For the Sake of Others

Not long after I arrived in India in 2014, we were driving out of the city and into a village when I noticed this all-too-familiar symbol painted on the side of a building. I was dumbfounded. But I didn’t say anything. As we drove a bit further I noticed 2 or 3 more apparent swastikas on buildings, walls, and signs. I couldn’t sit there any longer wondering. I asked my translator, “Why in the world are there swastikas everywhere? What kind of sick people would put those up?” Without hesitating or blinking an eye, Robin (my Indian translator) informed me, “Oh, Hitler stole the swastika from us.”

All I remember thinking was, “What? How on earth have I never heard this before?”

For whatever reason, I became a bit fascinated with this. How could one of the most profoundly powerful symbols of the 20th century actually been hijacked? Stolen? If this was true, how on earth did Hitler and the Third Reich land on this particular work of art to become the brand of their brutal regime and their perverted ideologies? How did this happen?

Here’s what I discovered.

"In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, swastika means "well-being". The symbol has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains for millennia and is commonly assumed to be an Indian sign.

Early Western travellers to Asia were inspired by its positive and ancient associations and started using it back home. By the beginning of the 20th Century there was a huge fad for the swastika as a benign good luck symbol.

In his book The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? US graphic design writer Steven Heller shows how it was enthusiastically adopted in the West as an architectural motif, on advertising and product design.”

"Coca-Cola used it. Carlsberg used it on their beer bottles. The Boy Scouts adopted it and the Girls' Club of America called their magazine Swastika. They would even send out swastika badges to their young readers as a prize for selling copies of the magazine," he says.

It was used by American military units during World War One and it could be seen on RAF planes as late as 1939. Most of these benign uses came to a halt in the 1930s as the Nazis rose to power in Germany.

The Nazi use of the swastika stems from the work of 19th Century German scholars translating old Indian texts, who noticed similarities between their own language and Sanskrit. They concluded that Indians and Germans must have had a shared ancestry and imagined a race of white god-like warriors they called Aryans.

This idea was seized upon by anti-Semitic nationalist groups who appropriated the swastika as an Aryan symbol to boost a sense of ancient lineage for the Germanic people.

The black straight-armed hakenkreuz (hooked cross) on the distinctive white circle and red background of the Nazi flag would become the most hated symbol of the 20th Century, inextricably linked to the atrocities committed under the Third Reich.

"For the Jewish people the swastika is a symbol of fear, of suppression, and of extermination. It's a symbol that we will never ever be able to change," says 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller. "If they put the swastika on gravestones or synagogues, it puts a fear into us. Surely it shouldn't happen again.”

The swastika was banned in Germany at the end of the war and Germany tried unsuccessfully to introduce an EU-wide ban in 2007.

The irony is that the swastika is more European in origin than most people realise. Archaeological finds have long demonstrated that the swastika is a very old symbol, but ancient examples are by no means limited to India. It was used by the Ancient Greeks, Celts, and Anglo-Saxons and some of the oldest examples have been found in Eastern Europe, from the Baltic to the Balkans.

[Excerpt from How the World Loved the Swastika — Until Hitler Stole It, by Mukti Jain Campion, 2014]

As I said above, when Robin first shared this unknown bit of history with me, my first thought was, “How on earth have I never heard this before?” I have come to believe that the answer to that question actually leads to another question we — as Americans — should be asking. To put if simply: How is it that some of our symbols have managed to not only survive, but continue to be celebrated?

I truly believe that the answer to my question — as to how I had never heard about the origins of the swastika — is that most people throughout Europe, Asia, and around the world have readily allowed this symbol to go the way of the evil, brutal, and horrific plague it came to represent: the Nazi party and the Jewish Holocaust. To dawn that symbol or flag today evokes a level of hate and horror that is still almost incomparable. And no one questions why. Pure and simple, it’s because of what this image came to be associated with: fascism and murder.

Fast forward.

As an eight-year-old boy, the confederate flag was first and foremost a symbol of the two greatest rebel rousing outlaws I knew of: Bo and Luke Duke. It shined atop that bright orange beauty of an automobile, The General Lee, which (much like the flag) at that point in my life was not a person, but a car. It was all very innocent. But then, I went to school. I began learning things. I became a huge fan of history (probably somewhat because I hated math & science). And as I learned more and more about the history, conflicts, and struggles our ancestors battled through to get us where we were, I gained perspective. I had to come to grips with the fact that — fair or unfair, right or wrong — for many, the confederate flag still evokes images, thoughts, and even memories of hate and horror that beg to be forgotten. And no one should question why. Pure and simple, it’s because of what this image came to be associate with: racism and slavery.

