long hours at the job, even if that means neglecting things like personal health and time with your family. We value people by productivity, and we measure this by the time someone puts in, and by how much they earn.
But this is a terrible way to evaluate people's worth. Jesus didn't value people like this, but saw the value in them regardless of their earning potential or how likely they were to wil Employee of the Month. He taught that every person is a child of God, and there's more value in that than in any reward we get in the marketplace.
That's not to say that we should slack off. Doing what you do with pride and dedication is a wonderful thing. It has to be put in perspective, though, because there are other things that are just as--or more--important. God doesn't just want us to be hard-workers, but good parents, friends, spouses, neighbors, and much more. We can do these things only if we take time to spend with the people we love, to cultivate our spirituality, and to just have fun.
God wants you to be productive, but God also wants you to be happy, loving, spiritual, and fulfilled... I wonder why it seems so hard for us to do it.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Mosque in NYC
The city of New York has cleared the way for a mosque and Muslim community center to be built near the ground zero site. This has promped protests from some who feel that this would disrespect the memory of the victims fo the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
I don't get it.
The reactions I've seen seem to suggest that a mosque would be some kind of a concession to the terrorists. One fo the protest signs I saw on the news said that Muslims put up mosques to mark the place of victories.
I understand the depth of the feelings about ground Zero. I remember watching the news in horror when the buildings collapsed, and feeling outrage that anyone could do such a thing. But it is a terrible mistake to act as if all Muslims are terrorists, or even extremists. The vast majority of Muslims I've met have been kind, decent, law-abiding people who care about their families and want to be good neighbors. In this they are very much like most of the Crristians I've known, and most of the Jews, Buddhists, and Athiests.
There is a problem with violent extremism in the Muslim world, and it would be foolish to ignore this. But is is even more foolish, in my opinion, to blame all Muslims for the actions of a minority group. (Militant extremists are a very small minority in Islam, which is fortunate. Imagine what the world would be like if any significant fraction of the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world were terrorists.)
The people who would be worshipping in the Mosque and using the community center are innocent of the horror of 9-11 and the people who are guilty would have no interest in having such a place built. The proposed Mosque is meant to cultivate religious tolerance and healing, two of the last things the terrorists want to see.
Anger is natural after such a senseless tragedy, but holding onto anger makes it impossible for us to heal. And turning that anger against the blameless only makes our wounds worse. Jesus calls on us to firgive even the guilty. That's a tall order, but surely we can forgive the innocent.
I don't get it.
The reactions I've seen seem to suggest that a mosque would be some kind of a concession to the terrorists. One fo the protest signs I saw on the news said that Muslims put up mosques to mark the place of victories.
I understand the depth of the feelings about ground Zero. I remember watching the news in horror when the buildings collapsed, and feeling outrage that anyone could do such a thing. But it is a terrible mistake to act as if all Muslims are terrorists, or even extremists. The vast majority of Muslims I've met have been kind, decent, law-abiding people who care about their families and want to be good neighbors. In this they are very much like most of the Crristians I've known, and most of the Jews, Buddhists, and Athiests.
There is a problem with violent extremism in the Muslim world, and it would be foolish to ignore this. But is is even more foolish, in my opinion, to blame all Muslims for the actions of a minority group. (Militant extremists are a very small minority in Islam, which is fortunate. Imagine what the world would be like if any significant fraction of the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world were terrorists.)
The people who would be worshipping in the Mosque and using the community center are innocent of the horror of 9-11 and the people who are guilty would have no interest in having such a place built. The proposed Mosque is meant to cultivate religious tolerance and healing, two of the last things the terrorists want to see.
Anger is natural after such a senseless tragedy, but holding onto anger makes it impossible for us to heal. And turning that anger against the blameless only makes our wounds worse. Jesus calls on us to firgive even the guilty. That's a tall order, but surely we can forgive the innocent.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Commercials
I'm back with a renewed yen to update this thing weekly! (I know, I've said this before, but this time... well, I'll give it the old college try.)
