When Bad Things Happen . . .

Who do you blame when bad things happen in your life? 

Most people either blame God or themselves. Listen to their responses:

“Why is God letting this happen?” 

“What have I done to deserve this?” 

These are not the right questions to be asking when bad things happen in your life.

Simply put, neither God nor you are fully responsible for the bad things that happen in your life. But I’m getting ahead of myself so allow me to do some groundwork here.

Christians and Jews have wrestled with the so-called “Problem of Evil” for centuries. 

The technical term used by scholars for this is “Theodicy.”

Classical theodicy asks the question: 

“Why does evil exist in spite of an all-good and all-powerful God.”

Why did God allow the Holocaust? Why didn’t he prevent it? Why did God allow my child to die of cancer? Did God create AIDS to punish homosexuals? Was God responsible for Katrina or the Christmas Eve Tsunami of 2004? Was God responsible for World War II or any other wars in which human lives are destroyed? 

Does God cause bad things to happen in life?

Christians have attempted to resolve this dilemma by claiming that there is some mysterious plan of God behind each and every tragic event:

“We don’t know what the outcome of that Divine plan is but we are sure God will eventually reveal it to us.”

Well simply put this line of reasoning leads to two unacceptable conclusions: 

One, it assigns to God responsibility for causing all bad things. 

In short, God is behind the bad things happening in my life in order to fulfill some good and perfect purpose for my life.

I am sure the survivors of the Holocaust or the person dying of terminal cancer would have a real hard time swallowing this pill. 

Two, it takes too lightly the fact that we all live in a world under siege by evil spiritual forces. 

When you and I are the victims of bad things happening in our lives we must recognize that we are actually collateral damage of a much larger cosmic conflict.

In his excellent book, God At War, pastor/theologian Gregory Boyd maintains that historically we have not been focusing on the real cause of Evil in the world. 

According to Boyd, the origins of Evil in this world are to be located among the Satanic and demonic forces that have been opposing God’s will for ages. Unfortunately there are also human beings who become willing allies to these forces of Evil who work incessantly to disrupt and defeat God’s good purpose for his creation.

So the classical Problem of Evil that attempts to answer the question of why bad things happen when God is an all-good and all-powerful God is nothing more than a philosophical cul-de-sac or a dead end street. 

God actually becomes the problem.

The Problem of Evil is not an intellectual puzzle to be solved; therefore we would be better off placing the blame for evil in a more appropriate place: 

The kingdom of Satan and his followers.

God remains faithfully loving and powerful in spite of the tragedies of life. He continues to seek our well being even though we might at times succumb to sickness and suffering. 

He is not to blame for the bad things that happen to us in life, and for the most part we are also not the blame. 

God does not use Evil to promote his purpose and plan for us. He is not that kind of God. Yes he is all-powerful but as Boyd points out he is not "all controlling."

 How many times have we heard people say?

“God is in control.”

No, he is not! 

He created free will as any loving God would and often that free will opposes God’s will. We are not created to be robots. Satan and his forces are created beings that have chosen to oppose God. There are also humans who choose to oppose God’s will and they become a part of the problem a well.

Don’t blame God when your life goes south. Don’t fight with God who desires nothing but good for your life. 

God is not the enemy!

As Gregory Boyd so wisely suggests: 

“If we were to follow the example of our Savior instead, our basic stance toward evil in the world would be characterized by revolt, holy rage, social activism, and aggressive [spiritual] warfare—not pious resignation.”

None of us should be content with assigning the responsibility for evil to the mysterious and benevolent purposes of God and then live in submissive resignation. 

The stakes are much too high for this to be our course of action.

Howard's "Little Monkey"

Words matter!

Yes, you read that correctly, words matter and they matter a lot.

Within the Judeo-Christian tradition there is an emphatic warning against the reckless use of words. For example in the Epistle of James we read:

“This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!"

Within the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Scriptures we find this contrast:

“Rash language cuts and maims,

 but there is healing in the words of the wise.”

Writes the Apostle Paul on the use of words:

“Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”

So words do matter. 

Words cannot be retracted; once uttered they just hang there and take on a whole life of their own.

I remember many years ago the once popular sports broadcaster Howard Cosell (1918-1995) made a career damaging comment during a 1983 Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cosell referred to the Redskins’ wide receiver Alvin Garrett as a “little monkey.”

Cosell was immediately vilified for the comment, accused of being a racist in spite of his assurances that he was not. Regardless his comment struck a nerve at the time and Cosell’s career as a sports announcer took an immediate nosedive.

Yes Cosell’s words that night took on a life of their own and sadly he will be remembered not so much for his extraordinarily colorful commentary on many of the major sporting events of his day but rather for his unfortunate “little monkey” comment.

