Friday, February 3, 2012
Almost a year!!!
I really am not a good blogger, as it has been 10 months since I last posted. I shall try and get here more often!!! The Contrarian Clergyman!!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Once Upon a Time...
Once upon a time there was a boy... the youngest of 2 boys, who loved to play soccer. He practised his ball skills every day outside the house. He kicked the ball against the side of the house hundreds of times, and each time the ball would come bouncing back at him. But then, on the 101st kick, the ball sailed a little too high and hard, and it went through the living room window.
About that time, the boys father came home. Upon seeing the broken glass, and surveying the damage, the father was filled with an unspeakable rage. He ran to the sports cupboard, found a 'louisville slugger' (baseball bat) and went to find his son. He was so grieved at the broken window, that he decided that his son should be punished.When the father found the boy (who was hiding in fear of his father), he lifted the bat and began to swing it towards the boys head, as a baseball player would do when pitched a baseball. Suddenly, the boys brother appeared, and grabbed the bat in mid swing.
The father, so full of anger, agreed that this would be ok... and proceeded to bash the older brother to death, swinging blow after blow against his body til his head was caved in, his ribs were broken, his legs smashed, and his body destroyed. The Father stopped beating the older brother only when the boy was completely dead.
The younger brother was filled with praise and admiration for his murderous and sadistic father, and sang songs of joy... O Father O Father, you loved me so much that you punished my older brother because I broke the window. What mercy and compassion and love and grace you have shown me through this wonderful and amazing action.
The end.
There has GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY for us to understand this. Enough said.
(ps... thanks for the idea, Tim Brassell and Bill Winn)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
My Response to John Piper on Japan (warning... may cause some to call me a heretic)
Now before you lump me solely on the side of Rob Bell, I’m not. I’ve now read (a fair portion of) Love Wins, and have encountered moments (as has my colleague Casey Taylor) of AMEN, moments of not sure, and moments of ‘erm… riiiight’. However, I think ‘Love Wins’ adds a legitimate voice into the wider debate. It bears mentioning that I’ve
had the same 3 moments reading everyone from C.S Lewis to Bishop John Shelby Spong (although the ‘erm… riiiights’ far outweighed the amens there). I’ve disagreed and agreed with Spurgeon, with Finney, with Origen and, shock horror gasp… John Wesley. I’ve even had difficulty with some of the things written by my mentor Baxter Kruger!
And yes – many people who have heard me preach on the local church or national church stage have the same amens and misgivings about what I come out with sometimes. I don’t contend in this to say I am always right… we are all looking through a ‘dim glass’. I can only write on what I believe to be true.
This post however is not about Rob Bell… it’s about John Piper. And it’s about some of the shocking and terrible things he has publically said about the tragedy unfolding in Japan. Now, in interests of brevity, I won’t put his whole blog entry on the subject within this blog, but I will highlight some of the things that made me feel quite ill. And so you can check things yourself, I’ll even link to the whole blog over at Desiring God at the bottom of the page.
Piper begins by calling Christians to feel empathy toward Japan… to weep with those who weep. He quite rightly calls us to send aid. But he really starts to veer off the beaten track when he quotes Luke 6:27 – Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
Now wait just a minute Mr Piper. Japan hates us? Really? And you know this because? I thought the second world war was over 65 years or so ago, and didn’t realize that we were supposed to look upon the people of Japan, PEOPLE GOD CREATED AND GOD LOVES as enemies. Woe betide anyone of Asian descent to enter your church building John, lest they feel the weight of your condemnation upon them. Could you look a faitful Japanese Christian in the eye - one who is bereaved - and say that, "God killed your mother, your son, your daughter, your Father, your wife, your friends, because he was supremely angry at you and your country"?
Claiming that people want answers to this tragedy, Piper continues – saying that the bible is not silent on the issue of earthquakes. In fact, by quoting Luke 8:25 (Jesus calming the storm) and some OT scripture, he attempts to make his case that God is the one who sends calamity. Therefore, by Piper’s own hand and mouth, he believes that God destroyed Japan.
The following scriptures are quoted by Piper to make his case that God is in the business of mass murder.
He is wise and brings disaster (Isaiah 31:2);
All his works are right and his ways are just (Daniel 4:37).
