Theological Thoughts for Thursday - Advent 3

We sometimes compare advent to waiting for Christmas gifts. And, truly, Jesus Christ was the world's greatest gift.

But waiting isn't always a positive thing.

Sometimes waiting can be dreadful. It’s not always the wait that is difficult, sometimes it’s what’s at the end of the waiting period that makes it painful.

When we wait for lab results – we don’t wait in anticipation, we wait in dread.

We wait for the other shoe to drop.

When we wait for the police officer to walk up to our car – when we find out if we are going to get a ticket or a warning – we wait in dread.

The religious leaders of the day waited for the coming Messiah filled with anticipation. They longed for the strong and mighty political and military leader they had been promised. Perhaps, had they known what the Messiah would bring; they would have waited in dread.

Jesus came and turned the world upside down. The religious elite could only grasp salvation if they were willing to let go of their power. The poor, brokenhearted, hungry, and meek became the new power-players.

The rules no longer existed – if your intention was to keep trying to work your way into the Kingdom of God; it would be much harder. If you were willing to give up your life – salvation was simple.

We look toward Christmas with anticipation. But, perhaps we should take this season to examine our hearts. Perhaps we should take this moment to decide if we are willing to give up our lives. That might instill at least a moment of dread.

In many ways, I’m part of the religious elite. On Thanksgiving I said the Thanksgiving prayer. I have an eclectic group of friends – some Christian, some not, some anti-religious, some ambivalent. I love all of them and appreciate their unique faith journeys. I was so challenged to pray without using my familiar “Christianese” vocabulary. Praise, grace, mercy, savior … all words that lack meaning outside the context of the Christian church.

Am I willing to give up my power and position? As a Christian, a missionary, a well-behaved church boy? Am I willing to lose all of those titles so that my friends can know the good news? Jesus said, “prostitutes and tax-collectors will enter the Kingdom of God before the religious elite…” and I never got that. I still can’t articulate the meaning I’ve found. But, I think it has something to do with me, with my church, and with my friends.

Anticipation mixed with a little dread?

Advent 2

I recommend a new tradition in gift giving for your family this year. Please read this article about The Advance - Alternative Gift Ideas.

My personaly philosophy is that gifts should be meaningful - not expensive. But, if you have someone who is difficult to shop for; perhaps this could be the perfect gift.

Advent 1

To celebrate Advent I've decided to attempt an ambitious blogging project. I'm going to blog every day until Christmas. I'm not going to promise anything inciteful, just an attempt to think, write, and post during the advent season.

I've managed to only miss a few Thursdays this year ... so we'll see how I do on my new challenge.

Although I tend to discuss politics in a rather abstract way on my blog - and I tend to stay away from particulars - there is one particular issue that I would like to address.

Omar Khadr was 15 when he was captured and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. He has been there for 6 and a half years without a trial. That's over a quarter of his life.

Holding a child in prison without a trial (and a guilty verdict by an impartial jury!) is a social injustice. It reflects poorly on all Americans - that we would allow our fears and prejudice to overcome our common sense paints a sad picture of our humanity.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

I watched 2012 this weekend. It's an interesting blockbuster movie. The action scenes are a lot of fun if you can suspend reality.

This isn't a movie review. There are a ton of those out there for this movie - all mixed to say the least.

This is a post where I explore my biggest problem with the film.

6,999,650,482 people die. That's a quick estimate - not an actual number. But it holds up for my point. Most of the world perishes, but we root for one family to "make it" and we're happy when they're alive at the end. It's more comedy than tragedy.

When the main character's plane barely manages to take off from a sinking California, there's a moment of lighthearted banter - while in the background millions of people are dying.

Now, I'm well aware of the fact that it's "just a movie" and as a blockbuster it's supposed to feel good. But it left me feeling empty.

How many times does this scenario play out in our lives? We ALWAYS care more for ourselves than for the world around us.

Tony Campolo was speaking to a crowd of upperclass evangelical Christians. This is his opening statement. "I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a SHIT. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

We care more for the propriety of our event than for the lives of 30,000 kids.

Mike Luckovich is a political cartoonist extraordinaire. He shocked readers across the country a few years back with a striking political cartoon concerning our dead soldiers.




The cartoon provoked a tremendous amount of controversy. Seeing the names of 2000 dead soldiers is heartbreaking. Now consider the fact that nearly 100,000 Iraqi CIVILIANS have died since 2003. Their names could take up most of a newspaper.

We're taught to value our own from a young age. We pick a sports team to cheer for and we immediately show a disdain for their competitors. In some areas of the world, students are taught to hate anyone who doesn't look like and act like them. Our Christian parents teach their Christian children to not hang around with "bad kids" because you are known "by the company you keep." Giving to charity is well and good - after our bills are paid and we've supersized our lives just "one more time."

