Strangers and Aliens

I admit that I have been fascinated by space, aliens, and things of that nature since I was very young.  I still have a tough time passing over a headline that says something about UFO's.  Not that I necessarily believe them, but I just find them fascinating.  After all, space is the final frontier, and these are (not) the voyages of a starship, but a little boy's mind still at work, even in a more grown up body.

Aliens and strangers are different.  I remember the cantina scene in the original Star Wars movie, and still find them all fascinating.  They are so different, and yet, appealing.  Star Trek, and especially Mr. Spock, have always stood out to me.  Alien, yet enough alike to be able to fit in (and who knows, pointy ears could just be a conversation point rather than a point of difference).

When I read Ephesians 2:13-23, especially verses 19-23, we see a picture of aliens and strangers being brought together.  In Jesus, all us human beings are no longer aliens and strangers, but are part of the household of God in Jesus.  We are fellow citizens with the saints. 

What does that mean for us?  It means that we may look different, sound different, act different, and even prefer different things (music styles, chairs vs. pews, etc.), but we all belong together.  We are in a household, and just like a household has variety that is accomodated, so also in the household of God.  God brings people of radically different backgrounds, likes, and thoughts, and unites them together in Christ Jesus.

The thing is, we may no longer be strangers and aliens, but we still have to deal with the differences that arise.  And that's where we learn to deal with one another in Christian love.  Yes, we will still sin against our household, and yes, we will still need to not only confess and ask for/receive forgiveness, but we will have to figure out how to resolve those differences in loving, tangible ways.  But we do so guided by love.  After all, we are part of the family.  The family is to be stronger than our disagreements.

So I guess you could say that I am still fascinated by aliens and strangers.  Only, now I find my fascination to be in how to bring them together in Christ love, just as Jesus has brought them together into His eternal household. 

So how do you explain that?

Yesterday I wrote about some of the worldviews that are out there, which seek to explain what happens in this thing called life.  Today, I want to dive in a little bit into what I have seen and observed from God and from His Word that truly seems to explain this the best, and which fits so much of our lives, even as we realize that there is far more going on than we can ever suspect.

Most worldviews struggle to answer the questions like, "Why do bad things happen to good people," and "Why do the wicked get away with so much and seem to prosper?"  These would seem to be anamolies in life, and yet, they happen with such frequency that we always seem to be asking the question.

Believe it or not, God reveals some things that truly do explain that situation far better than many others that I have investigated.  First, God tells us that He created us to be good, in His image.  We were created to perfectly love and care for others.  But then, God tells us that we lost that image by losing our relationship with God when the first man and woman disobeyed God.  Now, we became disconnected from God, and this thing called sin entered our human relationships.

This thing called sin now causes us all kinds of trouble.  We take advantage of each other, we hurt each other.  We want what doesn't belong to us, and we're not content with what we have.  Some of the problem is right there inside of us.  And then, God tells us that there are outside forces also at work.  Satan and his followers look to latch on to that inborn trouble spot and draw us even further away. 

Yet, the foundation of God's will and design for life were still alive in us.  That is found in the rules, or laws, of God.  Inherently, we know it's wrong to murder, or to steal.  Sure, the definitions of some of those rules may be different from one culture to another, but the essence of them is still the same.  You don't steal your buddy's wife, or stuff.  You don't just stick a knife into someone if they tick you off.  And there are times where we still respond appropriately to that design that is written into our lives.

Likewise, we also know that, if we tend to treat others one way, they will respond in somewhat of a like manner.  When we're kind to others, they have a tendency to be kind to us.  If we're a jerk to others, we probably shouldn't be surprised that they don't like us.  And yes, God does address all of these in His Word.

That's a big part of the reason why I hold so firmly to what God tells us in His Word.  It makes sense.  Sure, it's helpful that there are real places that correspond to what the Bible says, and it's great that archaeology has proven some of the Biblical facts.  But, in a sense, what God says just really does accurately describe life.  And that, at least for me, speaks volumes about why I should listen and follow in this particular way.