However, he unfortunately misses these scriptures.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He takes pity on you. He won't destroy you. He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He takes pity on you. He won't destroy you. (Joel 2:13)
And a direct quote from Piper is thus… Therefore,God has a good and all-wise purpose for the heart-rending calamity in Japan onMarch 11, 2011 that appears to have cost tens of thousands of lives.
Piper also believes that the destruction of life in Japan is directly linked to Job 1:21 – the verse so famously used by neo-calvinists to hurt, maim and decapitate people in crisis. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
This is something that Job most definitely said – trying to work out why in the world everything he once had has gone.
His sense of it all is to say that it must be God. WE KNOW BETTER. In fact, we have an all important clue at the beginning of Job to understand this story. It is evil that targets Job, in order to have Job recant his faith and turn his back on God. It is not God taking away. There is a huge difference between God knowing (or even allowing) that something is happening, or God willingly making it happen.
In the same book (3rd chapter), Job also cursed the day he was born. He thought that it was better he died at birth than be subjected to such suffering. If we use the same biblical analysis employed by Piper on this chapter, then we
can safely say that abortion for children who will be born with medical problems is ok. I don’t believe that to be true – and neither I would suspect does Piper… but this is where his own exegesis leads. In the 7th chapter, Job in his depression talks about taking his own life – suicide. Better he die now than keep suffering. Again, using Piper’s own method of exegesis, we should tell anyone suffering with depression and mental illness that its ok to think about and contemplate suicide.
Why then – do we take one verse from Job as defining of Gods character (the Lord gives and the Lord takes away), but not another – like Job 3:4 - That day—may it turn to darkness;may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it. Should we now not say that there was a particular day – the day of Job’s birth – that God couldn’t care less about? After all, Job said it and it’s written there in the bible…
 |
| Is this the action of a good God? |
Piper goes on to say (in terms of the earthquake in Japan) that…The thunder-clap summons to fear God is a mercy to those who live. And what then is it to those who died? Extreme Judgment? God’s wrath poured out on all he hates?
Now… not everything Piper says is (in my humble opinion) up the creek without a paddle. For instance, he is quite right when he says… When the earth shakes under our feet there is a dramatic sense that there is no place to flee. In most disasters the earth is the one thing that stands firm when wind and flood are raging. But where do you turn when the earth itself is unsafe? Answer: God.
But here again is where Piper and I depart. He then calls Christians to repent, or (quoting Luke 13:3) we will all likewise perish. Wait a cotton picking little minute here. What????? Let me say again… Piper calls Christians to repent or face the firey hell that Piper loves to preach.
Should Christians be called to account for their sin, and repent. Yes. Will Christians burn in (Piper's) hell for their many and varied sin? Well, no. Jesus has already dealt with that. Those of us who know and love Jesus, also know that despite living under grace, we still do stupid and foolish things. God constantly calls us back, bids us repent, but in no time in the foolish sinning are we thrown away by God like pieces of trash.
Without staring down the track of the old C v A debate, this certainly doesn’t line up with Piper’s precious doctrine (dogma) of irresistable grace. (which, though sounds nice, is deadly… it means that God chose a few people to be with him, and damned everyone else. That means that God did not so love the world, he loved just a bit of it and to hell with the rest. Irresistable grace means that some are predestined to be saved by God, and others will just burn for eternity – and nothing they can do, not even accepting Christ (Piper would contend they can’t), can change that fact).
God constantly reminds us, through the Holy Spirit to keep coming back (repent), back, back to his mercy and grace, where the prophet Joel writes he will not do unto us evil – Joel 2:13 (see above).
Piper goes on to say that in Christ, empathy, aid and answers meet. I agree – but not with Piper’s view that God so hated the world that he destroyed his son. No, that is not a direct comment from Piper, but the only way you can justify a full penal substitutionary atonement view of the sacrificial death of Jesus.
And so… in terms of this particular earthquake… what do I say (not that what I say means much, but here goes).
We live in a fallen world… one that is rife with strife and disaster. Life is fragile, and all too often, we see the needless and senseless loss of life. Is God pulling the strings and killing his creation? No… in a way, we chose to walk this path of fragility. And God in his extreme kindness and mercy chose to walk it with us.
Hurricane Katrina was not God’s judgment on New Orleans for the Mardi Gras. If it were so, God’s a little long sighted, as that part of N’orlens was largely untouched. Unfortunately (to follow that line of thinking), God was off by a few miles and accidentally hit the homes of poor people in the 9th ward hardest.
