Lessons from Lance

I never thought I would write one of those clichéd stories about how a dog taught me life-long lesson. But that was before I had to put a dog to sleep during Holy Week.

My parents adopted Lance shortly after our thirteen-year-old German shepherd passed away. The house just wasn’t the same without the sound of balls bouncing up and down the hallway. We found out about an organization called GRREAT that rescues Golden Retrievers and sets them up for adoption. How it worked was you go to one of their adoption days where they have the dogs on display, and if you’re interested they will interview you to make sure your home can accommodate for the dog’s individual needs. My parents went to an adoption day and met a bashful dog named Lance. Not much was known about him except that he was picked up as a stray, he was estimated around three years old, and he had a slight problem with his peripheral vision. He was shy at first, but after Mom tossed a tennis ball to him a few times, he came to life and wanted to play. They signed the papers, a representative came to our house to inspect the place, and a week later Lance was ours.

He was your typical dog at first. He never begged for table scraps (although that’s because we never gave him any). He loved playing with tennis balls. He only barked when some one knocked on the door. But then after we cut his hair, we noticed that it wasn’t growing back right. His hair grew in patches. We took him to the vet and found out he had a thyroid problem. But that was no biggie; he just had to take some medication for that.
Then he lost the sight in his right eye. Then he caught Lyme disease. Then he lost the sight in his other eye. Even though we had to make some accommodations, we still loved him. Everything was still okay.

That is, until a couple of weeks ago when my stepfather Ray saw growths on the roof of Lance’s mouth. The only time we could schedule a biopsy was two weeks later due to Ray’s schedule. We had a feeling it was the worst because Lance wasn’t drinking as much water as he used to, but we still had hope. A few days after the biopsy, our fears were confirmed: cancer. We decided the best thing to do was the make Lance comfortable for the next few months of his life. Unfortunately, things got worse from there. It hurt when he ate. He was a lot more lethargic. I knew it would only be a few days when I touched his head and felt a dent above his right eye.

Today we put Lance to sleep.

I don’t really like to show my feelings in front of people, so I tried to not look my parents in the eye this afternoon and looked out the window instead. The sun was shining and the trees were blooming. It just didn’t look right, since everything was so alive.
But then I got to thinking maybe it did fit. During Easter we’re reminded that, thanks to the Resurrection, death is not the final word. One day the dead will rise, we’ll all be given new glorious bodies, and death will be no more. It’s hard to imagine it now, since all we know is this current fragile life with bodies as delicate as Lance’s. But that’s the beauty of Easter; it’s a reminder that this [looks around] isn’t all there is.

I’m going to miss Lance, but I’ll never forget him. Or what he’s taught me.

Brian McLaren and the Future Question

Before I begin, I think it's finally time to announce that I will be interviewing Brian McLaren this Friday for my podcast! Please let me know if there's anything you want me to ask him.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

Long-time readers will know that I'm not the most comfortable talking about eschatology and Judgment Day. When some one mentions the Second Coming, I can't help but think about all the Fundamentalists I've encountered that were obsessed with Israel and fire falling from heaven and Russia teaming up with Iran and all that good stuff. Fortunately in A New Kind of Christianity Brian McLaren has a more positive (if theologically questionable) take on the end of days.

According to McLaren, the Greco-Roman narrative we're all used to presents history as a flat time line with everything already predetermined. This often leads to apathy. "Why care about the world if Jesus is going to come back anyway?" McLaren, however, proposes a different idea of time: a three-dimensional view of time where "creation continues to unfold, liberation continues to unshackle us, and the peaceable kingdom continues to expand with new hope and promise." (Page 194) In this eschatology, there is "no single fixed end point toward which we move, but rather a widening space opening into an infinitely expanding goodness." (Pg. 195) The Second Coming does not mean the end of the world period, but the end of the world as we know it, and the beginning of a "new spiritual-historical age or era." (Pg. 197)

This, according to McLaren, is the kind of eschatology that inspires people to do something and be active. To not just sit around and wait for the end of the world, but to go out there and (with God leading, of course) make the world a better place.

But what about the final judgment? Well, according to McLaren, Judgment Day is more about God putting the wrong things right, and less about total annihilation. "God will examine the story of our lives," he writes, "for signs of Christlikeness--for a cup of cold water or a plate of hot food given to one in need. . . ." (Pg. 204) Meanwhile, "all the unloving, unjust, non-Christlike parts of our lives . . . will be burned away."

