Does our theology reflect Christ's example, or our own fears?

I have been reading the book "Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism" by Joel Carpenter who was a Provost of Calvin College for a decade and left that position in 2006 to direct The Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity.

I initially bought the book for my husband as he knows Joel Carpenter personally and I thought he'd enjoy reading it. The book's title intrigued me so I decided it was worth a read for myself. :) I have found it very interesting from the perspective of one who's first foray into the church as a child was into a Fundamentalist denomination. It has been intriguing and enlightening to see how American Fundamentalist thinking and theology has developed and been shaped in part by world events since the early 1900's and I'm still just less than half-way through the book. I have also found it rather informative in helping me to understand where I am now (in the Southern Baptist denomination) and seeing the very strong, dare I say inescapable, influence of Fundamentalism not only within my denomination, but also within the world of politics.

On page 100, Joel has a short section labeled "The Mark of the Beast: Social and Political Alienation". This section, in particular, arrested my attention.  I have long been at odds with the thinking of other Christians regarding governmental social programs to help the less fortunate. In this section, Carpenter is explaining in historical context the shaping of American Fundamentalism (in the 1930's) and how it's dispensationalist point of view came to be reflected in it's politics and ideas about social reform. He wrote:

     "Dispensationalists tended to be suspicious of social reform campaigns....In their darker moods, dispensationalists suggested progressives' drive for governmental solutions was preparing the world for the reign of the Antichrist. Progressiveism marked the honest efforts of well-meaning people, but they were fundamentally mistaken about God's plan for the ages. Their efforts showed an unwitting movement toward the dictatorial spirit that would dominate the end-times."

     "Predictably, fundamentalist's looked askance at the New Deal's ventures into economic and social planning."

     "Dispensationalists had a good idea of where those forces were leading. The "present world movement," the editor of Bibliotheca Sacra judged was, "progressing away from democracy or republicanism toward dictatorial centralized power." Some of the actions of the New Dealers were strikingly similar to those prophesied as part of the Antichrist's regime, fundamentalist's thought."

     "Preconditioned by their political instincts toward individualism and populist antielitism, it was relatively easy for fundamentalists to see Beastlike tendencies in New Deal economic planning and to remain alienated from the public arena. James M. Gray's call for serene detachment was fairly typical: "Whatever comes, the saints can remain undisturbed, for 'He is their refuge and their portion in the land of the living.' "

I have long been baffled at how many claim Christ, yet seem to care so little for the less fortunate in society at large, unless of course the less fortunate happen to live in another country. I am not belittling missions by any means, but I do think that we need to be careful of a cognitive dissonance between our theology and our actions, or orthopraxy, where we have the most constant influence as we move about in our daily lives. I think we often sit in our pews content in our opinion that we are living in what many feel is a "Christian" nation thus requiring little of us on a personal level.

After reading the above, I am left with questions. Simple questions such as "If the fundamentalist point-of-view is that the 'end times' will usher in a dictatorial government why do they find themselves, in my opinion,  striving against God's plan? Does it not show fear of what they believe is to come? If God has indeed revealed that it will happen in such a manner, why not accept it and in the meantime embrace the compassionate aspects that will allow those less fortunate to be better cared for instead of ignoring their plight?" Sure, it's simplistic, but the Gospel is simple. To ignore the plight of others either physically or spiritually is to be neglectful and utterly lack compassion. One need not look far into the gospels to see that compassion was integral to the person of Christ.

We are told the world will know that we are His by our love one for another. I do not believe our love is to only be reflected in how we treat others who claim Christ (people like ourselves), nor does that follow Christ's example.  I believe the world will also know we are His by the love we have one for another....period. Regardless of others' religious persuasion or humanness, however those may manifest.

