caught somewhere between real life, simple faith, & raw emotion
Life Lessons
Life Sucks And Then You Die
013 years
Ever feel like you’re working on your doctorate at Life Sucks University? Let’s be honest, sometimes life sucks. I have discovered that this is a fact that most Christians don’t like to admit. They pretend that things are going better than they actually are. They pretend not to be mad at God.
They pretend.
>But sometimes life does suck. And to avoid the crisis of faith that this admission will inevitably bring on, they tell themselves (and probably you if you’re in the room with them) things like:
- God works in mysterious ways.
- Everything happens for a reason.
- This is a just test.
I think these phrases don’t bring any comfort. In fact, I think they bring even more frustration when you hear them and you’re in the middle of your life sucking. But sometimes life just sucks. Let’s just admit it.
>Plus, people who don’t follow Jesus would probably be more open to God if we were just honest.
I think we try to sell people a faith that doesn’t exist. We present this existence of no pain and no heartache if someone just follows God, but it just isn’t true. It isn’t real.
It doesn’t exist.
And in the process of selling a faith like this we actually set people up to fail in their relationship with God. Because sometimes life sucks-and eventually they will have another sucky experience-and they will walk away from God because we didn’t warn them (you can read more about that in this post). They will think that God isn’t real because of what we made walking with God look like. They will probably even think that God is mad at them.
>They will have a crisis of faith because of a false expectation that WE gave them.
Let’s agree not to do that. If we want people to develop a faith in Jesus that is enduring we have to be prepared to admit that sometimes life sucks:
- Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
- Sometimes things just don’t make sense.
- Sometimes there just isn’t a reason.
Sometimes your life will suck. Don’t avoid it. Don’t trivialize it when it happens in the lives of those around you. Just admit it and listen to them as they weather this storm.
Believe it or not, there is some comfort in admitting life sucks sometimes.
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Is “Trust In The Lord” Just A Cliche?
013 years
If you know a Christian you have heard the phrase, “Just trust in the Lord!” or “I’m just trusting in the Lord.” Honestly, it can be a little obnoxious. It is given either as advice or a statement of how they are dealing with a particular situation. Yes, it’s an odd thing to hear someone say–even foreign or weird sounding. But your bound to hear it or say it one day, if you are around or are a Christian. So what is trust? What does this really mean? Or how does it apply?
I define trust as:
“Belief in, reliance on, or acceptance of a particular circumstance, situation, or individual regardless of full knowledge of all the facts, whether they are, or perceived as, positive or negative.”
That’s from the Unapologetic Collegiate School of Hard Knocks Dictionary. The reality is many people believe, or say they believe, in God. But as soon as a difficult situation comes, or something doesn’t work out, they blame God immediately. They say things like, “Why are you doing this to me God?” or “Why do you hate me?” Somehow we have let ourselves come to the conclusion that we are entitled to the perfect life. And when it doesn’t happen we start to assign responsibility. The problem is, we’ve forgotten a very important principle through this wrestling and, in this process, we’ve set ourselves up for discouragement and failure.
The perfect life doesn’t exist on earth.
That’s called heaven, which is exactly why we trust God in the first place, right? Trusting Him gives us the hope of the perfect existence with Him, free from pain or worry, and also gives us strength until we get there. This helps us to stay focused and fulfill what it is we are meant to do while we live here in this imperfect world.
It can’t be the situation or circumstance that makes God real or not to us. It has to be how we handle the good and bad that comes our way that makes Him real. It shows that we are willing to trust no matter what happens. It’s easy to lean on God when the sun is out, there’s lots of money in the bank, our kids are getting A’s in school, and were on a Caribbean Cruise. But that’s not really trust.
Trust is made evident through testing, and testing comes through difficult situations.
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You Can’t When You Don’t
013 years
I had a realization that revolutionized my life. I share this whenever possible:
You can’t expect…your teenager not to talk back when you talk down to them.
You can’t expect…to get a raise when you always complain about your responsibilities.
You can’t expect…your wife to respect you when you don’t show her love.
You can’t expect…to have a better future when you dwell on the past.
You can’t expect…God to honor and bless you when you aren’t faithful.
You can’t expect…someone to be a friend when you don’t return phone calls.
You can’t expect…your kids to do better in school when you do their homework for them.
You can’t expect…God to give you wisdom and guidance when you don’t spend time seeking Him.
You can’t expect…to get ahead in life if you quit when it really counts.
You can’t expect…your kids not to watch too much TV when you’re a couch potato.
I don’t know if this makes much sense. But I have realized I can’t expect others to be someone I am not willing to be.