I'd never posted the UCC commercials before. They were controversial for a couple of reasons. First, they showed a church that refuse to reject anyone, including (controversially) gays and lesbians. Second, they were deemed accusatory by some of our sister denominations.
I wasn't in on the planning, so I can't swear this was an unintended consequence. But I believe the focus was saying who we are, not who other churches are. The sad truth is that there are churches where people are turned away for a variety of reasons. There are also many churches that welcome people, regardless. I salute all those who do, and am proud to belong to a denomination that does.
The first commercial, "Bouncer" makes the point of many people's experience in a powerful way.
The next commercial was "Ejector Seat" which took the same message but portrayed it humorously. I feel a little guilty for finding this as funny as I do.
:-)
The most recent ad, "Steeples" is my favorite. See if you agree.
I'd never posted the UCC commercials before. They were controversial for a couple of reasons. First, they showed a church that refuse to reject anyone, including (controversially) gays and lesbians. Second, they were deemed accusatory by some of our sister denominations.
I wasn't in on the planning, so I can't swear this was an unintended consequence. But I believe the focus was saying who we are, not who other churches are. The sad truth is that there are churches where people are turned away for a variety of reasons. There are also many churches that welcome people, regardless. I salute all those who do, and am proud to belong to a denomination that does.
The first commercial, "Bouncer" makes the point of many people's experience in a powerful way.
The next commercial was "Ejector Seat" which took the same message but portrayed it humorously. I feel a little guilty for finding this as funny as I do.
:-)
The most recent ad, "Steeples" is my favorite. See if you agree.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Glen Beck and Social Justice
I have to start this by admitting that I don't know much about Glen Beck. I've heard his name mentioned along with Rush Limbaugh's as an influential conservative pundit. I've seen his show a couple of times and, while I thought he was more personable than Rush, I wasn't interested in his politics or his humor.
But this last week, Mr. Beck said something on his show that I really can't leave alone. He said this...
He went on to say equate "social justice" with Communism and Nazism. (Article with sound file here) He's backed away a little from this comparison, now saying that "social justice" is code for "big government" but still says that Christians should leave churches that preach social justice.
That's a problem because (as most Christian churches teach) social justice is central to our faith. We may have somewhat different ideas about the exact nature of social justice, or how to seek it, this concept is central to our faith.
What is the Christian idea of social justice? Well, here are some basic points, complete with scriptures.
Point 1. God has a special concern for the poor.
Deuteronomy. 26:5-9, Luke 4:16-21, Psalm 140:12-13, Isaiah 25:1-5, Psalm 10:14, Isaiah 41:17-20, Luke 6:20-21, James 2:5-7, and Luke 6:20-21.
This last is a favorite of mine. I've often heard people claiming that the Beatitudes are about spiritual blessings in the next life. You can get away with that (more or less) when you're looking at the more familiar version in Matthew, but Luke doesn't pull any punches. God's blessings are also for the very practical needs of people in this life. And if we don't go along with seeking enough justice at least to allow the poor to survive? Well, Luke also has this list of woes for the uncaring wealthy. Which brings us to...
Point 2: God's people are expected to care for the poor (This is at the heart of the "Jubilee" laws).
Deuteronomy 15:7-9, Deuteronomy 26:12-14, Leviticus 19:9-10, Proverbs 31:8-9, Isaiah 58:6-9, Leviticus 19:9-10, Isaiah 58:6-9, Jeremiah 22:1-3, Luke 12:33-34, Luke 12:33-34, Luke 3:11, Matthew 5:38-42.
As seen in these verses, the biblical idea of wealth is very different from what we are used to. People do not own property, per se. God owns everything and allows people to use and manage the resources of the world. We are seen as sharecroppers using our landlord's property for his purposes first and our personal benefit only after that. Anyone who puts their own profit ahead of the good of the people is seen as stealing from God.
Which brings us to...
Point 3: Those who serve the poor are blessed by God.