But this is where it all gets dicey. It seems as though many who would never for a moment suggest we repurpose the swastika, moreover the Nazi flag, can’t seem to let go of the battle flag of the south. Why is this? 

What is it about the confederacy that’s so valuable that we refuse to let go of a symbol that overtly commemorates times of slavery, racism, and segregation? Can someone answer that question? 

This is not the removal of a monument; this is the surrender of a symbol. The symbol, in many people's minds, that represents one of the darkest movements and ideologies in our country's history. To bring this flag down is not revisionist; it's repentant. 

My real question is this: If we know the wounds, the baggage, and the burdens this symbol and flag still drags along behind it, can we not just give it up once and for all for the sake of others?  

The Inseperability of Truth & Justice

If you're my age or older, you may remember that Superman’s catchphrase was as recognized as his red cape; He fought for truth, justice, and the American way! Maybe you’ve noticed, Superman doesn’t say that anymore.

It’s interesting to me that such spiritual insight could seep from a comic book super hero, possibly without any intention whatsoever. The spiritual insight I’m referring to is the inseparable connection between truth and justice. To be clear, they cannot exist independent of one another. And this is one of the greatest struggles we are currently facing in America - the quest and pursuit of justice alongside the complete abandonment and demand for truth.

Many people say they want justice, but they don’t want the truth.

Many people expect me to want justice and fight for justice, but not if it demands the truth.

And many people hide behind the veil and shroud of what they’re calling justice in order to push their own motives and agendas. Those folks want justice about as much as my dog wants a bath.

The same goes for love. 

Love embraces the truth; it doesn’t run from it or cover over it.

Love and truth go together. Justice and mercy go together. Read Psalm 40.

David cries out, “Lord, do not withhold your mercy from me…may your love and truth always protect me.”

Solomon tells us in Proverbs 12: 

“Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

The Lord himself speaks through the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 59:

“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself prey.”

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 

That’s what Isaiah says next.

Many today would declare, “I’m with the Lord! I want justice!” Well, not if you don’t want truth.

Allow me to give an example.

A man is falsely accused of murder. There is no credible or eyewitness evidence of his guilt, only circumstantial evidence and corroboration from someone who thinks they saw this or that, but that man winds up going to prison based on falsehoods. While the family of the victim may feel like they’ve gotten justice, they’ve really just been handed a lie. It’s all a placebo affect. But in those moments, we sometimes want and need someone to blame so badly that we’ll just about take whatever or whoever sounds the most worthy of our disdain or scorn. Our “justice”. 

The problem is, that’s not justice.

In those moments, justice is actually "turned back, and righteousness stands far away." Why? Because "truth has stumbled in the public square." Truth was suppressed. Truth was substituted. Truth was forfeited.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Without truth there is no life.

Spiritually, without understanding and accepting the truth that you are dead in your sin, you will never see your brokenness and need for a savior. The truth of the bad news of our sin and hopelessness leads us to the truth of the good news of the gospel of Jesus. 

Paul says in Romans 2 that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you repentance.” How is that possible? What does that mean? When you read Romans 1 & 2 in context, you understand that Paul is exposing the truth about us — that our hearts are set against God. But God, in his kindness and patience and mercy and love, has given us an opportunity to walk from darkness to light — to go from sin and death to freedom and life. This can and will only happen if and when we walk in the truth. Jesus is the truth.

Back to justice.

In the book and movie, Just Mercy, Brian Stevenson tells the story of spending his life fighting for men who have been wrongly imprisoned and unfairly represented. If you watch this movie or read Brian’s story, you will see very clearly that the chief weapon to fight for justice is truth. The only way to free someone who’s been wrongly condemned or imprisoned is by unearthing, facing, and accepting the truth. Truth and justice are not just linked; they are inseparable. 

Friends, many people today say they want justice. I believe they really think they do. But that’s not what they’re really longing for deep down. What they want is a sugar pill. They want the appearance of justice without the pursuit of the truth. There is no such thing. 

