Greater Love

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  John 15:13

 The above Bible verse is one that I remember learning as a child.  It is a great example of the kind of selfless, sacrificial love to which God's children are called to show one another.  And it used to be pretty much the cultural norm, that the strong would protect the weak, a man would protect a woman, everyone protected a child.  Those who did so were hailed as heroes, honored, respected, held up as role models.

Lately, though, I have been feeling as though self-sacrificial love, laying down one's life for another, is not only being discouraged, but punished.

Consider, please, the following stories:

1. From San Francisco, June 2011:

Fire crews and police could only watch after a man waded into San Francisco Bay, stood up to his neck and waited. They wanted to do something, but a policy tied to earlier budget cuts strictly forbade them from trying to save the 50-year-old, officials said

A witness finally pulled the apparently suicidal man's lifeless body from the 54-degree water.

The man, later identified as Raymond Zack, spent nearly an hour in the water before he drowned.

The Coast Guard was called to the scene, but the water was too shallow for its boat. A Coast Guard helicopter arrived more than an hour later because it had been on another call and had to refuel.

As for police, they didn't have the gear for the cold water and couldn't risk being pulled under.
"Certainly this was tragic, but police officers are tasked with ensuring public safety, including the safety of personnel who are sent to try to resolve these kinds of situations," Alameda police Lt. Sean Lynch said.

2. From Monterey County, California, May 2012:

 Safeway has suspended an employee at a Monterey County store, despite being called a hero by police for stopping a domestic assault in the store last month.
Ryan Young, a meat clerk at the Safeway in Del Rey Oaks, said he was doing his job when he saw Quyen Van Tran beating his girlfriend, who is six months pregnant.
“Every few seconds he would turn around and push her and then he actually kicked her,” Young said. “I told him to calm down and he was just irate.”
Chief Ron Langford of the Del Ray Oaks Police said if Ryan did not intervene, things could have become much worse for the victim.
But Young said Safeway has suspended him without pay, for supposedly violating company policy. The store has not given word on if or when he will be allowed back.

3. From New Jersey, May 2012:

A dad jumped into action to save his son's life and ended up getting two tickets from a traffic officer because of it, according to a Monday report.
Frank Roder took his son to a park in New Jersey to feed the ducks.
He was inside his Jeep when he noticed his son running toward a steep embankment that plunged down into water.
Frank reacted quickly.
He leapt out of the vehicle, ran after his son, and grabbed him just feet from the edge.
He must have had a sinking feeling in his gut, when he turned around and watched his Jeep roll down the same embankment.
Adding insult to the injury to his vehicle, Frank was ticketed by a police officer, not once but twice.
The first ticket was for failure to use his parking brake, the other was for failure to produce his insurance card, which was in his waterlogged vehicle.

4. From Hampshire, England, February 2012:

A man who fell into a lake drowned after firefighters called to the scene said they could not enter the water if it was higher than ankle deep for health and safety reasons, an inquest has been told.
Simon Burgess, a 41-year-old charity shop worker died at Walpole Park, in Gosport, Hampshire, on 10 March. He is believed to have had an epileptic seizure either before or after falling into the water while feeding swans.
Witnesses raised the alarm, but the hearing was told on Tuesday that members of a fire crew refused to get to him because the water was more than ankle deep. Instead, they waited for a specialist water rescue team and Burgess was only taken out of the lake 28 minutes after the alarm was raised.

So, what does this say about "laying down your life for your friends?"  And what is happening in our culture that Policy is so much more important that saving lives?  How can we have rescue workers who cannot rescue?  Are we so concerned with our Lives and Liabilities that we are afraid to be sacrificial?

The second and third stories have men who were willing to lay down their lives - one to protect a pregnant woman, the other to save his son's life.  They have been punished for doing so, but say they would not have done anything differently.  But in the first and last stories, the rescuers allowed themselves to stand by and watch men drown, in order to save - not their own lives - but their jobs.

Even more disturbing are the stories where people go beyond simply standing idly by, their instinct instead being to record violence on their phones to post later to YouTube.  Probably the most disturbing to me was the story of a young woman beaten in a Maryland McDonald's until she went into a seizure.  Not one person stood up for her.  Not one person tried to stop the attack.  Instead, it was recorded and posted, and the attackers were warned to leave before the police arrived.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." 

Looking Back, Moving Forward

 The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them.  Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity.  They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 42-47, CEB)

What do you think of when you hear the word "church"?  If you're anything like me, you probably think of a building with pews and a pulpit, the place you go on Sunday morning to sing hymns or worship songs and have Sunday school, or associated words such as "worship" and "prayer."

Next question: What do you think of when you hear the word "fellowship"?  That probably conjures up images of the periodic pot-luck meal in the church hall, the chatter that happens in the foyer after service, maybe even your small group gathering.

Go back and read the passage I began with, from Acts 2.  This passage describes the fellowship of the early church.  I have to be perfectly honest.  My mental pictures of "church" and "fellowship" don't bear much resemblance to the picture from Acts 2.

Now let me be clear on one thing: This is not a discussion of denomination, worship style, or congregation vs. house church.  Frankly, I think those arguments have become a distraction and a huge stumbling block.  What I want to discuss is Daily Living Church vs. Sunday Morning Church.


Currently, I am reading "Pompeii" by T. L. Higley, a Christian historical novel, set in the days of the Roman empire and the early church.  For some reason, this morning I started really thinking deeply about what I was reading, nd I realized something: The early church is described nearly identically in all of the novels in this genre, regardless of author.  And the "fellowship of believers" I read about bears very little resemblance to the "fellowship of believers" I see today.