Of course I will always remember his famous words at the conclusion of the Joe Frazier vs George Foreman fight: 

“Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!” 

Or his repeated mantra on Monday Night Football that have has become iconic in the industry: 

“He could go all the way!”

Cosell was a gifted and a unique broadcaster. Unfortunately he allowed two little words to shipwreck his stellar career. Were they a slip of the tongue? Were they reflective of a deep racism? Who knows.

But words matter.

Words may be used to tear down, disrupt, divide, denigrate, or deprecate another human being. 

Yet words may also be used to edify, encourage, motivate, strengthen, or lift up another human being. 

They may be hopeful words, words that build up rather than tear down, words that honor another’s humanity rather than denigrate a person, words that invite hospitality and extend generosity.

Words can be generative: Live giving, full of grace and compassion. They can be.

Words indeed matter and the Bible is very clear about how important it is to be judicious in the way we use words either to do harm or to do good.

So as a follower of Jesus I should be very cautious and careful of the words I use. The words I use will reveal my character or my own core values or my deepest convictions about life and God. 

Words serve as the window into one’s soul. They say a lot about a person and what's in a person's heart.

I suppose my dear grandmother was right when she would offer me the following advice more than once: 

“If you can’t something good about somebody then say nothing at all.”

Perhaps this will give us all pause to consider how we use words, whether in personal conversations, or on our social media networks, or speaking in public. 

Words matter! 

They sure do.

I Love America!

I love America!

I love America not because she is perfect or more exceptional than any other nation on earth. Quite frankly I love her for the opposite reason:

I love America because like any other nation in the world she is flawed and imperfect yet strives to become better.

My country is not the greatest nation on earth, but she is indeed one of the great ones. American Exceptionalism is a myth yet America remains exceptionally blessed.

I love America because people of faith understand that America was founded within the context of a fallen world. Our Founding Fathers were far from perfect and the spirit of their own day and time heavily influenced them. They were mere mortals attempting to carve out a new nation in a new world. 

It wasn’t always clear to them, I am sure, what the new nation would look like but they tried in spite of their imperfections. I still believe their motives were noble in spite of being flawed.

When Thomas Jefferson penned those famous words, “All men are created equal” did he really mean all people of his time were equal? Or was he referring to white landowners only. Regardless of what Jefferson meant by equality it nonetheless became an enduring ideal within one of our foundational documents, the Declaration of Independence.

People of faith understand what an ideal means. For example, the covenant relationship between married partners should never be broken (except, says Jesus, in the case of adultery). 

This is the ideal!

But not everyone lives up to this ideal.  Because we live in a fallen world all relationships are subject to fail. But we always lean towards the ideal. Yet when our marriages do fail God does not stop loving us. 

 “Love never fails.” 

So by analogy I continue to love my country in spite of the centuries long struggle to live up to that original Jeffersonian ideal of equality for all. God knows it has been a long and hard struggle to get to where we are today, and the struggle continues.

It took an American Civil War to lead to the abolition of slavery. 

I love America because a hundred or so years following that tragic war the Civil Rights Act was passed pushing us closer towards equality for all. Eventually voting rights legislation was passed and also legislature that favored the equal rights of women and more recently the LGBTQ community. 

We are trending towards equality for everyone.

This is why I love America: Just the fact that the struggle continues tells me a lot about the character of the American soul.

Whenever the voice of hatred or fear or paranoia or racism raises its ugly head I become concerned. I become concerned because I believe deep in my core that America is better than this destructive voice whose aim it is to take us back to the past.

America is rapidly becoming one of the most racially and demographically diverse nations on earth. If there was ever a time for Jefferson’s ideal of equality to manifest itself it is now.

I love America because I believe she has the character to push back against voices of division, hatred, and exclusion. 

So when I hear incendiary rhetoric that pecks away at Jefferson’s ideal of equality I become concerned. We have worked way too long in making equality for all a living reality in this great nation to allow destructive voices to set us back.

There is no place in America for any ideology that intentionally excludes others because of race, color, gender or religious preference. There is absolutely no room in this country for discrimination and exclusion of others. There is no place for rhetoric that inspires hate, exclusion, ideas of supremacy and violence.

I love America because I have always believed that our country is one of the most gracious, generous and hospitable nations on earth. I still believe this with all my heart. I believe that the voice of freedom and inclusion will win the day. I believe that in America everyone is welcome at the table; everyone has a voice. 

I actually believe equality in every area of American society will eventually become the norm rather than the exception. In America we can aspire to such lofty ideals.

This is why I love America.

I know that you do too.

Should Christians Fight in Wars?

Should Christians fight in their nation’s wars?

Well it depends on whom you ask.