And this earthquake was not God dishing out justice on the enemy of John Piper, Japan. It was the movement of tectonic plates, deep beneath the surface of the earth (they do that, you know... its a fallen world folks that aches and groans) that caused the mountains to shake and the earth to tremble.
Is God absent from Japan… no. He is alive and active in the lives of the rescuers, those who are afflicted and desperately missing their loved ones. He weeps with those who weep, mourns with those who mourns, and promises again to keep walking with us on this dangerous road we find ourselves on.
I began this piece by saying that John Piper was a brother in Christ to me, and he is. But though sincere in his belief, I still believe him severely wrong. Make no mistake, Piper would not consider me his Christian brother (he made that VERY clear to Rob Bell). But, as a pastor on both a local and a larger stage, I would like to make one warning.
Stay away from the damaging and heartless theology of John Piper and those like him. It is false teaching. It will lead you to a life of condemnation… and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
Unlike Mr Piper, I will not bid him farewell from the Christian stage, as he so eloquently did to Rob Bell, rather I would call him back to the amazing and marvelous grace of God poured out for me, for you, and indeed for John Piper.
One last comment though Mr Piper… God didn’t kill my own son to teach me some kind of lesson either. But through
Sam's death, I have experienced the love and mercy and grace of God poured out over me and my family. God didn’t do it – but God sure is using it still (after the fact) to bless others.
The Contrarian Clergyman
March 24, 2011
(the link… http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/japan-after-empathy-and-aid-people-want-answers)
One more thing. Every dollar you give through UMCOR to the Japanese Crisis goes to direct relief aid. Please give!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Christmas Letter, 2010
Each Christmas since he died, I've written Sam a letter. This is the 4th. I also read it as my sermon this morning at St Pauls UMC, Brighton. This was the hardest sermon/letter I have ever preached.
***
Dear Sam…
Merry Christmas boy! No, that doesn’t work anymore. Merry Christmas young man. At 14 years old, This would have been your 15th Christmas – so I guess you’re not a little boy anymore… but not yet a grown man either.
Everyone seems to say that time went by this year so quickly! I guess that’s true for me too. Here I am writing my 4th Christmas letter to you. That means 4 Christmases without your cheeky grin, 4 Christmases without your silly jokes, and 4 Christmases without … you.
Lot’s has happened this year. We moved – again. I’m sorry to tell you this Sam, but we now live in Illinois. When we first realized that God was calling us to live here, I was very frightened. There are 50 states in America – so why in the world would God call us to the one state that represents the very worst of everything to our family… the state where we said goodbye to you, my sweet boy. I’m still not quite sure why God has called us here, but here we are anyway, believing still that God can turn the ashes of our pain into something beautiful and something good.
You would like it here Sam. Lots of snow – and I remember how much you loved the snow. And lots of really great people. You’d like Isaac. He reminds me so much of you. There’s a lot going on in his head, just like there was a lot going on in yours.
You’d probably like Mr Parres as well – but not for the same reason. He keeps complaining that my sermons are too long… so you both have something in common there.
Laura is in 7th grade this year. She looks older than she actually is, so I’m looking forward to her getting braces on her teeth in 2011. Those things will hopefully dumb her age back down a bit to its rightful place! Oliver is doing ok as well. He just turned 10 – and he loves the same things you did. Video games, practical jokes and Spongbob! In less than a year, he’ll be older than you were. I’m not looking forward to November the 20th – the day that he too will be 11 years, 1 month and 16 days old.
Siri lives with us now. She is from Sweden. We’ve had fun getting to know her, and she fits right into our family – of course, she doesn’t replace you – she just makes our lives feel a little more complete having 5 people in the house. I’m sure you would have loved doing your impression of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets for her!!
And Mum – well, she’s still preaching. This is her second year in. They seem to like her at the new church – probably because she preaches shorter sermons than I do!!
Some great things have taken place recently too. The church graciously built a new addition onto the parsonage – it’s like living in a new house!
I also started insulin pump therapy in October, and my HBA1C level dropped almost 4 whole points in 8 weeks. Can you believe that – 4 points. From 11.2 to 7.3. That’s a Christmas miracle all by itself right there.
Anyway, your your Christmas letter this year Sam serves 2 purposes. Not only is it the continuation of the tradition of writing this letter to you each holiday season, it’s also doubling as my sermon the Sunday before Christmas.
