Jesus, Please Stick Around

Jesus, Please Stick Around

People simply do not like to be told what to do, or how to live. That is basically what it means to be stiff- necked. Time, and time again God referred to Israel as a stiff-necked people. We read in Acts 7:51 what the Lord says to the Sanhedrin by way of Deacon Stephen, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” These words are as relevant today as they were in the First Century. We simply do not want God to govern our lives, because we know God’s rule is disruptive. When God enters our life’s situations God seemingly always makes us uncomfortable. We always have to get up from where we are and do some rearranging of things. When God comes into our lives God will put in order what is in disorder. This will require some uncomfortable work on our part and we don’t like that. Let’s face it, no one wants to spend the required amount of time cleaning up a mess that has been growing for years. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people would rather live dysfunctional and reprobate instead of embrace the holy (set apart) life God intends for us.

Recall in scripture (Matthew 8:28-34) when Jesus visited the Gadarenes. The Gadarenes Jesus encountered were primarily Gentiles who earned a living farming pigs. These Gadarenes were living in fear, being bullied by two demon possessed men who blocked a key pathway. The Gadarenes lived in discomfort. They were being tormented by evil and their lives were unnecessarily harder because of it. So, Jesus cast the demons out of the two violent men and allowed the evil spirits to enter into a herd of swine. The whole herd rushed down a steep bank into the lake and died in the water. The locals were furious that they had lost a herd of pigs. It seemed that they could care less about being in the presence of one who has power to cast out demons. There was no rejoicing for the revival of the two possessed men. No one celebrated over the end of violence, fear, and inconvenience. Rather, the local Gadarenes’ focus was on the disruption Jesus Christ caused to their financial stability. The Gadarenes begged Jesus to leave! They would prefer to endure dysfunction and continue to live among the pig stench of evil than to have Jesus Christ stick around. In essence, the Gadarenes chose swine over Savior.

Like us, the Gadarenes valued material things above spiritual deliverance. Because of our determination to live how we want to live; without the counsel of the Holy Spirit, our world is operating in reprobate dysfunction. We are no different than our ancestors, a stiff-necked people. We have pleaded Jesus to leave our personal lives and we have forced him out of every public institution. Without Christ our world is demon possessed and violent. No one, in their right mind, wants to live this way. Perhaps, it is time to stop asking God to leave us alone. Instead we should plead Jesus to stick around. There will be work to do…a lot of cleaning and rearranging, but it will be far better living with a Savior than with swine.

[Read] Matthew 8:28-34

[Pray]:

Lord we magnify your Holy and righteous name. You are the Lord of Host and we adore you above all. We are a stiff-necked generation, full of sin. Yes Lord, I confess, I am a stiff-necked sinner too. I sincerely repent of my sins and ask that you look beyond my faults and see my needs. I know that at some point in my reprobate mind I asked you to leave me alone. Please forgive me Lord, for I knew not what I asked. Now I invite you back into my life. I beg of you to come into my life and stay. Make the changes that need to be made in my life and give me the strength to accept your Will. Set me apart from this world and be the Lord of my life. In the name of Jesus I plead this prayer. Amen.

We Pray…

We Pray…

Violence is inevitable when there is no hope of civil justice. This is why Lady Justice cannot be slothful and must act swiftly. For only the strong in faith can maintain the grip of hope in desperate times. If Lady Justice covers her eyes too long, failing to recognize the pain of the oppressed the people who are barely holding on will eventually let her go.   It is the weakest from among us that Lady Justice should concern herself with most. Our weakest, the ones who do not have the spiritual fortitude to cling tightly to the promises of God; Our weakest, the ones who quickly lose trust in our human capacity to overcome societal ills; Our weakest, those who choose violence as a means of resolution. It is our weakest members who need so desperately to see that justice is hard at work creating an egalitarian legal system that makes everybody feel worthy of dignity. For, it is our weakest members of society that are most likely to respond to oppressive violence with more violence.

We, as people of faith, pray for everyone who has lost their beloved at the hands of our weakest members of society, whom possess weapons that they are too immature to handle. We pray that God will forgive us for creating a world so vastly different from God’s design. We pray that we, God’s people who are called by God’s name will humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways, so that God will hear from heaven, and forgive our sins and heal our land.