So when you see a narrative being presented on the news or by a politician or celebrity or athlete about “justice this or justice that”, I encourage you (as the Apostle John does) to examine the spirits. Test the spirits. Seek the truth. In the words of the lyrical gangster, Chuck D, don’t believe the hype. Don’t get sucked into the vortex of emotionally stirred irrationality. Test the spirits.

Right this moment, many people who claim to want “justice” for George Floyd (who was killed by a police officer last week) are rioting and looting. There are white people with masks on, spray painting buildings, throwing bricks at police officers, destroying property, upending people’s lives, all in the name of what they call “justice”. They pretend to be for racial equality. They are actually working toward racial division. There are black people confronting them, telling them, “This isn’t what we want! Go home!” They don’t listen.

There are black people who see and know about black people killed by other black people almost constantly. The city of Chicago sees this almost nonstop. But Chicago isn't alone. In the US in 2018, when the homicide victim was black, so was the suspected killer 88% of the time. And this is not an exception to the rule. From 1976 to 2005, 94% of black victims were killed by other African Americans. Those folks who are rioting right now never say a word the other 94% of the time. But the moment a black person is killed by a white person…they want “justice”. Why is this? 

George Floyd’s brother, Terrence, traveled from his home in Brooklyn to Minneapolis — he went to the epicenter of the rioting and looting, right where his brother had been killed — and stood before a crowd of protesters and declared, “This will not bring my brother back.” He made it very clear that destruction is not what his brother would have wanted or how he would have protested. 

Did the rioters listen? Did the looting stop? No.

Why not? 

Because “justice” is not really what those folks are after. They’ve abandoned the truth. In fact, if you go back to Isaiah 59, he says something quite powerful: "Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself prey.” Did you grasp that last part? The Lord is saying that those who abandon truth — those who become incensed by hate or by lust or by anger or even simply by their own emotions — will actually come after those who cling to truth. In the midst of evil, those who seek the truth become prey. You are witnessing it firsthand. 

The Lord has told you what is good. He has told us what is required of you: to love mercy, to do justly, and to walk humbly with your God.

Love and mercy. Truth and justice. 

Jesus says, “In my Kingdom, they cannot be separated."

I'll leave you with one example of what this might look like for a Bible In One Year reading:

When Nelson Mandela left prison after twenty-seven years and became South Africa’s first democratically elected president, he called upon his old friend, Desmond Tutu, to chair The Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  This commission was a series of hearings – some of them public – in which both victims and perpetrators gave testimony about their experiences and actions during apartheid.

At one of the hearings, a policeman called van de Broek told of how he and his fellow officers shot an eighteen-year-old youth, then burnt the body.  Eight years later they went back, took the father and forced his wife to watch as he was incinerated.  She was in court to hear this confession and was asked by the judge what she wanted.  She said she wanted van de Broek to go to the place where they had buried her husband’s body and gather up the dust so that she could give him a decent burial.  Van de Broek agreed. 

She then added a further request.  ‘Mr van de Broek took all my family away from me, and I still have a lot of love to give.  Twice a month I would like for him to come to the ghetto and spend a day with me so that I can be a mother to him.  And I would like Mr van de Broek to know that he is forgiven by God, and that I forgive him too.  I would like to embrace him so he can know that my forgiveness is real.’  Spontaneously, some in the courtroom began singing ‘Amazing Grace’ as the elderly woman made her way to the witness stand.  But van de Broek did not hear the hymn, he had fainted, overwhelmed.

In this story, truth and justice, love and mercy flow together.  The same is true of God.  ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:16) but he is also the God of truth and the God of justice.  Jesus personified God’s love but he also said, ‘I am … the truth’ (John 14:6).  The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5) and is also the Spirit of truth (John 15:26).  Truth and justice are not opposed to love; they are part of love.  And so Paul tells us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

The Gospel & Racial Reconciliation

When I saw the images of George Floyd laying on the ground with that officer’s knee driving him into the pavement, I thought I was going to be sick. There was a clear cry of desperation on George’s face. There also seemed to be a hazy disconnect on Dennis Chauvin’s face, almost like he was waiting on the bus to come or for his lunch to heat up in the microwave. His knee was on Floyd’s throat while his hand was in his pocket. To witness this act was paralyzing. I have spent days trying to prayerfully discern what to say or where to begin.