I've never seriously studied eschatology, so I can't really say for sure whether McLaren's eschatology is right or wrong. Having said that, though, he's got a point. The Bible says our bodies will be transformed when Christ returns (1 Cornithians 15:51-54), so I don't think he's too far off when he says all our imperfections will be burned away. Also, Jesus says He will separate those who did nothing for the poor from those who did (Matthew 25:31-46).

However, sometimes I wondered if McLaren was hinting at universal salvation. Even though God wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), the Bible does say only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27). Also, McLaren's thing about a new spiritual age sounds New Age-y to me. When I read that part, all I could think of was, "When the moon is in the seventh house. . . ."

(Sorry if I got that song stuck in your head.)

But I definitely agree with McLaren about one thing: we can't let eschatology create apathy. I've heard some people say, "Why should I bother with the environment if Jesus is going to come back soon anyway?" To which I reply, "'Cause He might take a while." But seriously, as I've mentioned on this blog numerous times, I don't believe God wants us to just sit around and wait for the End of the World. Instead, God has special projects for each of us to do to help this fallen world.

What do you think about McLaren's eschatology? Dead on, way off, or somewhere in between?

John Piper: The Hip-Hop Calvinist

As you probably heard, John Piper is taking an eight month sabbatical from ministry. I hope he takes this time to focus on God and his family, and so here's my tribute to the hippest Calvinist in the world.

Yo, dawg, turn this up, this is my joint!

I fly like paper, get high like planes . . .

Lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back . . .

Throw yo hands in the air, and wave 'em like you just don't care.

That's how we roll, dawg!

Yo, Mark, you better get yo damn hand outta my face!

(This post was, by no means, meant to ridicule Mr. Piper, just so you all know. Even though I don't agree with everything he says, I do respect him. This post is all in good fun.)

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 03/29/10

Since this is Holy Week, you'll probably start seeing a lot more Jesus movies on TV. For today's Monday Morning Awesomeness, here's a clip from one of my favorite movies about Jesus . . .

"Godspell!"

Why I Try To Avoid Discussing Politics

Long-time readers will know that at one point I tried to be a political pundit. I had a blog called Another Opinionated Loudmouth where I wrote semi-sarcastic posts about politics, and I hoped that it would some day get the attention of one of the big names of the blogosphere like Andrew Sullivan or Arianna Huffington. Now, a year later, I try to avoid talking about politics at all costs. Sometimes I'll mention something briefly on Twitter, but for the most part I keep my political beliefs to myself. Mostly it's because I have trouble articulating my political views in an intellectual manner. I can easily talk about theology, but when it comes to politics I end up just repeating the same old cliched slogans like, "No blood for oil." But there's another reason why I try to avoid talking about politics:

I end up getting into a shouting match with the Tea Party.

I remember this anonymous commenter kept calling me a socialist while at the same time asking to have a civil discussion with me. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think you can have a civil discussion and call people names at the same time. To make a long story short, I wrote something very nasty about this anonymous commenter, got into a lot of trouble, and decided to shut down Another Opinionated Loudmouth.

And it's a good thing I deleted my political blog then, because that's when the Tea Party movement started getting ugly.

Town hall meetings turning into shouting matches. Vicious lies and slanders being spread about President Obama. People shouting racist and homophobic comments to members of Congress. Death threats. Even my conservative friends think things are getting out of hand. It makes me wonder, "Whatever happened to a peaceful protest? Or a civil discussion? Or agreeing to disagree? Can we ever talk about politics in a calm and civil manner ever again?"

Fortunately I'm not the only one who is fed up with the shouting matches. A few weeks ago in the Washington Post I read about the Coffee Party movement, which encourages civil, open discussions about political issues instead of shouting matches. There are several chapters throughout America, but the closest one to where I live is in Baltimore, which is about two hours away. I might start an Eastern Shore chapter, though, so if you're interested let me know.

As the Bible tells us, we can't overcome evil with evil, but with blessing (1 Peter 3:9). If we want to see this political extremism end, we first need to learn how to talk about political issues in calm, civil ways. And this goes for me as much as anyone else.

Brian McLaren and the Sex Question

I have a feeling this post is going to get a lot of hits, because nothing gets more attention than sex and religion! In fact, sexual morality has been emphasized so much in the Church that before I became a Christian I thought Christianity was just about what you did (or didn't do) with your penis.

