Thoughts and Musings

Imagine when...

I was catching a cup of coffee after a presbytery meeting at my favorite coffee house in Winston-Salem, Krankies.  I had my computer with me and was going to work on a sermon, because that's what I'm always doing, and because I tend to do my best sermonizing when coffee is involved.  Anyway, I grabbed my cup of Kenyan and sat down at a table in the corner, and when I looked up at the wall next to me this is what I saw:

It's called an "Imagination Installation," a local movement of sorts in the area; and per its website it's about "harnessing the collective power of our community's dreams."  Which, in case you're wondering, is awesome.  So was this wall - dozens of small lime green signs tacked and taped all over the place, each with the simple title "Imagine When...."at the top,  and lots of space underneath for folks to write whatever.

So the sermon would have to wait awhile, because in truth I was looking at tons of little sermons on the wall of this coffee house, and it's always good when the preacher gets preached too. Here are a few that particularily spoke to me:

**************

...the word "can't" is lost from the spoken language

...people "make each other right"

...we decide to invest in happiness instead of war and hatred.

...nutritiuous local food is abundantly available everywhere and is preferred

...elected officials work for the good of the people, not for the power of the office

...human beings realize we are stewards of this earth, and no more important than any other living being

...we are not strangers

...there is a woman in the White House!

...we recognize that "the kingdom of God is here" (no waiting required)

..very child can squish mud between his or her toes in a creek

..we dream together to empower each other, rather than live in isolation

...we grow food rather than lawns, and share that food with our community

..we all Iive in the moments like our dogs, cats and horses do.

...our economic system rewards cooperation, collaboration and generosity over competition

...we all realize we are happier the more we give and love others, rather than how much we get and are loved.

...public art is on every corner in downtown Winston-Salem

...we know that life comes from death

...color is a hue that a painter uses to transform the canvas :-)

...the health care system is healed

..all pets have an owner that is loving and caring and a comfortable place to be

...corporations figure out that creativity and innovation comes from liberated, encouraged and respected employees

...children and adults go outside and play every day

...education rewards innovation and creativity more than compliance

...every child comes home at the end of school to a loving family member and a plate of cookies and milk

...each of us life our lives with respect and honor of all living beings

...we all remember that we're one big family

...people have the courage to be themselves

...we all let our authentic selves shine!

**************

Of course, I got in on the act. Here's the one I did.  If you know me, this should come as no surprise:


You know what I liked most about this excellent use of coffee house wall space? It's "Imagine When," not "Imagine If."  It's only a matter of time, folks.  Let's get busy.

A reminder for the faith community on the day after

It's November 7th - the day after the election. No more campaign events.  No more red and blue states, no more swing states.  No more babies being kissed, speeches being speeched, pollsters being polled, phones being robocalled.

And God is still in control.

Some candidates that we voted for won.  Some lost.  We're excited and relieved.  We're bummed and ticked.

And God is still in control.

Lots of facts were talked about - a few absolutely true, a few patently false, most somewhere in the middle.  Ideologies were pontificated - some we agreed with, others we didn't.  There was a lot of spin spun - some we saw right through, others we fell for hook, line, and sinker.  The other guy was never as evil as some made them out to be. 

And God is still in control.

We're hopeful for our future.  We're concerned about our future.  We believe our country is headed in the right direction.  We think our country is way off-track.  What we think and what we believe matters to us.

And God is still in control.

Now we move forward in a post-election America.  Yard signs will come down. Television ads will disappear.  Ohio can return to normalcy.  CNN's John King will be forced into magic-wall hibernation.  Facebook posts will go back to cute family pics and random status updates. Some things will happen that we'll like; other things will happen that we won't.  For a while, at least, we won't be red states or blue states or swing states - just the United States.  At least until the next election.

Life goes on.  The world is still here.  The apocalypse hasn't apocalypted.  And you know what?  Whoever we voted for, whoever we think is right or wrong, wherever we think our country is headed, one truth hasn't changed one bit because of this election: that God - and not us - is still in control.