I am Your Share and Your Inheritance

I am Your Share and Your Inheritance

There has never been a time when the economy was courteous to all people. This generation’s economy promises to be consistent with all others. Few people will thrive while the masses will wonder if they will ever experience financial relief. A generation ago people hoped for two things to happen in their lifetime. One was to earn enough money to comfortably pay a mortgage while maintaining a savings. The second hope was to be able to pay off the mortgage in time enough to retire with a financial nest egg to withdraw from. A generation ago it was more than conceivable, even expected, that a person would pay off a thirty-year mortgage working for one company. If you had more than three jobs in thirty years you were labeled a “job hopper”. The economy, still not fair to all, was undeniably more stable then. Today, homeowners may work for a dozen employers before paying off a mortgage. This means it is going to be difficult to generate a comfortable retirement for those who have never been able to stay with a company long enough to become vested. This is the reality for generations X, Y and Z. It is plausible that these generations will live longer than any other, but they should expect to work longer, retiring much later than the age of sixty-five.

This paints a grim picture for the working class. We have to face the reality that there is no earthly indication that we will ever enjoy any phase of our lives without experiencing some financial hardship. Of course this is nothing new, it has been the case since the beginning of civilization. To have little or no retirement today will result in the same as having little or no inheritance in biblical times. People who had no inheritance in antiquity found themselves enslaved to an oppressive economic system. There was no hope of relief for the economically disinherited. Without land or legacy they could expect to die while working. We can expect the same if some industry revolution does not reverse this economic instability; just as steel, transportation, computers and the Internet did in the past. The need for an individual to have multiple income streams is rapidly becoming the norm. Soon retirement will be an antiquated idea. Those who don’t have the fortitude to navigate the increasingly competitive job market will have to accept that their days on earth will not be lived gracefully; but with much trepidation.

When suffering endures, with no sign of relief, hope begins to lose its fervor. It is difficult to maintain hope when life refuses to afford you the time, and money to ever realize your own dreams. Instead, all your labor is dedicated to accomplishing the goals of the financially privileged. Our dreams are fueled by the hope that we will get an opportunity to bring them to fruition. What happens to society when a generation loses hope in ever being able to accomplish their dreams? What do they teach their children about life? What happens to their faith in God? The answers to these questions may give some insight to why the most advanced society in human history is in such great moral decline. When the hope of the disinherited is fleeting it is imperative that we hold on to faith affirmations that reinvigorate our optimism.

One faith affirmation can be found in Numbers 18:20. The Lord’s message to Aaron, the Chief Priest of Israel, offers hope to the individual who is struggling to see how s/he will ever experience financial relief in uncertain times. The people of the ancient world were accustomed to hard economic conditions. It was the priest who instilled hope that if Israel honored God and remained faithful they would be relieved of economic worry. As long as they worshipped God in obedience they could expect a harvest. It was the priest’s primary responsibility to ensure that the people remained in right relationship with God. This responsibility yielded little time for the priest to do anything else. Unlike the congregation, Aaron was not able to make a living in the market place or by bartering. Priests were not even allowed to own land. So, their inheritance or financial security heavily depended on the faithfulness of people to give their tithes. Aaron’s job was to prepare the Alter with focus on the people’s penance and devotion to God. The priest would ensure that the people would be taken care of by God through prayer and ordinance, while trusting that they would in turn provide for his own daily sustenance and inheritance. In other words, Aaron depended on the nation of Israel to provide a decent wage and retirement for him. Aware of Aaron’s gullibility about his own financial fate the Lord said to him, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites (Numbers 18:20).” Wow! This sounds a bit contradictory, especially when considering that God most often provides for us with the use of human hands. It was the people’s responsibility to make sure the priest was taken care of financially. If not the nation of Israel, where would Aaron’s share come from? When we consider Israel’s track record as it relates to obedience to the Will of God, the promise God makes to Aaron offers more relief than query. Like us, the Israelites were extremely hardheaded. Time and time again they would defy the priest. Thus, acting in disobedience to God’s Will for their lives. Consequently God would exercise judgment, dry up the people’s harvest, and allow an economic crisis to spur spiritual cleansing. The priest would not be immune to unstable economic conditions stirred by God’s anger. When the land doesn’t produce a harvest life is harder for everybody. If the tithes and offerings are scarce the priest is left to wonder what will become of his own livelihood.