Many Christians believe strongly that it is their responsibility to fight in their nation’s wars in order to protect their freedoms. It’s a matter of patriotic duty and Scriptures are often found to support this position. 

Yet there are those Christians who believe it is morally reprehensible to kill another human being no matter the reason and they too use Scripture to support their view.

Then there are those who fall somewhere in between these two extremes and aren’t quite sure what to believe about Christians fighting in wars.

It’s a tough question. It really is,  since so many assume that we live in a Christian nation.

So is there a Biblical way out of this conundrum? I actually believe there is.

Let's look at a couple of text for guidance: Romans 12-13 and Matthew 5.

Romans 13 is often cited as evidence that Christians are under Divine obligation to support or fight in their nation’s wars, in particular verses 3-4 which are often quoted as evidence for this position: 

“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.”

Read in isolation these two verses seem to suggest that God sanctions rulers to use violence in order to promote good. It is then logically assumed  that Christians are to obey the authorities when ordered to support their nation's wars.

But there is another way to read this text. 

Please note that the original books and letters in the Bible were not divided into chapters or verses. Unfortunately not knowing this can interrupt the natural flow of the narrative and lead one to read a text out of context. This in turn cause serious misinterpretations. This is the case for Romans 13.

Yet if we slide back into chapter 12 of Romans Paul makes it abundantly clear what the Christian response to conflict and war is. Writes Paul:

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Italics added).

Now let's look at Matthew 5 and  Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount: 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

It seems that Paul and Jesus were operating off the same sheet of music.

So what about Romans 13 then? Well Paul was simply stating the obvious wasn’t he? It is the natural responsibility of rulers or governments to maintain law and order  for those living within their jurisdiction. This is the way the world works. This is the function of governments. 

Simply put, God allows world leaders to operate in such a manner in spite of the heartache they often causes him by abusing their power (viz., Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, etc).

God allows governments or Nation States to exist for the purpose of doing good and unfortunately these governments must sometimes use the “sword” to accomplish this task. This is simply a matter of fact for Paul. Paul was not passing moral judgment on nations or rulers. He was simply stating a matter of fact.

This is the way the world works and God uses these methods for our own good.

So there is nothing in Romans 13 that suggests that Christians are Divinely obligated to fight in their nation’s wars.

So what it boils down to is a matter of personal conscience or conviction. Each Christian must decide what his or her obligation will be when called upon to participate in war. But Scripture must be a major player in helping one make that decision. It’s not just a matter of opinion!

Now some Christians believe that when war is just, then it is morally acceptable for them to participate in war. I would point out that everybody thinks their nation’s wars are just or justified.

So who’s right? Whose war is the most just? 

Once again an appeal to Romans 12 is most significant in my opinion. If there is ever any question as to what you are obligated to do as a Christian then I suggest you prayerfully consider Romans 12:9-21 and Matthew 5:9-12 and 43-46.

Let Scripture guide you.

Why I Don't Pray Like I Used to Pray

I don’t pray like I used to pray.

Really, the way I pray now looks nothing like the way I used to pray.

That’s right I no longer pray to a god who I think is situated somewhere out there, up there in heaven, looking down on us poor miserable depraved sinners while not sure that my prayer will even work.

If it does work I offer praise and thanksgiving to God; if it doesn’t work I attribute it to God’s purposeful will and move on.

That type of god and that kind of praying no longer works for me. Not now. Not at this juncture in my life. There was a time when I prayed in ways that were consistent with that understanding of God. 

Not anymore I don’t.

I also no longer pray as if God is some cosmic Santa Clause who will give me what I want, especially if I have been good. 

For example I no longer pray for God to give me a safe journey while on vacation. I would prefer to concentrate on driving more safely and driving while rested. That works more often than not.  

I have gotten out of the business of praying as if prayer is like some business transaction between God and me: 

“If I do such and such Lord will you do such and such for me.”

I no longer pray as if God is a nationalistic deity who favors America over all other nations. For example, I no longer ask God to protect American service personnel from harm while at the same time neglecting to ask for the same protection for the enemy.

For years there was this dear man in my congregation, a retired military officer who requested that we pray for our  “troops in harm’s way.” This was a weekly request. I was tempted to respond but never did: 

“Okay, but can we pray for the enemy as well?” I am sure he would have said yes.

God’s favorite colors are not red, white and blue folks.

No I no longer pray like I used to and I’m okay with that.

Last night I was having a telephone conversation with a dear friend and he blurted out to me, saying: 

“I’m not praying like I used to pray anymore and I’m not happy about it.”

I responded by saying: 

“Well, I’m not either so let’ talk about it!”