George Floyd’s death - the absolute tragedy and senselessness of it - is enough to infuriate anyone with decency. But the fact that George Floyd is a black man and that Dennis Chauvin is a white police officer turns this house fire into a blazing inferno. The problem with this blaze is that it’s flames are being strengthened by more than one source of fuel. To put out a fire you often need to know what started it and what’s fueling it.

Let’s identify some of the sources of this firestorm here in America.

• Whether you accept it or believe it or not, racism still exists here. 
• Police brutality appears to continue to go unchecked.
• Discrimination is now harder to identify because it’s shrouded in political correctness.
• A sense of entitlement and a lack of respect for authority are not only being fostered, but affirmed & rewarded.
• People with agendas manipulate, hijack, politicize, and capitalize on any and every opportunity to kick the embers, pour on more fuel, and keep the fire going. 

And there’s a common thread to all these problems and issues we face: PRIDE & SIN.

We have to be clear about this: SIN is the source of racism. SIN is the source of abuse. SIN is the source of entitlement. And SIN is the source of the spirit that attempts to cover over these things as well.

And so...we have issues. BIG issues. 

The question is, “What are we to do?”

There is so much to be said and done. As Christians, I know many of us wonder, “What can I do?” At this moment I find myself asking the Lord - and my brothers in Christ - to help me understand. 

As followers of Jesus, there are some fundamental truths that must guide us in finding the answers to these questions and to extinguish this fire.

First of all, we need to understand racism. I highly recommend you listen to or read this sermon that Voddie Bauchum preached last year, Irreconcilible Views of Reconciliation. As usual, his insight and exposition are worth consideration. To expound on what Voddie says, God did not invent or create races; we did. Ethnicities? Yes. Nationalities? Of course. But races? No. 

As Voddie explains, “Oftentimes we talk about distinctions and we talk about being distinct from one another in terms of our race. Race is actually a social construct. The concept of race is not a biblical concept, it’s not a biblical idea, it is a constructed idea. You won’t find the idea of races in the Bible unless you find it in the proper historical context where we see, number one, that we are all the race of Adam. Amen? One race, one blood. We are all the race of Adam. There is less than a 0.2 percent genetic difference between any of us in this regard.” He continues. "In fact, we’re not even different colors. Amen. Technically, from a genetic perspective, from a biochemistry perspective, we’re all actually the same color. Our color comes from our melanin. We’ve all got melanin, just at differing degrees. So it’s not that some of us are this color, some of this are that color. No, we’re just different shades of the same color; some of us just have more melanin than others. And I want you to listen to me on this, listen to me! Just because you don’t have as much melanin as I do, don’t you dare think God doesn’t love you as much as He loves me because He gave me more. You learn to be satisfied with the little you have.”

The point: the only noticeable difference between me and my black friends is our skin. That’s it.

To continue on Voddie’s point, the actual biblical distinction that the Bible not only acknowledges, but the Lord actually instituted, is Jew and Gentile. And all you Gentiles (like myself) were in a world of hurt. We weren’t covenant people. I wasn’t in the line of Abraham. At least not by blood. I was dead in sin and separated from God. But…

That word seems to be interjected at just the right moments. Especially in Paul’s letters. 

In Ephesians 2, after Paul reminds us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, he says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love…made us alive in Christ.” From death to life. That’s the part of Ephesians 2 we all know. We really should keep reading more often. Let’s go a bit further.

In verse 11 Paul now moves into reminding them that as Gentiles they were “separated from Christ…strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Well, that’s not good. Not good at all. But….

There it is again. But...

“But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” (Italics mine)

Jesus divides the wall of hostility between us. Jesus kills the hostility between us! 

Now back to Voddie for a moment.

"There are different cultural distinctions among us and other things that distinguish us: our languages and things of this nature. But that’s different than saying we have real legitimate things that separate us. Why is this important? Because if the things that we believe separate us are made up and we see in this text that a real separation that God created is overcome by the blood of Christ; if the blood of Jesus can obliterate a real distinction that God Himself created, then how much more can it get rid of artificial distinctions that fallen men created.”

Friends, allow me to get to the point.

There is NO PLACE FOR RACISM in the Body of Christ or the Kingdom of God.

But also know this: THE CURE FOR RACISM is found at the Cross of Jesus. The gospel doesn’t just demand reconciliation; the gospel is the reconciler. The Apostle Paul very clearly tells us that Jesus not only died for our salvation, but for our reconciliation. We are not only reconciled back to the Father, we are reconciled to one another. And through the power of the Spirit of God, we are now ministers of reconciliation. 

