After The Tree Comes Down

           In 1969 Peggy Lee made her song “Is That All There Is?” famous. Her sarcastic question and “eat, drink and be merry” attitude tapped into the hopelessness that permeated the culture of the late 60’s.

          Almost 50 years later, the question is still appropriate to ask and the hopelessness we felt then still raises its ugly head in the 21^st century, especially this time of year. When the Christmas tree comes down and the presents are unwrapped, forgotten or returned, we are prone to scratch our head and ask, “Is that all there is?” Did we endure the holiday displays since early October, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and the maxing out of our credit cards just to pack it all away again in red and green tubs for next year? Did all of the hype, decorating and buying make any lasting difference at all? If that’s all there was to your holiday…then probably not.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, each year I find myself being tempted to move further and further away from the things that matter and make a lasting impression. In a disposable world we have disposable holidays. The day after Christmas, left-over stock is disposed of quickly by reducing the prices by 70% and Valentine’s Day cards hit the shelves. They too will be disposed of in like manner in favor of Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs. It is no wonder we find ourselves becoming numb to the days and seasons which should be transformative in our lives. We like to lay the blame at commercialism’s door but I wonder if the real culprit is not a Grinch’s heart which has grown cold with time and whose door is simply stuck closed, prohibiting us from opening our lives to the spirit of the seasons.

I love living in places where there are four seasons each year. Seasons signify change, change with a purpose, change that cannot be rushed by the calendar, change which shows in the skies, trees and temperatures. Seasons are good, they are God-ordained and perpetuate the cycle of life. Our lives should adjust to the seasons, not the other way around.

Yet that is exactly what happens as I walk through aisles of the big box stores. They attempt to dictate what I should feel and when. Well, I cannot change what department stores and mega-chains do but I can determine whether or not it will have an unhealthy effect on me.  I can make the decision to not allow others with ulterior motives to set my holiday agenda. I can choose to slow down and light the candles of Advent as my spirit dictates and to pause on Good Friday to remember the sacrifice that preceded new life and a glorious new beginning. I can keep the door of my heart well-oiled with God’s Spirit and keep my heart tender with daily doses of His Word.

I guess my goal, my heart-felt desire is to come to the end of this season and say, “Wow! What a glorious holiday that was! How wonderful it was to sing the carols, light the candles, exchange love-bought gifts and get chills every time I saw a crèche.” Holidays (holy days) should change us for the better, not make us more cynical. They should encourage pauses and contemplation, not rushing around frantically looking for one last gift.

Instead of throwing up our hands next year and saying, “Is that all there is?” what if we are so impacted and transformed by the season that our attitude was, “Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!”

Here Goes...my thoughts on the election!

         

          I rarely get political outside of my family and close circle of friends. Politics, as we have witnessed on a completely new level during this election cycle, can divide families, friends, church members and even political parties. A saw a poll the other day which attested to this fact by finding that many people have actually lost friends because of the nastiness of this campaign. At the risk of alienating some who are my friends, I have decided to post this short assessment of the campaign from where I sit.

          My purpose in this blog is not to endorse a candidate. As a matter of fact, as a person who serves on the pastoral staff of a church, I am discouraged from that kind of political involvement, out of concern that my politicizing might unduly influence someone. My purpose is to make some general comments which I hope will guide us to a more civil examination of some key factors which I believe should influence our decisions next month when we enter the voting booth.

          First, if you can lay aside your political affiliation long enough to be completely honest, let’s agree on something. The two major parties have chosen two deeply flawed individuals. I do not intend to debate which one is more dishonest, amoral or disrespectful. From where I stand, neither of the two major candidates have any claim to high moral ground. Using this as the rubric for choosing the person who will receive your vote is a path that will lead you to voting for the lesser of two evils, a very poor (in my opinion) basis for endorsing arguably the most powerful leader in the free world. This, however, seems to be the mindset of many, if not most Christians, and I believe it is why disgust and frustration may end up being the biggest winner on election day.

