The Dreadlock King

I’m reading Scripture using the Moravian Text this year and really enjoying it. Today’s passage in Daniel recounts the story of King Nebuchadnezzar who was changed and became like an animal because of his pride. Scripture records the king’s thoughts in Daniel 4:30, which says, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Someday I would love to know exactly what happened to the king that made him grow dread locks as long as eagle’s feathers and some very creepy fingernails. However, that’s not really the point of the story.

The point of the story is this: a king who had received God’s blessing used that blessing to build something for his own glory, which eventually led to his undoing because of his pride. Rather than giving credit to God for his favor, he claimed all the glory for himself. Rather than recognizing the role others had played, he acted as though he alone had given Babylon to the world. God did not tolerate such pride, and Nebuchadnezzar soon found himself living like an animal with the animals.

So I ask myself, how many times have great people been undone by their pride? How many times has someone built something for their own glory and honor and then to preserve it, destroyed the very thing they loved. I can’t help but think of the Penn State horror in those terms. I also think of various ministries over the years, ministries that once enjoyed God’s blessing, but which eventually became the object of his opposition. More painfully, I ask myself the same question: what peril do I risk because of my own pride, and what blind spots have been created because of my unwillingness to recognizing God’s blessing in my life? Lord, teach me the truth of Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The Stigma Of Anti-Myso-Phobia

Reverend Mark Schroeder, President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), recently wrote an article trying to explain their synod’s position on the Roman Catholic Church. Recent media reports have catapulted this small Lutheran group into the national spotlight, partially because of Michelle Bachmann’s one-time membership in it, and partially because any denomination that thinks the RCC is the anti-Christ is just too interesting to pass up. Schroeder explains:

“First, the papacy claimed to speak with an authority—even infallibility—that was equal to or surpassing the Word of God itself. By doing so, it put itself in a position of being “anti” or “in place of” Christ. Second, the papacy claimed there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church, making membership in a human organization a condition for salvation. Third, in emphasizing that faith and obedience are necessary for salvation, the papacy undermined the very heart of the biblical teaching that salvation is by God’s grace alone and comes to individuals through faith in Christ alone.”

For these rationally-held, kindly expressed views, anyone that’s a part of this group has been pegged an “anti-Catholic bigot.” It seems you cannot disagree with anyone these days, without being pegged as an “anti-____ bigot.” To disagree with the teachings of the Quran is to be “anti-Muslim.” Of course that’s only a short step away from the p-word, phobic. To disagree with homosexuality is to be homophobic. From there you graduate to the m-word, “mys.” To disagree with current culture on the roles of men and women is to be a misogynist.

All this to say the claims of Scripture are not popular. However, their popularity does nothing to enhance or diminish their truth. 1Peter 1:24-25 says, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” Schroeder sums their doctrine this way: “We believe that our doctrines cannot be tempered by political correctness or modified to align with changing culture or public opinion.”

For a complete transcript of Reverend Schroeder’s comments, click here.

Jesus’ Baptism & Landmines

On Tuesday, July 12, 2011 Israel opened up the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism for daily visits. No small task. Not only did it take coordination with the Israeli army, it also required the removal of a number of land mines located near that site, all costing somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.3 million dollars. In one sense it’s a sad commentary on the human situation, but in another sense, it makes perfect sense. Jesus came to earth because of landmines. And abuse. And war. And wickedness expressed in a thousand other ways. I’ve never been to the holy land and I imagine it’s something very special, but even more special is the fact that God chose to suffer with us and because of us, to save us from ourselves and take us to be with him. What a savior.

Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife

New Atheists have an old list of “abusive” doctrines they feel compelled to attack. One of those, the doctrine of heaven and hell, has a special place on the list. That a loving God would judge and punish those who do not serve him, even though, all in all, they live a decent life, seems terribly oppressive and so last century. However, the New Atheists are hardly the first atheists to complain about the doctrine they see as a way for church leaders to coerce their flock into doing what they want.

This renewed pressure concerning the biblical doctrines of heaven and hell has led to several responses by the church. For some, restating the traditional teaching of the church is enough. Some do so with contempt, others with stoic resolve. Still others argue that eternal punishment is not eternal–those God condemns are destroyed in the fire and cease to exist. Others suggest that God is much bigger than the name given to him by one particular religion. As such, like the spokes of a wheel, multiple approaches, followed sincerely, will get you to “God.”

How is a Christian to respond to all this wrangling and turmoil? The single most important thing we can do is to search the Bible for our answers. What I can or cannot believe God is like makes very little difference. What you can or cannot believe God would do also makes very little difference. After all, as Scripture attests, there is a God, and it’s not me. We certainly have the option to believe that God is what we hope He is, but that’s risky business, especially considering the eternal implications. Instead, we must search Scripture for God’s revealed truth and then determine whether we will submit to what it says, or choose to take a less radical approach.

Over the next month and a half I want to explore this hot (sorry) topic with you. If you have questions related to the topic, please post them to this blog, and I will try to get to them in the series.

Time Magazine’s 2010 Person of the Year

The five front runners for Time Magazine’s 2010 person of the year says everything about where we are as a nation. The list, in alphabetical order, is:

1. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey, who decried Israel after their raid on a flotilla ostensibly sent to give aid to those living in Gaza.
2. Lady Gaga, the 24 year old pop icon who is the first star ever to get 10 million fans on Facebook, and whose videos have been viewed online more than 1 billion times.
3. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.org, the website that has published nearly half a million pages of information about torture in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as personal emails from people like Sarah Palin.
4. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, co-founders/producers of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, who took an anti-Tea Party approach to the media and conservative pundits.
5. Glenn Beck, the conservative radio talk show host who wrote a thriller, started his own online university, and drew thousands of people to the Rally To Restore Honor.

A quick glance at those five candidates might leave you bewildered about where we are and what we value as a nation. The truth is we no longer value things as a nation; we value things as individuals and as tribes, if I might use that word. Conservatives, liberals, those who don’t care and would rather watch a flashy show–what brings us together? Maybe…maybe our desire for better economic times, but even then we can’t agree on how to make that happen.

So what are we to do? First, we use our voice to influence our system in the direction we believe is best. That’s what we would encourage anyone to do. Second, rather than despairing and isolating ourselves from those who see the world differently, we extend the love of Christ and give the reason for our hope–with gentleness and respect.

Sometimes I wonder what sort of world my children, and even my grandchildren, will inherit. What I do know, is that the only hope for the world is God’s transforming power working in the hearts of people.

Now, Lady Gaga or someone else?