The nation of Israel constantly demonstrated that they were not a trustworthy source of economic stability. What God says to Aaron serves as a message to all of us who find it difficult to trust that our employer, or the economy will yield a satisfactory portion for our retirement. In essence, God tells Aaron that as long as he is faithful in doing what God ask of him God will provide for his day-to-day needs as well as secure his future. Though Israel will prove to be unreliable, God promises Aaron that there will always be a share set-aside for him in one way, or another. God will knit Aaron’s inheritance like a tapestry. It may be comprised of several sources, but in the end God’s provision will be whole. Unlike a merchant who sells product, the priest cannot use market indicators to calculate his future income potential. The priest must have faith that God will supply his every need despite the people’s neglect of their responsibilities. Just as Aaron could not depend on the nation of Israel to be fair to him, we cannot depend on the world’s economy to provide a fair retirement for us. If we accept that God is our share and our inheritance, we can take comfort in knowing that regardless of what the job market looks like, or how many times we get laid off, or how much the cost of living increases, or how much savings we have at the moment, God will provide a way for us to rest from our labor. This message was solidified by Jesus when he said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).” In times of trouble God is our refuge and our strength. God will ensure that there will always be a share, and an inheritance for those who trust God.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints

My dentist is exceptional. More than a medical practitioner, my dentist has a warm persona that communicates a confidence that makes it easy to relax. If I feel any pain as a result of the work I trust that it was not done out of negligence or malicious intent.  This does not suggest that my dentist is incapable of making mistakes. Nor does it mean I am gullible, believing that everything my dentist does is sincerely for my benefit alone. In fact, I am reminded of my dentist’s shortcomings every time I rub my tongue against my porcelain crown.  Somehow when my crown was molded my dentist’s fingerprint hardened and became a permanent part of the crown. As a result the crown surface is not smooth.  If I had known that there was a fingerprint left on my crown I would not have allowed my dentist to complete the procedure. However, I was too numb from the Novocain to feel the rough surface and missed the opportunity to correct it.  By the time my feeling came back I hardly wanted to return to the Dentist Office.   I remember what the pain was like before I received my crown.  The fingerprint left by the dentist served as a reminder of how important it was for someone to acquire the skill necessary to stop the pain of another person.   It also reminds me that well trained practitioners sometimes leave evidence of mistakes in their work.   Nonetheless, I am a grateful that my dentist is a pleasant person with a warm spirit. Otherwise the permanent evidence of my dentist’s finger tattooed in my mouth would be extremely awkward.

In the same way my dentist is exceptional, are those who provide the biblical witness.  Authors of biblical text were exceptional practitioners of the written word during their time in history.  Apart from its social implications the Bible stands on its own as an exceptional collection of literature.  It will forever be considered a masterful work.  By no means does this conclude that the Bible, an anthology, is inerrant. There are places within the text that are evident of human error. Providing specifics would demand exhaustive explanations, which would redirect the intent of this writing.  Admittedly, one can identify mistakes, misunderstandings, ignorance and misinterpretations in the Bible.  Regardless of such, the Bible is still infallible.  Errant, but infallible; How could this be?   Even with the error of placing a fingerprint on my crown, my dentist accomplished what needed to be done.  Yes, the fingerprint is a mistake, but overall the crown works perfectly. The pain is gone and I understand the intent.  Infallibility, as it relates to the Bible, cannot be defined as something or someone incapable of making mistakes.  Instead, infallibility means the bible ultimately accomplishes what it intends.