          Second, can we also agree that regardless of their faults and failures, their off-the-cuff comments and some extremely good reasons to vote for neither, the two major candidates have a very different agenda for the future, a very different vision for America and in most cases, a diametrically opposed platform? If you are honest, you recognize this and I submit to you that this must be the single most important deciding factor in your decision of who gets your vote. When you look at the issues line-by-line; issues that will affect you and your family, the long-term integrity, security and prosperity of our nation and the potential effects which a candidate’s agenda may have on the exercise of your faith, these issues, it seems to me, must be the bottom line when you and I step behind the curtain. It’s not about gender, or political party or personalities. It’s not even about whether or not a candidate claims to be a Christian, how many times they use the word “God” in their speeches or how regularly they attend church services. It is simply about where they will lead, or try to lead this nation. Lately, I’ve been asking myself this question: “If (candidate’s name) is elected and they get everything they want, will America look more or less like a nation that meets this criteria: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance’?”

          Many people have wrongfully assumed and some have even been bold enough to say that it makes no real difference who is in the White House. According to some, the personal convictions and agendas of specific presidents have done little to change the landscape of America. I’m not sure what America these folks are looking at to make that call, but the simple fact is, this country is a drastically different one than just a half century ago. Presidents, legislators, and judges have an enormous effect on our country and to a large extent the President leads the legislative charge and certainly has a significant role in who sits on federal court benches

Some, and I hate to admit that some are Christian leaders who I used to have great respect for, have tried to spiritualize the election by saying we don’t need a President or Supreme Court to defend or protect our faith. While I will admit that ultimately God is in control and will prevail, I also emphatically believe that this does not give us the freedom to abdicate our responsibility to elect men and women who will stand for righteousness and truth. God has always been adamant about having spiritual, godly leaders and ancient Israel certainly learned what happens when ungodly leadership is in power. They also “got schooled” in the consequences of a nation choosing their own way when it is different than God’s way. When you review God’s history of dealing with nations, you will always find that those who allowed their leaders to lead them down a path of dishonesty, immorality, luke-warmness toward the things of God and polytheism had to endure the wrath of God when they continued to ignore the warnings of the prophets and opportunities for repentance. That, in my opinion, is why this election is important.

No, I’m not looking for a politician to “save our nation.” Certainly not either one of the two major candidates. But, I am asking myself; on the issues, the basic moral issues of life, the legal issues of right and wrong and the faith issues of my ability to live out my faith with a clear conscience; who will represent what I believe to be truth in these matters?

Here is my point. I’ve heard a lot of nonsense during this political campaign. People don’t like someone’s hairstyle or somebody else’s clothing choices. Someone is purported to have said this word or that word, done this or done that, not paid taxes or deleted emails. Some of these issues may speak to a person’s character, which is important, but as I said at the beginning of this blog, there is no shortage of personal shortcomings in either candidate. If you’re going to make your decision about who to vote for based on purity of lifestyle, good luck sorting that all out.

I urge you to look past the media spin, the campaign slogans and the party affiliation. When I look at the two candidates, it is a clear cut choice. I am not voting for the lesser of two evils. I am voting my conscience. One of the candidates, when I look only at the issues, is lined up with my convictions on almost every point. The other candidate; honestly I cannot find one single issue where we agree…not one. This is not a difficult decision for me. As a matter of fact, I would say that I am pleased with the choice we as Americans have this year. I cannot remember during my lifetime, certainly not since I have been voting, that the choice has been so clear cut. If you can look at a candidate; past the rhetoric, past the hype and past the flaws, and say, “That’s the America I want, and most of all that’s the America that I believe would please God” then vote that way. I may not agree with your assessment or your vote, but if that is your conviction, pull the lever. But please don’t throw up your hands and say, I don’t like either candidate. That’s the temptation isn’t it? To be honest, the person I voted for in the primaries did not turn out to be the party’s nominee. And the truth is, I don’t like either candidate either, but I like what one of them stands for VERY MUCH and so that candidate will get my one, single, solitary vote. I will vote my conscience, my faith and my heart. I hope you will too.

