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Thursday, 11 December 2008

Gays & Christians - Finally, someone went there.

I'm currently following very closely the reactions on both sides to Lisa Miller's front cover article in Newsweek - "Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy." Miller essentially argues that the Bible's teachings should lead Christians not towards an opposition of gay marriage, but instead an acceptance. I find it fascinating, encouraging, and saddening all at the same time. The reaction of the Evangelical church has thus far left me disappointed and ashamed. We're rising up in droves to denounce her and her "liberal media spin" on the Bible and it's sayings, many people blogging in a way that not only shows a lack of understanding regarding what Miller's article says, but in ways that blatantly betray the fact that either they have no comprehension of the English language whatsoever, or the more likely explanation: that they failed to even read the article!

Where is the light of the gospel in our responses? I'm finding them instead to be more likely the result of a rash reaction driven by animosity and inflated self-importance rather than love and righteousness.

I say likely, because I don't know that to be the case. How could I know for certain? I'm not in their heads. But still, it doesn't take a degree in psychology or communications to see that to date, we've botched a wonderful opportunity to react in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Even though most Evangelicals would disagree with me on the very nature of the article (I'm guessing that majority of Evangelicals are against gay marriage) have we really sunk so far into stagnation and corruption that we can no longer meet opposition with open arms and clear, clean, and civil arguments? Who cares if they don't respond in turn - the Gospel doesn't say to love others well unless they're not loving you well, or unless they say something that you don't like. At the end of the day, their theological views don't change their status as human beings.

We don't need to take up arms against our neighbors in the name of the Gospel - berating them and saying that we're really not surprised that they don't "get us" and being livid because they don't give a news report that portrays us how we'd like to be painted, then - still fuming - sitting down to plan our counter-attack through sermons or blogs.

God doesn't need us to fight for him. God is big enough to fight for himself. We need to take the Gospel to neighbors - no, don't go knock on their door with a track or ask them if they know where they're going when they die. Show them that there's nothing that they can do or say that will make you cease loving them with absolutely every resource you have - pouring out everything as if your very life depended on loving them the absolute best that you ever conceivably could, and not viewing that act in a way that says, "You'd better be grateful for this, or from now on you get ZILCH, buddy!" No, we need to view it in such a way that says, "This isn't nearly enough, but here - you can take it all, everything I have. I'm sorry I don't have more to give you, but take what I have because I love you more than myself!"

Or maybe that's the problem - we think we have a Gospel that doesn't require that.

News flash: we do.

Maybe if we started realizing that, and living that, articles like this month's Newsweek would never be controversies that rocked our faith to its core.

What do you think Jesus meant when he spoke in Matthew about separating the sheep from the goats? A nice little story to tell our children about in Sunday School, but it couldn't possibly have any relevance to adults, can it? Think again - Jesus never said things meaning for them to be taken only on a literal, face-value level. Jesus was the man at symbolism, metaphors, deeper meanings. One of his most basic messages was that he looks beyond the physicality of what we do and examines the motivation behind the physicality. What we actually do isn't anywhere near as important as why we do it. Interestingly enough, when we make why we do things the center - that is, adopt the Gospel as motivation for our deeds - the physical act of doing things nearly always follows. Make the Gospel your motivation - to love your God and love others well - and suddenly the importance of showing the gay couple down the road the heinous error of their ways through picketing, Bible-thumping, or leaving Ex-Gay ministry fliers everywhere fades, and is instead replaced by an intense desire to love on them - no, really. Without strings or attachments, for no reason other than the fact that they're human beings valued by your God - even if they never, ever come to see things your way. To pour absolutely everything you've got at their feet with a sorrow that you can't do more and without expectation of anything in return from anyone.

When we let the Gospel become our motivation, we don't have time for absurd nit-picky fights with the "liberal media" about how they just don't "get us."

Maybe they've got our number all too well - a Christ-professing Church that has forgotten what it is that Christ professed. After all, isn't that what we hear more than anything else these days? "Whatever happened to a Christianity whose followers were called to Love?"

It's a valid question, people.

This "liberal media" may have something on their "agenda" that they didn't put there - maybe they're a tool of our Master, calling us to wake up and smell the coffee.

I think I hear an alarm clock.

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

happy birthday to me?

i really dislike my birthday very much. every year. that really is too bad... it's probably a mixture of perspective and pyschology, no doubt, but at the end of the day... my birthday makes me sad to an irrational level.
BUT emotions aren't always rational, and shouldn't always be relied upon to set your mood, so today i suck it up and act my age, smile and laugh, and just get it over with.
we're all of us works in progress, so who knows? maybe by next year my birthday will be a happy day.
like john mayer so aptly puts in:
i'm in repair; i'm not together but i'm getting there.
and now i'm 24...
PS - don't get me wrong, i fricking LOVE you guys and thanks so much for the birthday wishes, you guys are better friends than i deserve and i'm very, very thankful. so thank you.