The biblical witnesses intended to reveal that God intervenes in human history.  They want us to know that they encountered God. Biblical witnesses struggled with their divine experiences, failed miserably in some instances and triumphed in others.  The Bible is a mere fingerprint of human frailty observed among divine truths. Likewise, the Bible is a mere fingerprint of divine truths observed among human frailty. The fingerprints of human kind are interwoven with the fingerprints of the Divine. In essence, the Bible is an illustration of God and humans holding hands throughout history.

Now that some years have passed I have learned that my fingerprinted crown has served me well. The ridges left by my dentists’ error were not intentional but, they make it easier to shred food which makes for easier digestion. Though my crown is slightly flawed, according to human standards, it proves to work better than the dentist planned.  When we consider the fingerprints of the biblical witness we should remember that they are not without divine intervention. Even with our mistakes God can accomplish more than what we intended.

Read: Romans 8:28

Grown Folk Thinking

Grown Folk Thinking

We learn very early that there are things in life designated as “grown folk stuff.”  Once there existed delineation between the activities of “young folk” and grown folk. Sometimes you wouldn’t know what was reserved for grown folk until you threatened to intrude on it. There were no signs that said, “For Grown Folk Only.”  As a child, you were mostly left to decipher what was grown folk stuff with nothing more than the use of your common sense.  If you saw what looked like as glass of orange juice sitting on a table late in the evening while the Blues blared in the background you’d better stay clear of it. It was highly probably that what was in that glass was for grown folks.  If you suffered the lack of such wisdom, and placed your hand near that glass you would pay a heavy price for grown folk encroachment. Friday’s dawn would usher in grown folk time.  All activities were geared toward the satisfaction of grown folk.  Young folk were thought to have all week to have fun, but Friday night belonged to the grown folk. The music was “grown folk music”, the conversation was “grown folk conversation” and everybody knew what time it was; or whose time it was. So, we thought that being grown meant being old enough to stay up late, drink liquor, smoke cigarettes and listen to the Blues. It would take a lot of living to discover that none of those activities made one grown.  Rather, being grown had more to do with how you carried yourself. To be considered grown you had to know stuff like how to wear your clothes, when to speak and when not to, how to control your emotions, how to show proper respect, and overall how to behave in any social settings.  Basically, grown folk thought and behaved a certain way. 

If you paid attention you could always spot a grown folk impersonator.  There were always a few at every gathering.  You know the type; they would try to look the part, but would quickly be found out.  Either the females put on too much make-up, or the males couldn’t “hold” their liquor. My favorite was when an impersonator would say something trying to sound grown, but end up sounding stupid. The impersonator’s age may have gotten them pass curfew, but they surely were not considered to be grown among the seasoned adults.  It was obvious that some in the grown folk crowd had a little more living to do in order to be worthy of Friday’s dawn.   Impersonators fail to realize that there exists something called grown folk thinking; which cannot be ascertained by an age number. Those who want to be considered grown had better develop a grown-up’s way of thinking. 

The way one begins to think like a grown-up is by first evaluating her or his current thinking status.  That is, to begin asking questions about one’s current view the world. Questions such as: Do you see the world in terms of right versus wrong? Is everything either black, or white?  Do you think that everything should have reasonable explanation? Do you need to know that there are facts that support everything you consider true? If your answer is “yes” to the majority of these you may be old enough to stay up past curfew, drink alcohol, smoke and listen to explicit music, but you are not grown yet.  Education Researcher William Perry Jr. would say that you are at the lowest level of cognitive development.  In other words, you may certainly be an adult by societal standards, but you are still not thinking like a grown-up. Seeing the world in a simplistic way, such as believing that there is only right and wrong, is viewed as absolutism.  Grown folk know that the world has far too many mysteries for us to limit it to absolutes. To think about the world in absolute terms is to shrink existence to the theories of a few gifted intellectual pioneers. Absolutists lack the ability to think critically in the face of real-life conflict.  When confronted with issues like abortion people who think at the lowest cognitive development stage will look to someone else to help them navigate this moral dilemma. A grown-up impersonator at this stage seeks evidence that support their point of view while dismissing evidence that contradict it.  Their world view is largely constructed with a series of biases they have collected from others. Like children, absolutists’ thinkers rely too heavily on others to decipher life.

