Vantage Point (Part 2)

[Note: This was originally intended to be a single post, but due to length I separated it into two parts. Please read part 1 here before part 2. Context is important.]

Hot Button Issues

With the ideas I have shared about cultural awareness and the danger of a single story in mind, I want to address three specific issues that I feel very passionately troubled about. I am passionate about the intersection of the gospel with life. The gospel interprets how we live. I am trouble by how I have seen Christians, primarily on social media platforms, address the following issues. I am sharing the following ideas for two purposes: 1.) adding dimension to the background and theology of my current views on such topics, and 2.) to challenge believers to at least think about issues from a different vantage point. If we claim to follow Christ, then our entire way of seeing the world is reinterpreted through the lens of the Kingdom.

Nationalism

I love America. I love living in America. I believe there are a lot of great things about this nation. I value and appreciate the blood that has been shed in order to protect the people and the freedoms of this nation. However, my patriotic identity and my patriotic allegiance does not even come close to my allegiance to Jesus. It just doesn’t. For many of us, it seems that our allegiance is divided equally between God and country. Personally, I have been convicted of the nationalism in my own life. Nationalism is characterized by a mentality of superiority. A mindset that views other countries and other people groups as inferior. I have heard people literally say that our country is better than other countries. The implication was that America is superior.

What is the problem with this? The problem is that God loves the world. The problem is that this superiority complex can cultivate in us a naivety. We can naively begin to believe that God favors our nation over others, we can think that we are always the “good guys” in a international conflict, and we can naively think that America is somehow more Christian than any other nation. Viewing history through this lens of patriotic Christianity we neglect to acknowledge the evils of imperialism and racism from our past. This lens can hinder our love for the world. If the primary way we view the world is through a lens of superiority then we cannot possibly see the world through the lens of sacrificial love—the lens through which God sees the world through. This was most clearly evidenced for me by how passionate people were, specifically Christian people, over the NFL National Anthem debacle. Regardless of where you stand… or kneel… the intensity of emotions and the things that were said surrounding the issue were at times out of line for Christ-followers.

The problem with nationalism is that it is unbiblical. The entire book of Jonah is about God’s love for Israel’s enemy—Assyria. Jonah was so angry with God’s forgiveness because he was a racist. In the New Testament Jesus addresses Jewish nationalism frequently. The Jewish religious leaders are often offended that the people he interacts with are not only sinners, but Gentiles. Tax collectors were hated because they were unpatriotic. They collaborated with Rome and essentially exploited their own flesh and blood. Jesus interacted with a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-46) and told a parable on which a Samaritan was the hero (Luke 10:25–37). A large part of Acts deals with the inclusion of Gentiles into this new movement based on faith in the Jewish Messiah. “The original believers were largely Jews, and The Way was considered a sect under the umbrella of Judaism. As such, many of their expectations were colored by their Jewish nationalism…[The Jewish believer’s] assumptions had to be radically reconsidered.”[1]

Further, much of Paul’s letters deal with the ethnic and racial issues of the time. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians: “Here there is no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (3:11). In Christ, our national, racial, economic, ethnic, and even denominational boundaries really do not mean anything. Patriotism is not necessarily a bad thing, but when our Patriotic identity is so syncretized with our Christian faith that it is somehow a Christian virtue to be patriotic, something has gone awry. When our patriotic identity fuels us with a sense of superiority, there might be some idolatry and sinful pride present.

The Least of These

Sometimes the way Christians talk about the least of these is heartbreaking. The evangelical community is really good at speaking up about the injustice of abortion, but sometimes we oversimplify the issues such as racial injustice, the refugee crisis, and poverty. Sometimes I have heard Christians make judgmental assumptions about people who are poor or who are on government assistance. I have seen Christians minimize the issues surrounding racial injustice. Some patriotic Christians accused me of advocating for open boarders when I proclaimed we should have compassion for the Syrian refugees. I know we are not going to agree on every point of tension, however, my heart is grieved that we are sometimes very quick to defend our perspective and very slow to listen to the story of someone else.