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Grace Over Karma…And Is U2 A Christian Band?
213 years
If you are trying to be a ‘cool’ Christian, you have to like U2. I mean really like U2. In addition, whenever talking about good and evil, you have to work in mentions of Mother Teresa or Hitler. This is especially true of Christian writers and speakers. Yes, I do all this in my first book. What can I say…it works! And yes, I really like U2. In fact, I’d say they’re my favorite band of all time. Hey, they always have been!
Christians are often perplexed over whether or not U2 is or was ever a Christian band. For example, there’s no doubt when listening to October that there are is an overt Christian theme running through each and every song. Now, Achtung Baby is another story. So when we can’t figure it out, we wonder whether some of the members of U2 are at least Christians.
Here are some very interesting and compelling comments from Bono taken from an interview captured in the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
Bono’s comments deal with the difference between the grace of God and karma. It is the difference between legalism (earning your place with God) and forgiveness (accepting the place He has given you because he simply loves you).
Here are some of my favorites:
- There’s nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
- … at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, so you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.
- if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s—. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.
- I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
- No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was the Messiah or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going:OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched
Very interesting and revealing words from Bono. They are thoughtful, concise and accurate. In fact, he gives me, a Christian since my teens, a run for my money in his understanding of the deep theology in all this. You can read more of the interview here.
Forget about karma, it’s all about grace.
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Does Church Matter?
013 years
I’m convinced most human beings are innately curious about spiritual things. We recognize there’s a spiritual element to life that can’t necessarily be explained; yet, it’s there nonetheless. We can even be drawn to it unknowingly.
After all, being part of a playoff baseball game in a stadium full of people is a spiritual experience of sorts.
That’s how I felt when the Red Sox finally won the World Series in 2004. I’m not even their fan, but I was rooting for them with my friend Bob, who’s diehard, and who told me they hadn’t won it since 1918. I was moved to my core with the rest of the fans when their team finally broke the “Curse of the Bambino.”
Getting a sneak peak at a highly anticipated movie in a packed theater can also be a spiritual experience.
In 1997, when my wife and I were dating, we got tickets to a preview showing of Titanic. It was intense, and the theater was silent the entire three hours. We all walked out quiet and somber. Without a doubt, it was spiritual like no other movie, which is why it’s still the highest grossing release of all time.
Watching your favorite band at a sold-out show can be a spiritual experience too.
It was for me when I saw U2 on their Joshua Tree tour at the Orange Bowl in Miami back in 1987. It was amazing. It took hours for the stadium to empty out because no one wanted to leave. We were moved deep down and didn’t want it to end.
Most people are interested in spiritual things on some level and curious to understand them more. And many of us recognize that church at least should be a nexus and catalyst for spiritual matters.
Just as joining a gym keeps us accountable in our health, church can keep us in check spiritually. It can help us attain healing and wholeness deep down. It seems to function much like a combination spiritual gym and hospital. It challenges and trains us to grow beyond who we are, so we can be better equipped to go out and meet the world each day. Doing life can be draining, so we need help in refueling. Doing life can be confusing, so getting a little guidance doesn’t hurt either.
That’s why I think church continues to play some part in many peoples lives. Certainly, you don’t have to go to church to be spiritual. But it’s hard for me to separate regular church attendance from my spiritual health over the years.
What do you think?
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Living With Faith Is Easier Said Than Done
013 years
In many ways, living with faith is an odd life-choice. So why am I a follower of Jesus Christ? Good question.
As difficult, confusing, and frustrating as my faith decision has been, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
Perhaps you believe in God from a distance. Sometimes I do. Since my initial decision, I’ve often felt far from him and his touch. The hard times in life and difficult decisions have brought long, lonely spiritual lulls. In fact, I feel like I’m having one now. I often wonder, is it self-inflicted? Or is this a desert in order to reveal what’s in my heart and flush out my pride, as it says in Deuteronomy 8:2? Sometimes this faith thing is exhausting.
Contrary to what many think, being a follower of Jesus is easier said than done.
There’s an abundance of cynicism, pessimism, and negativity out there. And I’m no exception. I’ve known a lot of confusion, anger, and frustration since I was young. I suppose many of the feelings were the result of family stuff, but I also know they’re common to this broken human experience.
It may defy logic and undermine intellectualism, but my faith has also brought clarity, peace, and comfort like nothing else. It has been the hope to inspire me on. As frustrated as I get, I can’t imagine not living with faith. I have to. I need it, honestly.