The good news is people can graduate from this stage. The bad news is most people don’t. Reason being, it is the only mode of thinking they know. Most people find comfort in simplicity, and resist putting their belief system to the test.  Good or bad, right or wrong, they stay where they are.  Never growing up, looking grown, acting grown, but thinking like a child. 

Others who are not afraid to challenge their orientation to life will move to the second stage of cognitive development.  Psychologists refer to this way of thinking as relativism.  These people believe opposite of Absolutists. Relativists think that all truth is relative. Every opinion matters and no one is qualified to judge the perspective of another.  For the relativist the world is vast and cannot be limited to absolutes.  The problem with this mode of thinking is it does not welcome challenge.  Relativists do not like having their ideas challenged or judged. When it comes to controversial issues these thinkers become argumentative, combative and contrary.  Basically, they throw a fit. For this reason, relativist should not hang out with grown folk.

Though relativists can be hard to keep calm they are far better at reasoning than absolutists.  One can have an enriched conversation with relativists; which creates the opportunity for growth.  Thus, there is hope that they will be grown someday.  Being grown would mean that one has reached the highest level of cognitive development, Commitment.  Simply stated, grown folk commit.  Grown folk know that in our world there are a lot of grey areas.  Grown folk also know that all ideas and opinions are not equally valid.  Experts and authority figures make mistakes, and will continue to. Grown folk are aware that uncertainly is woven in the fabric of life, but life must persist in spite of the unknown.  A position can be taken in life as being correct up until it is deemed wrong. When that time comes grown folk are flexible enough to make the necessary adjustment.  Somehow as we mature we understand more fully how complex the world really is. However, grown folk develop the critical thinking skills necessary to cope with an ever changing world that oxymoronically remains the same. People at this stage of commitment thinking accept responsibility for their actions based on what they believe; as a matter of choice. For the grown folk the locust of truth resides within.  Grown folk are not put-off by challenges to their belief system, and view confrontation over ideas as unnecessary.  They are not drunk with their own worldview. Grown folk make room for other perspectives to coexist with their own convictions.  In other words, they know how to “hold their liquor.” When confronted with crisis, controversy, calamity, or the complexities of life we should be ever careful not to intrude on grown folk conversation; though we can legally stay up past curfew.     

 Read (I Corinthians 13:11-12)

Shoved Off the Throne

Shoved Off the Throne

In his book, Made for Goodness, Desmond Tutu talks about a time when he lead presumptuously until he made a simple decision that would serve to reveal the frailties in his ministry. In short, he put off visiting a sick parishioner and she died before he reached out to her. For Desmond Tutu this was a colossal failure. When he received the news that the lady had passed away he felt like he had been shoved off the throne of ethereal ascent. Suddenly, a sanctified, mighty and revered Desmond Tutu was made to feel low, inept, and undeserving. He had to sulk in the pain of failing the deceased woman, failing the community from which she came, failing self, and failing at the commitment he made to God. Perhaps, the latter was the most hurtful.

Desmond Tutu’s pitfall in this situation only serves to show that the best among us fail. We know that Desmond Tutu’s contributions to the world far exceed whatever mistakes he made along the way.  However, there is something we can glean from how he viewed his failure. He said he felt as though he had been shoved off the throne.  For our exploration there are four important questions. First, what throne was he speaking of?  Second, who put him on it? Third, who shoved him off?  Finally, why does it matter?

More than a large chair atop a flight of stairs, a throne is also an impalpable reality.  We don’t always see thrones, but we know they exist. A throne represents a euphoric position of power. On some level we all have a position of power. Thus, we all have a throne to marvel.  Our throne is what we use to display our power. Perhaps this is the reason we work so hard, and spend much of our lives constructing our throne; we want to put our power on display. Desmond Tutu’s throne displayed his ability to lead people in religious devotion.  Yes noble, but undoubtedly a dangerously powerful position.