The Bible is abundantly clear that God cares a lot about the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized. “The prophets in turn deal out warnings aplenty about Israel’s breaking of the covenant and the law. The people’s sins of idolatry and lack of mercy toward the poor and needy are the focus of the prophet’s concern.”[2] Here is just a sampling from the Scriptures:

1. If in any of the towns in the land that the Lord your God is giving you there is a fellow-Israelite in need, then do not be selfish and refuse to help him. Instead, be generous and lend him as much as he needs. (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)

2. Learn to do right. See that justice is done — help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows. (Isaiah 1:17)

3. I, the Lord, command you to do what is just and right. Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him. Do not ill-treat or oppress foreigners, orphans, or widows; and do not kill innocent people in this holy place. (Jeremiah 22:3)

4. No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. (Micah 6:8)

5. Rich people who see a brother or sister in need, yet close their hearts against them, cannot claim that they love God. (1 John 3:17)

6. Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” – if you don’t give them the necessities of life? (James 2:15-16)

7. Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers. (Romans 12:13)

We get extremely passionate about calling out the sexual sins of our culture. To be clear, I have a conservative view on sexuality, but sometimes I wonder if we should be more concerned with how God is going to deal with our overindulgence of material luxuries and negligence in regards to global poverty than how God feels about society’s acceptance of same-sex marriage. Ezekiel 16:49 states, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds somewhat applicable to Americans. People from other countries often view Americans as arrogant, we are one of the most obese nations in the world, and we sometimes seem unconcerned with the poor and needy.

Some Christians debate about the importance of social justice versus evangelism. The argument is that people’s eternal souls matter more than their present circumstances. While this is true, we cannot separate the call to care about injustice from the message of the gospel. Jesus himself included social justice in his declaration of his mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.” Luke 4:18-19

Social justice and evangelism go hand in hand. We are called to be lights in the darkness—to be ambassadors for the Kingdom. To proclaim the gospel in word and deed. N. T. Wright suggests,

“The resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit mean that we are called to bring real and effective signs of God’s renewed creation to birth even in the midst of the present age…We cannot get off the hook of present responsibility, as many Christians try to do, …by declaring that the world is currently in such a mess and there’s nothing that can be done about it until the Lord returns. That is classic dualism.”[3]

If we are going to be Jesus followers, if we are going to be biblical, then we have to care about others. We have to care about sex trafficking, abortion, poverty, racial injustice, refugee crises, oppression, etc. We are light in the darkness. It is part of our identity as Jesus people.

Violence

I love action movies. I actually like movies that are quite violent. I know some will likely disagree with my movie standards, but that is for another discussion. Gladiator with Russel Crowe is still one of my top ten favorite movies. The Dark Knight trilogy is in the top five. Something in me feels a sense of justice and vindication when Denzel Washington unloads a can of… when Denzel beats the living tar out of the bad guys. I almost enjoy when justice is exacted through violence

I remember when 9/11 happened. I was in seventh grade. I remember there being a resurgence of patriotism. People would make comments about “Blowing the terrorists off the map,” and about enlisting so that they could “kill a bunch of towel heads.” I resonated with these comments because they sounded just and patriotic. The terrorists deserved to die. Even today the way people talk about war, terrorism, and guns edges near the line of blood thirsty. I have met people who seem almost eager to unload their side arm on an evil doer. Somehow their sentiments sound just, patriotic, and almost heroic.

I have a friend who is a member of the Brethren in Christ which is an Anabaptist denomination. The Anabaptists are pacifists who believe that Jesus’ teaching, specifically from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, calls Kingdom people to nonviolence. My friend and I have had a number of conversations in which we debated the logic and “reasonableness” of his nonviolent position.

I do not fully identify with pacifism. I do believe there are times when standing up for the weak may require the use of force. I believe national militaries and public servants also fall into different categories. However, the conversations with my friend forced me to take a serious look at the words of Jesus. When I looked at Scripture I had to admit that my friend’s argument was quite convincing:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” –Matthew 5:9; 38-45

I was also forced to acknowledge that my justification for violence was about the reasonableness of Jesus’ command. Then I realized that nothing about Jesus’ calling to follow him is “reasonable” in a human sense. The way of the cross isn’t about how reasonable grace and love and salvation is to the human mind.