I was supposed to be talking about the angels appearing to the shepherds in the fields, but as I sat to write that sermon – nothing came. I even started looking on the internet at other people’s sermons to see if I could get any inspiration from them – but, nothing. Then I realized that perhaps one of the reasons that I couldn’t write the sermon was because for the last few days, all I’ve really thought about is writing this letter.
As I read about the angels over the hills of Judea, I was struck by the first words that came from Gabriel’s mouth. “Do not be afraid”.
Well Sam, I’m still frightened. I’m frightened every time Laura and Oliver leave the house – wondering if they will ever come back. I’m frightened Every time I hear a strange dog barking – thinking that your brother has been attacked and left to die again.
On Friday, Oliver got his fingers stuck in the door at the parsonage. When I heard him cry out in pain, I leapt up from the table and ran toward the sound – thinking for a brief second that it wasn’t him hurting, but you. He sounded just like you when you used to hurt yourself. I was relieved that he was ok… but completely crushed that Oliver was standing in the doorway, and not you. As I cuddled Oliver on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his hand, the weight of fear was so paralyzing I couldn’t move. What if I lost him too – or Laura – or Mum?
Do not be afraid… it’s hard to read those words at Christmas, especially when I’m so afraid of facing another Christmas without you…
Lot’s of people are afraid of Christmas Sam, just like I am. For some, like us, there’s an empty chair at the Christmas table reminding us that someone is missing. Some of us have faced that empty chair for years, but others of us are still new at this. The empty chair – your empty chair – represents the loss of my hopes and dreams for you and our family. Your chair tells me I’ll never welcome a beautiful girl into our family who will love you and take care of you… I’ll never spoil the children you will never have… and I’ll never be able to rely on you to take care of me when I can no longer take care of myself.
Even though the angel told the shepherds not to be frightened, I bet they still were!
But there was something about their song that night that contained no fear… in fact, the message Gabriel spoke and the song the angels sang quietened their fears and caused their hearts to leap with joy. Fear not - I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Peace… peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
I find great comfort in that song Sam. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
Those shepherds didn’t go to sheep handling school to be shepherds. None of them had degrees in veteninary science. In fact, no-one wanted to be or set out in life to be a shepherd. It was a dirt, grotty, ugly job – sitting out in the fields all night making sure the dumb sheep didn’t run away. The pay was lousy, the conditions were terrible… it was a miserable job.
And in the middle of the shepherds sad and unhappy lives, the angels sing…
Peace… peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
I don’t know how this peace thing works Sam – but I know that even in the midst of fear, God can bring peace. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
Lots of us are hurting this Christmas Sam… but in the middle of painful memories, the angels are singing, “Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”
This year Sam, as I look at the empty chair, I’ll picture you sitting in Jesus lap holding the Christmas present that both he, and you, have prepared for me this year. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. The same gift given to the shepherds out in the fields that night… Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. The same gift given to each of us here this morning. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
The sad and miserable shepherds had their hearts filled with joy when the angels sang their song of peace. Jesus had been born – the one who had been promised since forever!! And God had chosen to tell them.
This wonderful gift of peace won’t take away the pain we each feel Sam, but I’m thankful that the gift of peace will remind us that God is still with us, even when we’re sad and miserable - holding us as we hurt and cry and struggle and grieve and mourn – especially at a time like Chrismtas.
I know that this is a strange way to end my letter to you, but perhaps we should let people come and pray this morning to receive that peace. To let God soothe their broken hearts with the message of good news – that unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor – mighty God – eternal Father – Prince of peace.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Sam – and I pray that before a blink of an eye, I too will be sharing Christmas again with you – in a place of no more tears and sadness.
Lots of love, Dad.
***
Merry Christmas boy! No, that doesn’t work anymore. Merry Christmas young man. At 14 years old, This would have been your 15th Christmas – so I guess you’re not a little boy anymore… but not yet a grown man either.
Everyone seems to say that time went by this year so quickly! I guess that’s true for me too. Here I am writing my 4th Christmas letter to you. That means 4 Christmases without your cheeky grin, 4 Christmases without your silly jokes, and 4 Christmases without … you.
Lot’s has happened this year. We moved – again. I’m sorry to tell you this Sam, but we now live in Illinois. When we first realized that God was calling us to live here, I was very frightened. There are 50 states in America – so why in the world would God call us to the one state that represents the very worst of everything to our family… the state where we said goodbye to you, my sweet boy. I’m still not quite sure why God has called us here, but here we are anyway, believing still that God can turn the ashes of our pain into something beautiful and something good.