Brian McLaren's seventh question in A New Kind of Christianity is, "Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?" He starts by coining a new term called "fundasexuality," which, according to McLaren, is "a neologism that describes a reactive, combative brand of religious fundamentalism that preoccupies itself with sexuality." McLaren is not referring to your average Evangelical who believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but the angry capital-F Fundamentalists who resort to fear-mongering and vilifying to push their agenda. Fortunately, more and more Christians are moving away from this movement.

McLaren does not outright say that it's okay to be gay, but he does point out a few things. First, people once believed that all weaknesses and iniquities came from a defect within the soul. Since we know more now about mental illness and genetic defects, we know that it's not always the case. Second, scientific facts we know now weren't always accepted within Christianity. Both Luther and Calvin wrote off Copernicus way back when, yet now everyone knows Earth is not the center of the universe.

Then McLaren goes over the story of Philip and the eunuch in Acts chapter 8. He points out that since the eunuch was Ethiopian and missing . . . certain things, he wouldn't have exactly been fully welcomed by the Jews. Fortunately in Isaiah 56, God promises His Kingdom to both eunuchs and foreigners, so when Philip witnessed to the eunuch, he immediately wanted to be baptized because he knew that God would welcome him.

McLaren doesn't spend all his time answering Question #7 with just homosexual issues. He also points out that our heterosexual norms aren't exactly working as we want them to. According to McLaren, many American Evangelical teens are losing their virginities shortly after their sixteenth birthdays, and that includes teens who make abstinence pledges. Then there are the alarming number of divorces within the Church. Something ain't right! But what shall we do about it? McLaren says, "We must pursue a practical, down-to-earth theology and an honest, fully embodied spirituality that speaks truthfully and openly about our sexuality, in all its straight and gay complexity."

I was lucky enough to have good sexual discussions with my mom. She didn't want me having sex before I graduated, of course, but she also told me about condoms and protection. "If you're old enough to do that," she would say, "you're old enough to take responsibility, so don't think I'm going to raise your kids." Unfortunately, other kids aren't so lucky. I've heard some people say their parents never talked about sex at all, so they had to learn about it the hard way. So I agree that we need a better way to discuss sexuality in the Church. Yes, we need to stress how important it is to wait until marriage, but I believe kids should also learn how this sex stuff works.

As far as homosexuality, I don't want to get into the whole "Is it a sin?" debate. But I will say that I think we need to do a better job of reaching out to the gay community. We need to view gays not as some sort of unique other kind of sinner, but a fellow sinner just like ourselves. I know I've written about this over and over again, so forgive me if I sound like a parrot, but we are all in the same boat. We are all broken people who need to be healed by Christ's love. Remember, Jesus did not come for the righteous, but for the sick.

How do you think Christians such discuss sexuality? How do you think Christians can better reach out to the gay community?

People of Doubt

Jason Boyett recently wrote in his blog that he's not as religious as he used to be. Don't worry, he still believes in God, goes to church, and says grace with his family before meals. But the older he gets, the more his doubts increase.

As a kid, I didn't know to ask a lot of the questions I ask now. As I've aged, and as those questions have come up -- and not always with satisfactory answers -- I've seen myself becoming less faithful, less spiritual, less religious.

I hate to admit it, but I know what he means.

When I first became a Christian, I went through the whole "on fire for Jesus" thing. Everything made sense for the first time in my life. I no longer had an excuse to wallow around in my own misery anymore. But as time progressed and questions arouse, I wasn't as on fire. I still believed in God (and still do, very much), but I suddenly realized that I didn't have all the answers like I thought I did.

Doubt is a weird thing. Jesus tells us not to doubt, but it's such a natural reaction that it's hard not to doubt. If you're like me, when conflict comes you find yourself asking, "Lord, you've been with me up until this time. Where are you now?" Since I started my faith journey as a borderline-charismatic (I say "borderline" because I could never speak in tongues), I was taught that the slightest hint of doubt could ruin me, like when Peter tried to walk on water and almost drowned. Yet elsewhere in the Bible Jesus tells us a mustard seed of faith is enough (and mustard seeds are like specs of dust). So how much faith do I really need?

I once saw a video of highlights from last year's Christianity 21 conference. During one part they show a clip of Makeesha Fisher saying Christians are "more often than not people of doubt who have beliefs, than people of faith who have moments of doubt." I've been thinking about this a lot, and I think she's right. We humans have such a limited understanding of everything that it would be arrogant of us to think that we have all the answers. Don't get me wrong, Truth does exist, and his name is Jesus. But once we start a relationship with Him, we don't just automatically know everything overnight. Christianity is a journey, full of both smooth spots and potholes just like any other road, but the destination makes it worthwhile.