I repeat: WE ARE MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION.

Reconciliation takes work. It’s hard. It’s humbling. It empties us of ourselves. It’s what Jesus did.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

When you think and feel that everything seems hopelessly out of control, always remember: But God...

We were dead in our sin. But God...

We were divided and separated. But God...

I close with words that my friend Johnny posted today. I believe they are humble, practical, straightforward, and speak to the heart of the humility we need in this crucial moment.

"I’m reading all the posts and comments. Listening to the president and the politicians and the news media. Everyone - at every level - is saying the exact same things, word for word for word, that were said 55 years ago. It’s just in real time and with multimedia. All I can say is: Look at history. Immerse yourself in it. We’ve been here before. And we are doing and feeling and saying the exact same things that did not work then. And because we didn’t resolve it then, we’re reliving it now. Everyone on all sides cannot get entrenched in fear and pain. Survival mode will not end well for any of us. We have to have creative solutions, new responses, and greater wisdom this time. We have the ability to communicate instantly with everyone we know, anywhere. We don’t have to huddle in a foxhole with a handful of people who look like us and ride it out. I’m not talking about posting memes and quotes. Have you not noticed most of the people who like your posts already agree with you and everyone else is silent? I’m saying reach out...to your friends who don’t look like you. Today. Don’t preach. Don’t scold. Don’t drop hints. Don’t generalize. Just listen and talk about your feelings, not other’s faults. Pray with them. Look at this as a second chance. We got a do-over. Do. It. Different. This. Time. Where our forebears zigged, we must zag. It is utterly imperative that we do. I cannot stress that enough." 

No One Wants to Be Wrong

No one wants to be wrong. I get that. Me included. But sometimes that’s exactly what we are. Wrong.

Looking back over the last 3 to 4 months, I barely know where to begin.

When it began to be clear that the Coronavirus was going to impact America, decisions had to be made. Those decisions had to be made quickly. In the rear view mirror, I don’t believe that we overreacted. The people in charge – those responsible for making decisions – took the best information available to them and did what they believed to be right. Again, I don’t find this to be an overreaction. However, at some point maybe weeks into these decisions the facts began to be much clearer. 

3 and 4 and 5 and 6 weeks into this crisis there were multiple facts and factors that began to consistently surface. At that point – or at those points - it was an opportunity to say, “We were wrong.” “Our reaction and response wasn’t wrong; but the information we based those reactions and responses on was wrong.” 

Projected deaths from the virus: Wrong.

Contagion levels from surface contact: Wrong.

Optimal treatments for the virus: Wrong.

Extent & level to which virus had already spread: Wrong.

I could go on. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

The greatest problem that we have faced and are still facing is that no one wants to be wrong. No wants to be liable. No one wants to be responsible. No one. 

Can you blame them?

The President ceases all travel from China. He’s call a xenophobe and a racist. He used the word “pandemic”. He was accused of inciting panic. Now the same people who made those accusations claim he didn’t act quickly enough. Which is it? 

In my lifetime I have never seen a situation or crisis that more desperately needed to be driven by and responded to with scientific and medical facts and data. Yet, never in my lifetime have I seen a situation so skewed by politics and hidden agendas.

What we’ve needed: science & facts.

What we’ve gotten: political science, hypocrisy & partisanship. 

For almost 2 months I could not go to the gym, eat at my favorite restaurant or gather with my church family. Yet, all the while I could still go to Walmart or the liquor store. Why? Bad information. Politics. Someone was wrong. And refused to step up - after 3 or 4 weeks of the realization of bad information - and admit, “We were wrong.” 

Don't misunderstand me or misquote me: We did a lot of things right. 

We did some other things right for a time or season.

But other things, we just completely missed the mark.

The State of California made a decision 6 weeks ago that universities won’t open their campuses this fall. (Before the current spring semester even ended!) Everything will be online. By the time mid-summer arrives, this will likely be a completely different story. But if that's the case, do you think anyone is going to admit, “We were wrong.” I’m not holding my breath.

We’ve been borderline brainwashed to believe statements like you're “Safer at home” and “Safer apart” and “Stay home. Stay safe.” There are now millions of people who are unconsciously paralyzed and scared to death to leave their homes. Millions of people are now isolated because the talking heads suddenly go deafeningly silent when the gospel they originally preached turns out to be false.

