Counted Worthy of Suffering

 

Many of my brothers and sisters have justified our dubious political alliances as unfortunate “necessities.” “We must use political power,” we say, “to fight the rise of religious persecution so that we can get on with the important business of declaring the Gospel.” But we forget that the Gospel is most powerfully demonstrated in our suffering, through our patient endurance, when we refuse to strike back or avenge ourselves, as we relinquish our rights, and instead say “Father forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing” (“the victory of the cross will be implemented through the means of the cross,” explains N.T. Wright). We can’t accomplish our calling by seeking to evade it, and we can't expect to retaliate against our cultural and political adversaries and then afterwards effectively share with them a message of grace and forgiveness. A Gospel declaration without a clear Gospel demonstration always rings hollow to the hearer.

The current sociopolitical climate is characterized by fear, bitterness, and a reckless quest for vengeance that is dressed as righteous indignation. It has all the polarizing tribal “us” and “them” hallmarks of a genocidal civil war in the making. It seems the American branch of the “royal priesthood” would benefit from a reminder of our calling to be peace-makers, ministers of reconciliation, and faithful ambassadors of his cross and kingdom. Perhaps we could use a hearty refresher on the theology of suffering (what much of our family around the world lives so well). Lest we forget the counterintuitive genius of God, who bested Pilate, Herod, Caesar, and the unseen rulers behind them, disarming and subjecting them all to public shame with a bloodied Galilean who willingly hung naked on a cross (Colossians 2:15). And the ancient world was "turned upside down," not by political prowess or military might, but by the power of his Gospel as beautifully displayed in the blood-soaked Colosseum of Rome where an unstoppable Spirit-filled army of his offspring said in word and deed "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." We don't seek out suffering, but it will certainly find us (John 15:18-21). And when it does, we mustn't compromise the Gospel which we claim to represent in our efforts to escape (no matter how good our intentions may be). To paraphrase Wright: Our suffering is not an unfortunate side effect of following Christ; it is the primary means by which he conveys his good news to a broken world.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” - John 12:27-28a

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” - Mark 8:34b

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” - Acts 5:41

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery,

which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” - Colossians 1:24-27

Polarized

 

It's troubling how polarized our society has become. What's more, the church hasn't been immune to this alarming cultural trend. Christians on the Left and the Right often champion a one-dimensional God who affirms all their preferences and pet peeves, while simultaneously turning a deaf ear to other aspects of God's heart that don't appeal to the prevailing conservative or liberal narratives. 

The God of the Bible cares immensely about the dignity and sanctity of human life, even at its most humble and fragile beginnings. He has a divine purpose for gender, marriage, and human sexuality, and he's deeply grieved when we deviate from his good design. He's in favor of a fair government that administers justice and carries out unbiased sentences against criminals. He commands his people to love their countrymen, honor their leaders, and faithfully fulfill their civic duties.

The God of the Bible also cares about the environment. He gave ancient Israel specific instructions to tend to the health of the soil. At one point he warned them not to unnecessarily destroy trees during warfare because the land and everything on it belongs to him, and he expected them to behave as "stewards”—not "owners." He eventually expelled them so, among other things, the land could "rest" for the 70 years he had incrementally mandated. He cares about fair wages for laborers and justice for the marginalized, minorities, immigrants, homeless, people of other religions, etc. He names himself their avenger and warns us not to ignore or exploit people who are voiceless. He requires us to willingly lay down our rights as we selflessly serve others. He condemns economic greed and unbridled excess. He loves charity and mercy. 

It should concern us when we, as Christians, approach our world with very partisan/tribal lenses—when we see issues in regard to their red or blue, Right or Left, appeal instead of viewing them through God's eyes. It's shameful when we irrationally deify or demonize political candidates, propositions, or ideologies due to our tribal affiliations. The resulting cognitive dissonance will make fools out of the best of us. If after personal introspection we find that we typically embrace or outright reject things simply because the spokesperson has an “R” or a “D” next to their name, then we have fallen into this trap.

We increasingly live in artificial worlds of our own making which contribute to our ever-growing polarization. On social media, we can surround ourselves with or “un-friend” people, for example, that agree or disagree with our preconceptions until all we hear is a single note. While this may make for an initially easier existence, it ultimately produces ignorance of the universes next door and eliminates the opportunity to grow in Godly wisdom and understanding. Multiple “news sources,” editorial blogs, infotainment, and quasi-journalists are also available to cater to our insatiable desire for affirmation of what we already believe to be true about the world. Confirmation bias runs rampant in the “information age.” If we happen to hear something that challenges us or, God forbid, makes us angry, we can quickly banish it from our digital world. However, I would strongly encourage my brothers and sisters to resist the urge to take the easy way out. We can only live in our comfortable, artificially affirming worlds for so long before we inevitably collide with numerous other “hostile” worlds, which we are now, due to our own censorship, unequipped to understand or engage. Such is the tragedy of much of what has been labeled the “culture war.” What if we were to instead invest in friendships with people who are very different from us, and genuinely consider opposing views? Perhaps our current perspectives will be made more certain, or maybe our misconceptions will become apparent to us upon review. Either way, we win. 