How do you handle doubt? Do you consider yourself a person of doubt with moments of faith, or a person of faith with moments of doubt?

Coffee Chats Episode 7 - Jon Acuff

On today's episode of Coffee Chats, I chat with Jon Acuff from Stuff Christians Like about his new book, humor, and side hugs.

You can listen to it here.

Brian McLaren and the Church Question

The first five questions asked in A New Kind of Christianity had to do with theology. Now with Question #6--"What do we do about the Church?"--Brian McLaren explores how to live out this new kind of Christianity.

For McLaren, the core mission of the Church is to form Christ-like people. In order for that to happen, we need to be open to the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, McLaren sees way too many Christians puff themselves up with their knowledge, and that ends up causing divisions. There's nothing wrong with knowledge per say, of course, but for McLaren what's most important is love. "Love is the truest form of knowledge," he says.

He's got a point there. Paul writes, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge . . . but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2) Knowledge, of course, is still important, and there are times we need to correct one another. But without love, it's all just gibberish. Also, Jesus said the world will know we are His not by our knowledge, but if we love each other (John 13:35).

Discussion questions: What kind of divisions do you see in the Church? How can we better love one another?

Judging Precious

Last week I finally saw the movie Precious. I thought it was great, even though some parts were really hard to sit through. Mo'nique definitely earned that Oscar!

As I watched Precious, one thought kept going through my head: "I think I know this girl."

I work at a public library, and some of our patrons are from the "other side of the tracks," so to speak. I get along well with everyone, but I find myself sometimes silently judging them. "Oh look, another sixteen-year-old with two kids, and neither one have the same father. How stereotypical." But after watching Precious I wonder if I've got it all wrong. What if there's more going on? What if she's carrying a dark secret?

Maybe that's why Jesus says not to judge (Matthew 7:1). I can only see what's going on on the outside; I don't know what's happening behind the scenes (and maybe I don't want to know).

Do you find yourself silently judging people? Have you every thought there might be more going on than what you see?

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 03/22/10

Today's MMA is brought to you by the Beatles.

Children By The Millions Scream for Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton has died.

You probably won't read too many tributes because, despite being the lead singer/songwriter for the highly influential band Big Star, he never was a big star himself. Which is a shame, because he has written some of the best rock and roll songs ever produced.

For example, even though you may not be familiar with Big Star, chances are you know their song "In the Street:"



Yep, you guess it--it's the theme song to "That '70s Show."

But for my money, Chilton's best moment was the album Radio City. Every song on that album was pure power-pop gold, with sing-along melodies and catchy guitar riffs. It's the album that gave us one of the best songs ever recorded, "September Gurls:"



So rest in peace, Alex. Because you know December boys got it bad.

Brian McLaren and the Gospel

I know many conservative Christians consider Brian McLaren to be a heretic (in fact, Ken Silva dedicates most of his website to bashing McLaren). But after reading chapters 14 and 15 of A New Kind of Christianity, I think McLaren is fairly orthodox (although I'm not sure if he would agree).

In chapters 14 and 15, McLaren answers Question #5--"What is the Gospel?" Most people would give the standard "justification through grace so we won't go to Hell" answer. According to McLaren, this is the Gospel according to Paul. The Gospel according to Jesus, on the other hand, is, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." And by "Kingdom of God," this doesn't just mean Heaven, but a new way of living here on Earth, reconciled with God and each other, and using our gifts to love and serve one another.

Despite McLaren's rejection the "Greco-Roman narrative" (Paradise-->Fall-->Salvation-->Heaven or Hell), his interpretation of the Book of Romans isn't really that far-off. He affirms that all have sinned and fall short of God's standards, and he recognizes that Adam brought death and condemnation to all humanity, but Jesus brings life and justification (see Romans 5:12). Most theologians point to this passage as proof of Original Sin, but McLaren stated in earlier chapters that the three-dimensional biblical narrative disproves this teaching. Yet he seems to acknowledge Original Sin here. Maybe I need to go back and re-read the first couple of chapters to clarify.

The reason why I said McLaren's version of the Gospel is fairly orthodox is because the more I read the Bible, the more I see that Jesus not only gives us life after death, but also life before death. The Bible says we are "buried with [Jesus] through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4, emphasis mine) See also Romans 16:11 and John 10:10.