What speaks to me about Christ and His person on a personal level is the love and compassion that He exhibited, and continues to exhibit, for me, a person filled with a multitude of sins and imperfections. Even though He was/is the very God of the universe He humbled himself and took the form of a servant seeking out and ministering to those who needed it never exhibiting an air of superiority and eventually dying for all. I will submit that it was through this compassion that He was granted credibility in the eyes of those who crossed his path, and even in my own heart. In seeing his obvious compassion, people (such as myself) were then open to hear his message of hope and a future.

How credible are we?

"Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is responsibility."

This statement struck me when I read it. It struck me as the most succinct way to phrase something I have been pondering lately.

I have come to a deep and unsettling realization over the last year that people have a proclivity to compartmentalize what they know, or rather what they choose to know and/or understand. When people are confronted with something that has not been "their reality" and then ask "Why would I want to know?", they have made a choice, but is it a God honoring one?  Do they willfully ignore what others tell them, and the fall-out of the truth that is clearly and publicly seen, or do they pursue more knowledge of the situation in order to be aware of it's true nature so their thoughts and actions will be informed?

I submit that many, even those who claim Christ,  will choose ignorance over responsibility. Ignorance requires nothing, knowledge and truth, on the other hand, are not passive. Knowledge often must be coupled with action.  They require something from the one who possesses them as they become aware of them. Knowing the right thing to do comes pretty easily- it is not a hard matter. However doing what is right, the application of principles and knowledge, is not often easy.

In scripture we are admonished to actively pursue truth. There are many references to truth in the bible underscoring how important it is to God, but I will speak to one specifically.

• Proverbs 23:23 states "Buy the truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding." (ESV)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary states:

• "Buying the truth suggests spending whatever energy or financial resources are necessary to acquire truth, along with wisdom, discipline and understanding."

The Believer's Bible Commentary states:

• "We should be willing to pay a great price for truth, but unwilling to sell it for any consideration. The same goes for wisdom and instruction and understanding. We should spare no pains to acquire them, but never surrender them for anything in this world."

I will bring this back to a personal situation. Earlier this year my husband got in trouble with his employer (a Christian institution) for speaking the truth to the church about several situations where they had violated ethics and Godly principles. Great problems arose when my husband spoke up after well over a year of trying to speak with the administration about these violations. There existed no avenue to bring things to anyone other than the President- and it is well known one needs to stay on his "good side" if they desire to keep their job. Dissent is not tolerated- one must speak only well, or suffer the consequences.

When my husband's letter came to the attention of the President my husband was immediately banned from campus and his office- with 6 weeks of classes and his contract left. (Banning him from his office was in violation of the law which states my husband had every right to his belongings.) A 24-hour armed guard was placed outside of his office door, the lock changed and his work computer was removed. A few days later we were granted two hours to remove "the things you need immediate access to". We were not fooled- we removed everything that belonged to us in his office and studio. My husband was very clear from the beginning that he hoped to keep this a matter for the church to deal with. He refused any interview by the local paper, the denominational paper, and local bloggers that requested them.

What ensued over the next few months was literal hell, all at the hands of those who profess Christ and who's actions are to be ruled by mercy and love, according to scripture.