God is even now taking back his rebel world through the person and work of Jesus. True Gospel transformation—not legislation—will revolutionize the way we view culture, politics, economics, human life, sexuality, immigration, healthcare, environmental conservationism, race, foreign policy, mercy and justice.

Jesus doesn't fit comfortably into the Right or Left's agenda. He's certainly not a Republican or a Democrat. Those who claim to follow him haven't joined a political party, we've offered up our unconditional surrender to a servant King and his counterintuitive kingdom. All of our preferences and pet peeves are to be unreservedly relinquished and superseded by his all-encompassing agenda. American Christian, decide now. There simply is no other way to follow him.

 
“[The devil] always sends errors into the world in pairs—pairs of opposites. And he always encourages us to spend a lot of time thinking which is the worse. You see why, of course? He relies on your extra dislike of the one error to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity


“Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” — Ecclesiastes 7:18b

Caesar is not Lord!

 

Gaius Octavius, or “Augustus” as he was later called, was Rome's first emperor and reigning monarch when Jesus was born. In his younger years, he had successfully avenged his assassinated predecessor and adopted father, the beloved Julius Caesar, triumphantly quelled Mark Antony and Cleopatra's famous uprising, effectively transitioned the old republic into an empire, built impressive aqueducts and highways, and ushered in an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity throughout the known world. “Pax Romana,” or the peace of Rome, is how they described Augustus' cumulative accomplishments. His kingdom seemed without end. He was known as the “savior of Rome” and the “savior of the world.” If this were not enough, he had the senate posthumously deify his murdered father and as a result became known as the living son of god. The “prince of peace,” “savior of the world,” “son of god”—remind you of anyone? I don't think we can fully appreciate the audacity and apparent absurdity of Christ's sweeping counterclaims without an understanding of Augustus and his successors. This was the setting in which Jesus' 1st Century followers defiantly contradicted the prevailing sociopolitical narrative by insisting that Jesus—not Caesar—was the true Savior and Lord.

We should take note of our first brothers and sisters' timely example. They didn't buy into the brick and mortar kingdom, and they didn't look to the emperor for things he couldn't provide. They suffered great tribulation at the hands of the Caesars due to their stubborn refusal to participate in the imperial cult (which generally consisted of a simple annual sacrifice to Caesar). 1st Century Christians were often excluded from trade unions, marketplace commerce, and they were eventually crucified and made sport of in the Colosseum. The ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse Roman empire was traditionally very tolerant of new spiritual ideas. Worshipping the emperor, however, was seen as one's minimal patriotic duty. After which, one was free to pursue any other theological conclusions that struck one's fancy. Jesus, the crucified Galilean, was not seen as a rival to the Roman pantheon, so long as his followers played ball. Only they wouldn't.

There always has been an alternative to Jesus—an antichrist. There's always another kingdom to pursue, another story that promises to be good news. Had the 1st Century Christians been seduced by the dream of “making the empire great again,” building a robust economy, securing the boarders, exhibiting national strength with a firm foreign policy and military prowess—Caesar would have been the obvious leader to follow (or any number of the ambitious zionist militants for the Hebrew Christians wanting to make national Israel great again). Jesus offered none of these things. Two thousand years later, his agenda and upside down methods remain unchanged. 

21st Century American Christ-followers have tragically inherited a faith-culture that sees Christianity and rabid nationalistic pride and devotion as not only compatible, but essentially inseparable. We're enamored with the romanticized glory days of our country, back when Moses penned the 2nd Amendment on Sinai and Jesus rode shotgun with George Washington across the Delaware. Silly as it sounds, contradicting the spirit of this narrative is tantamount to blasphemy in many circles. Our version of the American dream has become a golden calf. So to my brothers and sisters of this star-spangled persuasion, let me state plainly what you already know: The president is not our savior, the United States is not the kingdom of God, and our inappropriate longing to “make America great again” (the way we mean it) is incompatible with, and therefore a distraction from, the mission of God.