Now I've read a lot from people who write extensively about the Kingdom being a present thing, but there's one thing I never understood: is the Kingdom supposed to be a Utopia here in this life, or is it something that began when Jesus was on Earth but won't be complete until He returns? If it's the latter, I agree. Even though we are called to make peace, take care of our brothers, and tend to the earth, we're still human. We can only do so much.

Discussion questions: What is the Gospel to you? What do you think of when you hear, "The Kingdom of God" is at hand?

Coffee Chats Episode 6 - Mark Van Steenwyk

On today's episode I interview Mark Van Steenwyk, creator of Jesus Manifesto.

You can listen to the interview here.

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 03/15/10

Today's Monday Morning Awesomeness is brought to you by some one who is a little too obsessed with the Twilight series:





Not to be outdone, I decided to do my own "Eclipse" trailer reaction video:

How Do You Spend Time in God's Word?

I have a confession to make . . . I don't spend a lot of time reading the Bible.

It's not that I don't believe in the Bible. I do believe in it, very much (although I'm not sure if all the stories are factual, but that's for another time). It's just that I just can't find the time or energy to pick it up and read it. Also (and this is hard for me to say because I hate admitting when I'm wrong) I'm kind of a rebellious person by nature. I like to do things my way without anyone butting in. Unfortunately, sometimes in the process I end up pushing God away.

So here's my question: How do you spend time in God's Word? How do you make time to read and meditate on the Scriptures?

Gyromite--Underrated Classic or Epic Fail?

This past week I've been writing about some pretty heavy stuff: theology, social justice, the apocalypse. So today I thought I'd lighten things up and talk about something light and fluffy. Something like . . . Gyromite.



For those of you who don't remember, Gyromite was an old Nintendo game that came with a special device called a Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.). The game had two parts: Game A and Game B. In Game A, you had to help the Professor collect all the dynamite in the laboratory/weird underground sewer thing before time ran out. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, not really. For starters, unlike Mario, the Professor can't jump. He can only move up and down by climbing ropes. Second, the game doesn't really end; it keeps going in cycles until your finally bored. Third--and this is the worst part--unless you have the R.O.B. (which I never had, because some one gave me Gyromite just to get rid of it) you have to use BOTH CONTROLLERS! The first player controller was for moving the Professor around, and the second player was just for moving the pipes up and down.



Now Game A wasn't that bad compared to Game B. In Game B, you had to use the second player controller only to move the pipes out of the Professor's way as he sleepwalked.

Let me repeat: GAME B WAS JUST ABOUT THE PROFESSOR SLEEPWALKING! THAT'S IT!



Apparently Gyromite isn't much better even with the R.O.B., because according to online consumer reviews the R.O.B. took FOREVER to do anything.

But I shouldn't totally hate on Gyromite, since it was one of the original NES games (which are still the best video games ever created). Yet compared to Super Mario and Legend of Zelda, Gyromite was one big epic fail.

Question for discussion: Is Gyromite underrated, or was it an epic fail?

Brian McLaren and the Jesus Question

Remember when I first started blogging about A New Kind of Christianity that I wasn't sure how McLaren's idea of the three-dimensional biblical narrative fit into the Gospel? Well, he answers that question as he solved Question #4--"Who Is Jesus?"

Chapter 12 starts off by referring to Mark Driscoll's infamous "I can't worship a guy I can beat up" remark. "We are all tempted to remake Jesus into just about anything we like," McLaren says. In this case, Driscoll (mis)used Revelation 19:11-16 to remade Jesus into a "prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg." According to McLaren, however, Revelation is not a prediction of a Chuck Norris bad-ass who is coming to kick some behind. Instead, he explains that Revelation is Jewish apocalyptic literature; it's a commentary on modern life using future scenarios, like a sci-fi movie. Thus Revelation is a reassurance that though Jesus appeared weak, He was just as powerful (if not more) as any other ruler.

In chapter 13 McLaren explains how the three-dimensional biblical narrative fits into the Gospel. First, we see Jesus as "a new Genesis," making all things new. Second, we see Jesus liberating us from social and spiritual oppression. Third, Jesus begins His ministry by quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, announcing that the peaceable kingdom is at hand.

Call me confused, but I can see the Gospel from both the "six-line Greco-Roman narrative" (that's what McLaren calls the paradise-->fall-->salvation-->heaven or hell narrative) and this three-dimensional narrative. Yes, Jesus says that whoever believes in Him "will not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). However, keep in mind that the passage Jesus cites from Isaiah isn't just about spiritual freedom, but also a message of social justice. As I like to tell people, Jesus not only gives us life after death, but also life before death.

Questions for discussion: Do you think Jesus gives us life after death, life before death, or all the above? Do you view Jesus as a Chuck Norris bad-ass, or a powerful ruler who only appears to be weak?

Coffee Chats Episode 5 - Sarah Cunningham

Today I interview Sarah Cunningham, author of the new memoir Picking Dandelions.

You can listen to it here.

Enjoy!

Still A Commie, I Guess

Remember a few months ago when I took that quiz that said I was a Communist? I recently took the quiz again and it said I had a "moderately blblical worldview." Which is fine with me. But then our good friend Glenn Beck told his radio listeners to stay away from any church that teaches social justice:

I’m begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words ’social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!

Maybe Beck's Bible doesn't have Matthew 25:31-46.

Or Micah 6:8.

Or Deuteronomy 16:20.

Or Proverbs 31:9.

In fact, it's been said that there are thousands of verses in the Bible about poverty. So either Beck needs to brush up on his Bible, or God is secretly a communist. (Which is strange, because, if I'm not mistaken, Marx wanted to abolish religion. That's why I don't consider myself a Communist; too much control.)

Well, if caring about the poor and marginalized in Communism, then there's only one thing left to do--stick that little fist in the air and say, "Workers of the world, unite!"

Something To Do While We're Waiting

I try to avoid discussing eschatology in this blog because, to be honest, the subject depresses the heck out of me. It really does. However, with all the earthquakes that have been going on lately, I can't help but think about Matthew 24:7-8.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be an alarmist. I hate it when Christians run around saying, "OMG, the end is near! Don't get left behind!" They sound too much like Chicken Little. Having said that, though, there is a chance that the Second Coming will be sooner than we thought, and the Bible does tell us to be prepared. But let me explain what "being prepared" means, based on my understanding of Matthew chapters 24 and 25.

First, I need to stress this point: WE DON'T KNOW WHEN JESUS WILL RETURN. I don't know why Christians keep trying to calculate the day and time Jesus will return, because He clearly says that only God knows that day and hour. (Matthew 24:36) So please, put your calculators down!

Second, that whole "pre-tribulation rapture" thing? Yeah, I think Tim LaHaye got that wrong:

"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." (Verses 38-41)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the "two men in the field" part happens after the Son of Man returns.

Third, because we don't know when Jesus will return, the Bible does tell us to keep watch. (V. 42) If your boss gives you a specific project while s/he is on vacation, and you don't do it. Do you think the boss will be happy when s/he returns and finds out you didn't even start the project? I don't think so.

Which brings me to my fourth point, which is what we should be doing now. In chapter 25 Jesus tells us two parables. The first one, founded in verses 14 through 30, is about a man who gave his servants certain amounts of money before his journey. When he returned and found that the servant with the smallest amount buried the money, he was thrown "into the darkness."

The second parable is found in verses 31 through 46. In this parable, Jesus describes Judgment Day as separating the goats from the sheep. The sheep are allowed into the Kingdom because they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the prisoner, etc. "What you did for the least of these brothers of mine," the Lord says, "you did for me." The goats, on the other had, didn't do anything, so they are cast off.

So, to wrap it all up, instead of focusing on when it's going to happen, let's just continue doing God's work. I don't think calculating the end of the world is going to help all the people who are suffering right now.

*UPDATE 6:11 PM: According to Salon.com, scientists claim that all the recent earthquakes are mere coincidence.

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 03/08/10

Allow me to be frank--you have to watch this! You'll thank me later.

Coffee Chats Episode 4 - Thomas Mathie

I just had the privledge of doing a podcast collaboration with Thomas Mathie from Something Beautiful. I interviewed him for Coffee Chats, and then he interviwed me for Something Beautiful.

You can hear my interview with him here. Tomorrow I will post the link to his interview with me.

UPDATE 03/05/10: Here is Thomas' interview with me.

American Family Association Is At It Again

Remember when Bryan Fischer from the American Family Association said we should ban Muslims from serving in the US army? Well, he's at it again, this time saying that the reason why that killer whale in Orlando killer its trainer is because SeaWorld is disobeying Scripture.

Y'see, apparently Tilly the killer whale had killed a couple of other people in the past. And according to the Bible if an animal attacks a human, the animal needs to be put down (Exodus 21:28). So, as Fischer concludes, God's punishing SeaWorld for "the ongoing failure of the West to take counsel on practical matters from the Scripture."

Well, if we're going to follow the Law of Moses to the letter, I guess that means we'll have to stop eating pork and wearing clothes made of two difference fabrics.

Takes all kinds, I guess.

Brian McLaren and the God Question

Call me a bleeding heart hippie liberal, but I sometimes cringe when I read about God ordering the Hebrews to kill people, including women and children. And I'm not the only one; I've heard people suggest that there are two Gods, the Old Testament God and the New Testament God. Peacniks like me prefer the "love thy neighbor" New Testament God, while I've heard others prefer the Old Testament God who loves to get his smite on. But there is only one God, so how do we reconcile these two seemingly different views of Him? This is where we come to Brian McLaren's third question in A New Kind of Christianity: Is God violent?

According to McLaren, it's no so much that God Himself changes; the Bible clearly says that God does not change (James 1:17). Instead, he suggests that the biblical writers' understanding of God evolves throughout Scripture. McLaren specifies five lines of this evolution:

1. God's uniqueness--there is only one God.
2. God's ethics--from the priestly devotion rituals of the Torah to the priority of social justice in the prophets.
3. God's universality--from tribalism to God offering his grace to all nations.
4. God's agency--God's work is gently but firmly present "to guide and empower others to do even greater good." (p. 101)
5. God's character--from "bloodthirsty" vengeance to mercy.

To focus on either one side or the other would be a grave error. Instead, McLaren says, "We can only discern God's character in a mature way from the vantage point of the end of the story, seen in the light of the story of Jesus." (p. 114) Jesus is backbone (or, in the case of books, spine) of the entire Bible, perfectly holding both the Old and New Testament understandings of God together.

This reminds me of something I once read. The sign for "Bible" in American Sign Language is a combination of the signs for "Jesus" and "book." In other words, even though the Bible is a portable collection of many books, put together it's all one book about Jesus. So I agree that in order to understand the nature of God, we need to see the Bible through Jesus.

Now there is one thing I should point out. At the end of chapter 10, McLaren imagines a world in the 3000s where humans have a better understanding of God. They no longer wage wars, they no longer eat animals, and they no longer use fossil fuel. I consider myself to be a pacifist who cares about creation, so a world without wars and fossil fuels is fine with. However, I'm not sure why McLaren brings up vegetarianism. Don't get the wrong idea; there's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian. However, from what I've read in the Bible, there's nothing that suggests that vegetarianism is a requirement of being a Christian. But then again, I've heard people say the same thing about pacifism.

Questions for discussion: Do you agree with McLaren's idea of the Bible writers' evolving understanding of God? How do you think we should view the two seemingly different Gods?

Child Labor? There's An App For That.

Even though I don't like to brag about it, I consider myself a Mac guy. I think my MacBook is easier to use, has better features, and doesn't crash constantly like my old PC. So I would consider myself a "Mac."

Although I might have to switch sides again after I found out this morning that Apple admitted to using child labor.

According to the Telegraph, "At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories which supply Apple." This isn't the first time Apple has been linked with child labor, unfortunately; according to the article, in 2008 the company discovered that 25 children had been making iPods, iPhones, and other products. Apple claims that it no longer uses child labor, but I wonder if the damage has already been done.

I try to be careful not to buy products produced by child laborers. I don't want my money going towards corruption and human rights abuse. However, after looking through the Telegraph article comments, I keep seeing this one ugly fact repeated over and over again: most huge corporations use child labor.

So, how should a consumer like me respond? Not buy anything anymore? Well, that would be ideal, but I don't think that's possible.

Fortunately there are websites that help you become a more socially conscious consumer. For example, Chain Store Reaction sends letters and emails to big corporations asking them to investigate where their products come from. Also, TransFairUSA.org has a list of certified fair trade products, and where to buy them.

As far as Apple, I'm glad they said they no longer use child labor, but saying does not always equal doing.

Questions for discussion: How do you approach the issue of major corporations using child labor? Do you try to do your research before you buy?

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 03/01/10

Today's Monday Morning Awesomeness is brought to you by Pete Seeger via "Reading Rainbow." I think this when I first heard Seeger and folk music. Thanks, PBS!