We like to think that our throne is ordained by God.  This way of thinking helps suppress the guilt that stems from vanity. We would rather believe God desires for us to live elevated than accept that our throne is self-aggrandized.  So, we pray for our throne; we ask God to bless our throne.  We even plead God’s hand in building our throne.  The problem is we construct our throne regardless of what God says. We are determined to acquire our position(s) of power with, or without God’s consent. Thus, we don’t always know for whom, or by whom our throne is built. God and Desmond Tutu may have shared hands in building his throne.  Tutu may have formed, and mounted his throne all alone.  Nonetheless, Desmond Tutu found himself forced off.

Though it may not be clear who built his throne, Desmond Tutu uses language that would help us understand that he did not voluntarily step down. According to him he was shoved off the throne.  In other words, he was forced down.  Apart from himself there are only two other possibilities for who was responsible for his demotion. Either it was the people who acknowledged his throne, or it was God.  People can surely knock us off our pedestal.  They can dismantle our thrones with accusations, gossip, condemnation, or any other use of their power.  In this case witnesses would denote Desmond Tutu’s neglect to visit his parishioner as an understandable blunder.  After all, people witness worse indiscretions committed by leaders frequently.  The standard in which people have become accustomed to holding leaders accountable had been diminished greatly by the time of Tutu’s mistake.  So, the people whom recognized his throne had no impulse to dethrone him. However, God was fully aware of Desmond Tutu’s misstep; and God’s standards do not fluctuate.

Desmond Tutu was ever mindful of his humility under the sight of God.  He was aware that his throne was a privilege, and that he should honor God by being careful with it.   The standard set for governing his throne was far greater than what people would expect of him.  It was a Godly standard.  It was one that was established by him and God alone. No matter what anyone else thought, Tutu was well aware of how far he missed the mark. In the end it would be God, who pricked Desmond Tutu’s conscience, and God who shoved him off the throne.

Why does any of this matter? Heirs of God should be made aware that God reserves the right to bring us down from the noblest pedestals. So how much more should we expect to be dethroned from constructs of selfish ambition? It’s plausible that God only allows us to build thrones so that God can shove us off of them. This is the secret life of God’s chosen; a life of being lifted up and shoved down.  Does this personify God as a mean bully who takes pleasure in setting people up to fail?  No more than it does a teacher who looks forward to her/his students making mistakes.  If we are to grow, learn and be of effective use for God we have to endure the pain of occasionally being brought down.  Only after we are brought down we give proper attention to the flaws in our life’s design. We pick apart the places in our ascent where we worked to build ourselves up without God’s input. In the end, Desmond Tutu appreciated God’s rebuke. He learned that he did not have it all together. There were some areas in his ministry that needed some attention. He also learned that his throne was not completely a divine construct.  Some of it was made of self-glory. This acknowledgement served Desmond Tutu in becoming a better servant.  We should note that from time to time we will be shoved off our throne. It creates in us the humility necessary for the proper use of our power.

Read (Philippians 2:5-8)

Solid Witness

Solid Witness

As we progress in postmodernity more Americans, than ever, are asking why Christianity is still so prevalent in our time. Believers in Jesus Christ are being mocked by a growing cynicism that asserts far too many Americans are still unintelligently infatuated with Jesus in the new millennium. There are a multitude of explanations for why our critics think we are silly for still believing in what they consider fairy tales about the deity of Jesus. The biggest reason critics of Christianity cannot comprehend our commitment to our faith is because they grossly underestimate the power of solid witness.

It is because of solid witness Christianity is prevalent today. Without the witness of Jesus’ resurrection Christianity may have died on the cross a forgotten fable. But, after his execution Jesus visited his followers. Like usual, he was met with disbelief. According to the witness in the Gospel of Luke Jesus put on a demonstration of his “realness” by urging people to touch him to ensure them that they were not seeing a ghost. The same Gospel records Jesus eating a piece of broiled fish; post execution. This is not to say that there were not times in which the witness made claims about Jesus appearing in a mysteriously inexplicable way after he died. Rather, it is to say that Jesus did appear resurrected as a solid being. After his death Jesus briefly appeared as one that could be seen plainly, and touched physically. He ate food, and he had apparent wounds. Christianity is alive today because of the testimony of former-unbelieving people who witnessed a solid Jesus Christ, pre and post his crucifixion.