You know who I begin to trust and respect? The man or woman who says, “I was wrong.” 

You know who I grow more and more skeptical & distrusting of all the time? The man or woman who’s never wrong. And to be clear, if you’ve never heard a leader - on any level - admit they were wrong, then they probably don’t believe they were wrong. Or they refuse to admit they were wrong. That means 1 of 2 things: ignorance or arrogance. Or both.

Did we overreact? Not based on what we were originally told. But much of what we were originally told was wrong.

So, for whoever you are out there who needs to say it but refuses, I’ll go ahead and say it for all of us: We were wrong.

Now, let’s humbly move forward with faith, courage, consideration of others, and a renewed sense of our fundamental need for community. Be responsible. Be considerate. Be wise. Be kind. And every once in awhile, even be wrong! Let’s just have the humility to admit it when we are. 

The Motivation of Validation

Validation (n.) — the act of proving or seeking affirmation of our feelings, opinions, or our worth; actively looking to others for approval

Motivation (n.) — the reason for acting a particular way; the general desire for someone to do something

Last night we had some friends over. We cooked out, sat by the pool & the fire, had some great conversation and just got caught up on life. In the midst of this, one thing we discussed was how social media & technology — specifically smartphones — have changed everything. And not for the better. To be clear, we weren’t having one of those “old people griping about the good ole days” conversations, but more of a “Are we parenting and leading our kids the best way possible through this?” type of talk. We talked about the dangers of the psychological impact of the endorphin hits. We spoke about the constant vitriol spewed out on social media and the numbness that comes with thinking you’re saying everything into a vacuum and the passive aggressiveness that comes along with the apparent anonymity and the lack of personal communication skills that are becoming more evident all the time. Are we letting our kids — and ourselves — wander mindlessly into this mine field? Or are we carefully walking with them and protecting them? 

Great questions.

Great conversation. 

And as it was all happening, I vividly remember being hit with the thought: 

I need to take a picture!

We need a picture of us and our friends.

We need a picture of hamburgers and beach towels and key lime pie and friends with smiles.

And no sooner did all those thoughts rush through my head, my favorite question trailed right behind: WHY?

WHY did I — a 46 year old man — think I needed a picture? 

To post on social media. Instagram. Facebook.

WHY did I — a redeemed child of God — think I needed to post on social media? 

So you and all my friends, acquaintances, followers, and even people I don’t know from Adam will affirm me. 

And WHY did I — a supposedly content husband, father, and friend — feel I needed your affirmation? 

Because…I have unconsciously begun to live for everyone else’s VALIDATION.

Our greatest MOTIVATION has become VALIDATION.

We all want to be LIKED. That’s nothing new. What is new is we feel we need to know that everyone else LIKES what we’re doing, what we bought, what we ate, who we ate it with, where we bought it or ate it, what we were wearing when we ate it, and how what we bought now looks in our house. 

We want the favorable things to be seen. All of them. And for everyone else to LIKE them.

We want the unfavorable things to be guarded, hidden, and unknown. 

Our motivation — so often for so many of us — has become VALIDATION.

We’re longing for someone else to affirm our feelings, opinions, and (more often) our value and worth. 

We desperately want someone (everyone) else’s approval.

We are so living in a false reality with a false sense of worth and approval that we unconsciously — but still very genuinely — don’t feel like we’ve actually eaten, purchased, or experienced something unless or until we’ve POSTED it and everyone else has LIKED it. 

Think about your last vacation.

Reflect on the last dinner or party you attended.

Think about your kid’s last game, tournament, award, or concert. 

How present were you? 

I’m not saying that we should never take pictures or that we should never post about these things. 

I am saying that we need to take a serious look and thoroughly examine WHY we take these pictures and make these posts.

My dinner and conversation with my friends last night was very real. It was much needed. It was refreshing. And you don’t need to know who it was, what we were wearing, or even what we ate. I don’t need your approval. I don’t need you to LIKE it for it to actually matter, or much less have actually taken place. That said, I’m not saying any of this because I actually think you want to know, but because somewhere in the depths of me I still keep thinking I need you to know. And I need you to approve. 

My flesh keeps longing for VALIDATION from the people behind the smartphones.