• The President of my husband's institution sent a total of three letters before my husband's contract was up- in two of them threatening to cut his pay and benefits if he did not sign saying that he was "dishonest, in breach of contract, and insubordinate". Since my husband was none of the above- he refused to be pressured by financial considerations. Truth was more important than financial exigency. The third letter was the same as the previous two, only it told him that if he refused to sign, his pay and benefits would be cut off in a matter of hours from the deadline.  He refused to sign, and the institution did, indeed cut off his benefits and pay , curiously, this was effective the day before the accrediting agency was due to visit. They violated the law by breaching the contract that was still in effect. 
• They were forced to retract those actions after our lawyer reminded them that they had violated their own faculty handbook as there was no provision for immediate dismissal.
•  A lawyer you say? Aren't you Christians? Why did you involve a lawyer? Simply put- we were forced to due to the institutions complete dishonesty and total disregard for their own institutional policies which they were violating left and right. The church (who happens to own the institution) did nothing to hold them accountable. 
• Nine days before my husband's contract was due to expire and well over a month after this all began- the institution decided to try and have him dismissed through hearings. Nine days- and he was not contracted to come back the next year anyways. It was purely vindictive on their part. The truth had come out and my husband was going to pay. 
• The 'hearings' convene. On the first day the colleges lawyer was present acting in an advisory capacity. She was advising the Advisory Committee- and all parties as to procedure. Sounds fishy you say? Absolutely. Ethically she had no place acting in an advisory capacity to any other than her client- the President of the college who was the one bringing the trumped up charges. Curiously- the Advisory committee was to render an impartial decision and then advise the President of the institution what they thought he should do. Yes- you noted correctly above- that was the same President who was bringing the 'charges'. Rigged? Yep. Further, the school's attorney was determining how the proceedings would transpire. Instead of the President making a case and my husband having the ability to then answer, they had concocted some odd procedure that forced my husband to go first. It was said, by their lawyer, to be in the form of an appellate hearing. My Father-In-Law (a former appellate court judge) was astonished when we spoke to him afterwards. You see appellate hearings are not the first step in proceedings- they are to follow the initial proceeding.  The school was not only violating their own written policies, but also violating my husbands rights to due process. It was a mess. 
• It was clear to our lawyer that legal action needed to be taken to protect my husband and a restraining order was filed by us. We did not know that a restraining order would be the filing of a lawsuit. What we did know was that it was an end-game move on our part. We were granted a 10 day restraining order by the judge who agreed that egregious violations were taking place. My husband's contract ended in 9 days. We were sooo done and happy to walk away at that point which was clearly communicated to the institution and their lawyer.
• According to the faculty handbook faculty members can testify on behalf of other faculty. The one faculty member who would step forth on behalf of my husband did not have her contract renewed even after she had received an exemplary evaluation that year and a letter promising a contract. 
• A couple of weeks later we were quite surprised to discover that the institution had filed to move the case, which we'd communicated we were dropping to Federal Court. "What on earth???", was our response. They had hired a firm in a larger nearby city to represent them and were requesting we pay their legal fees and the $500 we had put up as security for the restraining order against them. Again- purely vindictive- trying to make us pay in any way they could manage.
• Long story short- the institution drops what is now their case- after the Federal judge convenes a conference call asking their counsel if they are really sure they desire to continue as it's the smallest set of damages he's ever seen requested in a case in his years as a Federal judge.  

You might be wondering what the point of the above narrative is. It is this:

• We are not to sell the truth. We are to purchase it by any resources/means necessary, even if it comes at great personal cost.

In our situation we are left at an odd spot. A spot I wish we were not. We have seen first-hand the depths to which people will ignore truth because the cost is greater than they wish to pay, financially, personally, professionally or politically. We are in a small community. The institution has significant reach within it. We have seen person after person reflect the saying told to us by the one above that our situation "is not my reality", so I really am not interested in what you are saying. I'll admit- I am still confounded by that response. The proof of what we have experienced is available to any (in the form of multiple documents) who care to take an honest look at the situation. The problem is there has been precious little seeking after truth. Someone recently told me that "As long as the music is good on Sundays. people don't care." I have found that to be true, at it fills me with great sadness.

Someone told my husband that the problem was that he (my husband) wanted him (the other person) to agree with him. That person could not have missed the point by any wider of a margin. It was not about agreement- it was about one's responsibility to seek the truth and seek understanding even if it challenges one's currently held perceptions. Humility, honesty and faith require discernment.

The truth is a whole, a constant. "Cherry-picking" certain aspects mis-represents it, just as the Serpent's statements in the garden mis-represented God's words to Adam and Eve.

As people of faith we are told that "by their fruit ye shall know them"- them being they who are truly Christ's. 