I believe everyone’s on a journey that brings him or her either closer to God or farther away. I believe that if you seek God with all sincerity and honesty, you’ll find him. I do. And I have. I also wish this for others, for everyone.
God will find you. Beyond logic. Beyond the discomfort. Beyond the mystery of exclusivity. Beyond theology. God will meet you.
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Lose Your Religion, Christian
113 years
I have an exercise for those that call themselves Christians (that’s me too). It won’t be easy. But it’s exactly the kind of thing we need these days, since the term has lost some meaning as you look across the landscape of our culture.
Christians, I challenge you to: Resist the urge to be yourselves.
More specifically, I challenge you to peel away the term “Christian” from your mind and remove it from your vocabulary. That’s right, ban it from your mind.
What! Why?
Stay with me…even take it up a notch from there.
Allow yourself to speak about your faith only when you’re asked about it. Now, I know Jesus has called us to have an influence on the culture around us, but can we do that without trying to ‘convert’ people with conversations we control? It seems impossible, but I think it can be done. In fact, it’s an echo of what the early church did after the death of Jesus. It’s as if they took to heart His words when he said to them, “All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” -John 13:35
Remember, the challenge is that you can’t initiate conversations about God or the like. So if no one’s asking why you’re different, you probably have some work to do on yourself.
Your actions and attitude will have to be the catalysts. But when people do ask about how you handle anger, stress, hardships, failures, successes, leadership, authority, and submission, you’ll have your chance to talk. When they wonder why you’re so forgiving and patient, why you won’t compromise, why you remain respectful, why you always have time to talk, why you always have time to just listen—you’ll have the opportunity to explain.
And since you can’t use the term “Christian,” you’ll have to creatively explain what’s going on in your life—and why. You’ll have to find different ways to describe it. It may take some thought, but you can do it.
And if people happen to say, “Oh, you mean you’re a Christian,” that’s fine. Don’t make a scene. Just go with it. It’s accurate. If they ask why you didn’t just say that before, be honest. Tell them you’re trying to redefine the term in your own life because of the bad reputation so many Christians have given Jesus and God.
This challenge will be difficult, but I believe it will work. And I’m willing to bet something revolutionary can happen, both in you and those around you.
If you really want to influence others in the name of Jesus these days, it will take desperate measures. You’ll have to redefine yourself.
So I challenge you to remove the term ‘Christian’ to describe yourself for a season, while still fulfilling The Great Commission (as it’s called). Do it for more than a week. Make it hard; do it for three months. That’s a good test. Even mark it on your calendar as a reminder.
Lose your religion, Christian.
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Don’t Be A Weiner!
713 years
If you’re totally unplugged, then you’ve missed the fact that over the last week Congressman Anthony Weiner has been in the news. It’s not for some groundbreaking legislative ideas or being promoted to some mega-important post in the President’s cabinet.
Congressman Weiner is in the news for sexting back-and-forth online with about 6 woman (that’s the number so far) and sending them risque pictures of himself. The pictures are weird and creepy. In fact, in one you can see in the background a picture of his his wife, his kids, and one with him Bill and Hillary Clinton. Most of these exchanges were young woman–and a couple were porn stars.
There are basically 3 problems with all this:
Problem # 1? He’s married.
Problem # 2? He’s a sponsor of KIDS Legislation (Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators).
Problem #3? He’s a member of Congress.
Regarding problem #1, that’s something between him and his wife. She’ll have to deal with that.
Regarding problem #2, that’s just weird being that he solicited these young woman (you can read the legislation text here on the actual government’s website). You can also view the screenshot from Congressman Weiner’s official website just in case all this gets taken down. I imagine it eventually will due to the irony of all this. But I want to drill down on Problem 3 a bit more.
Although I wish all the best for him and his problem, I think Congressman Anthony Weiner should resign because of what he did and all the lying he did about it up until now.
At this some people will say things like:
- Oh, this is just a personal matter.
- It doesn’t affect how he does his job.
- Hey, we all have a skeleton or two in our closet.
- Don’t judge!
Of course, we all know that if he was a Republican Congressman everyone (media, other members of Congress, etc.) would demand his resignation–and he would have a week ago. And that would be right, but that is another subject.
The point is, Congressman Weiner is a leader and leaders are held to a higher standard.