So we did. The conversation that followed was so helpful because it forced us both to verbalize what we were now experiencing at this stage of our lives regarding our prayer lives. 

As we were about to hang up he said to me: 

“This has been most helpful to me. Let’s do it again.” I assured him that we would.

Paul Tillich, I believe, was one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century. More than anything else Tillich has helped shape my own current understanding of God and prayer.

Tillich famously described God as the “Ground of all Being.”

In other words, God isn’t just up there, out there, or even situated in some cosmic location called heaven. 

No, God is with us, in us, among us.

Jesus once said that he and the Father were one. I believe he meant more by this than his just being divine. Jesus shared in God’s actual being, as all do. In a prayer recorded in John’s Gospel Jesus is reported to have said: 

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

On another occasion Jesus told his disciples: 

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

As the saying goes, God is closer to us all than we are to ourselves. God is indeed the Ground of all Being. He is not just spatially up there or out there somewhere looking down on us earthlings. 

God is the Ground of my own being. His presence abides within me. I am never separated from God. Not even my sin can separate me from His abiding presence.

This understanding of God changes everything for me, especially how I now pray. 

The expression “resting in God” has now taken on a whole new meaning for me. 

For me just being with God, being aware of His abiding presence within me, being aware of my presence in Him is prayer enough for me. If prayer may be compared to my being in constant communion with God then this kind of prayer works quite well for me now.

I’m pleased with my prayer life such as it is right now. 

But then again this too may change.

I Pledge Allegiance . . .

The early Christians of the first century were declared “enemies of the State.” 

Can you imagine that?

All those living under Roman rule were forced to offer their allegiance to the State (Caesar). The Roman pledge was simple: 

”Caesar is Lord!”

Those first Christians understood the stakes involved in declaring that Jesus was their only Lord and not Caesar. They understood that crucifixion was the Empire’s way of dealing with unpatriotic zealots, revolutionaries, insurrectionists, those who disrupted the status quo, and those who refused to offer unconditional allegiance to the Emperor. 

Then the Apostle Paul, a Jewish Roman citizen who once persecuted Christians, wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome. In that letter he makes it quite clear to whom each Christian is to offer allegiance. 

This little three-word confession is the oldest extant baptismal confession available to us today. It simply states (Romans 10:9): 

“Jesus is Lord!”

Three simple words yet so powerfully meaningful.

When the early Christians were baptized this confession fell off of their lips and was also embedded deep within their hearts. 

But here’s the deal: 

To publicly utter the words, “Jesus is Lord” was also to also declare, “Caesar is not my Lord.”

To confess Jesus as Lord is to denounce Caesar as Lord. Such a confession was treasonous. We modern day American Christians too often overlook this historical fact about our first baptismal confession. We associate baptism with joining the church, a picture opportunity with grandparents present, and in so doing fail to grasp the dangerous and lethal political implications behind the confession.

Paul was quite clear as he writes to the Ephesians: 

“One faith, one Lord, one baptism.”

That’s right: “One Lord!” We Christians confess and serve only one Lord.

For the early Christians there was never any doubt who their Lord was and it wasn’t Caesar or his empire or any other prevailing political ideology. This is what led them to be considered enemies of the State."

It is sad that much of the American Christian Church today has allowed itself to be co-opted by the State. Many congregations see no conflict with flying the American Flag within their sacred worship spaces and in many cases rivaling the cross for the place of prominence within the sanctuary. 

Many congregations see no conflict with accepting tax-free exemptions from the government as if it was some expected entitlement. Has such an arrangement compromised the church's effectiveness in critiquing the State when necessary?

Today we witness so many memes on Facebook calling for our country to “get back to God” or to acknowledge “our need for God.” 

That’s all good and well but we don’t need God as much as we need to readjust our allegiance to Jesus Christ and reclaim our identity as followers of the crucified and resurrected Lord. This is who we are first and foremost. This Christ identity shapes whatever conditional loyalty we offer to our nation.

Of course this will not sit well with many Christians today and it’s not all their fault. Many, myself included, have been taught from birth that being an America and being a Christian is one and the same thing. God and country seems like a natural fit doesn't it?  But nothing could be further from the truth. Just ask the first Christians.

They paid the ultimate price with their lives for declaring Jesus as their only Lord and not Caesar. There was no question in their minds to whom they owed their unconditional allegiance. Many were executed as a consequence.

Patriotism is for many the highest ideal for any citizen. But for those who are citizens of God’s kingdom through Jesus the idea of being a fully unconditional nationalistic patriot is somewhat foreign to the Gospel. 

Unbridled or unfettered nationalism is extremely dangerous business. It can lead to bad places.

