Evangelicals have loud, boisterous public voices. One would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t know that Evangelicals do not support gay marriage, are pro-life, and are often Republican. Most evangelicals, since they are extremely connected with conservative politics, are then often associated with being pro-war. Is this a fair characterization of evangelicalism? Some would loudly decry the generalizations made, and others would silently agree or disagree. But, generalizations, while may contain inaccuracies, often have some truth to them. What is missing in this overgeneralization of evangelicals? Why are evangelicals only known where they stand in a few public policies?
I don’t have a great answer to that, but I suspect it has something to do with the way we orient our worldview. As Evangelicals, we profess with our mouths that loving God and our neighbor are the two greatest commandments, but do we actually seek to live these out? Implicitly implied in loving our neighbor would also mean that we should love our enemies. But, we don’t really love our enemies because we cannot love them on our own strength. When we try to love based on our own capacities, we will fail every time. It is not in our nature to love our enemies. But, Jesus commands that we love them. He doesn’t say, “Try and love your enemies.” He says, “Love [in the imperative voice] your enemies.” G.K. Chesterton has said, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." I think the church has lost some of the essence of what it means to love, not only our neighbor, but our enemies. In the core essence of loving another, we are being a peacemaker.
We might ask ourselves, what does loving our enemies even mean? We often think that love is just a feeling. But, as William Barclay has described agape (the Greek word for love used), it is much more demanding. He defines agape as it, “indicate[s] unconquerable benevolence, invincible good will. If we regard a person with agape, it means that no matter what that person does to us, no matter how he treats us, n o matter if he insults us or injures us or grieves us, we will never allow any bitterness against him to invade our hearts, but will regard him with that unconquerable benevolence and good will which will seek nothing but his highest good.” In this definition, how could anything but peace be present? When we love our enemies, our enemies cease to be enemies.
If the church is to have any real role as a public peacemaker, then she must be actively seeking to love her enemies. Since the church is comprised of Christians such as me and you, then you and I must seek to love our enemies. The only way that we can seek to love them, is by first seeking to love God. Through a relationship with Him is the only possibility that we can have a heart that not only feels love towards our enemies, but also loves actively. If the Church is to have any credibility about the issues it seeks to promote, then instead of being narrowly focused, we must be holistic in the range of issues. We must first seek a transformation of our hearts so that it breaks for the same issues that break the heart of God. When our hearts break for the same things that breaks the heart of God, it is then that we will be able to arrive at a place where we will be in a credible position of being a peacemaker.
Being a peacemaker will not be an easy task. It is a difficult, frustrating, and time-consuming task. It requires imagination to envision a third way to a solution in a world that is black and white. It will require compromise among all parties involved so that the solution will serve the greater good. A peacemaker may be well idolized, but it is usually is not a popular position for it is easier to raise the sword than to set it aside. If we have difficulties determining what a peacemaker’s role should be, we should always remember the examples of those who were peacemakers before us: Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., etc. We will not be the first to embark in the role of peacemaking and we will not be the last.
So, as we think about what it might mean for the church to be a peacemaker, we must remember that we are commanded to be peacemakers. Loving our enemies is the epitome of what a peacemaker will do. It may not always be the popular or safe position to take, but when we take on the role of a peacemaker, then we are taking upon ourselves a task commanded to us by God.
1.Barclay, William. The Gospel of Luke. The Daily Study Bible Series. Rev. ed. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Christmas--tis the season to buy or give?
As I've been thinking more and more about Christmas, and living simply I had become very confused. How was I supposed to give gifts, that really do not mean anything, and yet still want to advocate for the poor? Wow, God has really answered my prayers. What if I just gave money to the poor and said, hey that was your gift, and I gave it to someone in need, because ya know, you kinda have everything anyways? ha. It truly is a conspiracy.
So, this is something that we really need to think about. There are plenty of organizations such as Advent Conspiracy, Gospel for Asia, World Vision, etc. where you can donate things such as water, blankets, Bibles, livestock, etc. Since I'm on a tight budget, Gospel for Asia has plenty of items that are low cost, that help India's Dalit families, aka "the untouchables." But, what if the church also gave at least 25% of their contributions on Christmas (or that Sunday before) to Advent Conspiracy (who is in partnership with Living Water) to help provide wells for people all over the globe? I challenge all of you to think about why we are buying each other gifts that we do not need, when we could give to those who have nothing. Because honestly, is consumerism really what Jesus is all about, or is it the giving of ourselves to others? I am constantly reminded of 1 John 3:17-18 which says, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." How does God's love abide in you, if you do not give? What a powerful question for us today who have so much! So, really as the season approaches us (especially since Black Friday is coming), what will you give?If you want to check out ways you can give you can look at these different resources:
http://water.cc/
http://www.micahchallenge.us
www.adventconspiracy.org
www.worldvision.org
www.compassion.com
www.kiva.org
www.gfa.org
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Yes We Did
Wow, the fact that I got to be a part of history, good history, is so exciting. I am so proud and elated that Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States. Just wow. During his speech last night, I teared up. Last night, whenever I thought about him winning I just kept smiling.