Government officials, military, ministers (priests, pastors, clerics, etc) are in areas of public leadership and should be held to a higher standard. For example, don’t we all get angry when some official has hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars in unpaid taxes? Anyone one of us regular little people would go to jail for this. But people like Congressman Charlie Rangel or Treasury Security Timothy Geithner get a pass. How about when a pastor embezzles money from his church or cheats on his wife with some hooker? That sure makes us mad. It makes me mad, and I am happy to see them take responsibility and step down, otherwise I feel like they are just a sham of a leader. That is truly taking responsibility. This is taking full responsibility. And Weiner refuses to this and is refusing to resign.
Leaders must live above the fray because at the core leaders tell us how to (or how we should) live, especially members of Congress. No, leaders aren’t expected to be perfect. But they should take responsibility when they aren’t.
How can some guy like Weiner who lies (who currently is still lying about the chain of events), is unfaithful to his wife (to some degree), and solicits relationships with young woman with the intent to exchange sexual messages and pictures. This speaks of his character–or lack of character. Now how can he tell us how to live, introduce legislation, or make deals with other members of Congress? What kind of message does this send to up-and-coming members of Congress? Or what kind of message does this send to our children? I mean, my kids laugh every time they hear his name on the news. That means I have to subtly explain why everyone is talking about him (and it isn’t easy).
This isn’t a guy with a simple little personality quirk or two (like being overly clean or a obsessive toy train collector) that made a mistake. A mistake implies something accidental or unintended. This is a hypocrite with consistently unhealthy and destructive behavior in a position of influence, power, and authority and he needs to go. Weiner needs to stop being a weiner and take responsibility for his weiner and resign. (Isn’t his name ironic, by the way?)
Don’t be a Weiner or a weiner. Be better than that. And if you are ever a weiner, take full responsibility.
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Can You Walk On Water?
013 years
A few years ago there was a story a pastor who gathered his entire congregation at the edge the ocean. He then proceeded to his big announcement: He was going to walk on water. He said he had a revelation that if he had enough faith he could walk on water like Jesus. With that he stepped off into the ocean…and drowned.
It is very sad, to be sure. It is also a bit stupid. It reminds of of the same ridiculous mindset of Harold Camping and his recent failed Rapture prediction. I bet there are many that find humor and irony in this. Not me. My heart goes out to this pastor’s family and his congregation–the true victims in this situation. But there is a lesson on faith here.
The nature of faith that has been communicated by many Christians is not true.
It is the idea of it being blind and, in being blind, it somehow manages to be somehow naive and overconfident at the same time. I believe faith should be ambitious and even aggressive in its application. I believe God loves when we take on challenges that stretch us and seem impossible, but we also need to balance this with a sober mind.
I would never mortgage my house and rent out a stadium to preach to thousands of people. That wouldn’t make sense for who I am and what I’ve done. That would be something for Billy Graham. But I can talk to my neighbor or coworker.
I think our approach to faith should be strategic in nature. We need to assess the situation, gather as much information as possible, and then plan our next step. It is perfectly all right for an endeavor to seem impossible, but it should also be peppered with a large amount of reason (believe it or not).
Too many times Christians step out into something totally beyond what God would expect from them. And then when they are in the thick of it, they call out for God to help them and clean up their mess. That’s not faith. That’s reckless and irresponsible.
We must finally keep in mind that faith is not supposed to seek it’s own glory; it is meant to bring honor to God. Of course, it is something we must exercise, but the exercise of it (faith) turns people towards God, not us.
So I am mulling over my next step. But I am trying to have a sober approach. I want to be ambitious, strategic, and humble. What’s your next move?
Take a step with me.
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So What About The Failed Rapture?
113 years
I’m about to talk a little religiously today due to current events. According to Harold Camping, this past Saturday (May 21st) at 6 PM was suppose to be the Rapture.
Who is Harold Camping and what is the Rapture?
Harold Camping is a Christian radio broadcaster. He is president of Family Radio. More important for dozens of years he has been a Bible teacher via the radio and a few television syndicates.
In Christian eschatology (study of the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell), the Rapture is a reference to the being caught up as referred to in the Biblical passage 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Most Christians believe that in the End Times, Christians of will be gathered together in the air to meet Jesus Christ. Probably, the primary passage used to support this idea is 1 Thessalonians 4:15–7, in which Paul cites “the word of the Lord” about the return of Christ to gather his followers:
…and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Yes, the Rapture sounds strange. For me, it is not essential Christian doctrine. What I mean is, it doesn’t affect my daily life or how I go about my desire to follow and be like Jesus. I don’t go around having long conversations talking about it. In general, I simply try to live with a sense of urgency because none of us knows how many days we have left. But since it’s made the news, I thought I’d mention it.
I also wanted to talk about what to think about all this. Most people probably think that Harold Camping is a loon at best, and a charlatan at worst. After all, many people have sent their life savings to him to help him spread his Rapture message.