There is a world out there that is watching. They are well versed in what we claim as our operating principles, often much better versed than we are. If you claim Christ and even shout His name loudly within the community, the onlookers will be sure to hold you to that standard. Everyone fails at points, we are human. It happens. A refusal to be transparent and look honestly at ourselves and admit our faults and failures destroys our witness and we will be held accountable one day.

It's not about how you look, it's about who you are. In my opinion, the church needs to reassess itself. If our 'image' is more important than truth- then we are missing the point. Entirely. 

As I mentioned there has been great cost to us in this whole situation. It's been emotionally exhausting and we still owe gobs of money to our lawyer and have experienced little emotional support from within our church which has left me with multiple questions and concerns about how the church at-large functions. That said -there have also been great rewards such as total reliance upon God as we continue to pray for a job for my husband.

Matthew 6:25- 34 has long been a favorite passage of mine and now I get the joy of practicing it. :) Life is about much more than what you have, it's about who you are, first and foremost before God.

Financially speaking, we are at a perilous juncture, but  I am continually reminded of Philippians 4:11 where Paul  states "....I have learned  in  whatever situation I am to be content." I can honestly say that I've not been consumed with worry about our future. I can assure you- it's only by the grace of God that I can say that.  I've no clue where our future may lead, and I haven't really worried about it. I choose to trust in Him. 

I have all I need for today and faith requires that I need not concern myself past that.





*Title quote courtesy of  Eden Foods, Inc. from "Clean Eating" magazine.

Another rescue from my old blog.

Dec. 13, 2005 - Smoke and Mirrors

Don't you just love mirors? Well, on the good days anyways.... the days when your hair looks perfectly coiffed, and you look (and feel) a few pounds thinner? Mirrors themselves are quite attractive, I think. In a well-lit room they are bright and cheery as they help the light to bounce across the rooom or reflect the view of a window. The problem I have with mirrors is......well...... they reflect things as they are. On good days, this is fabulous! But, if you are like me your fair days or even not-so-good-days are more abundant than the really good ones. :)

I have come to realize than I have a few more mirrors around my house than I had thought. These mirrors can be bright and cheery, or they can be altogether different! These mirrors that I refer to walk about on two legs, with two arms, two eyes, and for now they are a few inches shorter than I. I have realized that children are perfect mirrors. You may have heard the saying that children learn what they live. That statement has become startling clear to me as of late and I must admit, the reflection is rather unsettling. Are my children so misbehaved as to require "Super Nanny" pay us a visit? No. But do they reflect the selfless character of Christ? Not near as much as I wish! But the deeper question is do *I* reflect the selfless character of Christ? Do I possess His heart? You see, mirrors reflect because it is their nature to do so. So it is with children AND adults.

What we reflect and HOW we reflect it is in direct proportion to what is in our hearts. The bible tells us that:

" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Boy do I know the truth in that verse just by looking honestly at my own heart! I have a song on CD that says at one point "O wretched man, that I am, Who'll deliver me?" It helps to keep my true state at the forefront of my mind. It does not make me sad to hear it, rather it helps me to be focused honestly on my position- one seriously lacking perfection. Recognizing that I am wretched is not fun, but I have great joy in knowing that in my heart dwells One who has delivered me, can deliver me and will deliver me again one day. HOW Amazing!

So back to mirrors. My 4 children are spaced: 2 (a several year gap) and then 2 more. I began to realize the perfect mirrors my children were when my 3rd child began reflecting habits, tones, and ways of doing things that I really did not like, however I had allowed (at times unwittingly) my older children to portray. It was a bit of a wake-up call, I'm afraid. What was even MORE unsettling was the realization of where my older children had picked up their undesirable traits. I have come to realize that in a number of ways and areas I have not fulfilled my obligation towards my children. In many respects it has been due to my desire for my own comfort. ~sigh~ I did not honestly realize how much so. I realized that at times that though I had been disciplining my children's actions, it was like blowing smoke in front of their reflections. Smoke billows, can't be captured, and clouds the view. Just like disciplining actions and not getting to the heart of the issue- your child's heart. I had thought I was being fairly consistent, however, I was consistent with the wrong emphasis. I was trying to capture my children's heart....but what about mine? Trying to capture my children's hearts is a noble effort, and very worthwhile. BUT, if my heart is not first in the right place, my efforts will amount to nothing.