And for that, thanks be to God.

Good cup of coffee

Something important to remember as the rhetoric of a presidential election starts heating up...

Check out Coffee With Jesus HERE.

I'm bummed.....but I'm encouraged.

I'm bummed that Amendment One passed…..but I'm encouraged that close to 40% of voting North Carolinians tried to keep it from passing.
 
I'm bummed that discrimination has been enshrined into our state constitution…..but I'm encouraged that our calling to love all people as Jesus loves us isn't something that has to be voted on and approved by a majority.
 
I'm bummed that some well-meaning Christians supported this amendment…..but I'm encouraged that other well-meaning Christians, and people of other faiths, voted against it - and did so not in spite of their faith but because of it.
 
I'm bummed that the lives of lots of people who have nothing to do with gay marriage will be affected by this change to our state constitution…..but I'm encouraged that far more people than just a month ago are now aware of this and are prepared to stand in their defense.

I'm bummed that some people think I am in error for the way I voted…..but I'm encouraged that many like me are absolutely willing to err on the side of love.
 
I'm bummed that a particular segment of society has once again been vilified…..but I'm encouraged that more and more people are becoming aware - and vocal - about how wrong this really is.
 
I'm bummed that some Christians felt they had no choice but to vote for the amendment…..but I'm encouraged that some Christians realized they did have a choice, and used that choice to vote against.

I'm bummed that some people were confused about what a "FOR" and "AGAINST" vote actually meant…..but I'm encouraged that lots of folks took time to find out all the facts.
 
I'm bummed that some felt it important to enshrine their own interpretation of certain Biblical passages into a government constitution…..but I'm encouraged (and hopeful) that those same people will rally behind forthcoming Amendments Two, Three and Four, which will ban collecting interest for profit (Leviticus 25:36; Deuteronomy 23:19), eating shrimp (Leviticus 11:12), and football (Leviticus 11:7-8).
 
(okay, so that last one was totally a joke, albeit one to prove a point. Besides, we need a good laugh, right?)
 
I'm bummed that Amendment One passed.  There are many of us who are bummed. But even so, I'm encouraged.  Very encouraged.  Because no constitutional amendment will ever keep us from doing our best to follow Jesus' example - to love all people, stand beside all of God's children, equally and completely.

We're bummed, but we're encouraged. So this isn't over. We're just getting started.

Why I am against Amendment One

I imagine it's been obvious, for anyone who's followed me on Facebook or Twitter the past few weeks, that I am opposed to Amendment One - the proposed change to the North Carolina state constitution that would read as follows:

Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be validated or recognized in this State. 

This amendment, a staple in pretty much every other Southern state, was put on the ballot by our state legislature and has garnered tremendous attention over the past few months leading up to the May 8 vote.

Yet I realized the other day that, while I've done a pretty good job of expressing my opinion on the matter, I haven't really explained why.  And while there are many reasons why I oppose it and voted against it in early voting last week (see picture above), there really is only one true reason why I oppose Amendment One.

Amendment One is poorly worded and, in its attempt to prohibit gay marriage, would create all kinds of legal messiness for those who don't fit the narrowly-defined  "only domestic legal union" equation - namely, unmarried couples, domestic partners, children of those partnerships and even domestic violence victims.  It's bad that these folks have been unwittingly dragged into the fray, but it is not THE reason I oppose Amendment One.
 
Amendment One is 100% unnecessary, as there is already a law in North Carolina prohibiting gay marriage.  Proponents of the amendment say it will prevent "activist judges" from overturning the law at some point in the future.  This kind of flawed logic suggests that we need to create constitutional amendments to back up all "important" state laws, much the same way my Time Capsule backs up my Macbook every hour.  The latter is completely necessary (as evidenced by the demise of my computer harddrive last week); Amendment One is not.  But that is not THE reason I oppose Amendment One.
 