Consider this excerpt from the book:

Discreet inquiries around town had uncovered more than concern for those possessed by evil, trapped in prison, or hungry.  It seemed they also cared for orphans or widows, shared their wealth with the poor, performed healings, and welcomed prostitutes into their midst... And above all this humanitarian effort, or perhaps behind it, was something even more.  It was the look he had seen on the faces of those [believers] who had perished in the games of the arena.  Their willingness to die for what they believed made him ache for something so powerful, so important, something to live for. (p. 148)

I don't know about you, but this novelized portrayal reads a lot like the fellowship I read about in Acts and the epistles of Paul.  They didn't put up fliers describing all the great things they were doing.  They weren't in positions of political power, trying to alter the policies to be more socially just.  They weren't in committee meetings, trying to define an exciting new program to get people interested in attending.  They didn't just get together once or twice a week for a nice sermon and some great music and three minutes of corporate prayer out of obligation or habit, and then set it all aside in the business of the week.   They were part of a Daily Living Church.

When I read in Acts and the epistles about the early church, I read about people who lived everyday lives.  There are people who are rich, poor, and in between.  There are people with character flaws, forgiven and forgiving.  There are people in power and people who are powerless.  There are people, in fact, just like us.

And while some of them preached in the square and the temple, most of them just... lived.  But they lived in such a way that people were drawn to them.  They were filled with peace and joy.  They were generous and compassionate.  They very quietly attended to the neediest in their society, without seeking either permission or attention.  They sought to treat everyone with love and respect, regardless of social or economic status.  Wouldn't you be drawn to someone who lived that way? 

Now imagine if you yourself were given the ability to draw people to Christ.  Imagine if you could make people so curious about a peculiar peace and joy, without a single program, or tract, or verbal testimony.  Imagine if you had the power to change opinions, hearts, lives, without any political platform or position of power or a single protest walk.  Imagine so close and deep and strong a fellowship that you can be constantly encouraged as you encouraged, constantly learning as you teach, constantly lifted up in prayer as you lift others up in prayer, constantly forgiven as you forgive.  Imagine a fearless faith, confident of being generously supplied with your needs as you generously give.  Imagine a community so infused with love that you desire to be with each other as much as possible, and involved in every facet of each other's lives. 

Look back.  It happened in the days of the early church. 
Look around.  It still happens in the church around the world. 

Look ahead.  It  can happen right where you are.

Can we move forward together, seeking this exciting, empowering, fearless, powerful Daily Living Church?  Can we move forward together, allowing others into our intimate fellowship?
Can we move forward together, seeking God's Word, His face, His Spirit, His presence, His power?
Can we move forward together, living lives so filled with love and compassion, so aware of and engaged with the needs of those around us, so passionate about demonstrating to others all the blessings we ourselves have received,  that we cannot be ignored?

Imagine.

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.

Justice for all?

This week, the media is full of conversation regarding the tragic death of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman.  There has been a massive outcry for justice for this young man, as the family has felt that the circumstances surrounding his death were inadequately investigated and that Zimmerman should have been arrested.

From the start of the conversation, my position has been neither to defend Zimmerman nor to assume his guilt.  I was not there, I do not have all of the facts, I do not know.  What I do want is swift and certain justice from the authorities.  At this point, the Department of Justice is involved.  I believe they need to have the space to do their job, and we need to give them the time to do so.

Unfortunately, emotions are messy and tend to spill out.  Overwhelmingly, I have seen people responding to the emotions of a life taken too soon, and the emotions of racial tensions still sadly raw.  I am not criticizing these emotions.  These are valid reactions.  But they are clouding judgement, obscuring the view to other injustices also being perpetrated by these very same emotional outpourings.

Consider this:  The strongest indictment against Zimmerman is the accusation of vigilantism.  Against the express recommendation of the 911 operator, Zimmerman pursued Trayvon, while carrying a loaded weapon.  Following a set of circumstances, which are still not clear, he discharged his weapon, killing an unarmed boy.  He was suspicious, he pursued, a young man died.

Now, consider the following three events:

1.  On March 19, an organization called the New Black Liberation Militia declared that they will be attempting a "citizen's arrest" in order to bring George Zimmerman to justice.  Here's the problem: such a seizure would, at this point, be considered illegal.  It would be kidnapping.  This is vigilantism, as well.

2.  Last weekend, the New Black Panther party offered a $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman's capture, adding, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," and "He should be fearful for his life."  This is a death threat.  This is vigilantism.

3.  Several days ago, Spike Lee re-tweeted an address that was believed to be Zimmerman's residence.  That home was subsequently flooded with threatening phone calls, vile hate-filled mail, and a swarm of media and bounty-hunters looking for George Zimmerman.  The problem is that this home was miles from where George Zimmerman lives.  It is, in fact, the home of an elderly couple; her son is William George Zimmerman, aged 41, who has not lived there for seven years.  These people have had to flee their home and take up residence in a hotel, in fear for their lives.  This is also vigilantism.

So as you read and link and tweet and post references to "Justice for Trayvon" be aware that this hunger for justice at any cost does indeed have a high price:  It is costing Elaine and David McClaine the just use of their own property and the right to a freedom from unjust persecution and threat of harm.  It is costing George Zimmerman his opportunity for due process under the law, because, frankly, the emotion is getting in the way.

Justice for Trayvon, certainly.  Let the justice system work.  Don't be blinded by your emotional responses.  Because justice for one must not be at the expense of justice for many.