"As he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a

Very worthwhile words from Proverbs to ponder. Am I thinking on the very character traits/qualities that I desire my children to possess? Am I WORKING to possess them myself through a relationship with Christ, self discipline, and much prayer? Where is my heart? Is it in line with scripture? I must first deal with my own heart issues before I can begin to effectively deal with my children's or to win their hearts. The key question I need to continually ask myself is, "Am I exhibiting Christ to my children today?"

Prayer Changes Things

I'll admit that lately I've struggled with that concept. Actually more with my own ponderings that 'Well, God has it all decided and prayer is all well and good...but those repetitious prayers...what's the point? I mean really..."

You know the prayers I'm talking about. The prayers for the salvation of a loved one who seems perfectly content in their path that does not include or recognize their need for a Savior even after decades of exposure to Christ, the prayers for mended relationships over which you have no control and they seem utterly hopeless anyways, the prayers for direction in private matters that have plagued for months, or even years.

Years ago I read a book called "What Happens When Women Pray" by Evelyn Christenson and it radically changed my view on prayer, or rather I might say it formed it. I had always heard prayer was good and proper and all, but frankly it was a tad sketchy and nebulous. The book not only discussed prayer- but it began at it's roots with the verse "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. " (James 5:16b) The premise being that one must remove many things from their heart before they are properly positioned for effective prayer. (I have not read the book in years so I am going off of memory here.) So that is where I started.

My husband and I were travelling this past weekend and I was reading a book aloud to him as he drove. (Habits of the Mind by James W. Sire) The author made a connection that I had not in years of hearing a certain parable. The parable is the one of the widow and the unjust judge found in Luke 18:1-8.

The short version is that an unjust judge kept hearing from the widow on a matter, and finally after much beseeching on her part he relented and granted her a judgement. His reasons were not altruistic- he was just tired of being bothered! Jesus makes the correlation that just as the judge (who didn't really care a whit) decided to change how he did things due to the widows requests- so the God who loves us immensely can and will- change His determinations. I never could reconcile the points in the Old Testament where God seemingly changed his mind such as the many times Moses sought to 'bargin' with Him. I think I get it now. It's not so much an issue of God changing his mind, or being 'willy-nilly'. His changing what He said he was going to do is Mercy personified- for our good and His glory. We don't deserve it, but yet He grants it. Amazing.

Culture War?

My husband mentioned something earlier to me that struck me as quite profound. We often think that the war is against Satan- God vs Satan -and we need to help God win. He pointed out that if it were God vs. Satan it would have ended before it began. The war is ,instead, for the hearts of man. It is a rescue mission, not a war. If we Christians are living as we ought to, the effects will seep through the fabric of culture. The quiet workings of God in our lives will impact those around us. We won't need to force -through war of any kind.
While God does not need our help to acheive his purposes- our living rightly certainly can't hurt His purposes. There are enough wars. Wars are not attractive. Peace is. God's peace most of all.
I'm still chewing on this...

His Pursuing Love

This morning as I was doing a few chores a thought hit me. It occurred to me that when I am dealing with a difficult subject or mindset I typically expect the Lord to rush to me, pick me up, kiss my wounds and set me on my way- better off. And then I recalled a portion of James 4:8 which says "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you..."
God has an expectation of me. He expects me to practice drawing near to Him. To deny myself and my often selfish, or 'woe is me' mindset and to seek Him. To change and re-orient my focus. A daily dying to myself. He is always by my side, yet He waits patiently, lovingly for me to invite Him ever closer. Wow, is that hard! He is loving, patient, and persistent in His love towards me. Oh, that I may be more like Him!