Proverbs 22:9, Jeremiah 22:13-17, Deuteronomy 15:10-11, Proverbs 19:17, Jeremian 7:3-7, Isaiah 58:9-12, Luke 14:12-14, Luke 12:25-48, Matthew 19:16-22.
All people are God's children and, as such, deserving of basic justice and compassion. We often try to limit that, saying that we only need to care for our family, our countrymen, people who look and think like us, people who share our values, etc. but the scriptures don't give us this out. If we want the blessings that comes from knowing God, we can't we have to care for God's children. We can't have it both ways.
In fact...
Point 4: The Bible promises dire consequences for those who refuse to help the poor.
Ezekiel 16:49-50 (According to the prophet, lack of social justice was the sin of Sodom), Isaiah 10:1-4, Luke 1:46-55, , Ezekiel 22:23-29, Jeremiah 5:26-29, James 5:1-6, Luke 16:19-25.
The last of these scriptures is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. I've been thinking about that a lot recently and have been struck by the fact that we are never told that the Rich Man was dishonest, or lacking in religious devotion, or even that he was harsh and cruel. The only bad thing that we know about him is that he lived well and that he ignored the needs of his poor neighbor. That's not a problem in the eyes of many modern people, but scripture sees caring for the poor as a sacred obligation, not an option. Perhaps that's because caring for the poor is inseparable from caring for God.
Which leads us to...
Point 6: God identifies with the poor and helpless.
2 Corinthians 8:8-9, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 14:31, and Matthew 25:31-46.
That last passage is the judgment of the nations, or the parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus makes the point about caring for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the rejected, and all who need help. When we do this, we welcome him into our lives. When we reject or ignore these people, we reject and ignore him.
In other words, social justice is not something foreign that has been tacked on, it is at the very heart and soul of Christianity. It is one of the strongest core values Christians have. The scriptures I've listed only begin to tell how important it is. After faith in God, it is the most frequently mentioned idea in the Bible.
I'm not sure where Mr. Beck is coming from with his statements but, in this case, he couldn't be more thoroughly or outrageously wrong. Christianity is about compassion, it's about justice, of all kinds, and it's about reaching out to people who are hurting for any reason. If we ever forget that, then we've misunderstood who God is.
But this last week, Mr. Beck said something on his show that I really can't leave alone. He said this...
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
He went on to say equate "social justice" with Communism and Nazism. (Article with sound file here) He's backed away a little from this comparison, now saying that "social justice" is code for "big government" but still says that Christians should leave churches that preach social justice.
That's a problem because (as most Christian churches teach) social justice is central to our faith. We may have somewhat different ideas about the exact nature of social justice, or how to seek it, this concept is central to our faith.
What is the Christian idea of social justice? Well, here are some basic points, complete with scriptures.
Point 1. God has a special concern for the poor.
Deuteronomy. 26:5-9, Luke 4:16-21, Psalm 140:12-13, Isaiah 25:1-5, Psalm 10:14, Isaiah 41:17-20, Luke 6:20-21, James 2:5-7, and Luke 6:20-21.
This last is a favorite of mine. I've often heard people claiming that the Beatitudes are about spiritual blessings in the next life. You can get away with that (more or less) when you're looking at the more familiar version in Matthew, but Luke doesn't pull any punches. God's blessings are also for the very practical needs of people in this life. And if we don't go along with seeking enough justice at least to allow the poor to survive? Well, Luke also has this list of woes for the uncaring wealthy. Which brings us to...
Point 2: God's people are expected to care for the poor (This is at the heart of the "Jubilee" laws).
Deuteronomy 15:7-9, Deuteronomy 26:12-14, Leviticus 19:9-10, Proverbs 31:8-9, Isaiah 58:6-9, Leviticus 19:9-10, Isaiah 58:6-9, Jeremiah 22:1-3, Luke 12:33-34, Luke 12:33-34, Luke 3:11, Matthew 5:38-42.
As seen in these verses, the biblical idea of wealth is very different from what we are used to. People do not own property, per se. God owns everything and allows people to use and manage the resources of the world. We are seen as sharecroppers using our landlord's property for his purposes first and our personal benefit only after that. Anyone who puts their own profit ahead of the good of the people is seen as stealing from God.
