My Facebook World

I was pondering this afternoon my Facebook experience.  It's life, but condensed, compacted, all in one small screen.

Consider the friends and connections you may have on Facebook, or whatever social medium you choose.  When you send a friend request, do you really know what you're going to get?

You may "friend" someone you have known your entire life and discover that you really never knew them at all.  Or someone you've only known marginally and discover depth that you never knew was there.  You may find your closest friend from years ago and find that you no longer have anything in common, or someone whose name is vaguely familiar and find your new best friend.  Will you join them at the beginning of an exciting new life journey, or meet them in the midst of a crisis?

In the course of the last few weeks, I have seen a new relationship bud, and an old relationship crumble.  I have seen the announcements of a new pregnancy, an imminent birth, an imminent death, the fresh loss of a loved one.

I have seen friends laugh, cry, rage, and rejoice.  Struggle and triumph, beauty and tragedy, success and failure... all this flashes before my eyes on a daily basis.

Is it any wonder our society is changing so rapidly in the age of social media?  It's almost too much to absorb and react to in any meaningful way.  It's so easy to "hide" those things which are uncomfortable, or challenging, or painful, and only pay attention to what makes us laugh or smile or feel good inside.

Perhaps it's time for me to take another look at my Facebook world and consider my responsibilities within this little cosmos.  Am I salt and light, making things flavorful and bright for those who read my posts? (Matthew 5:13-16)  Am I reflecting the noble and Godly thoughts that I am supposed to focus on? (Philippians 4:8)  Am I participating in the community of believers, mindful that where two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there as well? (Matthew 18:20)

Perhaps it's time to pay attention to what I see - really pay attention - and be more diligent about praying for and uplifting and encouraging and listening to the people in my Facebook world, remembering that behind every new story is another child of God.

Are You Blessed?

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (Matthew 7: 7-11, NLT)

I read a story from the news this morning that got me thinking about gifts and blessings.  The founders of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Paul and Jan Crouch, are accused of misappropriating the funds from their network, using the donations to finance an opulent lifestyle.

 Let me begin by saying that I do not think that financial success and wealth are sins.  Sometimes God chooses to bless people with abundance.

I am terribly uncomfortable with the Crouches, however, and others who preach Prosperity Gospel.  Prosperity Gospel seems to be about getting and having.  If I am faithful, I will be wealthy, healthy, and powerful.  I am entitled to a life of ease and riches, happiness and personal empowerment.  It is my right to pursue and retain as much financial blessing as I can.  This mindset is specifically warned against.  1 Timothy 6: 6-10 says,

Actually, godliness is a great source of profit when it is combined with being happy with what you already have.  We didn’t bring anything into the world and so we can’t take anything out of it:  we’ll be happy with food and clothing.  But people who are trying to get rich fall into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful passions that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal. (CEB)

God does promise to bless us if we are faithful.  And we are encouraged to ask for things, but our motives do matter.  "You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 2: 2b-3, NIV).  We are told to focus on God's Kingdom and His will, and leave the blessing up to Him. 

And our blessings will not always be in the form of financial abundance.  Some of us are blessed with an abundance of mercy, gentleness, or compassion.  Some of us are blessed with an abundance of artistic talent.  Some of us are blessed with abundant crops.  Some of us are blessed with an abundance of knowledge, wisdom, or insight.  But the abundant blessings promised to all, if we are faithful and seek God above all, are joy, contentment, and peace. 

I found myself thinking about Mister Rogers after reading about the Crouches and TBN.  Mister Rogers was a pastor who had a deep love and concern for children.  He did not seek wealth and fame, but followed his calling to minister through a television show to children, speaking to them gently and openly.  He emphasized their worth as people, he spoke lovingly to them, and made a point of being honest with them, not assuming a screen persona, but simply being himself.  He went on to be blessed with a huge following and immense fame, but that was never his aim.  He was kind and patient, never boastful, proud, or rude.  He wasn't selfish or quick tempered.  He rejoiced in the truth, but not in evil. Mr Rogers was always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. He lived out the definition of love on screen every day, and was blessed for his faithfulness.

Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness.  God will bless you abundantly.  It may not be what you expect, but it will always be good. 

Get Up, Get Out, and Live!

"We are not a Christian nation."

This has been a refrain for the last several years.  It is the reason why we must be tolerant of people of all faiths, accept people of all lifestyles, and respectful of people's choices of values and morality.  And I will say that I agree, for the most part.  While our nation's values are rooted in Judeo-Christianity, the point was never to have us all be under one faith, but to allow people of all walks of life the space to live as they so choose.

I find it highly ironic, however, that the same people who emphasize our diversity point to Jesus as to why our nation must be run with Judeo-Christian values.  It is the rationale for extended unemployment, income redistribution, immigration amnesty, universal health care, the end of our multiple wars, and the increasing entitlements under our welfare system.

This morning in church, the text of Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple was used as part of the sermon.  The point made was that Jesus spoke out against evil, and in the same way, the church should speak out against evil.  What if the church had spoken out against going in to Iraq and Afghanistan?  What if the church had spoken up more in defense of the undocumented immigrants among us? What if the church were more active in the Occupy movements?

What struck me as odd in the conversation this morning is this: Jesus never once spoke to the politics of the day.  Not once.

When Jesus decried evil, it was not to the political sphere, but to the religious.  It was directed towards the temple, which was corrupt, dead to compassion, and too cozy with the secular political structure of the day.   

Did Jesus condemn the Roman centurion, who came to him in faith?  Did he ever speak about the depravity of the Roman culture, or the oppressiveness of the emperor?  Did he ever once urge his followers to get involved and change the system?

It was the priests, the teachers, and the religious thinkers against whom he lodged his complaints.  The only politics he criticized were temple politics.

And so I wondered: If Jesus were here, walking around 21st century America, to whom would he turn his attention?  Would he go to Washington, DC and chide the politicians for corruption and greed and moral failure?  Would he go to Wall Street and protest outside the banks, decrying the outrageous wealth represented therein?  Would he join Code Pink or La Raza and crusade for peace and open borders?

Somehow, I don't think so. 

Here's what I think would happen instead.

I think Jesus would spend time feeding the homeless.  I think Jesus would spend time among the Occupy encampments, getting to know the people there.  I think Jesus would have a nice lunch with some corporate bigwigs.  I think Jesus would accept invitations to dinners with politicians.  I think Jesus would talk to women in crisis pregnancies.

And then, I think he would come to our churches and knock a few heads together.  I think Jesus would call his churches "broods of vipers", making it difficult for people to enter the kingdom and chasing away those who have tried to speak truth to them.  I think Jesus would call his churches "whitewashed tombs", clean and shiny on the outside, but filled with double-talk, gossip, greed, and chronic sin.  I think he would call his churches "hypocrites", careful to follow the rules and demanding that everyone do the work of Christ, yet devoid of mercy, refusing to get out and do anything ourselves.

Brothers and sisters, we are called to be "doers of the Word".  Going to church every week, tithing, charitable giving, letters to the editor, protest marches... These are not enough if we are not also living the Word of God in every thing that we do.  Jesus gave his disciples two simple commandments to follow: Love God faithfully and completely, and treat your neighbors (that being, every single human being with whom you come into contact) with love.  Get up, get out, and live the Kingdom.  That is the example set by Jesus.