No matter who you voted for it is undeniable that history was made and by just his victory, the world has more hope. This is the chance to restore America as a nation of good standing with the world. There are many conservatives who are very concerned about Obama being president. Just as John McCain said last night, now we have to go back to our lives and work together. Philipians 4:6 says this "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (NIV). So, whether or not you think Obama is going to ruin our country, pray for him and know that God is in control and this was His will. Oh, and don't continue to call yourself a Christian and belittle people by calling them names, it's unChrist-like.
To end things off with a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower:
"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."
No matter who you voted for it is undeniable that history was made and by just his victory, the world has more hope. This is the chance to restore America as a nation of good standing with the world. There are many conservatives who are very concerned about Obama being president. Just as John McCain said last night, now we have to go back to our lives and work together. Philipians 4:6 says this "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (NIV). So, whether or not you think Obama is going to ruin our country, pray for him and know that God is in control and this was His will. Oh, and don't continue to call yourself a Christian and belittle people by calling them names, it's unChrist-like.
To end things off with a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower:
"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I'm a Christian and an Obama supporter *gasp*
This is my first post, and later I'll write a little bit about myself in the next, but why not just dive into things head first?
I am an Evangelical Christian, who goes to an Evangelical college, is majoring in Biblical Studies, and I am a Democrat. This pretty much goes against the status-quo of evangelicalism, if you pay any attention to politics, you know that the Evangelical community is practically married to conservatism. This is heavily due to abortion and gay marriage. So, while I've been at my conservative school (the students are heavily conservative, while the majority of the professors are liberal), I have learned that Christians have totally missed the point of what it means to be a Christian. Christianity is not about hating liberals, hating those who have abortions or perform them, it is not about condemning those who are homosexual, it is about serving God and serving others.
Tony Campolo is a prominent evangelist and I think that he is right when he says, "I think that Christianity has two emphases. One is a social emphasis to impart the values of the kingdom of God in society - to relieve the sufferings of the poor, to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for those who have no voice. The other emphasis is to bring people into a personal, transforming relationship with Christ, where they feel the joy and the love of God in their lives." But do evangelicals really think this? I think not.
If you go into most churches who label themselves as Evangelical, they are focusing on the the second emphasis, but they totally ignore the first one. The whole Gospel of Luke is about how Jesus ministers to the poor, oppressed, and the outcasts; Jesus is the savior of all people. In fact Luke 9:51-19:27 is sometimes called "The Gospel of the Outcasts." In this section of Scripture there are many stories, parables, and teachings about God's special care for the poor and the outcast. There is over 2,000 passages which deal with God's concern for the poor and oppressed. 1 John 3:16-20 says this "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything" (NIV, emphasis mine). I think we ignore this passage greatly. When was the last time that we as Christian have really truly lived this out? We are too consumed with acquiring material things that we do not need or necessarily even want, than being consumed with love for one another.
So, what does this have to do with politics? Everything. If there are two emphases of the Gospel (and obviously the other should be done within the church, and not in government), then how can I say that I'm a Christian and ignore that 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day? How can I say that I'm a Christian and ignore the homeless? How can I say I'm a Christian and ignore the poverty not only in our own country, but also around the world? I am pro-life, and the overwhelming majority of Christian are, and they only care about abortion, but hello there are a whole list of other things that deserve to be labeled as pro-life. You cannot be pro-life and be against the poor, you cannot be pro-life and be for capital punishment, you cannot be pro-life and be for war, you cannot be pro-life and against health-care for those who cannot afford it. These things are a contradiction to the very meaning of pro-life, yet Evangelicals only want to apply it to abortion. I think that a lot of the people in this country is seeing this hypocrisy.
But, the church should help the poor, not the government. In an ideal world this is true, but let's face it, we are too selfish to actually do this. So, we need something bigger than us, and that can be government. The Gospel is not one of prosperity like Joel Osteen and others have preached, and to think that you can live comfortably and be a disciple of Christ is to misinterpret the Gospel.
Also, creation care is clearly under assault. Our environmental impact on the environment is out of control and we need energy that is more eco-friendly, green, and renewable. This is part of being a good steward of what God has given us to enjoy.
Umm.... aren't you missing gay marriage? Yeah. I am. I think that in our country homosexuals are oppressed, and whether or not we think it is a sin shouldn't we be there to love them? While I don't agree with providing marriage status of a gay couple, I think that a civil union is a good alternative, where they can enjoy the legal rights of other couples. They are not equally represented if they do not have these rights, and they still have to pay taxes. Same-sex couples cannot visit or make medical decisions for their partner if they get into an accident. How is that ok? Matthew 7:1-5 says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Let's worry about our own sins, rather than the sins of others.