Amendment One is discriminatory.  Again, defenders balk at the use of this word because, in their mind, they are simply defending "traditional marriage."  And yet, the word "discriminate" means: "to make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, sex, or age."  This is precisely what Amendment One does for gay and lesbian persons - it deprives them of something everyone else has.  Besides, constitutions are about guaranteeing people's rights, not restricting them.  And yet this is still not THE reason I oppose Amendment One.
 
I have a cousin who is gay and currently in a loving and committed relationship (that in no way, I might add, adversely affects my marriage or endangers my two children, as some insist).  They've surrounded themselves with friends and family who love and support them, including mine.  Still, I know they are subjected to ridicule and scorn by those who can't see the person beyond the orientation.  Amendment One has the feel of kicking someone when they're down, heaping more burden on a population that has suffered enough already; almost to the point of cruelty.  But that is not THE reason I oppose Amendment One. 
 
No, the primary reason I oppose Amendment One is because of my Christian faith. 

I know, that sounds strange, doesn't it?  We're used to Christianity being used as a reason (if not the only reason) for supporting the amendment.  We are told, for instance, that the Bible says gay people shouldn't get married and marriage is between one man and one woman.  Which is some selective reading, I might add, since it never actually says that (as I've pointed out to the Genesis 2 crowd, Adam and Eve weren't married); and since the predominant model of marriage in the Bible is one man and multiple women (try King Solomon's 700 wives and 300 concubines on for size).

So while I can't change the fact that pro-Amendment folks try to claim exclusive rights to the Christian mantle, what I can do is claim some of that mantle back and draw attention to the increasing Christian voice against Amendment One, including myself squarely among its ranks.  And make no mistake - it is a strong and legitimate voice, and it is growing.

In a Letter to the Editor I submitted last week to the Winston-Salem Journal, I pointed out that, while there are at best six to eight verses in the entire Bible that are commonly used to denounce homosexuality (with, I might add, questionable interpretation), there are literally thousands of verses calling the faithful to love their neighbor, care for the “least of these,” tend to orphans and widows and most vulnerable, seek justice for all, use governmental power wisely and compassionately, and not mistreat the foreigner in their midst.  It's like an NBA All-Star team stacking up against the woeful Charlotte Bobcats' second string - it's not even close.  When it comes to the sheer weight of scripture, the message of love triumps in a landslide.

And when we look specifically at Jesus as he's presented in the gospels, what we see is a man who didn't just tolerate the oppressed and outcasts, but actually sought them out.  He made a point of hanging out with them, dining with them, immersing himself into their lives no matter who they were or what others thought of them.  It drove the religious authorities nuts.  And for all his talk about loving neighbor and self, Jesus never said a word about homosexuality or gay marriage.  Not one.

So when I look at the scriptures and Jesus' life, I see an overwhelming portrait of Christian tolerance, acceptance, non-judgmentalism, and unconditional love - none of which square with Amendment One.  Because make no mistake: there is nothing loving about Amendment One.   There is nothing loving about legislation that would have all the negative consequences mentioned above.  You could possibly argue that it's "principled" or consistent (in relation to the state law already on the books), but you can't say that it's loving and compassionate in the spirit of Jesus.

I realize there are folks who disagree with me, and I'm okay with that.  I will respect their right to believe something different and hope they will return the courtesy.  It's the wonderful and sometimes frustrating thing about being adherents of the same faith - we can see things differently and still be brothers and sisters in Christ.  I will say this: if I am in error, if I've totally got my signals crossed, then I am fully content with erring on the side of love, rather than on the side of legislation that I feel pretty certain Jesus himself wouldn't be in favor of. 

And that is ultimately why I voted against Amendment One - because I believe, with all my heart, that Jesus would have voted against it too.

We'll see what Tuesday brings.  If it's defeated, I'll give thanks to God and be proud of the state I've lived in all my life.  And if it passes?  I'll be disappointed, but I'll move on with even deeper convictions and a better sense of my voice in the matter.  I'll be enthused by the wide spectrum of folks - people from different generations, different backgrounds, and even different political parties - who have come together on this issue in the spirit of Christ's love and in defense of all of God's children.

And most of all, I'll keep on loving like Jesus, the best that I can.  Thank God that is something that needs no legislation.