The Germans who witnessed the rise of Adolph Hitler to power in the middle part of the 20th century were blindsided by their own nationalistic fervor and don’t think for a moment that the Nazis didn’t use a nationalistic brand of Christianity as a means to further their ideological agenda.

One only needs to read the Cost of Discipleship by the German pastor Dietrich Bonheoffer to appreciate the dangers of compromising the Gospel for the sake of patriotic nationalism. The Nazis executed Bonheoffer near the end of WWII. Sometimes paying full allegiance to Jesus leads to unpleasant and unwanted consequences.

There is nothing wrong with loving one’s country and being a conditionally loyal citizen but we Christians owe our unconditional loyalty to Jesus Christ. I believe Christianity in America will continue to decline in both relevance and significance so long as our identity is muddled by unconditional allegiance to nationalism or patriotism or to a political ideology. 

In reclaiming our unique identity we may find ourselves unpopular or even despised, but this is indeed the cost of discipleship. Jesus invites us to follow him, even to the cross. We are called to offer allegiance to only one Lord and that is Jesus Christ.  

Let’s not forget that it was the Apostle Paul’s uncompromising and unconditional allegiance to the risen Christ that led him to a Roman execution. Jesus was his one and only Lord and it cost him his life.

As Christians our unconditional pledge is simple yet powerful:

“Jesus is Lord!”

A Cry for Grace

I recently read a Facebook post reporting that NBC had reinstated Brian Williams to the network following his dismissal over the issue of lying.

The responses to the post were upsetting to me, partly because I have always been a fan of Brian Williams. But also because the vitriol leveled against both Williams and NBC was so deeply disturbing.

In fact, I was so affected by the toxic nature of those responses that I posted my own response. It read: 

“I am so sorry that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting so many perfect people.” Yes it was a sarcastic response and I intended for it to be.

This morning the post seems to have been taken down.

Now there was a consistent theme running through those responses: Brian Williams did not deserve a second chance and NBC was no longer a trusted network all because Brian Williams got caught lying on camera.

For many it seems that Brian Williams’ offense was in the category of an unpardonable sin. 

But I have a question: Haven’t we all told a lie or two in our lives? Really, is there anyone alive who hasn't told at least one lie in life?

I really do have serious problems with so much righteous indignation from so many self-righteous people. 

There’s a story in John’s Gospel of Jesus being asked to pass judgment on a woman caught in adultery (the ultimate violation of trust). Under the Law the woman was subject to be stoned to death.

But Jesus instead invited her accusers who had never sinned to throw the first stone at the woman. They all slowly vanished into the background never to be heard from again.

You see the overarching theme in the Bible is one of forgiveness and justice. Forgiveness and justice are two Biblical words that go together like peanut butter and Jelly. 

Forgiveness acknowledges evil but it is also willing to extend compassion and mercy even though judgment and punishment are deserved. 

Justice is a bit trickier. There are two forms of justice. One is retributive. Retributive justice seeks a pound of flesh for a pound of flesh, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 

Our criminal justice system operates according to this retributive principle. It knows no other way to seek and distribute justice. It’s also known as vengeance. The accusers of the adulterous woman were calling for retributive justice.

Biblical justice however is always restorative. 

Restorative justice is linked to God’s grace as opposed to retributive justice being linked to some legal code or system. 

The Bible is loaded with examples of how God administers restorative justice: An adulterous and murdering King David is restored to his place as king although he dearly paid for his actions over the course of his lifetime.

Saul of Tarsus hunted down followers of Jesus, imprisoned and persecuted them. He was a religious fanatic and a terrorist. He even took part in the stoning death of Stephen the first Christian martyr. Yet God restored him by grace to become an Apostle of Jesus. 

Both of these Biblical giants were recipients of restorative justice. Each one of them was given a second chance as it were in spite of their horrendous offenses. Had retributive justice been applied in their cases there would be less Psalms authored by David and there would be no letters in the New Testament authored by the Apostle Paul. Think about that!

Was Brian Williams’ offense of lying wrong? Sure it was. Has he paid a stiff price for his offense? I am sure he believes he has. Can he ever be trusted again?

Well let me ask you again a personal question: 

Have you ever told a lie before? Have you ever stretched the truth a wee bit for your own benefit? Have you ever fudged on your income tax returns? Have you ever been less than truthful with another person before? Have you ever lied to your spouse about how much money you spent on that new dress or how many beers you drank? 

If so can you no longer be trusted by anyone for the rest of your life? 

If you believe in retributive justice then you can never be trusted again to tell the truth. Right?

If however you believe in the Biblical principle of restorative justice then there is always the hope of a second chance and a third and so on. Grace knows no limits! Forgiveness has no glass ceiling. 