Which brings us to...
Point 3: Those who serve the poor are blessed by God.
Proverbs 22:9, Jeremiah 22:13-17, Deuteronomy 15:10-11, Proverbs 19:17, Jeremian 7:3-7, Isaiah 58:9-12, Luke 14:12-14, Luke 12:25-48, Matthew 19:16-22.
All people are God's children and, as such, deserving of basic justice and compassion. We often try to limit that, saying that we only need to care for our family, our countrymen, people who look and think like us, people who share our values, etc. but the scriptures don't give us this out. If we want the blessings that comes from knowing God, we can't we have to care for God's children. We can't have it both ways.
In fact...
Point 4: The Bible promises dire consequences for those who refuse to help the poor.
Ezekiel 16:49-50 (According to the prophet, lack of social justice was the sin of Sodom), Isaiah 10:1-4, Luke 1:46-55, , Ezekiel 22:23-29, Jeremiah 5:26-29, James 5:1-6, Luke 16:19-25.
The last of these scriptures is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. I've been thinking about that a lot recently and have been struck by the fact that we are never told that the Rich Man was dishonest, or lacking in religious devotion, or even that he was harsh and cruel. The only bad thing that we know about him is that he lived well and that he ignored the needs of his poor neighbor. That's not a problem in the eyes of many modern people, but scripture sees caring for the poor as a sacred obligation, not an option. Perhaps that's because caring for the poor is inseparable from caring for God.
Which leads us to...
Point 6: God identifies with the poor and helpless.
2 Corinthians 8:8-9, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 14:31, and Matthew 25:31-46.
That last passage is the judgment of the nations, or the parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus makes the point about caring for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the rejected, and all who need help. When we do this, we welcome him into our lives. When we reject or ignore these people, we reject and ignore him.
In other words, social justice is not something foreign that has been tacked on, it is at the very heart and soul of Christianity. It is one of the strongest core values Christians have. The scriptures I've listed only begin to tell how important it is. After faith in God, it is the most frequently mentioned idea in the Bible.
I'm not sure where Mr. Beck is coming from with his statements but, in this case, he couldn't be more thoroughly or outrageously wrong. Christianity is about compassion, it's about justice, of all kinds, and it's about reaching out to people who are hurting for any reason. If we ever forget that, then we've misunderstood who God is.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Haiti, Robertson and Lazarus
In the wake of the terrible earthquake in Haiti last week, Pat Robertson made one of his cringe-worthy comments.
When something terrible happens, we try to understand it. Sometimes we come up with foolish and offensive explanations. In fact, that's where the "pact with the Devil" story came from in the first place.
Haiti was once the richest possession of the French. They imported huge numbers of African slaves to work the cane fields. In the 1790's the slaves staged a successful revolt, winning freedom and equality for themselves. This was the first successful slave revolt and it terrified slave-holders in Europe and America. Shortly after this a story began to circulate that the slaves had held a huge ceremony in which they had pledged the island to Satan in return for his help in defeating the French.
It's debatable what actually happened, or if there even was a ceremony, but the story became popular and has been kept alive in some churches to this day. It's probably an attempt to explain how God could allow non-Christian slaves to successfully kill their Christian masters. Like other bad theology explanations, it's lead to a great deal of bigotry against the people of Haiti, which Robertson's comments have dragged out into the light.
I think we are at our worst when we try to explain away things that defy our understanding. I'm not saying it's wrong to try to understand them, only that it's a terrible mistake to latch onto some bogus explanation that makes us feel a little better. And when we grab hold of a bogus explanation that uses God as the reason, I think we are breaking the third commandment (Don't take God's name in vain) in the worst way possible. We are using God's name to try to justify our own judgmental ideas about things.
Of course, I've been trying to understand this catastrophe too, and I've also gone to the Bible. I haven't found an explanation, but I noticed something that seems significant to me.
Jesus once told a parable about a poor man named Lazarus. He sat at the doorstep of a rich man who lived very well while he struggled just to survive.
One day Lazarus and the rich man died and found themselves in very different circumstances. Lazarus was cared for and comforted (implicitly) in the presence of God while the rich man was cut off and in torment. We don't know much about the Rich Man. He may have been a crook or an honest business man. He may have been a villain or a pillar of society. The only thing we can say about him for certain is that he ignored the poor man at his gate. in the view of Jesus, that was unacceptable.
I can't say who the earthquake struck Haiti. A geologist has a much better shot of making sense of that question than a theologian. I can say that earthquake was roughly comparable in power to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the Bay Area of central California. There were 63 deaths and nearly 4,000 injuries from that quake, which is tragic, but many orders of magnitude less than what the Haitians have suffered.
The reason is simply that Americans have the resources to build much better homes and buildings. In an earthquake, out structures hold up reasonably well, while the cheaper buildings of Haiti collapse, burying people in the rubble. No one could have prevented the quake, but if Haiti were more prosperous, the death toll would be vastly reduced.
For me the question isn't "why did God allow the quake to happen?", it is "what kind of neighbor has America been?" I think we've been a little too much like the rich man in the parable, enjoying our prosperity while our poor neighbor suffers on our doorstep.
When something terrible happens, we try to understand it. Sometimes we come up with foolish and offensive explanations. In fact, that's where the "pact with the Devil" story came from in the first place.
Haiti was once the richest possession of the French. They imported huge numbers of African slaves to work the cane fields. In the 1790's the slaves staged a successful revolt, winning freedom and equality for themselves. This was the first successful slave revolt and it terrified slave-holders in Europe and America. Shortly after this a story began to circulate that the slaves had held a huge ceremony in which they had pledged the island to Satan in return for his help in defeating the French.
It's debatable what actually happened, or if there even was a ceremony, but the story became popular and has been kept alive in some churches to this day. It's probably an attempt to explain how God could allow non-Christian slaves to successfully kill their Christian masters. Like other bad theology explanations, it's lead to a great deal of bigotry against the people of Haiti, which Robertson's comments have dragged out into the light.
I think we are at our worst when we try to explain away things that defy our understanding. I'm not saying it's wrong to try to understand them, only that it's a terrible mistake to latch onto some bogus explanation that makes us feel a little better. And when we grab hold of a bogus explanation that uses God as the reason, I think we are breaking the third commandment (Don't take God's name in vain) in the worst way possible. We are using God's name to try to justify our own judgmental ideas about things.
Of course, I've been trying to understand this catastrophe too, and I've also gone to the Bible. I haven't found an explanation, but I noticed something that seems significant to me.
Jesus once told a parable about a poor man named Lazarus. He sat at the doorstep of a rich man who lived very well while he struggled just to survive.
One day Lazarus and the rich man died and found themselves in very different circumstances. Lazarus was cared for and comforted (implicitly) in the presence of God while the rich man was cut off and in torment. We don't know much about the Rich Man. He may have been a crook or an honest business man. He may have been a villain or a pillar of society. The only thing we can say about him for certain is that he ignored the poor man at his gate. in the view of Jesus, that was unacceptable.
I can't say who the earthquake struck Haiti. A geologist has a much better shot of making sense of that question than a theologian. I can say that earthquake was roughly comparable in power to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the Bay Area of central California. There were 63 deaths and nearly 4,000 injuries from that quake, which is tragic, but many orders of magnitude less than what the Haitians have suffered.
The reason is simply that Americans have the resources to build much better homes and buildings. In an earthquake, out structures hold up reasonably well, while the cheaper buildings of Haiti collapse, burying people in the rubble. No one could have prevented the quake, but if Haiti were more prosperous, the death toll would be vastly reduced.
For me the question isn't "why did God allow the quake to happen?", it is "what kind of neighbor has America been?" I think we've been a little too much like the rich man in the parable, enjoying our prosperity while our poor neighbor suffers on our doorstep.
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