My Spirit says that my worth, approval, value, and validation are found in Jesus Christ.

Maybe you think I’m blowing all this out of proportion. That’s possible. It’s happened before.

But I’m seriously betting that many of you feel what I’m feeling and believe what I’m saying. And if that’s you, I encourage you to seize control over every thought, word, action, and motivation that guides you today. Paul says that through the Spirit and the power of God we are to “take every thought captive”. Every thought. Every motivation. All of them. 

You don’t need everyone to know every detail about every moment of your life.

You do, however, need to be fully present and live every one of those moments to the fullest.

You & I don’t need one another’s approval to find our value or know our worth.

We can find that totally and fully in Jesus. Nowhere and in no one else. Just him.

And the last time I checked, he isn’t on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook. Crazy! 

Attendance, Engagement & the Body of Christ

There’s a trend in the church in recent years. All the data, surveys, and research tell us that ATTENDANCE does not necessarily reflect ENGAGEMENT. In other words, where 20 years ago someone’s attendance had a direct reflection on how deeply they were connected to your church, this no longer tells us the same story. While a family may only be there in person 2 out of every 4 Sundays, they may still be faithfully giving, serving, and possibly even growing & walking in gospel community with other believers. Sunday morning attendance does not necessarily equate to living on mission for the gospel & the Kingdom. While I cannot in any way argue with this data, I think that we have to consider these things from a different angle. Allow me to explain.

As the parents of a young man who plays tournament baseball, there is a 3-month window where my wife and I have determined that our son (and usually my wife along with him) will miss several Sundays with our church family. While we would always prefer to be present on Sundays, we have also determined that the Lord has opened relational doors for us to pour into other families on our team who do not belong to a church, and possibly don't know Christ. We prayerfully try to make the most of these opportunities.

Living in Huntsville - a city with a very large population of government contractors, defense workers, software developers, and business people - there is a lot of business related travel. Many of our folks, having early Monday meetings in places like D.C. or Houston or Seattle, are forced to head out of town on Sundays. This isn’t their preference, but on those particular days, it winds up having to be their priority. 

Several times a year our families are going to go on vacation, be at the lake or the beach, wake up sick, attend family reunions, and things of this nature. This is called LIFE. There are many reasons why, on any given Sunday, some of us just might not be able to be present. This doesn’t have any bearing on how deeply we are engaged or committed to our church.

On the other hand, I’ve known people who are there every single time the church gathers. If the doors open, they will walk through them. And yet, this does not necessarily mean that they are deeply or meaningfully engaged to the church or the Lord. There are actually some people who just show up because it’s what they’ve always done. If they’re not there, they feel guilty. And some people would rather feel anything other than guilt. 

Attendance does not necessarily equate to engagement.

True statement. 

But there’s more to it than that.

In light of all the specific and hypothetical situations and scenarios I’ve thrown out, there are many folks and families who simply wake up some Sunday mornings, look out the window, turn on the TV, curl back up under the covers, and ultimately make the decision: I’m just not going today. And this, my friends, is a much bigger issue.

I will readily admit that I’m a pastor. I’ve been in full-time vocational ministry for 25 years. And I grew up in the home of a minister. So without question, I realize that I’m writing from the experience that this consideration of just “sleeping in this Sunday” has never really even been on my radar. That said, I don’t think me being a pastor is what cultivated or sustained that decision or way of life. I believe the basis of this commitment in my life and in our family has been our determined commitment to the body of Christ. So yes, my perspective is definitely subjective. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Back to the “bigger issue”.

What this tendency, in many cases, is exposing is a skewed perspective of the church and an ignorance to the scriptures. It’s also giving credence to the notion that we are becoming more and more self-centered all the time. Let’s go to the Apostle Paul for some objectivity and clarity.

Paul writes to the Ephesians - the church family that is closest to his heart - and he declares to them in Ephesians 4:11-16:

"And he (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Italics mine)

While attendance does not always equate to engagement, attendance - physically, mentally, emotionally, literally, tangibly being there - is very often evidence of engagement. 

You can’t lead if you’re not there. You can’t serve if you’re not there. You can’t look someone in the eye, see that they’re hurting, and feel the Spirit lead you to pray with them if you’re not there. Being there matters.