But according to the Bible, it is much worse. Harold can now be considered a false teacher. He has claimed to understand secret codes and teachings in the Bible and been found wrong.
Did you know that he also predicted the end of the world to be May 21, 1988, and September 7, 1994? And since he was wrong this time, he revised his numbers again. Did he say May 21st? According to him, he misunderstood the secret code. It’s really October 21st this year.
Oh brother…what a dope!
There shouldn’t be another person listening to his programs or supporting him with their dollars. It may sound harsh, but this isn’t simply a ‘misunderstanding’. This is a guy who claims to have direct messages from God that have turned out to be totally wrong.
So leave Camping to his own demise. Don’t listen to him. Don’t send him a nickel.
I do not wish death on him or evil to come to him. I’m not gonna call his show and taunt him. I’m not gonna litter his email box with spam. I simply think he needs to be ignored now. Although, some people may want to ask for a refund of their money and I support that!
So join my movement and ignore Harold Camping and anyone like him. It’s actually what we’re supposed to do. They do a disservice to God.
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Andy Stanley, Bitches, And Whores
313 years
Did that get your attention? It should. It is a powerful statement. Let me clarify…
First, if you don’t know, Andy Stanley is one of the most influential pastors, church leaders, and communicators in America today. He founded a church called North Point Community Church, which is one the biggest churches in America today. It’s also the church I have been going to for the last 6 years.
Anyway, back to the bitches and whores thing.
He is currently teaching a series called Love, Sex, & Dating. It is very good. He’s been saying some very serious and politically incorrect things that need to be said.
Yesterday (Sunday) he was talking about how woman are treated. This was part 2 of the series that was directed to men.
He made the point that women are often treated like a commodity in our culture today. In other words, they are something to be acquired, something we can do with as we please (use them), and then done away with. And then, it’s on to the next one.
Obviously, this is wrong–and that was Andy’s point.
He emphasized that Jesus elevated the status of woman with his words and how he treated them in his day. In fact, he spoke to women at a time when they were treated far worse than a commodity. They were second class citizens at best. They were property, and many were slaves. The point is, they were treated in an inhuman way. But Jesus set a course that began changing that perception, which is one of the reasons Christianity caught on. And that is to be our model today.
At one point, he got very direct. He said something to the effect of:
If you have any music in your iPod that refers to woman as bitches and whores, you need to get rid of it.
Anything, even a song or entertainment, that devalues woman and relegates them to that inhuman place again needs to go. He also went on to say how terrible pornography is and actually dulls a man’s appetite for a real woman and sincere relationship. It’s destructive, creates dysfunction, and has to go too.
Pretty powerful stuff. So I guess my early Beastie Boys songs must go. Oh well. It’s worth it. And it’s the right thing to do.
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The Two Paths Of Enlightenment
013 years
How do you define enlightenment? What is it? What is the purpose?
My layman’s working definitions of enlightenment is: seeking truth.
Simple enough, right? Not really.
You see, there are two paths, or conclusions, that ultimately result from this spiritual ‘quest’. That is to say, that after seeking truth and enlightenment a person will eventually decide one of two things.
On one side, a person pursues the truth and ultimately decides that…there is no truth.
No, for real. I’m not making a joke here. The basic premise is that God is infinite, so we humans cannot understand Him. Furthermore, because God is infinite, we humans do him a disservice by trying to define him like religions do. And if you limit God by trying to understand Him in human terms, you are not working toward enlightenment. You need only know that he can’t be known–and that he is love. (Whatever love means in this ambiguous context.)
In other words, there is no truth. Or, more accurately, all truth is true.
So to clarify this particular conclusions and mode of enlightenment:
- The purpose of enlightenment is to discover that nothing can be known.
- Seeking truth only reveals there is no truth.
- Searching for knowledge only reveals nothing can be truly known.
Then there is the other conclusion. On the other side, a person seeks truth and ultimately decides…there is truth.
In fact, this person finds, decides, and names that truth. That’s the side I fall on.
I’m of the mind that If there is a God, and he is worth worshipping, than he better define his expectations a little. He better tell us what he likes and what he dislikes. Otherwise God is like an abusive father. The kind where the kids never know what to say or how to act. They just walk around the dad in fear afraid that the slightest thing will set him off, but they never really know what that is.
What kind of relationship is that? I think truth can be known. I think the relationship can, and must, be defined.