You’d probably like Mr Parres as well – but not for the same reason. He keeps complaining that my sermons are too long… so you both have something in common there.
Laura is in 7th grade this year. She looks older than she actually is, so I’m looking forward to her getting braces on her teeth in 2011. Those things will hopefully dumb her age back down a bit to its rightful place! Oliver is doing ok as well. He just turned 10 – and he loves the same things you did. Video games, practical jokes and Spongbob! In less than a year, he’ll be older than you were. I’m not looking forward to November the 20th – the day that he too will be 11 years, 1 month and 16 days old.
Siri lives with us now. She is from Sweden. We’ve had fun getting to know her, and she fits right into our family – of course, she doesn’t replace you – she just makes our lives feel a little more complete having 5 people in the house. I’m sure you would have loved doing your impression of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets for her!!
And Mum – well, she’s still preaching. This is her second year in. They seem to like her at the new church – probably because she preaches shorter sermons than I do!!
Some great things have taken place recently too. The church graciously built a new addition onto the parsonage – it’s like living in a new house!
I also started insulin pump therapy in October, and my HBA1C level dropped almost 4 whole points in 8 weeks. Can you believe that – 4 points. From 11.2 to 7.3. That’s a Christmas miracle all by itself right there.
I was supposed to be talking about the angels appearing to the shepherds in the fields, but as I sat to write that sermon – nothing came. I even started looking on the internet at other people’s sermons to see if I could get any inspiration from them – but, nothing. Then I realized that perhaps one of the reasons that I couldn’t write the sermon was because for the last few days, all I’ve really thought about is writing this letter.
As I read about the angels over the hills of Judea, I was struck by the first words that came from Gabriel’s mouth. “Do not be afraid”.
On Friday, Oliver got his fingers stuck in the door at the parsonage. When I heard him cry out in pain, I leapt up from the table and ran toward the sound – thinking for a brief second that it wasn’t him hurting, but you. He sounded just like you when you used to hurt yourself. I was relieved that he was ok… but completely crushed that Oliver was standing in the doorway, and not you. As I cuddled Oliver on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his hand, the weight of fear was so paralyzing I couldn’t move. What if I lost him too – or Laura – or Mum?
Do not be afraid… it’s hard to read those words at Christmas, especially when I’m so afraid of facing another Christmas without you…
Lot’s of people are afraid of Christmas Sam, just like I am. For some, like us, there’s an empty chair at the Christmas table reminding us that someone is missing. Some of us have faced that empty chair for years, but others of us are still new at this. The empty chair – your empty chair – represents the loss of my hopes and dreams for you and our family. Your chair tells me I’ll never welcome a beautiful girl into our family who will love you and take care of you… I’ll never spoil the children you will never have… and I’ll never be able to rely on you to take care of me when I can no longer take care of myself.
But there was something about their song that night that contained no fear… in fact, the message Gabriel spoke and the song the angels sang quietened their fears and caused their hearts to leap with joy. Fear not - I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Peace… peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
I find great comfort in that song Sam. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
Those shepherds didn’t go to sheep handling school to be shepherds. None of them had degrees in veteninary science. In fact, no-one wanted to be or set out in life to be a shepherd. It was a dirt, grotty, ugly job – sitting out in the fields all night making sure the dumb sheep didn’t run away. The pay was lousy, the conditions were terrible… it was a miserable job.
And in the middle of the shepherds sad and unhappy lives, the angels sing…
Peace… peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
Lots of us are hurting this Christmas Sam… but in the middle of painful memories, the angels are singing, “Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”
This year Sam, as I look at the empty chair, I’ll picture you sitting in Jesus lap holding the Christmas present that both he, and you, have prepared for me this year. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. The same gift given to the shepherds out in the fields that night… Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. The same gift given to each of us here this morning. Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.
The sad and miserable shepherds had their hearts filled with joy when the angels sang their song of peace. Jesus had been born – the one who had been promised since forever!! And God had chosen to tell them.
This wonderful gift of peace won’t take away the pain we each feel Sam, but I’m thankful that the gift of peace will remind us that God is still with us, even when we’re sad and miserable - holding us as we hurt and cry and struggle and grieve and mourn – especially at a time like Chrismtas.
