Culture War: Marketing

I’ve talked about “marketing the Gospel” a couple of times before, but in the commercial spirit of Christmas it’s worth bringing up again. I admire those who emphasize the theological roots of Christmas by giving religious themed cards and gifts. One of the many Christmas letters I’ve received from family was actually divided into two parts- one giving the usual year-in-review, and the other encouraging us with the spiritual perspective. I’ve always wanted to be one who gives the religious card, but I find most to be cheesy. Of course, that’s my problem- I have a regrettable bias against the overtly religious. So I got quite the kick when I saw this advertised at Family Christian. If you’re in need of a last-minute Christmas gift, you can thank me later for the idea.

I love Guitar Hero. Ok, you got me, I can’t play it. But I love watching it. I’m a total classic rock nerd. But some of the “satanic” stereotypes of rock and roll are overplayed in that game. If it’s not the demon on steroids playing bass, it’s the inflatable devil ripped right from Spinal Tap. So I thought a Christian version of the game would be pretty cool. Except that I can’t think of any really rockin‘ Christian music. Sure, the game has P.O.D. and Thousand Foot Krutch, but also tobyMac, really? There are some I haven’t heard of, of course (darn you XM radio for cutting The Torch station!) so one of my coworkers humored me and let me listen to his Pillar playlist on his MP3 player. Hmmm, not bad. But not Skynyrd or Rush.

Maybe I need to embrace this more. There are tons of products that are geared away from the World and I’m a sucker for what the major media cranks out. And who knows, maybe I’d be better trying to shred a Kutless lick instead of trying to imitate Hendrix.

Culture War: Ministry

If you’ve been out shopping this weekend, you’ve undoubtedly seen the bell-ringers for the Salvation Army who’ve become as much a part of the Christmas atmosphere as Courier and Ives and Santa Claus. There was a big flap a couple of years ago when some major retailers stopped allowing the bell-ringers to collect in front of their doors. The ban was in the name of political correctness and the infamous ‘war on Christmas’. It just isn’t the same for the bell-ringers to wish you happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. But when all the fuss was going on, few made an issue of the little acknowledged, and seemingly little known, fact that the Salvation Army is more than a philanthropic organization, it’s a church.

And that fact makes those kettles even more important in ‘keeping the Christ in Christmas’. Those anonymous bell-ringers shine Christ’s light brighter than I ever could. That’s because as a church, their ministry extends beyond Christmas. Watch the second video- the 1901 San Francisco Earthquake, Third World disaster relief, soup kitchens- these have nothing to do with Christmas the holiday, but have everything to do with spirit of Christmas. What about your own personal ministry? Opportunities abound for charity during the holiday season- Toys for Tots, Angel Trees, Adopt-a-family, hosting Christmas dinners for the needy, serving at soup kitchens- in fact it’s well known that charitable giving and volunteerism increases during the holidays. But what about the rest of the year? The needy that you feed this week will still be needy six months from now. But does your personal ministry reach out then as much as now?

Charity always, ministry to all. That is the spirit of Christmas, and is not limited by a calendar. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive with no mention of when or how. If you’re giving to the needy this Christmas, or serving in some way, use the opportunity to turn it into something consistent that continues throughout the year.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

Culture War: Priorities

There are only a few shopping days left before Christmas. You’re likely going to brave the weekend crowds at the mall, scramble to find something off the shelves that have been picked clean, struggle to come up with what to get your in-laws, and all the while forget why you’re doing this to begin with. Then you’ll head home, look at the pile of dishes in the sink and think about the family coming over in just a couple of days and all the cleaning and rearranging of furniture that needs to be done before then. And if you’re like me, you still need to get that last string of lights up on the house and decorate the tree.

Can you relate? Do you feel hurried, stressed, overwhelmed? Do you wish there was just one more week before Christmas? I do. But then I’m a lot like Martha, who in Luke 10 is described as being “distracted by all the preparations that [have] to be made.” (Luke 10:40) But then we forget what we’re preparing for. Yes, we want Christmas to be memorable for our children and we want them to have everything they asked Santa for (within reason). We want to be warm and hospitable towards our family and friends. But what about “the reason for the season?” What about Jesus?

Are we reflecting Christ when we lose our patience at the store? Do we show the love of Jesus to our children when we lose our temper as they try to get into every present that’s already been wrapped and hunt for the ones that aren’t? Are we really being a witness to our families when what’s most important to us is getting everything done?

I write this for myself. My wife reminded me this morning that we needed to take time and get into God’s word, lean on Him in our stress, and not be overwhelmed with our “to dos”. I need to be more like Mary, who knew that “only one thing was needed.” (Luke 10:42)

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Culture War: Be Prepared- Gay Marriage, Continued

This is my last post on this subject. I hear Santa in the distance and I have a lot more ground to cover in the next week. But there are still some open arguments regarding Newsweek making the “Religious Case for Gay Marriage” that I haven’t covered.

My first post went over the all too often poor examples of marriage in the Bible. I made the case that just because the examples aren’t what we’d call today “traditional marriage” doesn’t mean that we should discard the Biblical commands regarding marriage. I also defended these same commands against the argument of cultural relevancy- that the rules were for the time, and don’t apply to us today.

My last post then went to define marriage both civilly and religiously using examples from the Bible for each. I left with the conclusion that because of the nature of the sacrament of Marriage, that there can be no Biblical justification for gay marriage.

Yet the author, Lisa Miller, makes the claim that, “scripture gives us no good reason why gays and lesbians should not be married – and a number of excellent reasons why they should.” I already pointed out that scriptures actually do give us good reasons why gays and lesbians should not be married, but now I want to look at why you could make the argument that scriptures do, in fact, give many reasons why they should.

  • Old versus New Covenant

The first argument for the Bible not disallowing gay marriage is the fault of the Religious Right and their narrow reading of the Bible. Levitical Law calls homosexuality an “abomination” (Lev 18:22 -‘detestable’ in the NIV) but calls eating shellfish (creatures of the sea without fins and scales) the same. Yet, I doubt those who proclaim “God hates fags” would also say that God hates Red Lobster and everyone eating there. It is important to remember that we are not under Levitical Law. Jesus died “once for all” (Heb 10:10) and established a “new covenant” (Lk 22:20) and “fulfill[ed] them [the law]” (Mt 5:17) so the Levitical Law no longer applies to us today.

That’s not to say there’s not wisdom in those laws. These laws were written thousands of years before we understood disease and bacteria, yet there were laws about isolating contagious lesions, avoiding coming in contact with blood, not eating animals that died because of disease, not eating scavenger birds (also an abomination), or pork that we know today carries trichinosis.

So do we throw those laws out? Not if they’re affirmed in the New Covenant. I already noted that Jesus explicitly defined marriage, affirming the Genesis account of a man leaving his family and becoming one with his wife. But Jesus never explicitly discussed homosexuality. Paul, on the other hand, does. In Romans, Paul describes how the sinful nature has driven those who have chosen to reject God and explicitly calls out homosexuality:

Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Rom 1:26-27)

It’s worth pointing out after quoting this, that Ms Miller notes that the Anchor Bible Dictionary comments that the Bible never refers to sex between women. Yet the above passage does exactly that. She wants to use that reference to claim that the “unnatural relations” described above don’t necessarily mean monogamous homosexuality. I’ve heard this argument elsewhere. Either it’s claimed that this scripture refers to homosexual prostitution related to pagan ceremonies, or that it refers to homosexual acts between heterosexuals (that’s a tough one to prove since homosexuality, as our culture defines it today, is never defined in the Bible).

She goes on in her argument that Paul’s condemnation is “really a critique of the worst kind of wickedness: self-delusion, violence, promiscuity and debauchery.” Funny, those words could be used to define the culture around homosexuality today. But she quotes the scholar Neil Elliott who argues that Paul is referring specifically to the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula and that the condemnation isn’t against someone who commits any of these acts individually, but rather those who commit these acts collectively. Uh, huh. I won’t quote it here for space, but read the first chapter of Romans and tell me honestly if you can reach the same conclusion. Besides, Paul can’t be referring to specific people in this passage. This passage sets up the definition of our sinful nature and our shared need for salvation. If this only applied to Nero and Caligula, then I guess he’s writing the whole book of Romans just so those two can be saved. I wonder then why he talks about Mosaic Law since neither of them were Jews. Hmmm.