A comedian grateful for pain

I've been an admirer of Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for years now, and I find myself drawn to their shows in the same way a thirsty barnyard animal finds its way to the water well.  Their quick and witty politicial and cultural commentary not only makes me laugh, it makes me feel better.  "A joyful heart is good medicine," the Proverb says.  And along with others, I sometimes wonder if comedians might just be the prophets of the 21st century, or at least its prophetic voice.

With midterm elections fast approaching, both Stewart and Colbert are at the top of their game; making fun of the candidates and the people who take them way too seriously. That would be us, by the way.  And they're carrying their message outside their own television shows to other venues - faux rallies (or are they fake??), as well as various television appearances.  While Stewart was on FOX News' Bill O'Reily Show last week, Colbert - in typical self-mocking fashion - wound up yesterday on ABC's The View.

Just to clarify, I don't typically watch The View.  But, as so many of us in this social media-crazed world, I did catch a web clip.  It's pretty funny stuff; Colbert exercising his typical schtick (including pretending to walk off the set, as two of the more liberal-minded hosts did a few days before when - no surprise - Bill O'Reily was their guest). 

But things take an unexpected and amazing turn at about the 2:08 mark.  Watch:

(if the video doesn't load, you can watch it here).

I had heard previously that Colbert is a devout Catholic and apparently still teaches Sunday school.  I was not aware, though, that his father and two siblings had died in a plane crash.  And when Barbara Walters asked Colbert how his mother raised the remaining nine kids, by herself, in light of such a horrible tragedy, this is what he said:  She had a very strong faith.  She taught us to still love life and not be bitter, and to realize that everbody suffers.  If you can accept your suffering, you'll just understand other people better.  And strangely enough, you have to be grateful for your pain.

Wow.  Thoughts worthy of a seminary-level class on theodicy, and it's coming out of a comedian's mouth on The View.

Stumbling upon this clip couldn't have been more timely.  Part of my job as pastor is to walk with people at painful times in their lives.  And over the past few weeks it seems like I've been doing a lot of walking.  I've walked with a young woman seeking companionship who once again finds herself in a relationship going nowhere.  The man dealing with his father's recent death and the fact that he never quite felt like he lived up to his standards.  The older gentlemen whose eyes still well with tears as he speaks of the death of his 11-year old son over 40 years ago.  The homeless kids in our school system I recently learned about who literally have no home to go to once the final school bell rings.  And - just yesterday - the four families who found their way to our church over the course of the day because their power had been turned off, or their car was out of gas and they had to get across the state to an ailing grandmother, or they and their two young children were one day away from being evicted and cast out on the streets. 

This very well could be the understatement of the decade, but there is a lot of pain out there.  Pain that, in many instances, I simply can't fathom.  I feel inadequate in the midst of it.  And maybe that's why Colbert's words resonate so strongly in me.  I can almost hear his 90-year old mother, teaching and living out and showing him and his brothers and sisters how not to be bitter, how to love life and recognize that everyone faces hardship, how accepting your suffering helps you to understand the suffering of others.  And then that powerful line: you have to be grateful for your pain.

Colbert was right: that is strange.  That's not in our DNA.  Our culture is one that runs for the hills when pain comes along.  We'll do anything we can to numb it, deaden it, minimize it, or remove it entirely.  Sometimes that's a good thing, of course - my wife is very glad she chose an epidural over natural childbirth when she brought our two boys into the world (so am I).  When the stove is hot, it's not like we should sit there holding our hand on it.

But when it comes to the kind of pain that gets stuck in our heart, avoiding it is the worst thing to do.  Despite every instinct in our being, we've got to head straight in to it.  Embrace it, name it, call it out.  And we do this not only so we can understand other people better, but most importantly so we can understand ourselves. 