I know that this is a strange way to end my letter to you, but perhaps we should let people come and pray this morning to receive that peace. To let God soothe their broken hearts with the message of good news – that unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor – mighty God – eternal Father – Prince of peace.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Sam – and I pray that before a blink of an eye, I too will be sharing Christmas again with you – in a place of no more tears and sadness.
Lots of love, Dad.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Empathy - The Heart of the Incarnation
My friend Rev Bob Morwell of Union UMC in Quincy IL wrote a particularly insightful blog. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. Rev. Contrarian
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Empathy: The Heart of the Incarnation
In the wake of the thwarted terrorist attack on a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Portland, one of my brothers asked on his Facebook page, "What motivates people to do this kind of thing?"
A few people will simplisticly claim that what motivates them is religion in general, or Islam in particular. But religion also motivated Mathama Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa...who weren't exactly the bomb-throwing types. Nor are the overwhelming majority of Muslims. In fact, on the morning of the attempted attack, members of the local Muslim community in Portland had been passing out brochures condemning terrorism and promoting peaceful relations between faiths, at the very spot where the bomb was to have been detonated. They would have been murdered, too.
Clearly, there is no easy answer to the question of motivation. Some of the terrorists have come from backgrounds of war, trauma, cruelty, grinding poverty and oppression, and have clearly had their consciences dulled by their dreadul experiences.
War does that, even to the "good guys." I remember touring the German city of Dresden, which was firebombed toward the end of World War II by waves of British and American bombers. The Allies high command would later admit that the city had no real strategic value, and that they knew it was filled with thousands of refugees from other cities that had been detroyed because they did have such value. The raid was what one veteran bomber pilot I knew called, "aerial terrorism." And tens of thousands of refugees were incinerated.
The Dresden raid was simply an atrocity. At the beginning of the war, such an act of slaughter would have been deemed unthinkable by the Allies. But years of brutal, dehumanizing conflict had so desensitized them by the last days of the war, that it became both thinkable and doable.
The same psychology probably applies to many terrorists.
But some have not lived through such dehumanizing cruelty and violence. Some, like Osama bin Laden himself, even grew up in wealthy, privileges circumstances. What drives them?
In some cases, I suspect their good fortune also desensitizes them to the suffering of others. They have a huge sense of entitlement. They grow angry and resentful when the world doesn't conform to their wishes, and they consider other people to be little more than instruments to be used to carry out their wills. They have simply never been taught to really care about other people that much.
In both cases, it boils down to a lack of empathy...the ability to understand at a bone deep level the feelings, needs, hopes, and fears of others and to appreciate their validity.
Empathy is the ability to get inside another person's skin to some extent and see the world as they see it.
As Christians, we believe in a God who is not a distant and detached Deity who watches us with a mixture of scorn and pity. Sympathy is often a mixture of both. We may feel sorry for those less fortunate, blessed, or powerful than ourselves, but we also find it easy to judge them and assume that their suffering is somehow deserved...while ours is not.
Empathy requires us to "close the distance" between ourselves and others and to fully share in their joys and pains. It requires us to be frighteningly vulnerable.
The story of God becoming incarnate in a desperately poor peasant child, born to an oppressed people, whose legitimacy was an object of gossip, is a story of divine empathy. God does not appear in divine splendor and unapproachable power, but in the humblest and most vulernable of forms, to fully share in the human experience.
That vulnerability would eventually take him to a cross, dying an excruciating, all-too-human death, fully feeling the physical, emotional, and spiritual agony that can be part of anyone's life.
Jesus is the expression of divine enpathy.
True love is not easy. It requires empathy. Without it, even the noblest of ideals, philosophies, ideologies, and theologies can become monstrously perverted and in describably evil.
While the causes of terrorism are not easily explained, I think the lack of empathy is tied up in them. And, if our response to terrorism is simply to try to kill the bad guys...we will fall into that same trap.
Yes, we have every right to defend ourselves from these murderers. But, we don't need to think and feel like them. We need to be better. Our response must be tempered with love. We must find ways to give people hope when all they think they have left is blind rage.
God knows, that is not easy. God paid a price for loving us despite our lack of empathy for one another. But, we were also given hope.
I submit that St. Francis, who was in his earlier life a self-centered playboy and a war veteran and former POW, offers us a prayer that speaks to our need for empathy, and the courage it requires. I invite you to take a moment to pray it now...
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
-----
Empathy: The Heart of the Incarnation
In the wake of the thwarted terrorist attack on a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Portland, one of my brothers asked on his Facebook page, "What motivates people to do this kind of thing?"