Greg Boyd writes on Isaiah 2:4 and nonviolence:

“And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.”

“This is God’s vision for humanity, and it begins to be realized in the Kingdom Jesus inaugurated. We are to be in the present what the world will become in the future. We are “the eschatological community.” Since there will be no violence when the Kingdom is fully come, there should be no violence practiced by Kingdom people now.”[4]

You may not agree with my convictions, and that is ok. However, I think we should take seriously the calling to be Kingdom people who are working to see the Kingdom come and God’s will be done on earth as in heaven. I believe our Kingdom identity should be considered when we enter conversations about violence. I believe we should never desire for war. We should never hope for someone’s destruction. Jesus died for sinners—which includes all of us.

Conclusion

I hope I have been clear that I am not intending to incite an argument or even a debate. I am simply explaining my theological perspectives that guide my views on other life issues. My hope is that maybe some others would be seriously willing to reevaluate their own perspectives like I have. To reflect on how their own perspectives align with Jesus.

“I do not believe a person can take two issues from Scripture, those being abortion and gay marriage, and adhere to them as sins, then neglect much of the rest and call himself a fundamentalist or even a conservative. The person who believes the sum of his morality involves gay marriage and abortion alone, and neglects health care and world trade and the environment and loving his neighbor and feeding the poor is, by definition, a theological liberal, because he takes what he wants from Scripture and ignores the rest.”  ― Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What

[1] Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch. ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church. (p. 79)

[2] Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. Glittering Vices. (p. 128)

[3] N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope. (p. 209, 213)

[4] http://reknew.org/2008/01/does-the-bible-teach-total-non-violence/

Vantage Point (Part 1)

[Note: This was originally intended to be a single post, but due to length I separated it into two parts. This is part 1 of the post.]

I blog to share ideas through the written word that I believe could challenge or encourage people. Challenge them to reflect on how they could follow Jesus more faithfully, or encourage them to continue in their walk. The written word is powerful, but it is also easily misunderstood. Mostly because a large portion of communication happens through vocal inflection and body language. Both elements are absent in the written text. The written word, especially on social media platforms, is also easy to attack because the written word is not embodied by a person. People write comments on the internet that they would likely never say to a person face to face.

All that to say, I have written things, posted things, shared things, and commented on things that were likely misunderstood. I have also been guilty of misunderstanding others. Some of what I have shared that has been controversial has been related to some “hot button” issues of our time. I want to take some time to give some background to my perspectives.

By offering background I am simply attempting, through the written word, to personalize the ideas I hold. The background may not convince anyone else to think how I thing, and it doesn’t have to. However, I hope the background to my particular positions might offer some perspective.

First, let’s talk about cultural awareness and the danger of a single story.

Cultural Awareness

Part of the problem with all of the dissension happening in our nation right now is a lack of cultural awareness. All of us make sense of the world by interpreting our experiences and interactions. The lens through which we see the world is greatly shaped by our cultural upbringing. “We’re socialized into our respective cultures first and foremost through the family setting. This socialization is further reinforced through school, the media, church, and eventually through our professional networks and environments.”[1] Our cultural perspectives influence everything from dialect to brand preferences. It is amazing how opinionated people can be about Ford versus Chevy.

People’s views on a number of things are not really based on concrete, factual evidence. I think Wendy’s is better than McDonald’s. Someone else may think McDonald’s is better than Wendy’s. Is this right, wrong, or just different? Yet, we can get extremely passionate about brands, sports teams, and political views. Some of the things we are passionate about are really not right or wrong issues. Yet we fight as if they are life and death issues. I remember playing sports in high school. Grown adults would scream and yell at other adolescent teens on the other team emphatically declaring their inferiority. Why? Was it because they actually knew the character of the other kid? No. It was simply because they were from the rival school. We have a tendency to believe our way of seeing things is the way, and we use all sorts of combative tactics to express the superiority of our view.

David Livermore explains in his book Cultural Intelligence how our tendency to see things a certain way fails to take into account the possibility that the way other people do things could just be different. He talks about how we tend to categorize life according to narrow or wide categories:

“Narrow categorizers focus on differences…Narrow categorizers watch the behavior of people from different cultures and categorize them based on what those actions would mean in one’s own cultural context. A narrow categorizer has subconscious lists that include words that should be used by educated people, clothes that shouldn’t appear on Christians, and norms for how married couples should relate…Those with narrow category width are much quicker to characterize things as right versus wrong.”[2]

In other words, narrow categorizers have a tendency to view things that are different as if they are wrong. This is problematic considering the diversity of cultures present in our world. If we are not careful, we can make the mistake of categorizing the way other cultures do things as being wrong. When, as Christians, we interpret “wrong” as also sinful we can find ourselves condemning entire groups of people for things God hasn’t condemned. This happened when Western missionaries evangelized the Native Americans. Christianizing the Natives was viewed as synonymous with Westernizing and civilizing them. Elements of their cultural identity were condemned that could have been redeemed.

The other issue relates to this particular quote, “Narrow categorizers watch the behavior of people from different cultures and categorize them based on what those actions would mean in one’s own cultural context.” If we are not careful we can do this when we approach the Bible. We can forget that the Bible was written to a different people group, during a different time of history, in a different cultural context, in a different language, and in a different geographical location. We need to be careful to not assume too quickly that how we would interpret Paul is how the Greek Corinthians would have interpreted Paul. What something meant then in that culture may not be what it means now in our culture. This is not to say everything in the Scriptures is relative. Far from the truth! It is to say we need to humbly approach the biblical text and not hastily and universally apply our interpretations of the text.

Single Story

For a class I had to watch several TED talks. If you haven’t watched any TED talks, I highly recommend that you do. One of the most impactful TED talks I had to view was by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on “The danger of a single story.” The premise is that we often reduce people to the limited details we know about their story. We paint them with a single story.

Here is an excerpt from the video transcript:

“I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family. My father was a professor. My mother was an administrator. And so we had, as was the norm, live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages. So, the year I turned eight, we got a new house boy. His name was Fide. The only thing my mother told us about him was that his family was very poor…. Then one Saturday, we went to his village to visit, and his mother showed us a beautifully patterned basket made of dyed raffia that his brother had made. I was startled. It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family could actually make something. All I had heard about them was how poor they were, so that it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor. Their poverty was my single story of them. Years later, I thought about this when I left Nigeria to go to university in the United States. I was 19. My American roommate was shocked by me. She asked where I had learned to speak English so well, and was confused when I said that Nigeria happened to have English as its official language. She asked if she could listen to what she called my “tribal music,” and was consequently very disappointed when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey. …What struck me was this: She had felt sorry for me even before she saw me. Her default position toward me, as an African, was a kind of patronizing, well-meaning pity. My roommate had a single story of Africa: a single story of catastrophe. In this single story, there was no possibility of Africans being similar to her in any way, no possibility of feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals.”[3]

Have you every painted someone with a single story?

When I was a kid I somehow came to believe that smoking tobacco was bad and not something “good” Christians should do. I still think smoking is not ideal, wise, or healthy. However, I had a tendency of assuming people who smoked not only were not Christians, but could not be Christians. I had a single story for smokers and I was a narrow categorizer. Sometimes how we paint people of a different race, religion, or political view reduces them to a single story. Sometimes how we view complex issues like racism, poverty, and gun violence reduces the issues and the people behind the issues to a single story.

I have the belief that this is something we are prone to do. One of the things that breaks the boundaries of our single stories is relationship. I had all sorts of negative assumptions about homeless people until I actually talked with someone at a homeless shelter. Face to face interaction with people who are created in the image of God has a way of changing our hearts. It also has a way of adding dimension to our single stories.

[1] David Livermore, Cultural Intelligence (p. 87)

[2] David Livermore, Cultural Intelligence (p. 179)

[3] Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The danger of a single story. TEDGlobal. July 2009. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story