You know the story of Jesus coming to the disciples in the boat during the storm?  I've always been struck by the image of where Jesus came from. He didn't come to them from the safety of the shore.  He didn't rise up out of the waters or descend from the heavens above.  He came to them from the storm - the darkest, most chaotic part.  He was already there.  When we encounter the most painful, suffering, stormy parts of our lives, we don't find God by running away from the storm.  We find God by going further into it.  Perhaps that's what Colbert's mother meant about being grateful for the pain.

It's not like this clip is going to make me start watching The View or anything.  But I am planning on paying better attention to where I hear the prophetic voice coming from.  Often there's a fine line between comedic satire and the truth.  I kind of dig it when that line gets crossed.

 

A house divided?.....Pt. 2

You may recall this blog post back in the heat of the election season, about a house here in Mayberry on somewhat opposite ends of the political spectrum.  Literally.  Just to refresh your memory:

That's a McCain/Palin sign on the other side of the sidewalk, if you can't tell.

The blog, which you can read at the link above, was about how this husband and wife (he the Obama supporter, she the McCain fan) were able to acknowledge their political differences in a heated election without losing their cool with each other.  Which, incidentally, I thought was a lesson for us all, as we're well aware that politics is one of two topics that tend to divide people most emphatically (the other, of course, is religion - something I did not broach with this couple ;)

Well now we're past the election season, thank goodness, and on to another "season" known as March Madness.  So when I was driving by this same house yesterday on my way home from church, part of me wasn't all that surprised to find this:

 

Hmm.  I don't know if the Easter Bunny and "Ramses" the UNC mascot are necessarily polar opposites.  Instead I'm going to assume that this isn't an "either-or" thing but a "both-and" - husband and wife together supporting their basketball team, who happens to be playing for a national championship tonight; as well as the furry little fella who brings goodies on Easter morning (peanut butter eggs in my house).  Two worthy causes indeed.

And yeah, you heard me right, Carolina fans.  I, a true Demon Deacon, am in fact rooting for the Tarheels in tonight's game against Michigan State.  Call it the influence of being married to a Carolina grad (true love, I tell ya) and having another one for a brother.  Or the fact that my school has never been much of a tournament team, so around this time every year I have to morph into this nebulous creature called an "ACC fan."  I imagine it's something like kissing your sister, although I don't have a sister so it's hard to know what that's like.  But it sounds just as icky.

So I join with my wife, my brother, my house-divided neighbors (who are probably ready for me to stop taking pictures of their yard) and the rest of Tarheel Nation to say (and don't think this is easy for a Wake Forest fan to do) GO HEELS!

(until next year.  And then the Demon Deacons will kick your collective blue tails, along with everyone else in the Big Dance.  Maybe.)

Change

Kissing the boys good night last night

Last night, before finally crawling into bed, I went to kiss the boys good night as they lay sleeping. It had been a late night for me and my wife, as I imagine it was for a lot of people, and thankfully they were fast asleep.  One of them has a night-light beside his bed, so I can find his head relatively easily.  The other's room is darker and I have to wait for my eyes to adjust so I know I'm kissing his head and not some stuffed animal.

Usually when I kiss the boys goodnight I say a silent prayer to myself.  And I'll admit that many times that prayer has been along the lines of lament and petition.  I've prayed that somehow my wife and I will have the good sense to do what's right with these guys, and everyone else they come into contact with will do the same, so they'll have a fighting chance to rise above a world that is often captivated by fear, that focuses on what separates us instead of what brings us together, that many times seems to be full of so much more bad than good.  It is a bittersweet sort of prayer - I hate having to come at it from that angle, but I'm also thankful that my faith embraces a God who will hear these sorts of things.

But last night, as I touched my lips to their hairy little heads, my prayers were noticeably different; and they came without me even having to consciously think about it. They were prayers of thanksgiving - thanksgiving that our country really can rise above the kind of brokenness and misconceptions that have defined us for far too long.   Thanksgiving that, with some help, we can unite once again and give our children the capacity to reach their potential and be defined by what we all share in common as Americans and children of God.  Thanksgiving that, as I tell everyone who will listen, fear really can take a back seat to our heart-felt convictions.