A few people will simplisticly claim that what motivates them is religion in general, or Islam in particular. But religion also motivated Mathama Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa...who weren't exactly the bomb-throwing types. Nor are the overwhelming majority of Muslims. In fact, on the morning of the attempted attack, members of the local Muslim community in Portland had been passing out brochures condemning terrorism and promoting peaceful relations between faiths, at the very spot where the bomb was to have been detonated. They would have been murdered, too.
Clearly, there is no easy answer to the question of motivation. Some of the terrorists have come from backgrounds of war, trauma, cruelty, grinding poverty and oppression, and have clearly had their consciences dulled by their dreadul experiences.
War does that, even to the "good guys." I remember touring the German city of Dresden, which was firebombed toward the end of World War II by waves of British and American bombers. The Allies high command would later admit that the city had no real strategic value, and that they knew it was filled with thousands of refugees from other cities that had been detroyed because they did have such value. The raid was what one veteran bomber pilot I knew called, "aerial terrorism." And tens of thousands of refugees were incinerated.
The Dresden raid was simply an atrocity. At the beginning of the war, such an act of slaughter would have been deemed unthinkable by the Allies. But years of brutal, dehumanizing conflict had so desensitized them by the last days of the war, that it became both thinkable and doable.
The same psychology probably applies to many terrorists.
But some have not lived through such dehumanizing cruelty and violence. Some, like Osama bin Laden himself, even grew up in wealthy, privileges circumstances. What drives them?
In some cases, I suspect their good fortune also desensitizes them to the suffering of others. They have a huge sense of entitlement. They grow angry and resentful when the world doesn't conform to their wishes, and they consider other people to be little more than instruments to be used to carry out their wills. They have simply never been taught to really care about other people that much.
In both cases, it boils down to a lack of empathy...the ability to understand at a bone deep level the feelings, needs, hopes, and fears of others and to appreciate their validity.
Empathy is the ability to get inside another person's skin to some extent and see the world as they see it.
As Christians, we believe in a God who is not a distant and detached Deity who watches us with a mixture of scorn and pity. Sympathy is often a mixture of both. We may feel sorry for those less fortunate, blessed, or powerful than ourselves, but we also find it easy to judge them and assume that their suffering is somehow deserved...while ours is not.
Empathy requires us to "close the distance" between ourselves and others and to fully share in their joys and pains. It requires us to be frighteningly vulnerable.
The story of God becoming incarnate in a desperately poor peasant child, born to an oppressed people, whose legitimacy was an object of gossip, is a story of divine empathy. God does not appear in divine splendor and unapproachable power, but in the humblest and most vulernable of forms, to fully share in the human experience.
That vulnerability would eventually take him to a cross, dying an excruciating, all-too-human death, fully feeling the physical, emotional, and spiritual agony that can be part of anyone's life.
Jesus is the expression of divine enpathy.
True love is not easy. It requires empathy. Without it, even the noblest of ideals, philosophies, ideologies, and theologies can become monstrously perverted and in describably evil.
While the causes of terrorism are not easily explained, I think the lack of empathy is tied up in them. And, if our response to terrorism is simply to try to kill the bad guys...we will fall into that same trap.
Yes, we have every right to defend ourselves from these murderers. But, we don't need to think and feel like them. We need to be better. Our response must be tempered with love. We must find ways to give people hope when all they think they have left is blind rage.
God knows, that is not easy. God paid a price for loving us despite our lack of empathy for one another. But, we were also given hope.
I submit that St. Francis, who was in his earlier life a self-centered playboy and a war veteran and former POW, offers us a prayer that speaks to our need for empathy, and the courage it requires. I invite you to take a moment to pray it now...
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I should write a blog...
My brain is tired.
My sugar levels are elevated.
I have a headache.
My right knee is playing up (again).
All of this to say, God loves me despite my physical frailty.
I could complain more, but I have backed up episodes of CSI to watch!
Monday, November 22, 2010
I Hate Kids!
Actually, Bob here may say he hates kids, but in actual fact, good ol' crabby 'rough around the edges' Bob is one of the best youth group helpers/leaders I've had the pleasure of meeting.
I got thinking about Bob tonight when I led the Pioneer Club at St Pauls. Pioneer Club is for school aged kids up to 6th grade, and is held on Monday evenings under the leadership of Saint Phyliss of Graham. I went along to teach some songs in preperation for our Christmas eve programme, and to talk about Australia.
Years ago, I was a member of the South Australian Synod Commission for Ministry with Children (SCMC for short). I was even invited and priviliged to be part of a group that helped form and prepare one of the important documents dealing with the safety of care and children in churches for the Uniting Church of Australia. My time serving in both these capacities, I think, was reasonably fruitful.
Theory... I can handle the theory of ministry with children. But practical hands on ministry... little kids (big confession here) drive me NUTS!!!!! How do you work with 5 and 6 year olds who have the attention span of 1 second per year of life!
It really is not my 'cup of tea'. I hope what I did this evening made sense, planted seeds, helped to lodge the idea in kids minds that God truly loves them... but if I had to help with Pioneer Club every Monday night, I may go completely insane!!!!!!!!!
And so what!
I might be the pastor (one of them), but that doesn't mean I have to be gifted in every area of church life. In fact, if I or Mrs Reverend Contrarian did everything, ran everything, and controlled everything at St Pauls, we would be quite the picture of a dysfunctional, non-relational and essentially un-christian church. We're just 2 ordinary people, with skills and giftings in some areas, and deficiency and disorder in others (you should see the state of our office!!).
In the bible is a concept commonly called the 'priesthood of all believers'. Basically, this means that we are all called to be ministers of the gospel in all situations in our lives. An ordination certificate, license, an M.Div of theology degree, a prayer by a guy in a purple shirt or some kind of religious ceremony maketh no man or woman fit for ministry.
What makes us fit for ministry is the presence of Jesus in us, through us, with us and around us.
We are all called into ministry - that doesn't mean all of us should be pastors (I think the jury is still out on that one in regards to me...), but it does mean that God could not care less whether someone has the word Reverend, Bishop, Doctor, Minister, Youth Pastor or Superintendent before their printed name. God, really, is no real respector of titles. What God desires is simply a willing and submissive heart as the pre-requisite for being released into real ministry. And real ministry is not just preaching, or serving communion (though for some of us it is) - real ministry is daily encountering the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, and allowing others to observe, witness and experience that same Spirit in us.
A good friend of mine was recently named the 2010 Distinguished Evangelist of the Year for the United Methodist Church. Now that's a pretty cool title... and the recipient of such, Rev. Shane Bishop from Christ Church UM in Fairview Heights IL, deserved such an accolade. Thankfully, I know (well, I think I do...) Shane's heart well enough to be sure that this title and honor, whilst important, means diddly squat in terms of Shane's ministry. Nice to have on the wall, nice to write into a CV, nice to hand on to the Grandkids one day, but in terms of the reality of ministry, its just a bit of paper with some fancy writing on it. It won't change Shane's direction or heart or love for Jesus one little bit. Award or not, he would still have continued tirelessly in the ministry that God (not the UMC) had/has called him too.
I appreciate people like Shane! I appreciate them because this kind of stuff changes nothing about how they see or treat the world around them. Shane will still be Shane - one called and equipped by God - long after the paper the award is written on yellows with age.
Unfortunately, I've met plenty of people who are not like Shane. Like the well known clergyman down under who interviewed me on his television show a little while back. I beleive I said perhaps 3 words during the whole 30 minute interview! It was all about him - what he's done, how important he is, and how he is going to change the world. This man tried to recruit me to serve with him on his pastoral team - and I ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could.
Or the other guy I met here in the States on the day the youngest contrarian of the family was attacked by wild dogs and almost killed. This certain individual, who is known to almost every Christian in the western world, insisted on praying for me and my family. Problem was, he kept forgetting the name of Mrs Reverend Contrarian, and the prayer itself felt like he was demanding God to work because of who he (the man, not God) was! Very disturbing.
Anyway... this blog took off in an interesting direction, and I should bring it to a close.
I'm glad I'm not perfect, that I am not gifted to do everything and be everything to everyone. I'm grateful to people like St Phylis of Graham who runs our childrens program at St Pauls (because I couldn't do it!). I'm thankful for people like Bob, who despite his grumbling and complaining, is investing into the lives of teenagers in his community, and allowing them to see how the Holy Spirit is knocking off his rough edges one by one.
But most of all, I'm humbled that God would choose me to help shepherd a congregation of believers... where we are discovering that it takes all sorts and all kinds to be a true community of faith - where the presence of God truly dwells and lives!
(now, to prepare for the next Pioneer Club.....)
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