A Son or a Servant?

I've been reading an interesting book lately, and I'll include a review of it, probably early next week.  But in the book, the author makes an interesting point.  Do most Christians "act" as though they are a son (or daughter) of the Father, or as though they are a servant?  As I thought about that contrast, it really did get me to thinking.

If you are a child of the Father, you have a great deal of freedom.  You live in the relationship of knowing that you have far more "latitude" as a son than you do as a servant.  The reason for that is simple: you belong by blood to the Father.  A servant is merely someone who is employed for a particular set of tasks.  However, if you are a son (or daughter), you have both greater responsibility and greater freedom.

Greater freedom in that you have less to worry about in terms of your standing before your Father.  You can step out and risk a lot more as a son than you ever would as a servant.  Why is that?  Because you know that your Father is a forgiving Father who wants nothing but the best for you.  Sure, if you step out in a wrong direction, or too far, He may have to call you back and show you the error of your ways, but even in that, you know that you can venture forth because of that relationship.

At the same time, you have greater responsibility than a servant.  Because you are in relationship with the Father, you bear His name.  Everything that you do, no matter how large or small, reflects upon the name of the Father.  Everything you do reflects upon the other members of your family, and therefore you also have a greater responsibility to consider them when you act.  They may grant you freedom to risk in the family's name, but they also carry the responsibility and authority to bring you back when you step out of line, or too far.

In contrast, as a servant, your primary concern is to make your master happy.  You are less willing to take risks because you know that it could easily backfire on you.  While you might have the comfort of knowing that your Master is a forgiving Master, you don't have the family connection to fall back on.  You are merely there to do your duty.  You tend to operate in far narrower, more defined ways, than you ever would if you had that blood relationship of a son or daughter.

I find this interesting because, even as the author says that Christians should consider themselves as sons and daughters of the Father, his language throughout is that of a servant.  When you hear things like obedience stressed, it isn't necessarily an indication of a view of yourself as a servant.  However, when that's pretty much the bulk of the language used, it indicates the viewpoint in which you stand.

Consider the language you use concerning God your Father.  Do you use language which reflects a view of yourself as a child of the Father, or of a servant of the Master?  And once you think about that, consider also which one you would rather be viewed as by God.  Yes, Scripture speaks of both, and of us filling both roles, but our language can often reveal which one we primarily think of ourselves as.

Of Bumper Stickers and Other Things

I get a kick out of bumper stickers sometimes.  Just last night, I was behind a bad driver (in my opinion, of course, notwithstanding the two lanes of traffic he cut across in order to get to the turn lane).  Now, bad drivers irritate me, but I actually found this one amusing.  He had a bumper sticker that said something along the lines of "Tailgating kills."  I can perhaps understand his sentiment, even as I wanted to let him know how I upset I was for his inept driving skills and preparedness.

Other bumper stickers are a lot less likeable in my eyes.  You've probably seen one that says "COEXIST" with the letters replaced by different religious symbols.  I admit that one irritates me.  To think that someone assumes that they have a higher understanding of God than people of faith, and that their view of how the world should be is superior to those who look outside of themselves for guidance truly baffles me.  (I should say I've also seen one of the same design with the word TOLERANCE on it, which again seems to demonstrate that their belief in tolerance is better than anything God could says.)

In one sense, I understand the desire of those who decorate their cars with bumper stickers.  They truly want to demonstrate something that they believe in.  It's admirable, in a way.  And yet, one thing I often find is that it is simply impossible to convey much sense of what you believe by pasting a few words onto a sticker on your bumper.  There is always a much greater depth and context than the mere few words that have to be large enough to be seen.

I've tried over the years to sum up my Christian belief in just a few words.  But I consistently discover that there is no way I can sum up everything that God tells us about Himself that is vital to know in that brief of a way.  No bumper sticker or 140 character display can accurately convey meaning and intent.  At best, it can point to a deeper meaning, with the hope that those reading are encouraged to delve deeper.