Our political anxieties often reveal our misguided hopes and divided loyalties. Every election year is sensationally described as the “most important.” “We can't have—so and so—get elected.” “We're doomed if—what's his face—doesn't get into office.” Whether we're banking on a human hope that promises change we can believe in or the guy or gal who vows to make America great again, we'll always be disappointed. Our leaders are not as to the point as Augustus was in calling himself the "son of god" or the "savior of the world." It's mostly us who expects them to be these things as seen in our collective angst and gnashing teeth. Interestingly, the rancor and vitriol we so freely spew about our political leaders on social media and around the water cooler is just another side of the same ugly hero-worship coin. The cycle of deifying and demonizing human leaders in general and politicians in particular is rooted an unrealistic, and inevitably unmet, expectations. Fellow Christ-follower, we seem to have largely forgotten that Caesar is not lord.

To be clear, I'm not trying to imply that there is a one-for-one equivalence between the Roman Empire and the United States or the Caesars and the Leader of the Free World. Nor am I suggesting that all patriotism is incongruent with following Jesus. I'm also not proposing that there should be a divide between politics and faith. As Christ-followers, we should love our country (wherever that may be), pay our taxes, faithfully perform our civic duties, genuinely respect and obey our leaders (in so far as their commands don't conflict with the wishes of our King), and actively seek the common good (Matt 22:21, 1 Peter 2:13, 17, 1 Cor. 10:24). In our current context, seeking the common good will include taking our democratic responsibilities seriously. In our earnest pursuit of God's kingdom, we will inevitably be invested in political outcomes. But we must never lose sight of our true Savior and Lord, the one who holds the hearts of kings in his hand. We don't look to Caesar for protection and prosperity. We don't curse his/her name when the Dow Jones plummets or unemployment rises. Our gaze is fixed on other things. Even if Nero or Jezebel takes the throne, we know who ultimately reigns supreme, and our lifelong task of declaring and demonstrating the good news of his kingdom remains the same. Keep calm this election season, and thank God that Caesar is not lord.

“to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 1:25). 

Kingdom Patriot

 

I have to preface what I'm about to say with a clear declaration of my love for the United States. I'm partial to my homeland above others I have visited. Our country has numerous unique and admirable qualities, and, despite our failings, we’ve had many shining moments. The blood, sweat, and tears of those who have contributed and are currently contributing to the Great Experiment should be rightfully noted and celebrated. This being said, however, I find the fanatical brand of patriotism often expressed by the conservative Christian Right to be incongruent with the unambiguous and all-encompassing call to follow Jesus. He insists that our allegiance to him should supersede all other bonds, including our allegiance to our families and our own lives. As Christ-followers, we should love the people we dwell among (whether it’s in the United States, Afghanistan, North Korea, etc.), we should be a blessing to all around us, we should fulfill our civic duties, and we should respect and obey our political leaders (unless doing so would expressly violate our King’s command). Our true commitment to our King and his kingdom will make us the best of citizens wherever we live. However, the unquestioned hyper-nationalism that has become par for the course among American Christians is something different entirely. It seems to be laced with presumption. “God is for us,” we say. “He fights on our side.” “We are the greatest nation in the world, founded by God, and under his special protection.” God help anyone who suggests otherwise. The Constitution, flag, and founders—noble as they may be—are inappropriately defended with religious fervor. This brand of patriotic dogma has long found an unchallenged home in the American Church. It creates an “us” and “them” mentality with the rest of the world that is unbecoming of a follower of Christ. As kingdom citizens, our familial bond with Syrian Christians, for example, should be greater than our bond to nation. Additionally, our obligations as kingdom ambassadors to be hospitable to foreigners of any faith should supersede our political allegiances, or even our natural desires for self-preservation.

Let's look for a moment beyond the rose-colored glasses through which we often see ourselves.

Something like six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany (an estimated 11 million people in total). The hearts of German citizens were predominantly calloused to the gruesome fates of their neighbors. As a result, Nazi Germany has maintained its place as the go-to example of a modern society blinded by and given over to evil. And yet the American people have staggeringly murdered more than 50 million of our own innocent, pre-born citizens (largely without pity or remorse, no less). It begs the question, how much innocent blood do we have to have on our hands before we become the “bad guys?” We are a religious people who worship God with our lips, but our hearts are far from him. We deal treacherously with each other in our pursuit of self. Our rampant consumerism has led to the complete commodification and exploitation of girls and women (in the process, our boys and men are also dehumanized). Our appetites for things and pleasure have made slaves of ourselves and others. “We need to tend to our own house,” we say, when met by a needy foreigner at our door. “Not enough to go around,” as we gorge ourselves on unprecedented excess. We bluster and thrash about over a redefinition of marriage while simultaneously mocking the same sacred institution with our own infidelity and ever-rising divorce rate. We stand before God and say “til death,” but we are not a people who keep our word. We are not to be trusted.