Rough or Smooth?

            Jane and I used to raise collies…you know, like Lassie. There are actually two kinds of collies, roughs (like Lassie) with long, flowing coats and smooths, with very short, close to the body coats (they kind of look like a naked collie). There’s always a huge discussion among collie breeders as to what their preference is…in other words, “Do you like roughs or smooths?”

         I know what I prefer in collies, but one of the questions I’ve been giving a lot of thought to lately is this one: “Do I prefer people to be rough or smooth?” Yes, I know it’s an odd question, but here’s what I mean by it. I have a lot of friends, many of whom, maybe most of whom, claim to be Christians. And when I say “Christian” I’m talking about people who have made a conscious decision to follow Christ, not just folks who were born into a particular faith or who had parents who were observant church-goers.

            Anyway, I have some Christian friends who are as smooth as silk, at least as far as I can tell. They talk nice, they act religious, their Facebook posts are always civil; they just don’t seem to have any rough edges. And may I just say…of you, my smooth friends, I am very suspicious! Maybe I’ve been around “Churchianity” too long…maybe I’m jaded…maybe I’m even a bit cynical, but come on…nobody is that smooth. My experience is, put into the right situation, many of the smoothest folks I’ve known can turn into buzz saws. They’re like Transformers®. They change from innocent looking pew-sitters into foaming-at-the-mouth pit bulls in an instant, when provoked. The problem with smooth people is you never know when that’s going to happen. I’m sorry, but if you’re one of those people who seems to have it all together…and tries to convince me you have all your rough edges knocked off…I’m going to be skeptical of you…actually, to be very honest…I’m a little scared of you.

            On the other hand, I have some really great people in my life who are “rough as a cob”, and we both know it. They’re some of my favorite people, by the way. It’s not that they want to be rough, they are just in process and there are still some obvious and apparent jagged shards, sticking out all over the place. The danger of being in relationship with these folks is minimized because I know going in they’re not perfect. Sometimes they use harsh language, sometimes they have bad habits and sometimes they blow it…royally. They’re rough, really rough…but then I knew that.

            Maybe one of the reasons I like rough people better than smooth ones is because…well, you guessed it…I’m rough too. I wish I wasn’t. I wish I had everything together like some of my friends pretend they do. I wish my emotions were always in check, I wish I didn’t have any bad habits, and I wish, most of all I wish, I looked a whole lot more like Jesus than I do. But the truth is…I’m rough around the edges…and sometime right in the middle too. There, I said it, in case you thought differently (and you didn’t if you know me at all), I’m not perfect!

            I think a lot of us who follow Jesus get a bum rap, and I think some of my smooth friends are to blame. A lot of people think what Christ-followers are all about is telling people to get “smooth.” Nothing could be further from the truth, at least not for me. That has never been my battle cry. If I could boil it down, I’d say it like this…The highest calling we have is not to get smooth…it’s to get honest. And really, if you have the kind of friends who only like you when you’re smooth (or pretend to be), you need some new friends.

            Perhaps this is my very favorite thing about God. He knows me inside and out, with all the roughness, yet He still loves me, He’s still my friend. Pretty awesome, huh? He didn’t come into this relationship thinking or even hoping I was smooth. He knew I was rough, He knew I had bumps and bruises and broken stuff. He knew, and yet…He loved me. We live in a world where when things get broken, we throw them out. Not God. When He sees something that’s broken He stops, stoops down and picks up the broken pieces and promises to love us even though…we’re in shambles. So stop trying to be smooth…just be honest. Here, let me help you by going first. “I’m broken, I’m rough, I’m a mess…but…I am loved!