At the same time, you can easily overwhelm another if you try to include too much.  (Just imagine a bumper sticker with the Athanasian Creed on it, and if you don't know what that is, I suggest Googling it.)  It's a balance in trying to convey depth and accuracy while striving to be brief enough to keep attention.

That just seems to beg us to work to create community and relationship with others.  Only in that kind of context can we briefly describe certain parts of what God reveals to us about Himself, and at the same time, have the opportunity to go into depth as the situation allows.  And that kind of community is something you have to work at as you live your life.  If you find a way to get it onto a bumper sticker, great.  But community and relationship is always greater than even the most profound of bumper stickers.

A Grammarian's Dilemma

Some of you may know or suspect that I am a grammarian.  In fact, there are times when I can be a bit of a grammar Nazi.  Part of this springs up from having learned a few different languages along the way, and having realized that how we speak or construct our thoughts actually is pretty important.  Another part has been stretched and challenged in doctoral level studies and work, which calls for much clarity of thought and precision of wording.

Anyway, to get to the point.  There's a common phrase nowadays that says something along the lines of, "I accepted Jesus."  This phrase always raises a bit of struggle in me.  Mostly, it comes from a theological basis.  From my reading of the Bible, we don't truly accept Jesus as we would accept an award or a prize.  Instead, it's God who does the choosing of us, and who does the working within us to make us His own.  Now, we may come to a realization of what God has done, and at that moment or time have our eyes opened, and in some form or fashion we could call that "acceptance", but in that regard, it's more of an acceptance of an accomplished fact than anything else.

Part of the struggle I have with this phrase comes from my desire to be precise with wording.  I want people to think about what they are saying and meaning when they say such a phrase.  But often, I find myself asking, "Is this really the time or the place to engage in THAT discussion?"  After all, the moment of "acceptance" can be a truly meaningful moment for the person.  To hear that I'm writing off their moment simply because I don't like the word that they use can seem rather unforgiving.  And so, I find this struggle going on.  Do I say something in the interest of precise, accurate wording, or do I consider that this may be a battle for another day?

To be honest, part of the reason I'm writing about this is because I don't have an answer.  It seems that we should always be striving to be as precise in our language as possible, and at the same time, we should strive to be caring toward others and sometimes overlook their minor sins of imprecise language.  Which one does the situation call for?  That's where I put my hope in Jesus' ability to forgive me for making the wrong choice when I have, and where I put my trust in the Spirit's guidance when I have gone the proper direction according to His prompting.  May I grow in that as I continue to share Christ Jesus in my life and ministry!

Who is my neighbor? part 4

Continuing our look at one of Jesus most well-known parables in Luke 10:25-37, today I want to paint a bit of a different picture than where we have gone so far.  Up to this point, I've focused on the background of the parable, where the lawyer asks Jesus about eternal life.  I've looked at the priest and the Levite, who failed to show compassion, and at the Samaritan, who demonstrated great compassion.  But today, I want to take a bit of a different angle when looking at these words.

Remember, Jesus was speaking these words in a particular context, at a particular time, and for a particular purpose.  Essentially, Jesus answered the lawyer's question "Who is my neighbor" not by giving him a definition of his neighbor, but by demonstrating what it means to be a neighbor to others.  Pulling the meaning to us, it's not to ask "who shall I serve as my neighbor", but rather, "how can I be a good neighbor to those around me?"

There is also a deeper meaning to this parable that moves beyond the meaning to that lawyer on that day.  When we look at the primary people of the story, one of the things we can realize is that we are that broken, beaten man on the side of the road.  That's our natural condition in God's eyes, to some degree (and I would say that God's viewpoint would see it even worse for us).  We're unable to help ourselves, unable to fix ourselves, and are simply laying there dying on the side of the road.

That's when we see God in human flesh, Jesus, come along.  He sees us on the side of the road, and Jesus has great compassion on us.  He carries us to the place of healing (instead of an inn, we might picture a cross and an empty tomb), where He pays the full price for our healing.  And then, He makes the promise to come and make everything better as we receive our healing. 

In that respect, we gain a lot when we see ourselves as the beaten, broken man, and Jesus as the Samaritan.  True, that isn't the natural "fit" of the parable as Jesus told it to the lawyer, but it is a quite apt example of what Jesus came to do.  And it serves to remind us that we have a God who has restored our health, who has paid our price, and who has promised to return for us.  What a great joy to think about!

Who is my neighbor?

One of the more well-known stories that Jesus told from the Bible is that of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).  It's a story that has been preached upon many times, usually with some kind of an emphasis on our care for our neighbor.  We often have found ourselves compared to either the priest or the Levite, people who had an opportunity to help a poor, beaten man on the side of the road, and yet, who refused to help.  We're then encouraged to be more like the man who actually stops and helps the man, who sees to his needs, and brings him to a place of healing.

In future posts, I intend to get into the meaning of this story (parable) a little more.  There's a great deal of depth to this that often goes unseen or unnoticed, and I'd like to highlight some of it for you.  But before we get into that, I actually want to take a bit to introduce the whole reason Jesus told this story.  He didn't just come up with this story on a whim, but told it to convey a very particular point.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus often had people come to Him with hard questions, looking for Him to have an answer for them.  Some people came with honest intentions, wanting to know what God really did think.  Others came looking for a way to trap Jesus in His words, to find something to use against Him when an appropriate time arose.  As we look at the context surrounding the different stories or parables that Jesus told, we get a bit of a better picture on why He would tell that particular story.

This is also the case with the Good Samaritan.  A few verses prior to the beginning of this parable, we have a lawyer approaching Jesus.  Remember, this isn't a lawyer like the ones you and I are familiar with.  A lawyer in that day was more along the lines of an expert in God's law.  This man would have known the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) extremely well.  He would have been highly educated in everything God had spoken to Moses, and so would have been someone that others looked to when they had questions.

This lawyer asked the very pertinent question about what it took to obtain eternal life.  After all, this was the promise that God had made.  So how does one go about getting hold of it?  And Jesus responded by asking him what he knew from the law of God.  The lawyer fell back on the summary of the commandments.  Love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus very bluntly told him that if he did this, he would live.

It seems that this wasn't the answer the lawyer was looking for.  He knew that already.  Maybe he thought that Jesus had some further insight into it, or maybe Jesus would take a different approach than what had been taken before.  He just couldn't take that easy of an answer.  There had to be more.  And so, almost in desperation, he asked the question that led to Jesus telling the parable.  "And who is my neighbor?"

That got to the heart of the issue for the lawyer.  Who do we consider to be our neighbor?  If part of the fulfilling of God's command is to love our neighbor as ourselves, then it helps to know who our neighbors are.  So as we continue our journey through this story, we'll look at how Jesus answers this question, and what the parable says about our neighbors.

Immediate Correction or Not?

From Proverbs 18:13: "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

It's happened often enough to me now that I almost expect it.  I'm talking to one of God's people about some point of theology, and they say something that's not quite in line with what the Bible says.  Or, I'm talking with someone who isn't one of God's people, and they say something that is blatantly different from what the Bible teaches.  My first instinct in either of these cases is to stop the conversation at that moment and "correct" them.  That's a product of the theological education that I received, as well as some of my own personality that really strives for the "right thing" to be known and believed.

In the past, I've let that immediate desire to correct the person take over.  And guess what I have found on a number of occasions.  My "correction" wasn't all that well received.  For one or two, it actually was upsetting enough that they stopped being interested in our conversation, and sometimes even in the Christian faith.  They had questions, and they had thoughts, and those thoughts weren't in line with what God says.  And yes, those kind of issues need to be gently addressed.  But the point of this post is, should we do that immediately, when it pops up on the conversation?

I've given a lot of thought to this, and I've come up with an answer that I am comfortable living out.  I rarely will give an immediate correction.  Instead, like the verse from Proverbs above, I want to find out more about what has shaped that person's thought or belief.  There may be events in their life that have shaped who they are, and they may not really believe what they say.  Or, they simply may not have ever thought about what they believe and why they believe it.  One thing tends to hold true, though.  They aren't talking about it with the idea that I'm going to instantly correct them on anything that they say that doesn't line up with what the Bible says.

It isn't that I'm avoiding the correction, but I'm interested in learning more about that person.  Then, as future conversations unfold, there may be opportunities to probe a little deeper on that thought or belief, and then, to bring what God says into the discussion.  If I immediately try to correct them, I may lose that future opportunity.  True, there are no guarantees that the future opportunity will ever arise.  And yes, I have to remember what it is that need to be talked about.  But in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have that discussion at a time when they are ready for it, rather than forcing it upon a conversation just because I heard something incorrect.

Thoughts?  Comments?  What have been your experiences in this regard?

Spiritualizing Faith

During the time of the Reformation, there was a group of people that Martin Luther regularly made as his targets.  Granted, you could say that there were quite a few groups that he targeted, but for today, I want to focus on the monastic orders of his day.  There seems to have been a prevailing thought that, if you offered your life to God and then went away to a convent or abbey, you were serving God in a far "higher", holier way than anyone else. 

The problem with this, as Luther saw it, was that the individual who did this basically left the rest of society in order to focus on God.  While the focus on God part wasn't bad in and of itself, Luther did take exception to a couple of things that this gave birth to.  First, such an action started to be seen as far higher and holier than any other act of faith.  Second, it took people away from their relationships with their neighbors.  Their faith, in essence, started to become a thing between them and God, without any interaction with those that the Bible rightfully would call their neighbors.

Faith was becoming spiritualized.  Your "rightness" with God came to be seen as how much you could focus on Him rather than in living out your faith in the relationships that God has given in life.  So Luther went to battle against this idea.  He would point out that, for example, a husband who loved and cared for his wife and family was fulfilling God's will and commands far greater than the man who left society behind to focus only on God.  The milkmaid who milked her cow to provide for her family and neighbors was doing far more in fulfillment of God's law than those in the convents and monestaries.

What was Luther's basis for this?  It basically boiled down to one major point.  God tells us in the Bible that we are to care for our neighbor and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  One can hardly do that by separating oneself from the neighbor.  God's Word doesn't command us to go off and live life separated from everyone, but does speak much about our relationships with one another.  From that basis, Luther asserted that it's far better to do the things that God's Word does say rather than to invent things that may seem more holy, but aren't actually spoken by God.

We can still find ourselves in this same dilemma, though.  It's far easier to tell someone that we will pray for them than to actually find a way to help them in their need.  And this is part of the reason why I think Luther explained the commandments in his Small Catechism the way he did.  For almost all of them, he doesn't just explain what God wants us to avoid, but he then adds a part of what it actually means that we do in fulfillment of the commandment.  Not murdering doesn't simply mean that we don't kill our neighbor, but that we lift up our hands to help him in every physical need.  Not bearing false witness doesn't mean simply that we don't lie about our neighbor, but that we seek to build him up with our words and how we talk about him. 

In many respects, our faith is between us and God.  However, the realm in which that faith is lived out is always in the context of our neighbor.  So I encourage you today to think about how God gives you the opportunity to put flesh and blood to your faith in your relationships with your neighbors.

Of Government and Faith

Today marks an important day in our nation.  Every four years, we have the opportunity to elect the person who is the face of our government.  More frequently, we also get to elect those people who will represent us in our particular areas, both to the federal government and to the local state governments.  In doing this, Christians show their regard for the institution of public governing that God has instituted for our good and well-being.  For this reason, it is good that Christians get out to the polling stations and cast their vote.

However, even as we go out and elect leaders, as Christians we need to keep something in mind.  These are earthly servants, who are going to be self-serving and self-focused sinners even as they work for the good of the people they represent.  Yes, they are going to make choices at times that are more based upon their chances of re-election rather than the good of the whole people of the nation.  Yes, they are going to make choices that are guided by their hearts, and we will not always agree with them.  And yet, God calls us to pray for them, to support them, and to share our thoughts and concerns with them.

One thing that we also need to remember is that the governing of this world IS NOT GOD.  In our day, it truly saddens me to see how many people put their hope for their well-being in those who govern rather than turning to the God who has made all things, and who loves His creation enough to institute the offices of those who govern.  However, no matter how good a leader may be, or how bad, that person, or the whole system, simply cannot provide care and for protection for every person under their authority.

God does do this.  While He does it in great ways, such as the nourishing of the world and the sending of the seasons to grow crops, He also does it through the hands and feet and mouths and generosity of His people.  Truthfully, I find myself disheartened at times by the care for people that the Christian Church has left to the governing authorities.  In many instances, we Christians should be at the forefront of those institutions and programs designed to care for those in need and want.

It sounds so obvious to say it, and yet, it seems like our expectations really do betray our thoughts.  The government is not God, and never will be.  While they fulfill a role that is there at God's behest, they are merely one part of God's work in this world.  So remember that as you head to your polling station and cast your vote.  And may God still show His working in this world through His people as they rely upon God and His presence in their life, in order to show care for others.

"But I really like what God calls a sin!"

In one of the standard corporate confessions of sin that many Lutherans say, we have the phrase, "I, a poor, miserable sinner..."  Over the years, I've had people make a number of different comments on this.  Some have said that they aren't miserable in their sin at all; in fact, they actually like what they're doing, even if God calls it a sin.  Others have said that it isn't exactly the most welcoming of wordings for those who may be new to the Christian faith.

I'm not here to debate wording today, but I would like to spend a few moments talking about what we do when God says something is a sin, but we would rather it not be.  Now, from the get-go, I should mention that I happen to believe that the Bible is God's Word to us, and that it says what He means.  So, when it says something is wrong, I understand that to mean that God says it is wrong, and there really isn't any wiggle room around it.  That may not be a popular view nowadays, but I'm comfortable with people saying that I'm a stick in the mud about matters like this.

Here's the thing.  We will find that God has a lot to say about what we do with our lives, and how we go about living them.  And because the Bible says that we start off life as a sinful person (by our nature, not merely by the things we do or fail to do), we all are going to be inclined to things that God says are wrong.  Admittedly, some will seem more minor than others, or some are more noticeable than others, but we all have that inclination to sin because we have sin ingrained as part of our nature.

That's why we can say that we are a poor, miserable sinner.  Just flipping through the pages of the Bible will reveal that we really shouldn't be all that pleasing to God, since we not only do many things that He says not to do, but we take some joy in them.  That shows that we aren't right in God's eyes, and that should cause us a bit of misery.  Anytime we realize that the Big Man who calls the shots shouldn't be happy with us should be an occasion to engage in a little misery.

And that's when we start to realize that our sin truly is something that we should be miserable about.  In this regard, it shouldn't matter if it's a "big" matter or a "small" matter.  Anything out of line with what God says should bring misery to the forefront.  We aren't living like God says, and He's the one who makes the rules and who gets to determine the winners and losers at the end.  That really should introduce at least a little misery into us as we reflect on our lives.

Now, here's the thing.  Yes, God lays down the laws for our lives, and He gets ultimate say.  And yes, we will find that we are sinners.  The thing is, God's desire isn't that He have to stand in condemning judgment of everyone.  That's the whole reason for Jesus, and the cross, and the resurrection.  God killed sin, and even as He brings the gift of forgiveness, He still maintains that He gets to call the shots.  No, you and I will not escape that inherited inclination to sin until God kills our physical bodies and raises them, as Jesus has promised, but we have the hope that God will introduce that new life to us because of what Jesus has done for us.  That truly is a reason that we Christians are not miserable!

God's Will in the Big Picture

How many of you were awake this morning to see God's will being done?  Which will is that?  The one where the earth rotates so that it seems as though the sun comes up in the east.  God's will is such that the earth rotates on its axis as it moves around the sun, and as the light of the sun touches the earth in its revolution, we have sunrise.  God's will at work right there!

I've also been aware of another part of God's will as I've sat in my office today.  It's summer, so the temperature keeps climbing as the sun races across the sky.  God's will is that the sun bring its light upon the world, and that, in turn, warms the world.  Sure, I might wish that God's will was such that the temperature wouldn't get quite as warm as it does, but in the warming of the earth, God's will is done.

Oh, and I should also mention that I took a little time to water my grass last night.  It was looking a little greener than it had been the few days prior.  Once again, that is seeing God's will at work.  When we water the living plants of this world, they grow.  That's God's will.

God's will is done on a much larger scale than what we can ever conceive.  Every day, as I drive in to work, I get to see the mountains that surround our little valley and city.  Those mountains are there by God's will.  And the earth rotates in a 24 hour cycle, not by random chance, but because it is God's will.

The seasons that I get to enjoy in this mountain valley also occur because it is God's will.  As the earth moves around the sun in its yearly journey, different parts of the earth get more or less sunlight.  This leads to beautiful falls here, as well as cold winters.  As our part of the earth starts to get more sunlight, the snow melts and the plants begin to grow.  All part of God's will.

I could go on and on, pointing out how God's will is active and working on a large scale in our world.  And part of the reason that I point this out is because it seems that we take this large scale work of God's will for granted so much.  We may get so caught up in our own little lives that we forget that God's will extends far beyond us.  And so it's good for us to have the reminder that God's will is being done in the world, even when we may not be able to discern some of the immediate ramifications that it has for us as we live our lives.  But for today, I hope that this reminder helps you look at the sunshine or the rain, the plains or the mountains, the sunrise and the sunset, and see God's will in action.

Are you born morally/ethically neutral?

Yesterday I presented a few challenges to the prevailing thought that people are good by nature.  Today, I change slightly and take a look at the idea that we are born neutral, that we enter this world without either positive or negative influences prior to our birth and growth in this world.  As you can imagine, some of the challenges are still the same, though there are a few other thoughts that can be added.

Once again, the primary question becomes, where do the bad things in life come from?  If we are born morally or ethically neutral, that would mean that we have to learn "bad" from others.  But that's where it breaks down.  If we need those influences to "become" bad, then where did those people who are bad get their influence?  Eventually, we're left at a loss.  Somewhere bad had to enter the world, but we're at a loss to explain where it came from and why it started to have an effect on us.

There are some things that we can work with in this scenario, however.  Typically, someone who thinks that people are born morally neutral don't have the issues of dealing with "bad" or evil, either from others or from themselves.  After all, the possibility that we can become bad exists.  True, that leaning all depends on the influences we have in our lives, but, unlike the thought that we are born good, the possibility of bad exists.

And yet, there is a different problem that this scenario also presents.  Where did we learn "good" in this scenario?  If we have good influences in our lives that shape who we are, where did they come from?  After all, if we're neutral by birth, that means we don't take any shape until we encounter something either bad or good.  It's the other side of the coin from bad.  Where did the initial good influences come from that determine our goodness?

As a Christian, I can find myself understanding those who want to believe this particular tenet.  I think most of us are realistic enough to realize that the "born good" idea just doesn't carry a lot of weight.  It leaves no room for the suffering and pain that we see so much of in this world.  This idea of neutrality at least leaves the possibility of good and bad on the table.  It means that the possibility of either exists, and that gives an opening for conversations that we, as Christians, can work with as a starting place.

A Challenge: Are You Morally Good by Nature?

There seems to be a popular conception out there that humans are morally good.  Yes, I know, I wrote about this about a week ago or so, but since I failed to pick up the ball afterward and continue the thought, I want to revisit it for a few moments.

Let's start off by thinking about what may seem to be good about thinking of ourselves as good by nature.  That means that we can start off feeling good about ourselves, right?  After all, if we're all good by nature, then everything is good in our world.  We're going to do the right thing, treat each other nice, and everyone will simply get along.  After all, we're all good by nature, right?