  • David and Jonathan

It’s an old argument that David and Jonathan had something else going on than just fighting along side one another. The quote “he loved him as he loved himself” shows up a couple of times in 1 Samuel 18 and again in 20 referring to Jonathan’s affection for David. However, isn’t that phrase just a re-wording of the Golden Rule? And is it that uncommon for two people who share battle to develop a kinship that words cannot describe? Ask a veteran of WWII if they “loved” any of their fellow soldiers in this way and I’ll bet you’d get a unanimous response. Besides, there’s nothing wrong, or even unexpected, for men to have bonds with other men that seem to go beyond the bond these men have with the opposite sex. Think about drinking buddies, bowling night, Monday Night Football, paintball, MMA, and so on and so on. There’s just something about bonding with the same sex and it has nothing to do with sexuality. Women have it too- gossip, fashion, scrapbooking, etc. You can then relate to David’s feelings upon hearing his best friend had died. “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.”

  • The Gospel of Inclusion

Perhaps the strongest case for permitting homosexuality is the inclusion preached by both Jesus and Paul. It is often pointed out that Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery in John 8. That is then used as a blanket example that Jesus does not condemn sin. Yet that ignores the ending of the story where Jesus explicitly tells the woman, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (Jn 8:11)

Paul wrote, “there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ” (Gal 3:28). Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann is quoted in the article using this scripture to support gay marriage. I guess if we’re neither male nor female, then it doesn’t matter who we marry. But again, that is contrary to the sacrament of marriage, as described earlier. In addition, that also takes that quote out of context because Paul is relating that the New Covenant applies to all, not just Jews, and that supersedes the Jewish customs of circumcision and diet.

Yes, the Gospel of Jesus is inclusive. He did not tolerate sin however, and neither did Paul. “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Rom 6:1-2) “But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.” (Gal 5:13) God’s grace that comes from Jesus’ death on the cross is the Gospel of inclusion. Jesus died for all, and that includes homosexuals. But he also called on all of us to repent of our sinful nature, whatever that may be. There is no religious case for gay marriage, and to argue that there is ignores much of the Bible and reads meaning into verses that isn’t there. But in order to refute that, you need to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Pt 3:15-16)

For Martin Luther King Day

Not long ago I was getting an oil change and car wash and passing time in their convenience store. Among the greeting cards and postcards were some short books on Martin Luther King, Mother Theressa, and Nelson Mandela. They were compilations of inspirational quotes, meant to be easy encouragement on a low budget. Thumbing through both the King’s and Mother Theressa’s, I found few quotes relating to their religion. Sure there were the feel good quotes about God and love, but nothing reflecting the sharp edge of Rev. King or the desolate conditions surrounding Mother Theressa. I found that odd, but it called another observation to mind. I grew up reading in the history books about Reverend Martin Luther King. But in the headlines tomorrow, you’ll read about Doctor Martin Luther King. Very rarely do I see “Rev” next to his name anymore. Maybe there’s an etiquette behind it; doctors in any field don’t like it when you call them “mister”. Or maybe it’s further evidence of the secularization of our society. You’ll likely read or hear many quotes celebrating Martin Luther King Day. You’ll probably hear snippets of his “I had a dream” speech. But will you hear him invoke the name of God? Credit God’s glory? Express God’s will?

I’ll close with a quote, taken from part of his letter from a Birmingham jail dated April, 1963. I hope in this era of the Separation of Church and State, that his words light a lamp in your heart and soul that will not be covered by a basket. That his words call us back to arms in the ongoing culture war. But most of all that his words cause us to pause, look around, and ask ourselves, “where is the Reverend King of this era?”

A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or
the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.
To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because a higher moral law was involved. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks, before submitting to certain unjust laws of the Roman empire.

I’m grateful to God that, through the Negro church, the dimension of nonviolence entered our struggle.

Was not Jesus an extremist for love — “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice — “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ — “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist — “Here I stand; I can do none other so help me God.” Was not John Bunyan an extremist — “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist — “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice–or will we be extremists for the cause of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill, three men were crucified. We must not forget that all three were crucified for the same crime–the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thusly fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment.

There was a time when the church was very powerful. It was during that period when the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town the power structure got disturbed and immediately sought to convict them for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.” But they went on with the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven,” and had to obey God rather than man. They were small in number but big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” They brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contest.

We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.