My Wish List For Humanity

            Our world seems to be falling apart…literally, coming apart at the seams. Every time I turn on the television or check my phone for news updates it seems there is another crisis. I don’t even know how to respond any longer. Everyone is so polarized politically that no one can look at anything objectively anymore. It’s crazy, disheartening and most of all, I fear it is indicative of some really horrible times ahead.

            If you know me at all, you know I am unapologetic about the fact that I follow Jesus. I also happen to be white, straight and lean to the right, politically. For some of you, that will be all the strikes I get. You assume some things about me based on those facts and have already concluded I can offer nothing worthwhile to the conversation because of who and what I am. Others of you will assume because you share all or most of those traits, I will probably reinforce what you already believe. You are both wrong. What I say will most likely make both sides mad…but that doesn’t mean it’s any less the truth.

If I could wave a magic wand that would change how we approach living together in this world, what would I make happen? Well, I’ve got a few things in mind. I think they work whether you’re a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist. I believe they would make a difference whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, straight or gay, “red, yellow, black or white.” Many people work under the mistaken premise that unless we are the “same” we can’t get along. They think that if we don’t agree, we can’t be civil. I think that’s a bunch of nonsense. Instead, I believe if we could change our minds and hearts about a few things, we wouldn’t have to be afraid to turn on the television or open a newspaper. Here is my wish list for humanity:

·         What if we started making the label we wear less a point of contention and more of a point of conversation? I am convinced that whatever “tag” you wear or group you identify with, you’ve got some interesting and important things to say. More significantly, you have some things to say that I need to hear. The reason we have no sympathy or empathy for one another is because we don’t really know each other; and the reason we are unacquainted is because we are unengaged.

·         What if we stopped demanding that we all live life in unison and remember that there is true beauty in harmony? Musical harmony is created when we each sing different notes. Even the most beautiful melody lines can usually be enhanced with harmony. Our problem is that we want everyone to sing the same note as us, or else we want them thrown out of the choir. The 1970’s Coca-Cola® commercial featuring the iconic song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” encouraged us to sing in perfect harmony, not unison. It’s also interesting to note that some of the most intricate and beautiful music ever written is based on something called “point and counterpoint.” Music written in this style moves in different directions at different times in complex patterns and its beauty lies in its diversity. Humanities beauty also lies in diversity. If everyone looked and behaved like me or you, well it would be scary…but it would also be very boring!

·         What if we stopped condemning an entire group of people because of the actions of a few? I know there are professing Christians who are just plain jerks…but that doesn’t make us all jerks. I know there are prejudice cops, but not all police are hateful racists. I know there are radical Muslims who have done terrible things in the name of religion, but not all Muslims are terrorists. The problem is we can’t see past a badge or a crucifix or a hijab long enough to look into a person’s eyes and heart. That’s why we’re killing each other. Our hatred for one another is based on what we wear or what job we have or where we worship. That makes me very sad.

One of the reasons I strive to follow Jesus is because He was an excellent example of the points above. Jesus was always up for conversation. Many times it was around the table, one of the most intimate “meeting grounds” of His day. He wasn’t intimidated by someone who didn’t agree with Him. As a matter of fact, He used a favorite rabbinic technique by answering a question with another question to extend the conversation and promote true understanding.

He understood “harmony.” I find nothing in His life or ministry which suggests He thought everyone should be clones of each other. His disciples were a motley crew of individuals who had little in common with each other. He picked His SATB choir based on their ability to sing different parts, not sing in unison.

He loved those who wore the most despicable labels…LEPER, ZEALOT, TAX COLLECTOR, ADULTRESS, BIGOT and THEIF. But He looked past the “tags” and looked into the souls of those who were the most despised, then elevated them to a place of love and acceptance. Even when their culture had kicked them to the curb, He recognized their value and rescued them. That’s what I love about Jesus and that’s what I believe He is saying to us today, if we will only listen.