Thursday, 09 October 2008

well it comes from up above, and it speaks with love...

i will tell you no lies
don't read between the lines because
there ain't no lines to read
cause what it is you see is what it is you get
anything less would aggravate my soul
i just want to be livin' a life of peace and harmony
it's something someone said once to me
it's all a part of my authenticity
i feel scared some of the time
but i'm ready to unwind
so don't you aggravate me.... cause
i'm done with feeling shame
well this rhyme ain't no game, well it's plain
and simple just like me
cause what it is you see is what it is you get
and anything less would aggravate my soul
i don't give a damn
as long as i am true to who i am
it's something somewhat sacred to me
and it's all a part of my authenticity
i will tell you no lies
don't read between the lines, because
it aggravates me
i won't settle for less
no time to regress
so take a guess -
Who inspires my soul?
well it comes from up above
and it speaks from love
so go and aggravate some
inspirate some
intoxicate some
one else!
i just want to be livin' a life of peace and harmony
it's something Someone said once to me
it's all a part of my authenticity
no i don't give a damn as long as i am true to who i am
it's something somewhat Sacred to me
it's all a part of my authenticity
i will tell you no lies, don't read between the lines
because it aggravates my soul
-josh zuckerman, authenticity

Thursday, 04 September 2008

Human beings never behave more badly toward one another than when they believe they are protecting God.
~ Barbara Brown Taylor

Saturday, 09 August 2008

come quickly, Lord, and make all things right.

a few weeks ago i heard the song "handlebars" by the group flobots, and it froze the blood in my veins. just now i read an article in which the writer explained the lyrics.
"The song is about the idea that we have so much incredible potential as human beings to be destructive or to be creative. And it's tragic to me that the appetite for military innovation is endless, but when it comes to taking on a project like ending world hunger, it's seen as outlandish. It's not treated with the same seriousness," Flobots MC Jonny 5 (a.k.a. Jamie Laurie) said.
"The lyrics came to me as I was riding a bike home from work with my hands in the air — I had just learned how to do it — and I felt triumphant, but at the same time, I knew there were people at that moment who were being bombed by our own country. And I thought that was incredibly powerful. We have these little moments of creativity, these bursts of innovation, and every time that happens, that innovation is used to oppress and destroy people. So it struck me as beautiful and tragic at the same time."
(taken from mtv online)
the man is completely one hundred percent correct, and it's heartbreaking. where are we? what are we doing here, harry? our pets' heads are falling off! and we sit here doing what? drowning ourselves in our materialistic, shallow, fabricated bubble-gum christian sub-cultures? what the hell are we doing?! it's a dying world out there - a REAL world, with REAL hurt and REAL pain. isn't it time we stepped up to the plate and started doing, oh i don't know, maybe what Jesus asked us to do?
where's the Reality of our faith? where's the Reality of our Love?
start reading the words of the book you claim to hold to so steadfastly. read it ALL, don't just pick and choose sections like we're at some Chinese food buffet. see what the story of the Holy God of the Universe is, from the start all the way through. see what he wants to do, what he promises to do, and what he wants us to do.
maybe, just maybe, it'll change your perspective.
maybe, just maybe, we'll start to care about what's really important.

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars
I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Look at me Look at me
Hands in the air like its good to be
Alive and I'm a famous rapper
Even when the pastor all crookedy
I can show you how to dosey doe
I can show you how to scratch a record
I can take apart the remote control
And i can almost put it back together
I can tie a knot in a cherry stem
I can tell you about Leif Ericson
I know all the words to De Colores
And I'm proud to be an American
Me and my friends saw a platypus
Me and my friends made a comic book
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want 'Cause

Look

I can keep rhythm with no metronome
No metronome
No metronome
I can see you face on the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone

Look at me look at me
Just called to say that its good to be
Alive in such a small world
I'm all curled up with a book to read
I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine
64 miles to the gallon on gasoline
I can make new antibiotics
I can make computer survive aquatic
Conditions I know how to run the business
And i can make you wanna buy a product
Movers shakers and producers
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance 'Cause

I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone
And I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me Look at me
Driving and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be alive and on top
My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure
I can handout a million vaccinations
Or let em all die from exasperations
Have all healed from their last erasions
Or have em all killed by assinations
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like 'em
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command because

I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
And I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope

And I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars
I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars