Knowing the bible is important. Thinking critically about theology, social issues, and practical applications is important. But at the end of the day, Christians must love the Christ.
This should be self-evident, but following Jesus and loving Jesus, in our post-Christian, post-modern, pluralist society, are no longer inextricably linked. Today, anyone can be a follower of Jesus. Any peace-spouting, love-thy-neighbor-toting, self-sacrificing athiest can consider himself a follower of Jesus, if following Jesus means liking (most of) what he said. One doesn't have to be a Christian to appreciate Jesus' teachings or to attempt to imitate his life. You can follow Jesus with your head - intellectually assent to his wisdom - without ever changing your heart.
To love Jesus, however, involves an entirely different level of devotion, of obedience, of self-denial, and of worship. To love Jesus is to delight in him, have a passion for him, derive pleasure from him; to savor him, to adore him, to serve him. Loving Jesus is hard because it requires us to stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on him. Put another way, following Jesus involves the choices that we make, emphasizes the responsibility that we have; but loving Jesus is solely centered on worshiping who he is.
A Christian must love Jesus more than she loves herself.
This means loving Jesus more than we love being right. More than we love our own preferences, our own opinions, our own judgment on how we think the world (and God) should work. We need to love Jesus - his words and his ways - more than we love what we want.
Too many Christians think that they are loving Jesus when they criticize his church, his beloved bride and his very body. We think we are loving Jesus when we observe the letter of the law and forget about his spirit. We convince ourselves we love Jesus even while we ignore his commands in order to live according to the world's wisdom. We think we love Jesus when we do good works and yet, avoid our own sin.
Christians, do you truly love Jesus? Is he your first love? Do you prize him more than yourself and your ways? Is it more important to know him than to know any other thing? Is it your determined purpose to know Jesus, that you may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his person more strongly and more clearly, that you may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from his resurrection, so that you may so share his sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into his likeness, even to His death (Philippians 3:10)?
How I pray that this is your prayer! For Christians who love Jesus are more powerful than a thousand armies, or governments, or peace-loving followers, because those Christians are fully submitted to Christ, and it is HE who is at work in them, rather than their own flesh. Reading the bible is nothing without the love of Christ; knowing how to argue well is nothing without the love of Christ. As the apostle Paul said, "knowledge makes us arrogant, but love edifies"; and again, "If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." (both quotes from Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church).
Let us remember, not only to love as we want to be loved, but to bury ourselves in love with Jesus.
Monday, September 26, 2011
04.01.10 Faith Matters Part 2: Think Critically
In addition to not taking the bible seriously, modern day western Christians also fail to think critically about most issues. I think this is actually a cultural problem, in which we are not teaching young people how to think for themselves. Instead, we attempt to cajole, persuade, or force others to agree with our viewpoint, and rather than learn how to have an intelligent debate, most people simply react (often emotionally) and choose the opposite stance, with little support or rationale.
With Christians, the issue is compounded because when a Christian does not take her bible seriously - does not read it for herself, does not ask the Holy Spirit to give her wisdom and understanding - then she is at danger of simply following what someone else tells her to believe or blindly rejecting anything that doesn't agree with her (emotional) opinions. This is why so many Christians in the USA can come to associate Jesus with a political party and why so many accept a watered down gospel.
So I want to take a moment to urge everyone to re-think how you take in, digest, and spit information (particularly theological information) back out. When you read a book, listen to a speaker, or engage in conversations --
With Christians, the issue is compounded because when a Christian does not take her bible seriously - does not read it for herself, does not ask the Holy Spirit to give her wisdom and understanding - then she is at danger of simply following what someone else tells her to believe or blindly rejecting anything that doesn't agree with her (emotional) opinions. This is why so many Christians in the USA can come to associate Jesus with a political party and why so many accept a watered down gospel.
So I want to take a moment to urge everyone to re-think how you take in, digest, and spit information (particularly theological information) back out. When you read a book, listen to a speaker, or engage in conversations --
- Acknowledge your biases. It is impossible to approach any issue objectively. We're human, and our minds, hearts, and life experiences predispose us to interpret what other people say through our own subjective lens. God is the only perfectly objective being in existence, and he created the absolute truth that we are striving to know. But this means that we must leave room for being wrong in our understanding. When we listen to others' opinions, we must be aware of how our internal prejudices are filtering their words and check ourselves to make sure that we truly understand what the other is saying before we respond to it. And we must do the best we can to evaluate how our biases affect our reactions.
- Recognize the other's biases. Whether or not the author/speaker will admit it, he, too, is communicating through a subjective lens. The more we can understand what has shaped another's opinion, the more we can evaluate the directions and degrees to which his interpretations are affected. We can also try to judge how much the person has attempted to move away from his subjectivity and how cricitically he has assessed his own situation. For example, when I hear someone speak on women's issues, and she begins her message with a lengthy exposition on the (perceived) oppression she was subjected to as a young woman, and she continues to use only emotional language to describe her current perspective, I have a difficult time giving her argument weight. She wants to move her audience to sympathy over her past and then use the wrongdoing of others to justify the opposing position. I can validate her unfortunate experiences without accepting her extremely subjective conclusion.
- Listen to all sides of the issue. There are at least two sides to every issue, and one can usually find intelligent folk who ascribe to both. If we only listen to those with whom we already agree, then we fail to recognize our own weaknesses (which are many). I find that it is helpful to regularly engage with respectful and insightful opponents, because I am challenged to defend my position and also to more seriously consider theirs.
- Consider the logical consquences of both sides. If a speaker is well-thought out and passionate about her opinion, then it is easy to be caught up in immediate agreement with her. [or, to the opposite effect, we can pick out specific statements that rub us the wrong way and then ignore the remainder of the argument] But a wise friend of mine has always advised me to "be careful with your 'therefores'." In other words, think through the logical conclusion of the idea presented. In order to do this, we must step back from the rhetoric, sort through the emotions, and simply attempt to spell out the logic of an argument. We must ask how a certain idea will practically work itself out.
- Compare notes with the bible. Ultimately, if we as Christians are to take the bible seriously, then we must hold up every interpretation, suggestion, and practice with the actual biblical account. We must read it, pray about it, and discover it for ourselves. We must ask the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to be our teacher, to "open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law" (Psalm 119:18).
03.25.10 Faith Matters Part 1: Take (an informed) Stand
I enjoy a good debate. I value listening to someone else's perspective, considering their viewpoint, reflecting on how that affects me, and responding appropriately. I often replay such discourses in my mind until I am satisfied that I have thought through every point that was mentioned. I think it is absolutely essential to human development to encounter and engage with different values, opinions, and beliefs.
What is supremely frustrating to me, however, is when the person with whom I disagree has little to no support for her position. Or, as the case may be, when her entire argument stems from an emotional reaction to the issue, rather than an objective consideration of the facts. Emotions are important and invariably have an effect on the decisions we make. But how someone else feels cannot persuade me to change my mind nor can it 'prove' in any equitable way that their position is more valid or more right than mine.
I could continue down a myriad of paths here, but I want to specifically address any Christians who read this blog. I regularly encounter Christians who do not agree, point by point, with some of my understanding of the Bible. That isn't a problem. What IS a problem - in my opinion, a VERY BIG problem - is when those Christians cannot give me any sound biblical rationale for their disagreement. Sometimes they quote authors they've read, or sermons they've heard, but more often than not, the response I receive is that it just doesn't feel right to them.
I am not going to mention a particular issue here, because my point is not to prove how right I am. But I am going, in no uncertain terms, to plainly state that I believe that Christians must take the bible seriously. This seems like a no-brainer to me. If you claim to follow Jesus, if you believe that he is the son of the God whose Holy Spirit authored both the Hebrew and Christian bibles, which both testify to his messiahship, then I do not understand how you can dismiss the teachings within them. I understand how you could feel challenged by them, how you could wrestle with them, how you could desire to resist them. But to believe in the Christ and claim to submit to his lordship - and then ignore, reject, or dismiss his written word...this seems like a paradox to me. The ultimate hypocrisy.
So let me say again: Christians - take the bible seriously! This means, to me -
What is supremely frustrating to me, however, is when the person with whom I disagree has little to no support for her position. Or, as the case may be, when her entire argument stems from an emotional reaction to the issue, rather than an objective consideration of the facts. Emotions are important and invariably have an effect on the decisions we make. But how someone else feels cannot persuade me to change my mind nor can it 'prove' in any equitable way that their position is more valid or more right than mine.
I could continue down a myriad of paths here, but I want to specifically address any Christians who read this blog. I regularly encounter Christians who do not agree, point by point, with some of my understanding of the Bible. That isn't a problem. What IS a problem - in my opinion, a VERY BIG problem - is when those Christians cannot give me any sound biblical rationale for their disagreement. Sometimes they quote authors they've read, or sermons they've heard, but more often than not, the response I receive is that it just doesn't feel right to them.
I am not going to mention a particular issue here, because my point is not to prove how right I am. But I am going, in no uncertain terms, to plainly state that I believe that Christians must take the bible seriously. This seems like a no-brainer to me. If you claim to follow Jesus, if you believe that he is the son of the God whose Holy Spirit authored both the Hebrew and Christian bibles, which both testify to his messiahship, then I do not understand how you can dismiss the teachings within them. I understand how you could feel challenged by them, how you could wrestle with them, how you could desire to resist them. But to believe in the Christ and claim to submit to his lordship - and then ignore, reject, or dismiss his written word...this seems like a paradox to me. The ultimate hypocrisy.
So let me say again: Christians - take the bible seriously! This means, to me -
- Know what it says. I am constantly amazed at how many church-attending Christians refer to the contents of the bible in the same generic terms as the twice-a-year (Christmas/Easter) average American. I'm not proposing that all Christians should be able to spout off the perfect scripture verse at the perfect moment - but some kind of regular reading of the book that's supposed to be guiding your life seems reasonable to me.
- Recognize its authority. Is the bible the word of God or not? If so, then what it has to say is more important than the teachings of culture, of family, of tradition, and even of our own experiences! Too many Christians only want to obey the parts of the bible that sound good to them and explain away the rest. But how is this different from non-Christians who like some parts of Jesus' teachings but completely neglect others? We head down a dangerous path when we pick and choose what is 'truth' out of the bible or when we place our own human opinions above God's perfect wisdom.
- Differentiate between interpretation and application. Because of our emotional prejudices, Christians often miss the solid interpretation of the bible because we are too concerned with what we assume the practical repercussions will be. Interpreting the bible requires us to understand the context of the original hearers but also to understand the purpose and the principle that is being expressed. Sometimes, the bible is simply describing what took place, while other times, it is prescribing a timeless command. In order to differentiate between the two, we must be familiar with the entire bible. We must also simply read the text and ask, as objectively as possible, what is being said. Without a proper understanding (interpretation) of scripture, we cannot hope to apply it well. I find that when I try to discuss the interpretation of the bible, Christians often argue with me about the application instead. For example, various churches differ on whether both men and women, or simply men, can serve as elders in the church. Most Christians I encounter have made this a gender issue. But I would argue that this is actually an issue of how one defines eldership; or, more exactly, how one interprets biblical eldership. Churches on both sides of the debate have been swayed by culture just as frequently as by biblical teaching; but more troubling is the number of Christians who have an opinion that is completely ignorant of any biblical influence. If you are going to have an opinion on the application of the bible, then you better know what the bible says and have some intelligent interpretation of it!
03.09.10 A Change is Gonna Come
My husband and I do not make New Year's resolutions for much the same reason, I suspect, as why we do not celebrate most holidays. We believe in taking responsibility for our relationship, our choices, and our habits every day of the year and not just on the national 'you-should-do-this' day. However, just over two months into 2010, I have realized that there is definitely something new and wonderful and beautiful happening in our home.
Michael and I are both apprehensive of schedules, avoid to-do lists, and generally reject time-imposed routines. Translated, this means that neither of us is able to commit to any daily activity or task that is not related to human necessity. The result is that we have a lot of spontaneous fun and experience time freedom - but lack the discipline to change or to acquire habits with any degree of success. This has been a source of individual frustration and marital tension, on and off, for the better part of our 9+ years together.
But in this, our tenth year of marriage, we are changing. Something happened, in a sort of slow, under-appreciated, and easy to miss way. I have noticed that each of us, separate of the other, has made intentional - indeed, radical - decisions to discipline ourselves in areas that were previously great weaknesses. For most of this new year, we have been steadily working towards improving ourselves, changing our daily lifestyle, and just simply blessing the other person. I know we have shared our choices with each other, so it's not been some secret or surprise, but as I reflect, I am amazed that each of us had the personal motivation to move in this direction. At the same time. But not necessarily together or because of the other.
What a great encouragement! First of all, I am encouraged that the Holy Spirit has been working on my heart. I had struggled over the last 6 months with feeling purposeful, and the discipline that I have been acquiring over the last 2 months has literally changed the way I wake up in the morning, not to mention the way I use my time throughout the day. I feel empowered and strengthened in the grace of Christ to fulfill the calling he has on my life as a wife, mother, minister, and artist. It's freeing and challenging all at once!
Additionally, I am so proud of my husband and am finding even more reasons to fall in love with him. I see him feeling encouraged in his personal disciplines, and I am excited for what lies ahead for us. I am reminded that 10 years of marriage is just the beginning, and that God is still hard at work in us. We have the opportunity to counsel so many couples, and I love that we can share how 'long' it has taken us to change, so that we can encourage them to keep at it!
This year has been a fresh start for us. One that we didn't plan or expect or even think we may have needed. It feels like a great big renewal, a giant "spring cleaning" of our hearts that overflows into our home -- and hopefully pours outward onto everyone else!
Michael and I are both apprehensive of schedules, avoid to-do lists, and generally reject time-imposed routines. Translated, this means that neither of us is able to commit to any daily activity or task that is not related to human necessity. The result is that we have a lot of spontaneous fun and experience time freedom - but lack the discipline to change or to acquire habits with any degree of success. This has been a source of individual frustration and marital tension, on and off, for the better part of our 9+ years together.
But in this, our tenth year of marriage, we are changing. Something happened, in a sort of slow, under-appreciated, and easy to miss way. I have noticed that each of us, separate of the other, has made intentional - indeed, radical - decisions to discipline ourselves in areas that were previously great weaknesses. For most of this new year, we have been steadily working towards improving ourselves, changing our daily lifestyle, and just simply blessing the other person. I know we have shared our choices with each other, so it's not been some secret or surprise, but as I reflect, I am amazed that each of us had the personal motivation to move in this direction. At the same time. But not necessarily together or because of the other.
What a great encouragement! First of all, I am encouraged that the Holy Spirit has been working on my heart. I had struggled over the last 6 months with feeling purposeful, and the discipline that I have been acquiring over the last 2 months has literally changed the way I wake up in the morning, not to mention the way I use my time throughout the day. I feel empowered and strengthened in the grace of Christ to fulfill the calling he has on my life as a wife, mother, minister, and artist. It's freeing and challenging all at once!
Additionally, I am so proud of my husband and am finding even more reasons to fall in love with him. I see him feeling encouraged in his personal disciplines, and I am excited for what lies ahead for us. I am reminded that 10 years of marriage is just the beginning, and that God is still hard at work in us. We have the opportunity to counsel so many couples, and I love that we can share how 'long' it has taken us to change, so that we can encourage them to keep at it!
This year has been a fresh start for us. One that we didn't plan or expect or even think we may have needed. It feels like a great big renewal, a giant "spring cleaning" of our hearts that overflows into our home -- and hopefully pours outward onto everyone else!
02.27.10 How Would Jesus Vote? Part 2
Another huge reason that I find it difficult to be a Christian in a secular democracy is that I feel like the issues that our politicians campaign on are usually symptoms of bigger problems that they cannot fix. So how would Jesus vote on issues that aren't the real issues and that don't (and can't) address the actual issue?
For example, I strongly believe that all humans are made in the image of God, and, as such, that all human life is sacred, and that God makes life begin at conception. So I am anti-taking of all human life, at any stage, for any reason. Technically, this makes me anti-abortion, anti-death penalty, anti-war, and anti-euthanasia. As far as I'm aware, there is no political party in the USA that stands for all 4 of these positions.
Even I am very gray on most of them. Take abortion, for instance. While I believe that killing innocent life is wrong, I also believe that we should be concerned with why this is happening in the first place. Well over half the abortions in this country occur in unmarried, minority women under the age of 25. A part of me feels that Jesus is more concerned with how our culture ignores the sanctity of sex, ignores the many emotional and psychological reasons that young women enter (or are forced into) the sexual act, ignores the cycle of unhealthy sex relationships in the black community - that Jesus would rather we address these failures (which no government can do) than simply vote against abortion.
The death penalty is similar. Back when criminals were publicly and gruesomely executed, and crimes were much more straightforward, the death penalty may have been a deterrent. But I believe that the type of crime we deal with now in the USA is different than what was faced 100 years ago. I believe that all of us have it within us to commit crimes, to choose to act with evil intentions. There is evidence which suggests that the natural human propensity towards wrongdoing is increased in environments of violence, abuse, and neglect. I believe that 21st century criminals - in many cases - became offenders because of a combination of their instinctive 'bad'-ness and the evil which was inflicted upon them. Removing them from society by killing them - a poor retribution, in my opinion - does not address the failure of our society to help them, protect them, or heal them when it mattered, long before their first criminal act.
And what about euthanasia? (this is not a big political issue in this country, but it's something I wrestle with) As a Christian, if I had some incurable, painful disease or was in an irreversible coma - let me go home to Jesus! Seriously. Why keep my body alive if I can't live?
I feel like this post is a little scattered. But this is a real conundrum for me - voting wisely, living gracefully, imitating Jesus. I would appreciate your thoughts!
For example, I strongly believe that all humans are made in the image of God, and, as such, that all human life is sacred, and that God makes life begin at conception. So I am anti-taking of all human life, at any stage, for any reason. Technically, this makes me anti-abortion, anti-death penalty, anti-war, and anti-euthanasia. As far as I'm aware, there is no political party in the USA that stands for all 4 of these positions.
Even I am very gray on most of them. Take abortion, for instance. While I believe that killing innocent life is wrong, I also believe that we should be concerned with why this is happening in the first place. Well over half the abortions in this country occur in unmarried, minority women under the age of 25. A part of me feels that Jesus is more concerned with how our culture ignores the sanctity of sex, ignores the many emotional and psychological reasons that young women enter (or are forced into) the sexual act, ignores the cycle of unhealthy sex relationships in the black community - that Jesus would rather we address these failures (which no government can do) than simply vote against abortion.
The death penalty is similar. Back when criminals were publicly and gruesomely executed, and crimes were much more straightforward, the death penalty may have been a deterrent. But I believe that the type of crime we deal with now in the USA is different than what was faced 100 years ago. I believe that all of us have it within us to commit crimes, to choose to act with evil intentions. There is evidence which suggests that the natural human propensity towards wrongdoing is increased in environments of violence, abuse, and neglect. I believe that 21st century criminals - in many cases - became offenders because of a combination of their instinctive 'bad'-ness and the evil which was inflicted upon them. Removing them from society by killing them - a poor retribution, in my opinion - does not address the failure of our society to help them, protect them, or heal them when it mattered, long before their first criminal act.
And what about euthanasia? (this is not a big political issue in this country, but it's something I wrestle with) As a Christian, if I had some incurable, painful disease or was in an irreversible coma - let me go home to Jesus! Seriously. Why keep my body alive if I can't live?
I feel like this post is a little scattered. But this is a real conundrum for me - voting wisely, living gracefully, imitating Jesus. I would appreciate your thoughts!
02.09.10 How Would Jesus Vote?*
I find it difficult to be a Christ-follower in a democratic nation.
In the first place, the entire history of God's people, as recorded in the Jewish and Christian Bibles, is one of strangers in a foreign land, most often oppressed by the ruling nation. The people of God were not involved with the politics of their countries ~ as far as I can tell ~ because they were not permitted to be. As a result, the Bible is relatively silent on how to be a responsible, involved, citizen.
Additionally, Jesus was apolitical. He criticized religious leaders, and he had a lot to say about individual relationships, but he stayed out of the political realm. He was once asked about the fairness of paying taxes, and he upheld the law; when (unfairly) persecuted, he did not resist the Roman process. He (and subsequently, his followers) repeatedly taught that this world is not our home, and that we should treat it as a temporary residence.
Fast forward twenty centuries, and the people of God, in the U.S.A., are some of the wealthiest people in the world. We can and do hold positions of incredible power. We have the right to vote on our leaders and often the policies of our nation. But how do we balance the high standard that God has on us, as followers and imitators of him, and the laws of our secular society? In other words, how would Jesus vote on issues of education, on health insurance, on the institution of marriage, on abortion, on war?
I believe that I know how Jesus feels about (most of) these issues. I believe that I know how he wants me to act with regard to them and how he would lead this country. But the United States doesn't worship Jesus. He isn't the ruler of this nation. So is Jesus more concerned with me, as a Christian citizen in a secular society, using my voice to try and bring his standards into the earthly government - or - would he rather that I use my spiritual authority to act wherever I can as a representative of his kingdom, my true home? In other words, do I vote to uphold the laws of heaven (how the country would look if it were run by Jesus) or do I vote with the heart of heaven towards the people of earth?
For example, I believe that God designed, intends, and desires marriage to be between a man and a woman. But I cannot find a secular (non-Judeo-Christian) reason to only support heterosexual marriage. I also believe that God is both merciful and just. So when I consider this society, which does not recognize God's design for marriage, I wonder if I should have the merciful and just heart of God with regard to the issue of gay marriage. It seems very unmerciful and unjust - in a secular nation - for committed gay couples to be unable to become citizens of the U.S. (when one partner is a foreigner), or to be unable to adopt children, or to not share health insurance, or any other right which a married couple enjoys. Even though I believe that, in God's kingdom, gay couples would not be married, do I work to bring heaven to earth by upholding the law or by acting in grace?
The tension increases for those Christians who are politicians. Just as a Christian doctor would choose not to perform an abortion, should Christian politicians only vote according to biblical standards? I do see a difference between acting as a citizen in this nation versus as a legal representative, because I believe that leaders will be held to a higher account for their influential decisions. So I pray for our leaders, Christian and non, because I know I would not be able to walk that line with confidence.
In the end, I am ultimately thankful that I am not looking to the government to solve the world's ills or save society; my trust rests solely in a God who can change hearts and bring peace. And I have hope that whatever choices I make come election time, God is more concerned with my heart towards him and my life of praise, rather than the outcome of specific political battles.
*This post will be one in a series of political topics. I intend to discuss the tension I feel as a Christian in a non-Christian society, rather than put forth specific political ideals or uphold certain political parties. Because I believe that Jesus - and, therefore, the church at large - is apolitical, I struggle to know my role in this democracy.
In the first place, the entire history of God's people, as recorded in the Jewish and Christian Bibles, is one of strangers in a foreign land, most often oppressed by the ruling nation. The people of God were not involved with the politics of their countries ~ as far as I can tell ~ because they were not permitted to be. As a result, the Bible is relatively silent on how to be a responsible, involved, citizen.
Additionally, Jesus was apolitical. He criticized religious leaders, and he had a lot to say about individual relationships, but he stayed out of the political realm. He was once asked about the fairness of paying taxes, and he upheld the law; when (unfairly) persecuted, he did not resist the Roman process. He (and subsequently, his followers) repeatedly taught that this world is not our home, and that we should treat it as a temporary residence.
Fast forward twenty centuries, and the people of God, in the U.S.A., are some of the wealthiest people in the world. We can and do hold positions of incredible power. We have the right to vote on our leaders and often the policies of our nation. But how do we balance the high standard that God has on us, as followers and imitators of him, and the laws of our secular society? In other words, how would Jesus vote on issues of education, on health insurance, on the institution of marriage, on abortion, on war?
I believe that I know how Jesus feels about (most of) these issues. I believe that I know how he wants me to act with regard to them and how he would lead this country. But the United States doesn't worship Jesus. He isn't the ruler of this nation. So is Jesus more concerned with me, as a Christian citizen in a secular society, using my voice to try and bring his standards into the earthly government - or - would he rather that I use my spiritual authority to act wherever I can as a representative of his kingdom, my true home? In other words, do I vote to uphold the laws of heaven (how the country would look if it were run by Jesus) or do I vote with the heart of heaven towards the people of earth?
For example, I believe that God designed, intends, and desires marriage to be between a man and a woman. But I cannot find a secular (non-Judeo-Christian) reason to only support heterosexual marriage. I also believe that God is both merciful and just. So when I consider this society, which does not recognize God's design for marriage, I wonder if I should have the merciful and just heart of God with regard to the issue of gay marriage. It seems very unmerciful and unjust - in a secular nation - for committed gay couples to be unable to become citizens of the U.S. (when one partner is a foreigner), or to be unable to adopt children, or to not share health insurance, or any other right which a married couple enjoys. Even though I believe that, in God's kingdom, gay couples would not be married, do I work to bring heaven to earth by upholding the law or by acting in grace?
The tension increases for those Christians who are politicians. Just as a Christian doctor would choose not to perform an abortion, should Christian politicians only vote according to biblical standards? I do see a difference between acting as a citizen in this nation versus as a legal representative, because I believe that leaders will be held to a higher account for their influential decisions. So I pray for our leaders, Christian and non, because I know I would not be able to walk that line with confidence.
In the end, I am ultimately thankful that I am not looking to the government to solve the world's ills or save society; my trust rests solely in a God who can change hearts and bring peace. And I have hope that whatever choices I make come election time, God is more concerned with my heart towards him and my life of praise, rather than the outcome of specific political battles.
*This post will be one in a series of political topics. I intend to discuss the tension I feel as a Christian in a non-Christian society, rather than put forth specific political ideals or uphold certain political parties. Because I believe that Jesus - and, therefore, the church at large - is apolitical, I struggle to know my role in this democracy.
01.20.10 Work of Art
Nearly a decade ago, my husband and I vacationed in Italy (*sigh*). We stopped in Florence and decided to see Michaelangelo's David. Now, I know this is an important piece of art, and that Michaelangelo is a certified master, but honestly, I wasn't particularly excited to view this work. I later reflected that my apathy was due, in part, to my perceived familiarity with the sculpture. The David has to be one of the most recognizeable and popularly reproduced images ever. I think I felt like I had already "seen" it and had no need (desire) to get up close and personal with it.
My attitude was only reinforced upon discovery that the marble statue was not housed in a large and impressive museum, but, rather, in a wing of an art gallery in the city, entered through what appeared to be a side door from a narrow path. We came into the opening foyer, rounded the corner, and were suddenly confronted with one of the most famous pieces of Renaissance Sculpture. It literally took my breath away.
I was first taken aback by the sheer size of the figure. Seventeen feet is short enough that you feel the reality of its human representation but large enough that you are in awe before it. I simply stopped in my tracks, about 10 feet from the sculpture, and stared in silence. I was completely unprepared for the response that was welling up within me.
Just like the many visitors in the gallery, I didn't know how to take it all in. I circled slowly beneath him a few times, studying every detail of the form and commenting on the general beauty of appearance. At last, I took a seat across the room and, from a distance, continued to marvel at the art looming before me.
I'm no art student, but I am aware of some of the artistic impressiveness of this piece. The block of marble that Michaelangelo used had been neglected for twenty-five years, exposed to the elements in the yard of a cathedral workshop. Many other masters refused to touch the 'damaged' stone. The stance that the artist chose for his subject is apparently a more difficult form to carve, as it offsets the spine, shoulders, and general shape of the human body.
In short, David is clearly a masterpiece. We stared at him in wonderment for a solid 30 minutes, but I could easily have stayed all day. (this is saying alot, coming from me) As I gazed around the room, watching the many eyes that were fixed on the work of art, I suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
This sculpure has been studied, replicated, admired and appreciated for hundreds of years, and it will continue to be so. I am certain that countless people, artists and non, have taken pleasure sitting in that room, staring at this statue. When we view David, we not only react to what we are seeing, but also to the artist who created it. We comment on his talent, his brilliance, his perseverance (the work took 3 years to complete), his artistry, the beauty of the finished product.
No one would dare suggest that this statue simply appeared out of nowhere, or that, in sitting neglected for so many years, the wind and rain randomly affected that block of marble until it was formed into so perfect a human likeness. In other words, we stare at that lifelike - but lifeless - body and easily affirm that an artist created it.
Why, then, is it so easy for us to ignore the brilliant artistry of our own bodies? Why do we refuse to believe that a creator formed us, had a picture of us in mind and then designed us to that image? The human body is infinitely more complex and beautiful than the David, but we still insist that we are the result of happenstance, of atoms randomly colliding together.
I believe in logic. And I know I would be considered the most illogical person in the world if I insisted that the David was an accident of nature and not the product of personal, intentional, artistic design. So I am simply asking us to consider - if we look at a piece of art and cannot deny the artist who made it, then we must apply that logic to something more incredible, more difficult by far to produce, and conclude that we were created, on purpose, by the ultimate Artist.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
a psalm of David, praising God for his amazing artistry
My attitude was only reinforced upon discovery that the marble statue was not housed in a large and impressive museum, but, rather, in a wing of an art gallery in the city, entered through what appeared to be a side door from a narrow path. We came into the opening foyer, rounded the corner, and were suddenly confronted with one of the most famous pieces of Renaissance Sculpture. It literally took my breath away.
I was first taken aback by the sheer size of the figure. Seventeen feet is short enough that you feel the reality of its human representation but large enough that you are in awe before it. I simply stopped in my tracks, about 10 feet from the sculpture, and stared in silence. I was completely unprepared for the response that was welling up within me.
Just like the many visitors in the gallery, I didn't know how to take it all in. I circled slowly beneath him a few times, studying every detail of the form and commenting on the general beauty of appearance. At last, I took a seat across the room and, from a distance, continued to marvel at the art looming before me.
I'm no art student, but I am aware of some of the artistic impressiveness of this piece. The block of marble that Michaelangelo used had been neglected for twenty-five years, exposed to the elements in the yard of a cathedral workshop. Many other masters refused to touch the 'damaged' stone. The stance that the artist chose for his subject is apparently a more difficult form to carve, as it offsets the spine, shoulders, and general shape of the human body.
In short, David is clearly a masterpiece. We stared at him in wonderment for a solid 30 minutes, but I could easily have stayed all day. (this is saying alot, coming from me) As I gazed around the room, watching the many eyes that were fixed on the work of art, I suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
This sculpure has been studied, replicated, admired and appreciated for hundreds of years, and it will continue to be so. I am certain that countless people, artists and non, have taken pleasure sitting in that room, staring at this statue. When we view David, we not only react to what we are seeing, but also to the artist who created it. We comment on his talent, his brilliance, his perseverance (the work took 3 years to complete), his artistry, the beauty of the finished product.
No one would dare suggest that this statue simply appeared out of nowhere, or that, in sitting neglected for so many years, the wind and rain randomly affected that block of marble until it was formed into so perfect a human likeness. In other words, we stare at that lifelike - but lifeless - body and easily affirm that an artist created it.
Why, then, is it so easy for us to ignore the brilliant artistry of our own bodies? Why do we refuse to believe that a creator formed us, had a picture of us in mind and then designed us to that image? The human body is infinitely more complex and beautiful than the David, but we still insist that we are the result of happenstance, of atoms randomly colliding together.
I believe in logic. And I know I would be considered the most illogical person in the world if I insisted that the David was an accident of nature and not the product of personal, intentional, artistic design. So I am simply asking us to consider - if we look at a piece of art and cannot deny the artist who made it, then we must apply that logic to something more incredible, more difficult by far to produce, and conclude that we were created, on purpose, by the ultimate Artist.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
a psalm of David, praising God for his amazing artistry
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