The irony is, that those from the other side, or path, of enlightenment view this as closed-minded and primitive. Holding to the view that there is truth only serves to actually stunt your personal enlightenment and keeps you spiritually primitive. According to this view, I am ‘primitive’, but I say the other view of enlightenment is cowardly.
You never have to commit to anything. You never have to stand for anything. You never have to stick with anything. In fact, you can do whatever you want and call it enlightenment. You can say you’re just trying to find the truth in [insert anything that tickles your fancy here]. That’s just cowardly and dangerous.
But I believe there is truth and that it can be known. I guess I’m a primitive caveman. Oh well.
Where’s that chicken bone to chew on?
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The Lie Of Love
013 years
One of the hardest lesson’s I’ve had to learn is the lie about love. Sound strange? It is.
Our culture’s literature, movies, poems, songs, and the like constantly reinforce our self-love. “Love yourself,” they insist. “Make sure you’re happy.”
But happily ever after isn’t real life.
Surrendering to that whimsical emotion is reckless and selfish. What do I do when the rush wears off (because it always does)? Do I set out to conquer a new love and ignore the consequences of this pattern?
That idea of love is a dirty, filthy, evil lie.
This is why I’ve had to unlearn and then relearn what it means to love. And it hasn’t been easy.
The lesson to learn? Love is a choice.
Sure we all know that. We even say it, even though it’s in contradiction to the cultural idea of love (the emotion). For me, it’s as if I hold both to be true at the same time, even though they work against each other. But they can’t be both. That doesn’t work. That destroys relationships and lives. So I try to make the choice every day.
Love is a choice and it takes discipline and is a discipline. I’m trying to learn it well.
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The Dilemma And Confusion Of Forgiveness
013 years
Following Jesus is all about understanding and exercising forgiveness. But, to be honest, forgiveness kind of confuses me.
First, it’s not a one-time thing. It has to be a mindset. It has to be a predetermined approach to relationships. It’s as if we say from the beginning, “I know I’ll be hurt or even wronged in the pursuit of this relationship, since you are imperfect and may not meet my standards or expectations. So I plan on having to be a forgiving person if this is going to work at all.”
Also, it’s as if complete forgiveness is a two-part process—like a two-way street. It involves both the person who asks for it and the person who grants it. Sometimes you may ask and not get it; sometimes you may grant it even though you haven’t been asked.
Forgiveness repairs the damage created by the messiness of life. Forgiving means loving someone completely, regardless of flaws, regardless of wrongs. Incidentally, forgiveness like this is what Jesus did for our relationship with our Creator, to reconnect us with him. There’s nothing more loving or more Godlike than to forgive.
Forgiveness is love’s highest level. It’s also the most difficult, especially when someone has really hurt you.
But to forgive is divine. Our world today can always use a little of that. Will you be divine?
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Notorious Atheist Christopher Hitchens Will Die!
813 years
Did you know famed Atheist Christopher Hitchens is going to die? Below is a clip from an interview Hitchens did with Anderson Cooper. I found it very interesting and wanted to talk about it, because there is something to learn in there. And as you read, please consider helping spread this around by copying and posting this in your social media status:
PRAY for ATHEIST Christopher HITCHENS #PrayForHitchens. And here’s why>>> http://bit.ly/hIdSco
I have regular interactions with a handful of atheists. So long as they’re respectful, I have not problem with them. Why would I make enemies with someone just because they don’t believe what I believe? That’s stupid. Let’s disagree, be direct, but have fun doing it. In fact, last year I was asked to review a book written by several atheists (and a couple agnostics) called The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails. It was a valuable experience, although I’m not sure the writers cared for my review.
Sure, atheists like Christopher Hitchens (and Richard Dawkins) can make me mad. In fact, I actually informally quote Hitchens in my book 10 Things I Hate About Christianity:
I heard a gentleman on a radio talk show say that the Bible is “obviously myth and must be considered a work of fiction.” He said we must all come to terms with the idea that religion in general is untrue and must be put aside for the sake of reason and enlightenment.
That was Hitchens. This may sound strange, but I find him very likable–not to mention articulate and intelligent. There is a certain charm and genuineness about him even when he is venomously bashing Christianity and saying people of faith deserve to be mocked and ridiculed. Ouch!
In some measure, I understand. Faith is strange. Even God says that those who follow him are a “peculiar people” (in the KJV translation). I think it’s important to remember this. What is a given for me, especially considering I have been doing this faith thing for 23 years now, is foreign to a lot of people. I think when Christians forget this, they are more prone to alienate people and create a tense response to their faith-stance–or develop a faith-stance that creates tension.