Based not only on these three issues, but a whole range of others (that if I took the time to list everything would be a very long post), I will be voting for Obama, via absentee ballot on November 4. There are a lot of Christians who will be upset by this post, but maybe you should ask yourself why does it make you upset? Is Obama going to be the perfect president? No, because nobody is perfect. Do I agree with everything? No. But, I'm not going to let two issues decide who is president and calling people names just shows your maturity in Christ, which is probably infantile (if you choose to do go this route).
So, I guess I only have one question for those who will never vote for a president because they support abortion. How many kids are you planning/have adopted from the foster care system? If you care about them so much to give them life, but not enough to actually care for them, then you probably are not pro-life, but a hypocrite.
I am an Evangelical Christian, who goes to an Evangelical college, is majoring in Biblical Studies, and I am a Democrat. This pretty much goes against the status-quo of evangelicalism, if you pay any attention to politics, you know that the Evangelical community is practically married to conservatism. This is heavily due to abortion and gay marriage. So, while I've been at my conservative school (the students are heavily conservative, while the majority of the professors are liberal), I have learned that Christians have totally missed the point of what it means to be a Christian. Christianity is not about hating liberals, hating those who have abortions or perform them, it is not about condemning those who are homosexual, it is about serving God and serving others.
Tony Campolo is a prominent evangelist and I think that he is right when he says, "I think that Christianity has two emphases. One is a social emphasis to impart the values of the kingdom of God in society - to relieve the sufferings of the poor, to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for those who have no voice. The other emphasis is to bring people into a personal, transforming relationship with Christ, where they feel the joy and the love of God in their lives." But do evangelicals really think this? I think not.
If you go into most churches who label themselves as Evangelical, they are focusing on the the second emphasis, but they totally ignore the first one. The whole Gospel of Luke is about how Jesus ministers to the poor, oppressed, and the outcasts; Jesus is the savior of all people. In fact Luke 9:51-19:27 is sometimes called "The Gospel of the Outcasts." In this section of Scripture there are many stories, parables, and teachings about God's special care for the poor and the outcast. There is over 2,000 passages which deal with God's concern for the poor and oppressed. 1 John 3:16-20 says this "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything" (NIV, emphasis mine). I think we ignore this passage greatly. When was the last time that we as Christian have really truly lived this out? We are too consumed with acquiring material things that we do not need or necessarily even want, than being consumed with love for one another.
So, what does this have to do with politics? Everything. If there are two emphases of the Gospel (and obviously the other should be done within the church, and not in government), then how can I say that I'm a Christian and ignore that 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day? How can I say that I'm a Christian and ignore the homeless? How can I say I'm a Christian and ignore the poverty not only in our own country, but also around the world? I am pro-life, and the overwhelming majority of Christian are, and they only care about abortion, but hello there are a whole list of other things that deserve to be labeled as pro-life. You cannot be pro-life and be against the poor, you cannot be pro-life and be for capital punishment, you cannot be pro-life and be for war, you cannot be pro-life and against health-care for those who cannot afford it. These things are a contradiction to the very meaning of pro-life, yet Evangelicals only want to apply it to abortion. I think that a lot of the people in this country is seeing this hypocrisy.
But, the church should help the poor, not the government. In an ideal world this is true, but let's face it, we are too selfish to actually do this. So, we need something bigger than us, and that can be government. The Gospel is not one of prosperity like Joel Osteen and others have preached, and to think that you can live comfortably and be a disciple of Christ is to misinterpret the Gospel.
Also, creation care is clearly under assault. Our environmental impact on the environment is out of control and we need energy that is more eco-friendly, green, and renewable. This is part of being a good steward of what God has given us to enjoy.
Umm.... aren't you missing gay marriage? Yeah. I am. I think that in our country homosexuals are oppressed, and whether or not we think it is a sin shouldn't we be there to love them? While I don't agree with providing marriage status of a gay couple, I think that a civil union is a good alternative, where they can enjoy the legal rights of other couples. They are not equally represented if they do not have these rights, and they still have to pay taxes. Same-sex couples cannot visit or make medical decisions for their partner if they get into an accident. How is that ok? Matthew 7:1-5 says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Let's worry about our own sins, rather than the sins of others.
Based not only on these three issues, but a whole range of others (that if I took the time to list everything would be a very long post), I will be voting for Obama, via absentee ballot on November 4. There are a lot of Christians who will be upset by this post, but maybe you should ask yourself why does it make you upset? Is Obama going to be the perfect president? No, because nobody is perfect. Do I agree with everything? No. But, I'm not going to let two issues decide who is president and calling people names just shows your maturity in Christ, which is probably infantile (if you choose to do go this route).
So, I guess I only have one question for those who will never vote for a president because they support abortion. How many kids are you planning/have adopted from the foster care system? If you care about them so much to give them life, but not enough to actually care for them, then you probably are not pro-life, but a hypocrite.
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