“God bless America!,” we say. Why should he?

Let’s not forget that the people of ancient Israel still worshiped YHWH right up until the day they were led away into exile. The problem was they ignored his heart for the poor and the outcast, they worshiped their wealth, they worshiped their pleasure, they worshiped demons and sacrificed their children, they worshiped themselves, and they pursued death and darkness while simultaneously carrying the holy name of God on their lips. “YHWH will save us,” they arrogantly said as the Babylonians surrounded them. A long-suffering and merciful God finally allowed them to be overrun by more wicked nations than they. It turns out a lukewarm nation of predominantly professed believers does greater violence to his holy name than a comparatively more evil society that doesn't pretend to represent him.

God of justice, have mercy on us.

My intent is not to disparage the United States, Christian Right, or even patriotism. My aim is to encourage the people of God to seek his kingdom first and to obey him with undivided loyalty—to understand the hierarchy of our true citizenship and its accompanying privileges and responsibilities. I also want to alert the American Church to the nationalistic syncretism that has taken root in our midst and thrived for as long as we've been a people. It is a dangerous syncretism that makes a virtue out of holding the traditions of men in higher honor than the commands of Christ. God forbid we presumptuously present him as our tribal deity when he has always had global intentions. May our love for our nation and all nations flow from our greater love for our King and his kingdom. May we see ourselves as ambassadors, even refugees, eagerly awaiting our “better country” (Hebrews 11:16). May we always and ever be true kingdom patriots.

Bacon Eating Vegetarian

A word to my Christian brothers and sisters:

I'm often troubled by what I hear coming from those who claim to be followers of Jesus. It makes me think of someone who proudly announces that they are now a strict vegetarian, only they have no intention of giving up bacon. The absurdity of a bacon eating vegetarian should be apparent to all. But wait... Not so fast. A simple reclassification of bacon as a vegetable and they're right back on track to becoming vegetarian-of-the-year. It should be obvious that this type of delusional self-deception is ultimately unhelpful to the bacon eating vegetarian. Perhaps they should think about whether or not they actually want to be a vegetarian to begin with. If so, they must acknowledge that a true commitment to vegetarianism will mean meat is off the menu. This may be a difficult journey, marked by peaks and valleys, for the would-be-vegetarian (bacon is delicious, after all). On the other hand, the bacon-eating-vegetarian may decide that they love bacon more than they love vegetarianism. Either of these two alternate outcomes (in lieu of bacon being reclassified as a vegetable) would be intellectually honest. You may think you know where I'm going with this. Don't be so sure.

Likewise, Jesus' invitation to "follow me" comes with an all-encompassing, non-negotiable decision on our part. He introduces a radical new way to be human. His treatment plan for the universal illness plaguing humanity is drastic: A life transplant. His for ours. Only it's no good if he pours his life into a hostile host, bent on rejecting the transplant at every turn. We are all born enemies of God. As such, it's no surprise that most of our intuitive responses and proclivities are in opposition to his original plan for humanity. Before he will proceed with our rescue, we must agree to an unconditional surrender. More than that, we must willingly lay down everything we are, our hopes and dreams, identity, most dearly held ideologies, and even our very lives. This is not a cruelty on his part, as some may think. He simply knows that the transplant will not take under any other circumstances. We have to willingly commit to his process, his Kingship, his way of thinking (even if, and especially when, it's at odds with our way of thinking). It's part of the deal. He'll have it no other way.

Here's where our conversation leaves the theoretical and enters the actual. This is where our deeply held beliefs/preconceptions are called into question by an uncompromising, radically thinking (as you would expect from a God-man living in a devastatingly broken world), unforgettable and unavoidable person named Jesus. Here's where we get "offended." To my Christian friends on the Right, who eat and breath Fox News as manna from Heaven, are hyper-patriotic (unquestioningly absorbing/endorsing/defending elements of the "American Dream" that are completely antithetical to the Gospel of Christ and speaking of the Constitution as if it were penned by Moses on Sinai), gleefully relish military and police violence (necessary as it may be at times), have a religious dedication to the Second Amendment, are advocates for racist and uncharitable attitudes toward neighbors and immigrants (documented and undocumented alike), are engaged in all out warfare against the sin of homosexuality (while maintaining polite/timid dissent against more rampant manifestations of sexual brokenness, such as, divorce, pornography, and the wholesale dehumanization of girls and women that is common in our mainstream culture), let me remind you of the guy we follow (by the way, he's headed in a totally different direction). If the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear words like ISIS or Islamic Fundamentalist is "Blow them all to Hell" or "'Merica!," then I'm talking to you. If your full-time, Facebook, article-posting campaign to "secure the border" or "stem the influx of Sharia Law (code word for Islamic immigrants)" leaves you little time to contemplate what obeying God's commands for hospitality to immigrants may look like in our context, then please lean in. Jesus was/is politically, socially, religiously counter-cultural (and he always will be -until his return). He spoke of a self-sacrificing, shared, commonality of goods and resources practiced among his people, for example, that would make any good Capitalist squirm. He demanded a devotion to him and his kingdom that superseded any other political affiliation. He insisted that his followers "love their enemies" and dramatically demonstrated this extreme pacifism of which he spoke wasn't just "figurative" in nature by praying for and forgiving his murderers as they went to work on him. He practiced a kind of holiness that attracted sinners to himself while simultaneously repelling the self-righteous. Can it be said of you that you're a "friend of sinners?" I'm not asking if YOU identify yourself as their friend. I want to know if THEY would identify you as "friend." Jesus is not overcome by evil. He overcomes evil with good, and characteristically destroys the real enemy in a counter-intuitive way. Like him, love him, hate Him -Don't you dare change him!

To my Christian friends on the Left, who champion Secular Humanism above the Word of God, those who are preoccupied with generic social justice with little to no mention of the God who defines justice (attempting to bring the Kingdom without the King), who are overly concerned with being "relevant" rather than being faithful witnesses of the Gospel of which they have been intrusted, who pervert the meaning behind "freedom in Christ" and ignor the holiness that Jesus modeled (ingesting irredeemable filth under the guise of being "culturally aware"), who would bend Christ's words to advocate any number of popular ideas, and who would fail to warn the broken of their brokenness for fear that it may be seen as "too harsh" or "unloving" (they would rather reinterpret/re-understand/reimagine the plain meaning of Scripture than cause offense -well intentioned as they may be), let me remind you of the King we worship. He dwells in unapproachable light. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Do not mistake his love of mercy as a disregard for righteousness. Jesus affirmed every Scripture that came before his incarnation. He is a consuming fire. The same Jesus who said "judge not" and "love your enemies" warned us not to fear man who can only harm the body but to reserve our greatest regard, awe, and fear for the one who has power to cast our body and soul into the Hell we all rightfully deserve. He will not update himself to appeal to the ever-changing palette of "modernity," and it does no one any good to follow apologetically behind him (far behind him), perpetually embarrassed by his politically incorrect perspective of reality.

The purpose of my post is not to debate and resolve the undeniably complicated real-world questions facing the church (i.e. violence to protect reconciled with biblically prescribed pacifism (just war theory, capital punishment, etc.), which known economic/political system/party is most in line with the Gospel, how best to affirm God's stated plan for human sexuality while fighting for justice for all in the "marriage equality" debate, what's the balance of Love and Truth, etc.). My purpose is to challenge the Christian heart that practices selective listening to God's Word (on both the Left and the Right). I fear for my Christian brothers and sisters who would re-frame the Gospel to be comfortably compatible with rabid materialism, war mongering, and racism as much as those who would make the Gospel a partner with sexual impurity, relativism, and universalism. If we're set on faithfully following the commands of Christ (especially the ones that we find distasteful, impossible or scary), then we need to stop mindlessly regurgitating Franklin Graham, John Piper, or Rob Bell's (or whoever your go to guy or gal is) opinions and courageously, unflinchingly look to Jesus with an obedient heart that really wants to know (with the intent of following). This honest, long look at Jesus (rather than quickly Googling a series of verses that seem to confirm what you already believed about racial reconciliation, same-sex sexuality, prosperity, abortion, etc.) will undoubtedly challenge some deeply held personal convictions. It will be a painful process. Dying often is. My hope and prayer for Jesus' church is that we would graciously listen to each other as we work through these issues, and that we'd look a little less like polarized, cartoony, caricatures of the Left and the Right and more like Jesus, who is better than we could have hoped or dreamed. If our plan is to follow him, though, then we need to be ready to part with any and all of our most deeply held convictions and preconceptions. We need to recognize from the start that following Jesus will be the death of us, and get right to the dying, so we can move on to the far-superior new life.

You can't be a vengeful/sexually immoral/greedy/self-righteous/etc follower of Jesus. Vengeance, sexual impurity, materialism, idolatry, pride, etc are in-congruent with Jesus and his Gospel. However, you can be a recovering vengeful/sexually immoral/greedy/self-righteous/etc follower of Jesus through the power of his Gospel. So what's it gonna be, bacon-eating-vegetarians?