What is interesting is that Hitchens seems to fall under one of my two reasons people either stay away or stray away from God. As much as people say there is no evidence for God or that there are so many religions no single one is right, it’s much simpler than that. When there’s a way to find out more about a person’s story, I find two common denominators. They were also the main thrust of some recent lyrics I wrote and screamed for a band called VENIA, which I explain here and here.
What are they?
PAIN and PLEASURE.
It is either that a person’s painful situation has caused them to doubt the goodness of God or his existence. It’s just that simple. It has crushed them and destroyed their faith.
Or it is a battle with some form of morality that people wrestle with (or want to engage in), and it usually brings some sort of pleasure. Most people dabble in a behavior that they know is wrong, don’t want to stop, so they change what they believe so that it is not longer wrong in their own mind.
Most people who stray or stay away from God don’t have some sudden epiphany that “there is no God.” Something usually leads us there. Again, I talk about it in greater detail here and here.
Back to Hitchens. My heart broke when I heard about his mother committing suicide. How tragic. And clearly he will carry this with him until day he dies, whenever that may be. I can’t imagine the grief of that.
Yes, I am a Christian, but I do not wish death on Christopher Hitchens. I wish him all the best in his treatment and hopeful recovery.
And yes, I will pray for him. Not because it means something to me (and I know it doesn’t mean anything to him), but because I know he means something to God. I also pray he will at least have comfort in the strain, both physical and emotional.
So please join me and spread this around by copying this and posting it to your social media status: PRAY for ATHEIST Christopher HITCHENS #PrayForHitchens. And here’s why>>> http://bit.ly/hIdSco
Christopher Hitchens will die, but I hope he lives a long and happy life if at all possible.
Quote Of The Week On Expectations And Frustrations
013 years
“Wrong expectations lead to absolute frustration.”
-An unknown author. The secret? To develop the right expectations in all areas of life: marriage, parenting, work, faith, etc.
Zombie Obsession
213 years
I have a confession to make. I’m a little ashamed about it, too. I don’t know if you saw the new show Walking Dead on AMC, but it was really really good. The latest news that Season 2 will hit until the fall. Sheesh! I guess I’ll have to be patient. If you haven’t guessed, I love the zombie genre. In fact, I have a slight addiction to it/them.
Is that wrong?
Is this forbidden ground for a Christian? An ordained minister? There’s no avoiding it, I like movies about the living dead It just sounds wrong, but I can’t help it. I’ve seen them all: Evil Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Jukebox of the Dead (that ones a joke). And when a new one comes out, I’ll have to go see it. But I have a problem. I’ve been trying to figure out why I like them so much. I think I’ve come up with the answer. See if you can identify.
A zombie is the essence of evil. It is mindless and without conscience. It has an uncontrollable appetite to destroy any living thing in its path. And whatever it conquers becomes evil it too. You can run, scream, and hide from the undead, but when they get you, you become one of them. This is an awful thought as you consider that you might be the zombie that eats your brother or best friend. After all, you “need more brains!”
But there is an upside. A zombie can be stopped. I will spare you the details and techniques involved in stopping a zombie dead in its tracks (Ha!), but this evil menace can be killed…again (Ha! Ha!). I think this is what I like about zombie movies. The evil can actually be stopped.
I wish my life was more like this.
You see, I have discovered the real evil in my life is much more destructive and even more difficult to fight. It actually lives right inside of me and is very seductive. It has the ability to go unnoticed and leave a subtle path of damage that can have negative effects for generations to come. It has the power to destroy a marriage or crush a child’s spirit when gone unchecked. Isn’t this a reality for all of us? It’s a major challenge for all of us. True evil is not far away at all, and it can ruin our lives very slowly and casually.
But I believe it is the love of God and the strength He gives us that helps us to battle this destructive nature inside all of us…
…and truly live.
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Quote Of The Week On Maturity
013 years
“Maturity is the strength of character to stay focused on a goal regardless of surrounding situations.”
-taken from the Evolution of Faith.
The Evolution of Faith
113 years
WARNING: Today I’m going to get a little ‘religious.’
To me, it is sadder than sad when an individual walks away from God. Unfortunately, this is not a rare occurence. How many people walk around cynical, hurting, and mad at God? If we’re truthful, that sums up all of us at one time or another. How does a person go from following God to thinking denying God seems to make better sense? I want to offer some thoughts on what I have discovered in my own life. It is what I call “The Evolution of Faith.”
Stage 1: AWARENESS
This is the starting point of faith. Usually something big happens that gets us here. It gets our attention and it is often a point of crisis in our lives. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge event, but it is some personal crisis that is the catalyst. It has a big impact on us and shakes us up.