What happens, then, when this isn't want happens?  As we go through life, we tend to experience the reality that people are not always good or nice.  People can be downright mean sometimes.  Who hasn't been the teenager that got mocked because you were different than your friends?  Who hasn't had something of value taken from you, and the other person didn't give it back?  Why did our parents have to teach us that it's not good to talk to strangers, since they might not be trustworthy people?  And in the back of our minds, we should have been shouting, "BUT WE'RE GOOD BY NATURE, RIGHT?"

That's the problem with this thought.  What happens to it when we see people that aren't good?  What happens to us when we do something that isn't good, such as when we spread that message that hurts our friend, or when we are tempted to do something that ends up bringing hurt?  The refrain "But we're good by nature" seems to be more of a cruel taunt than a reality.

That's when we start to suffer from the common malady of "low self esteem."  We're good by nature, but something isn't right, and I don't feel good about it.  The other thing this starts up within us is the desire to find out what is causing us to feel bad.  But here's the rub.  It can't be us.  We're good by nature, after all.  It simply cannot be our fault.  So we have to find fault in others who we profess to also be good by nature.  The only thing is, they're now the ones with the problem, not me.

There's another deadly side to this.  If we're good by nature, but we start doing things that aren't good, the other thing we can do is give up our hope.  We can't reconcile that we are good by nature and yet, we find it so easy to do bad things.  We start to internalize the problem.  We start to see ourselves as the problem, and this creates a huge dilemma within us.  If we're good, but we do bad things, then we feel so bad that we may even think about ending this existence.  The root of suicidal thoughts cannot be far behind if we find ourselves faced by this reality.  Either suicide, or we seek to find our escape through addictive, harmful ways.

If you can't tell by now, I don't hold to this belief.  It leaves way too many problems for what the real human situation is.  However, I see that this belief continues to be held by so many in our world.  In coming posts, I hope to present a better, more realistic approach.  Oh, and please don't be surprised to find that this approach is one that comes from what God says in the Bible.

Are Americans Religious, Spiritual, or Neither?

I realize that this is not an easily answered question.  Many Americans will claim to be spiritual, not religious, and when they say that, they mean it in contrast to being part of an organized religion.  Others will claim to be spiritual, but what exactly they mean by that may not be very clear.  Still others will say that they are neither religious nor spiritual, and yet, that kind of a statement can never completely be true.  After all, we all have things that are of great importance to us, and that makes us "religious" in at least some way.  Really, when we think about it, anything that we dedicate and devote ourselves toward is something that we are religious toward.

Now, if you have followed my blog for a while, you know that I'm not one for fuzzy thinking (except my own, of course, which often drives me crazy!).  That's why, when I hear someone say a statement like "I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual", I want to know what they mean by that.  Or, on the other hand, if someone claims to be an adherent to a religion, but that religion doesn't seem to be lived out in their life, I want to know if they really do believe it, or if they are just attaching to some form of a religion because "it's the right thing to do" or "because I was raised that way" rather than "I really do believe this."

So, are Americans religious?  Surveys done from time to time by various organizations show that a great number of Americans claim some kind of religion as their own, but numbers of such things as worship attendance or participation in the activities of that religion do not bear those claims out.  I myself have known people who claim to be a particular religion, but haven't taken part in anything of it for years (or even decades!).

Does that mean, then, that Americans are spiritual?  Again, this depends on how you define "spiritual".  If you mean a search for meaning, then, yes, Americans are spiritual.  In fact, with very few exceptions, all people are spiritual.  All people look for the meaning of life, or try to bring meaning to what happens in life.

But if you ask that question meaning "do you believe in a spiritual reality outside of mere physical existence", you will likely get a different response.  Many people search for meaning, but do not believe that there is meaning beyond the here and now.  Others will believe that there is something out there, but that "something" cannot be well-defined.  Still others will believe that there are active spiritual agents at work and active in every moment of life.

This week, I'll be sharing a few thoughts as I think my way through some of these questions and similar ones.  But as you walk alongside me, give some real thought to what you mean when you use words such as religious or spiritual.