Some Pastors Just Embarrass Me

There are some pastors who embarrass the bejesus out of me. They say and do things that make me want to rescind my ordination as a Christian pastor, to rip off my clerical collar (if I wore one).

Really, the embarrassment I have endured the past few years has become increasingly unbearable to say the least.

When a famous TV pastor claims that 9/11 is to be blamed on homosexuals, abortion activists, and civil rights activists I ask myself: “How does he know this?”

When I hear a pastor say that anyone who refuses to vote for a certain Presidential candidate that person will be cursed with poverty or with Gay children I want to hide my face in embarrassment.

When a well-known TV pastor calls for a preemptive air strike against Iran in order to protect Israel I wonder if he has ever heard Jesus say: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

When a pastor and president of a Christian University carries a concealed weapon into a convocation ceremony at his university, brags about it, and then encourages students to do the same in order to protect themselves from Muslims I wonder why I even entered Christian ministry.

When a Fundamentalist pastor calls on his congregation to pray for President Obama’s death and calls the President’s mother a whore I wonder what in the hell I was thinking when I became a pastor?

Are these guys for real? 

It’s all quite embarrassing. It’s all quite disgusting. It’s all downright unchristian.

But . . .

There are so many other men and women today serving their congregations quietly and faithfully beyond the notice of public awareness. These men and women do the quiet work of healing and reconciliation, often without widespread public notice. 

These are the pastors who make me proud to be a pastor.

There are also those pastors who are exposed to the media’s attention yet retain their pastoral credibility and integrity. 

Pastor Stan Mitchell of GracePointe Church in Franklin, TN is a wonderful example of a pastor who actually makes me proud to be a pastor.

Pastor Mitchell took a very unpopular stand in defense of the LGBT community while ensuring them full inclusion into his congregation. Many within his congregation left because of his courageous stand.

Pastor Gregory Boyd preached a series of sermons on the “Myth of a Christian Nation” that later became a book of the same title. Boyd lost thousands of members who were angered over his conclusions: 

That America was not a Christian nation. 

Greg Boyd makes me proud of my ordination.

Pastor Brian Zahnd experienced a huge shift in his thinking and theology regarding war and courageously preached a series of sermons and wrote a book entitled, A Farewell to Mars, a book denouncing war and violence.

His theological shift took place in the aftermath of 9/11, which made it very difficult for many in his congregation to accept.

I respect his raw courage and he makes me proud to be a pastor.

Pastor Brian McLaren began his ministry as the pastor of a conservative Evangelical Church in Maryland but later left the church to pursue a career as a full time author on topics relating to Christian theology. 

In the process Brian experienced a huge shift in his own theology and became the champion of a more progressive (Emergent) view of Christianity. I share in that Journey with Brian and am proud to be a part of that continuing conversation. 

I should also mention pastor Melissa Greene, who was reared in an Evangelical Fundamentalist tradition that would have disallowed her to serve in her current  capacity as an ordained Associate Pastor. Pastor Greene was courageous enough to reexamine her inherited belief system and challenge some of her presuppositions regarding her Fundamentalist faith. 

She makes me proud to be a pastor.

Okay, I’m not going to rescind my ordination. For every pastor who embarrasses the hell out of me there is one who absolutely makes me proud of my vocation; proud to have answered the call to serve Jesus Christ.

Yes there are some pastors who embarrass me, but I don’t have to listen to them and neither do you.

(Picture is of Burt Lancaster playing the role of the firebrand preacher Elmer Gantry).

When saying "I Was Wrong" is the Right Thing to do

Saying the words, “I was wrong!” is not easy.

I was wrong to have responded the way I did back in 2003. I was wrong to have judged a young woman for simply standing up for what she believed in and exercising her right to express an opinion in spite of its apparent unpopularity.

At the time of the incident their number one hit “Travelling Soldier” was dominating the charts. Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the then popular group Dixie Chicks made the following remark at one of their concerts held in Great Britain. She made the controversial comment just a short time before the 2003 invasion of Iraq:

"We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States (George W. Bush) is from Texas."

This comment set off a firestorm of protest back home among conservatives, eventually leading to a widespread ban of their music on many country music radio stations across America.

Now one may debate the wisdom of Maines having made such a statement on foreign soil even though it was reported to have received a very positive response from the audience. Perhaps Natalie Maines would have been wise to offer her vocal protest of the impending war while on her own home soil or been a bit more diplomatic in her choice of words (she was just mere teenager at the time).

But she didn’t and the rest is history.

Their public image was forever tarred and feathered forcing them to reroute their music career. Conservative radio talk show hosts crucified the Dixie Chicks for being unpatriotic and treasonous. Country Music radio stations across America refused to play their music. Former fans crushed their albums with a bulldozer in a display of anger over Maines’ remarks.

I supported this outrage against the Dixie Chicks (especially when Maines called their fans "rednecks" in response).

But Natalie Maines never backed down in the face of all this hostility towards them.

She never apologized in hopes of saving their career in Country Music. She and her cohorts simply shifted gears and started another career in Pop Music and Country Alternative and have done quite well in fact. Their body of work speaks for itself.

Well Natalie Maines is back in the news folks, this time calling out the Country Music radio stations for not responding to the incendiary comments of Presidential candidate Donald Trump regarding what the Second Amendment folks might do to Hillary Clinton if she's elected President of the Untied States.

The fiery little lead singer posted the following tweet in response to Trump’s comments:

“I get banned for not liking Bush and now Trump can practically put a hit out on Hillary and he’s still all over country radio! Hypocrites!”

This time I agree with Natalie Maines; I agree that the glaring hypocrisy among conservatives that blindly support Trump’s words is appalling. The lack of protest among Conservative Radio talk show hosts or within the Country Music establishment itself speaks volumes.

Instead explanations of what Trump really meant to say are offered. 

Simply put Natalie Maines committed the sin of publically protesting a war that should have never been started in the first place while seemingly disrespecting a popular President at the time (at least popular among Conservatives).

You may disagree with the group’s politics and with Maines’ former activism but you cannot throw them under the bus while at the same time support a Presidential candidate that has verbally crossed the line more than once this past year:

From calling Obama the “father of ISIS” to encouraging Russia to hack into our Internet system to attacking a Gold Star family to suggesting (final straw?) what Second Amendment folks might do to Hillary once she’s elected: Where's the outrage now?

Natalie Maines’ 2003 comments about President Bush seem so lame in today’s world of politics and if spoken today I would assume they would go largely unnoticed.

Well this time I will not be wrong about Natalie Maines. 

Truth telling can be a tough business as she and her band know full well. It often creates painful consequences. It can damage one’s reputation and in today’s world can deplete one’s social media friend’s list.

So be it. 

Natalie Maines was right both times. She was right in 2003 and she is right in 2016.

I was wrong to judge her in 2003.

I am sorry Natalie, I was wrong!

I won’t be wrong in 2016!

The End of White Christian America

“Times, they are a changing.”

This in a nutshell is the central topic of Robert P. Jones’s new book, The End of White Christian America (WCA).

Unfortunately the title alone may dissuade many from reading this timely book, especially those like me: White and Mainline Protestant. I would strongly recommend, however, that you push through any reluctance you might have about tackling this important book and embrace it for what it is: A developing demographical snapshot of America today.

For me at least, The End of White Christian America helped me understand a troubling reality and helped explain why we are such a troubled nation today. In the words of Jones:

 “After a long life spanning nearly two hundred and forty years, White Christian America—a prominent cultural force in the nation’s history—has died.”

That’s a warning shot across the bow: The America in which most of us were born and raised no longer exists. The great shift in the demographic arrangement of our nation has already taken place.

The bottom line is simple: White Protestant Christians no longer are the dominant voice of our nation. We no longer maintain the position of majority privilege we so enjoyed since our nation’s birth.

According to Jones WCA began to show signs of eroding as the primary cultural force in American life in the 1960s (the decade that helped shape me as a young adult).

So when did WCA die? It died sometime during the first decade of the 21st century.

The ramifications of this death are still being felt and studied. It will take years before social scientists and historians sort out the consequences of the death of such a major cultural voice in our country.

Now please understand that neither Jones nor I suggest that the WCA voice no longer exists, but rather that it no longer exists as the dominant majority voice shaping the continuing American narrative.

“Times, they are a changing!”

So allow me to offer two of my personal conclusions from reading this excellent book:

One, the political landscape in America has been irrevocably changed. The face of the American political scene is going to progressively look different in the years ahead and sooner than many expect. My grandchildren will definitely live in a different America from the one I was born.

This alone will necessitate new political strategies for the near and distant future. Tired old political axioms and partisan strategies will need to die along with WCA.

We are now living on the exciting cutting edge of a new America. It’s unfolding before our very eyes!

Both existing political parties are going to have to account for this massive shift in American demographics. The current Presidential election cycle may very well represent the last gasp attempt of a dead WCA trying to hold onto its place of privilege in the American political landscape. Time will indeed tell.

Two, the religious landscape in America has been irrevocably changed. I’ve known for many years now that the religious landscape in America was shifting in ways that confused and confounded many Mainline and Evangelical leaders. Most experts agree that the Mainline Church is near death. It currently is on life support and should be under Hospice palliative care.