I kiss their heads, knowing that this sort of thing won't come easily.  The world is still full of such ugliness, and I'm smart enough to realize that this ugliness will continue to rear its head, in spite of and even because of what happened last night on our country's stage.  We've come a long way, the saying goes, but we sure have a long way to go.

But at least we're at the starting line, and we've taken the first step in the race.  My earnest hope and prayer is that our nation will choose to run this race together.

So much, then, for the obligatory goodnight kiss.

Steve's Endorsement for President

Well folks, I've given it some thought.  Originally I wasn't going to formally endorse anyone for president.  Politics tends to bring out the worst in us, and there would be too many complications, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings.  But as we enter the last week of this election, I just can't help myself.  My convictions are strong, and I feel it's time for me to speak up and let you know where I stand. 

And that is why I am proud to endorse Jesus Christ for president.

What tilted it for me, you say?  Well, there really wasn't any one thing.  I kind of like his life story - small-town boy making it big.  I mean, when you're born in a podunk town in an animal stable to two teenage parents, the deck's stacked against you.  I'm also endorsing Jesus because of his obvious smarts.  Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with the learned rabbis of his day as a twelve-year old kid has to receive some consideration, right?  That's the kind of guy I want sitting behind the "big desk."

I'm also very enthused by his platform. At his heart he seems to genuinely care about all people and their well-being.  I'll never forget that time he spoke to the huge crowd who came to hear him and they started getting hungry.  What did he do?  He fed them.  How basic is that?  Then there were all those instances where people brought their sick to him, and he went beyond just shaking their hands to actually make them feel better.  The disenfranchised and the poor seem to be high on his list, as does treating all of God's people with respect.  And I can't help but get inspired every time I hear him talk about his vision for the world - what he calls the "kingdom of heaven on earth."  Makes me want to hop on the next train there.

Now I'll admit - some of Jesus' policies do raise some eyebrows.  When he advised his constituents to give their cloak in addition to the coat they were asked for, well, that does make him sound like a redistributionist.  And when he went nuts in the temple, overturning the moneychangers when their presence was common in the day (and important for the upkeep of the sacrificial routines of the temple itself, I might add), it might lead some to wonder if he's against the capitalistic enterprise.

On top of that, Jesus has had some suspect associations.  I'm thinking about all those dinners at the homes of Pharisees.  That's the equivalent of fraternizing with the enemy!  And then there was that woman at the well he spent so much time with, the one who had not one husband but five. Hmm.  The press will have a field day with that.

But see, I think all of this just highlights another reason why I like him so much - his uncanny way of bringing different people together for a common purpose.  I mean, look at his disciples - his closest circle of friends, hand-picked.  Women and men who were about as spread out over the spectrum as you could imagine.  Tax collectors, fishermen, doctors,  even Zealots - a motley crew if there ever was one.  And while they rarely agreed on anything, somehow Jesus managed to keep them focused on his agenda.  You gotta admire that - and gotta wonder what our world would be like if we chose to live with that kind of mentality.

In the end, I think the reason I am most proud to make this endorsement is because of the one thing Jesus possesses that gets to the very heart of who he is: and that is love. Love for one another instead of prejudice, anger, resentment.  Love for the the earth instead of wasting it away and doing with it as we please.  Love for God and the truth instead of caving in to the overwhelming power and influence of fear.  It sounds simple, but it's amazing what you can do when you reject the stereotypical notions of Jesus and go deeper to encounter the essence of his message.  When you do that, if you're like me, you just want to embody this kind of radical love in all aspects of your life.

I know his chances of winning are not all that great (not having his name on the ballot is a major hurdle).  But I'm not sure "winning" is what ultimately matters here.  What matters is that people of faith work to "endorse" Jesus with the way they conduct their lives in their families, in their places of work, in their churches and yes - even in their politics.  And with that last part in particular, it is so important for us to remember that no one political party of our day and time has the "market" on Jesus.  His message of love, humility, transformation, respect for all people and the coming of God's kingdom on earth transcends any political action committee or party platform we may conjure up.

Something we should keep in mind long after this election is over, don't you think?