What very often is clouding our ability to see this is the self-centered perspective that we have of church. We think, “Well, we’re doing great. We don’t really need community.” We’re wrong. And here’s the other side of this issue. On many days, maybe it’s not about what you need or can get, but about what God is calling you to give. 

Paul said that we are to be “growing up in every way into Christ” and that when we are, each part - each person - will be “working properly” to “make the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” 

It’s not about YOU! It’s about the CHURCH.

It’s about the Body of Christ functioning properly.

It’s about the evidence of the power of the gospel made visible through our love for one another, which can only happen when we are frequently together.

Long distance relationships suck. They’re painful. They’re difficult. That’s why the local church isn’t built on them.

Don’t let the research and the data and the statistics define and justify things for you. Just because Lifeway or George Barna did a poll and this is what the numbers tell us, that doesn’t mean it makes it right. It seems like we are folding like a blanket these days to whatever the trend or tendency is. The culture doesn’t define our standards or priorities; the scriptures do.

I want to challenge, encourage, and exhort you: If you are, if you’re trying to be, or if you have even the slightest desire to be engaged with your church family…BE THERE. Make the commitment and be there. Be there to worship. Walk in community with other believers, growing in Christ. Serve other people - inside the church and outside. BE THERE! And let your attendance be one of the evidences of your engagement.

For more:

Matthew 18:20, Acts 2:42-47, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24-25 

Lessons: Your Bitterness is Killing You

“Not forgiving someone - hold onto bitterness - is like drinking rat poison and expecting the other person to die.”

This famous quote has been attributed to Gandhi, Jesus, Nelson Mandela, Anne Lamott - probably even your mom. We aren’t really sure who said it first, but we all wish we had. Why? 

Because it’s so dang right on the money.

Bitterness is a poison. 

Bitterness is a poison dressed up like a big, tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

We think it’s going to taste good. We actually think we deserve to sit on the porch, in the shade, with the breeze blowing, and slowly turn the glass back and drink it down. And that when we do, we’re going to be refreshed. Thirst quenched. Satisfied.

Not a chance.

Not a snowball’s chance in Honolulu.

When Paul wrote the Ephesians - the church closest to his heart - he cut straight to the point. Look at what he says.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31,32).

Get rid of all bitterness.

Is there anything confusing about that? Is there any discrepancy? No.

Get rid of - throw out & destroy - all - every little bitty morsel of - bitterness. 

And...forgive each other. As God has forgiven you.

The Letter to the Hebrews:

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:14,15).

We cultivate bitterness. And when we do, it causes trouble & desecrates & destroys.

How about what Peter says:

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23).

Jesus didn’t retaliate. 

And speaking of Jesus not retaliating, look at what he said:

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing..." (Luke 23:34).

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14,15).

Read that last one again.

If you won’t forgive, neither will your Father forgive you.

We all have these moments - maybe even seasons - when something happens. A word is said. Or maybe nothing is said…and that’s the point. Our expectations are blown, our feelings are hurt, our pride is wounded, our heart is broken. 

And a seed falls to the ground. A seed of bitterness. 

It falls into the fertile soil of our injured, vulnerable heart.

The question is: What are we going to do about it?

Those wounds and feelings and hurts pour the poison into the glass.

The question is: Are you going to drink it? 

You and I want and hope that the other person will drink it. That the person who wounded us or let us down or stabbed us in the back will be the one to painfully swallow the disdain. And that we’ll get to watch the happiness drain from their face as it goes down their throat, filling them up with sorrow and regret and brokenness for what they did to us. We would never verbalize this, but it’s actually what runs through the depraved caverns of our mind.

We have to stop it. We have to take an axe to that bitter root. We have to put it to death.

You have to decide you’re not going to live this way.

You have to realize, living this way is not actually living.

You have to realize, your bitterness is killing you. Only you.

It’s taking moments - maybe even days, weeks, months - of your life and poisoning them. That’s like death. You can’t get those back.

The gospel reminds me…I need not be bitter. Jesus demonstrated his love for me in that while I was still a sinner, he died for me. He forgave me. Pursued me. Restores me. He gives me his Spirit so that I don’t have to be a slave to bitterness. 

Don’t water that seed or root. Take an axe to it.

Don’t drink the poison. Pour it out at the feet of the one who gave his life so that your sin, your betrayal, your rebellion, and your failure would no longer be held against you.

Forgive one another, just as in Christ, God has forgiven you.