Contrary to how these times feel, this is actually a good thing. We recognize our lives aren’t what they should be and we realize that we aren’t who we want to be. We usually decide some habits need to stop and possibly some relationships need to become healthier, maybe even end. But we desire to finally change for the better and stop perpetuating the same cycles, because they always end up hurting ourselves and others we care about.
This is a very good place to be in personally. The realization that we don’t exactly know how to change things ourselves is very positive. Why? Because this is the time we call out to God since deep down we all know that He loves us and He is the only one who can help us.
And that’s because He can.
He’s God after all. He loves to be our comfort in these times. This is the moment we acknowledge Him and begin to depend on him. It’s the first time we become truly open in a spiritual sense. This is the point in our lives when we become…aware.
Stage 2: FAITHFULNESS
Awareness isn’t enough. Once an individual learns to surrender, learning to be faithful becomes the next challenge. This is the first point at which true faith is proven. For most, this is where the departure from God happens.
You see, awareness initially results in obedience for a while. Doing what is right and best, even when it isn’t easy or we don’t want to, is easily maintained for a little while. But if it is only for a while, it will never grow into a character trait of faithfulness. So it is, by default, not true faith. It is more like a phase, or even a quick fix.
Once we clear our crisis and the impact it had on us wears off, we no longer ‘need’ God. Things go back to the way they were before: we depend on ourselves alone again.
Slowly the old self and old cycles reemerge. It becomes more difficult when the memory of the crisis moment wears off. When it does, the sense of dependence and desire for change is quickly forgotten and we’re back to the old life and old person again.
The thing is, obedience in good times and bad is a mark of maturity. This is called faithfulness (and sometimes loyalty). This is the strength of character that stays focused on a goal regardless of the surrounding situations. A crisis-based, quick-fix type of faith will never work. For faith to endure and grow it must evolve into a character trait of… faithfulness.
Stage 3: TRUST
If an individual can learn to be faithful the next challenge is to trust. To trust God, who we can’t see, can be very difficult. Life is hard and messy–plain and simple. It is the price of evil still being present in this world. And although you’ve given your life to God, this fact doesn’t change. It doesn’t make sense, but it is still true.
But this paradox just doesn’t make sense to us, so it begins to torment our faith.
It causes us to question what we can’t see since we want certain guarantees. So we begin to question more and more and, as a result, our trust in God begins to break down.
When we do this we automatically turn God into an adversary, which makes doubting Him inevitable.
We begin to assign blame for these difficult situations in life, and at some point we say, “If God loved me why would he let this happen?” We forget that this world is like it is, not because of God, but because of the evil that exists. Although life is still difficult, God does care for you and does have our best in mind.
There is just a timing to life that is beyond our comprehension sometimes. And it may never make sense, but we still need to trust God. He is not the enemy. He is the one we must draw closer to because he will give us the strength we will need to face these difficult times in life. By its very nature, for faith to progress is must be based on…trust
Stage 4: SACRIFICE
This is the hardest challenge in our faith. This is where it truly becomes active. It isn’t enough to avoid old habits. We must be challenged to ‘step-out’. We must be caused to leave our comfort zone. Unfortunately this is against our very nature of self-preservation.
Just when life gets stable and predictable–and it will–we have to be willing to abandon. It may seem like cruel and unusual punishment, but there a reason for this. This cycle keeps our faith ever-evolving. It is the only way. It ensures we grow and never become apathetic. It has been said that if something isn’t growing it is stagnating. Our faith grows as we begin to make changes, since things and situations that challenged us before no longer do. This means we are actually growing and gaining strength. So if our faith is to evolve, we have to ultimately be willing to…sacrifice.
Often we want the benefits there are in following God. We want his blessings on what we do. We want his favor when we need him to come through…for a new job, relationship, opportunity, or challenge. But we don’t want to truly follow him. How can he give us these things when we won’t keep our faith in him? It’s just not how things work with God. Sure he is full of grace and mercy, but if our faith isn’t evolving and growing then we will slowly lose it. It’s never that he gives up on us, but that we give up on Him because we don’t keep things in perspective. At least that’s how I would describe the evolution of faith in my life.
The process continues on and on in our lives: awareness, faithfulness, trust, and sacrifice…awareness, faithfulness, trust, and sacrifice. And on it goes… It is evolution of faith, and it is a constant.
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Quote Of The Week On Momentum
013 years
“Positive momentum begins with negative tension.”
-a sort of unknown author