Our critics should be aware that Christianity was birthed out of a milieu of skepticism, unbelief and scrutiny. Different from today, the consequences of making false claims about God in the First Century were deadly. Those who held claim to the extraordinary occurrences of Jesus had far more to lose than an exhaustive argument about who God is, or if God is. More difficult than accepting the professions of Jesus, is believing that multiple witnesses would be willing to die for telling imaginative stories. The testimony of those who witnessed Jesus Christ in the flesh is (1) solid in that they had far more to lose than to gain by fabricating events. Their witness is (2) solid in that they had no earthly incentive to tell such outrageous, socially unacceptable stories. Their witness is (3) solid in that they had to overcome their own doubt when encountering Jesus resurrected. In other words, it took some convincing on Jesus’ part to show that he was not a ghost, but solid. They witnessed a resurrected, solid Jesus.

Those of us who accept the testimony of Jesus’ disciples as solid witness know something that non-Christian intellectuals don’t. That is, critical thinking is not void of emotional intelligence. Just as sound decision-making requires that you use your head, it equally demands you use your gut (instinct). There are some things we simply cannot comprehend without first taking the risk of exercising faith. Sometimes we must put forth what we feel, apart from what we think. A skydiver never really knows whether her parachute is going to open until she takes a leap of faith. Thus, before jumping she is left to trust the testimonies of all those who leaped before her. Only after we decide to believe God in Jesus Christ will we be able to add to our faith knowledge. Christians know that when our intellect runs out our faith can carry us the rest of the way. This is not enough to convince a determined skeptic that Jesus was God incarnate. Nor is that the aim. The purpose is to illustrate that no intellectual pursuit will prove Jesus’ deity above the convicting testimony of a solid witness. We either believe the witness, or we don’t.

Jesus said to Thomas, after he demanded proof that Jesus had been resurrected, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” Believers are blessed because we know that only after taking a leap of faith we can give solid witness of Jesus Christ. Christianity will remain to be prevalent as long as we continue to give solid witness. We need to be careful not to leave this generation, or the next to wrestle with the nature of God with nothing more than intellect. We must pass on to them what was given to us, the testimonies of solid witness.

Read: Luke 24:36-43 & John 20: 24-27

 

Tidying Up

Tidying Up

What do we know, teach and do about morality? In this expanding ideological society “morality” is becoming an increasingly ambiguous term. Though the term “moral” has never been one in which we could speak about definitively, there are some attributes of morality that we all ascribe to in common. At the basic level most people would agree that human beings ought to be kind and helpful to one another. The problem is we view this basic attribute as the pinnacle of moral standard. Contrary, kindness and helpfulness is the least we do to demonstrate our sense of morality. Kindness and helpfulness is where we begin in celebrating the evolution of our humanness, not where we end.

We fail miserably at the ground level of morality; which probably explains why most of us never reach beyond being kind and helpful to others. If we were to graduate from the ground level of morality we would find that there is more to it than the way we behave towards others. There is also the morality that exists within us for us. It is the way we temper our self-destructive behavior. Our internal morality should serve to warn us of the sins we commit against ourselves. To behave with moral integrity is to be kind to others while being kind to ourselves. How moral are we if we offer the best of ourselves to others, but inflict our mind, body and spirit with toxic pollutants (e.g. selfishness, drugs, cigarettes, profanity, laziness, porn, drunkenness, poor diet)?

Demonstrating moral integrity consist of being kind and helpful to both, others and ourselves. Perhaps, only after we master these two levels of morality can we truly advance to the third and final dimension. That is, living in peace with our Creator. The ultimate morality is to express continuous gratitude for being made. We express thankfulness by celebrating creation in its various forms, and honoring the Creator. Anything less than acknowledging and paying homage to that which is responsible for your existence is immoral.

These are the three levels of morality we must know, teach and do; be kind and helpful to others as well as to ourself, while paying homage to our Creator. It is evident in how we behave towards one another that what has been simply stated about morality here is proving to be increasingly difficult as we become more diverse in our thinking. Progress we must, but how far can we expect to advance if we fail to tidy up on morality?

Read Mark 7:21-23