But Jesus speaks and the world turns upside down. He teaches us to love our enemies. To value others as much if not MORE than we value ourselves.

In the upsidedown kingdom we know the names and faces of the Iraqi civilians (and even their soldiers, God forbid!) who died at the hands of our government. We mourn their deaths with the same passion we show for our fallen soldiers. In the Kindgdom of God we care less about the size of our homes and more about the size of our hearts.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

In Korea we drink everything from small metal cups. There are no water fountains - all water is dispensed from little machines; either into small slips of paper folded into a cup (it's a soggy mess) or into little metal cups. At church functions everyone is issued a small metal cup.

The first time I drank from a small metal cup, the overwhelming sensation was the size. It was tiny, two gulps or 4 sips small. The other sensation was the cold slipping away. When you put cold liquids into the cup, the coolness transfers to your hand by the 4th sip.

When you put hot liquids into the cup, it's even worse. The cup become much too hot to hold, so you set it down for a second - and by the time you pick it back up, your hot coffee is now luke-warm coffee water.

Metal is a perfect conductor. Which is great for lots of things - like wires that transmit electricity. But that's a terrible predicament for a cup to be in.

It's the opposite of a thermos. It makes hot things cool and cold things warm.

Who wants to drink a luke-warm beverage? Ever?

Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Hot water is useful. Cold water is useful. Lukewarm water is useless.

But it's not the water's fault - it's the cup. The tiny metal cup is the problem.

Sometimes our faith is hot or cold - sometimes it's usefull to those around us. Sometimes our faith is lukewarm - it's useless to those around us.

It's not the fault of the faith ... it's the fault of the container.

So how do we order our lives to be less like a little metal cup and more like a thermos.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

I'm reading "God Has A Dream" by Bishop Desmond Tutu.


Bishop Tutu covers a wide range of theological issues. His theology is progressive and inclusive and I'm rarely opposed to anything he writes. His vast experience gives meaning and weight to every word. He calls Christians to a life of social justice; to love others and treat every human as an equal. He sounds the trumpet, alerting Christians to the battle at hand; Christians live in a world where greed is valued as an asset, where fear of the unknown is a political platform, and where faith is linked with scandal and hypocrisy. We are in this world to transform it. God uses us to change the world.

Tutu writes, "You are the indispensable agent of change. You should not be daunted by the magnitude of the task before you."

Mary is the example. Everything is going well for her. She's young, engaged, virtuous ... and then God throws the curve ball of the millennium and knocks her up. The little girl, about to be married, ends up the scandal of the village ... and then gives birth to the savior of the world.

God uses human beings, and uses us in radical ways.

And it seems that everyone acknowledges this fact except those whom God would use. Christians timidly wait for God to act, while their non-Christian brothers and sisters wait for them to act on behalf of God.

Ani DiFranco sings, "The work of God isn't done by God, it's done by people." What an insightful thought. Knowing that others feel this way, how can we not act?

I think that God has BIG plans for each and every one of us - I believe with all of my heart that God has a plan for the transformation of the world; and that you and I are a part of it. God wants to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, end the cycle of poverty, give shelter to those displaced, change hate to love, and end the fear of "other." God wants you to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, end the cycle of poverty, give shelter to those displaced, change hate to love, and end the fear of "other."

What curve ball is God throwing you this day?
What small (or large) step is God calling you to take for the transformation of the world?

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

Theological (Random) Thoughts for Thursday

If you're looking for coherency; look away.

"You ought to live your life with such freedome and joy that most uptight Christians will doubt your salvation." - Steve Brown

I came in third place in the last poker tournament.

"Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins" 1 Peter 4:8 - I sometimes wonder if this verse can be the cornerstone of my personal theology.

I've realized that the most missional thing I do in Korea is helping my little kids put their shoes on. My little 3 and 4 year olds aren't old enough or coordinated enough to put their own shoes on. So, every day I spend a few minutes helping their teacher with the shoe festivities. Koreans have stopped me and told me not to do that. In a culture that respects age, position, and societal place it is quite improprietous for an adult, male, American, respected teacher and missionary to bend low to the ground and touch someone's feet. I think that's the point. It's a small act of service that makes all the difference in my day and my attitude.

I think more and more that most of my theological training was useless because it lacked practicality. I think back to so many lectures that soared over ivy towers and so few that grew legs and learned to walk. It makes me all the more thankful for Profs like Dr. Smith who made certain every class made the rubber hit the road.

Sorry I didn't have anything on Thursday. I am, however, glad that it's Friday now!

Happy Halloween!