Evangelical Protestantism is not long for this world either. It has a way to go before finally succumbing, but it will happen. The forces of cultural demographic change are too strong to resist at this point. Denial and anger seems to be the Evangelical response to date, but sooner or later it will need to move healthily towards acceptance.

I cannot predict what is to come in terms of WCA accepting its own demise. There no doubt will be anger and confusion as folks experience the disintegration of a assumed homogeneous white culture that has characterized our nation for the past couple hundred of years—at least in the minds of WCAmericans.

Personally I do not find the end of WCA a threat. Times change. They always do. I find tremendous hope in the possibility of realizing a political and theological vision that is large enough and expansive enough to include folks of all different stripes. I do not see the death of WCA as a threat to my personal white American way of life. I see it as a healthy challenge for the future of us all.

Diversity is a gift. America is the land of diversity. There should never be one dominant cultural voice in charge, white or otherwise. There should never be one dominant political party ruling the roost. There should never be one dominant religious tradition making the rules for us all. We need diversity in politics and we need diversity in religious experience as well. A diverse culture is a healthy culture.

Thank God for The End of White Christian America, both as a book and as a social reality. I would hope that you would find the courage to read this wonderful book and draw your own conclusions.

What's the Big Deal With Political Correctness Anyway?

What’s the big deal with political correctness anyway?

How many times have I heard some of my friends and family complain about how politically correctness is “ruining America”?

Really?

Ruining our great nation?

They aren’t angry over our excessive consumptive habits, or our addiction to violence and war, or the existence of pockets of excessive poverty in America, or systemic and structural racism in our country, but rather they are angry over something as benign as “political correctness”?

I mean really, you’re angry over this?

Sorry, I don't share in your angst.

Recently I viewed a disturbing video of folks leaving  a political rally. It was ugly and vulgar to say the least. One rally attendee held  his middle finger high in the air as he repeatedly yelled, “F*** political correctness, F*** political correctness”!

The young man was beside himself. His face was contorted with anger as he displayed his obscene gesture and repeated his filthy mantra. Many bystanders (noticeably all white) cheered him on. It was an ugly scene.

Really, do people actually get this angry over political correctness? 

Is it an issue worthy of such venom and vitriol?

Well pardon my bluntness but I don’t give a damn about this so-called "political correctness". 

I really don’t!

I really don’t care. But rather let me tell you what I do care about:

I care about honoring, protecting, and respecting the integrity of other human beings, especially those unlike me. This is what I care about and when anyone violates any one of these things I become angry.

I care that the things I might say and do in public might exclude anyone from the table of fellowship (metaphor) that our Constitution guarantees. Now this may not always be politically expedient or even correct, but it is a positive way to speak to another’s self-respect or to another’s personal value or to another’s right to sit at the table with me.

My neighborhood recently hosted a peace and unity vigil in the wake of the increased racial tensions in our country. I was impressed that a few of the residents organized the event with poetry readings, readings from the Bible, and prayers. A sheriff’s deputy also spoke.

One young pastor prayed a really good prayer for peace and unity. But then he ended his prayer by saying:

“I pray this prayer in the strong name of Jesus who saves.”

Great, this works well for Christians, right?

But by praying in the “Strong name of Jesus” he inadvertently or unknowingly excluded anyone attending the ceremony that may not have been of the Christian faith.

I don’t know if there were any non-Christians, or Jews, or Muslims attending but the prayer could have been more sensitive to the possibility of a non-Christian's presence.

Okay, I do not intend to criticize this young pastor. I have done the same thing as a younger pastor myself, but here is an excellent example of how the spirit of political correctness can protect and respect others unlike me.

The people who are not happy with political correctness, and this may shock some, are mostly white people. Quite frankly I have never heard an African American or a Hispanic complain about political correctness. I am sure there may be a small sampling of each demographic that has a negative  opinion about political correctness.

However, political correctness is mostly a white issue. 

But it is time for us white folks to stop complaining about being urged to become more inclusive in our actions and our words.

As a follower of the Inclusive One (Jesus) I consider it my responsibility to act and speak in ways that include everyone to join me at the human table of fellowship; actions and words that honor and respect another's basic humanity.

It remains incumbent upon me to be inclusive in as many ways as I possibly can. I do this because the One I have chosen to follow is the embodiment of inclusivity. If you care to complain that this kind political correctness annoys you then have at it.

You see it is important to me to honor the inclusive nature of God’s grace that has been shed upon us all. No one person, or one class of people, or one demographic, or any one Christian tradition, or any one religious tradition has exclusive ownership on God's all inclusive grace.

You will never hear me complain about political correctness so long as it is used as a tool for inclusiveness.

You will hear me though complain when I hear and see word or actions that intentionally divide and exclude others—especially from those who claim to follow the Inclusive One.