Wednesday, March 31, 2010

People, Not Money

My parents always tried to tell me that money doesn't work always in making the most significant changes. I didn't understand this except as a truism that 'money isn't everything'- it was perhaps the way they meant it. But I'm convinced of this truth every day.

I'm convinced that human commitment working in a community is the single biggest conduit to any kind of significant event- economic progress, social redemption, witness to faith, education, reduction in crime and so on. There are too many proofs out there, the latest of which is in a story carried by yesterday's New York Times, titled 'City Will Stop Paying the Poor for Good Behavior.'

Excerpt:

The three-year-old pilot project, the first of its kind in the country, gave parents payments for things like going to the dentist ($100) or holding down a full-time job ($150 per month). Children were rewarded for attending school regularly ($25 to $50 per month) or passing a high school Regents exam ($600).

When the mayor announced the program, he said it would begin with private money and, if it worked, could be transformed into an ambitious permanent government program.


Clearly this did not work. Of course, this is not to say that private or public money should not work for social redemption, but perhaps the way to progress is by educating those who have rather than pushing money into those who have not. In a Sara Groves interview, accessible here, she mentions that IJM does precisely this.

Excerpt:

So, for me, as a stay at home mom - a mobile stay at home mom ... a bus bound stay at home mom (laugh), IJM doesn't just want my money. They say, "You, stay at home mom, you are an abolitionist. Your kids are student abolitionists." And to me, that's empowering. They don't just want my money, they want to educate me about justice - about advocacy, and about worldview - about God's heart for the poor. So, I am fired up! I feel like I have found my place in this world when I met IJM - as far as something I can get behind with all my heart, support. It's just an incredible organization and move of God.



Again in the case of artists like Bono who by his own admission, uses his celebrity as a currency to enable himself to do what he does in Africa for HIV/AIDS, the key to his appeal is getting through to more and more people. The best things in life truly are free, but certainly not cheap.

The Red Headed League

We watched the old Granada episode of the Sherlock Holmes adventure The Red Headed League. We've been watching this series for old times' sake. For a sinister affair masterminded by none other than Moriarty, this one is also a truly flawless comic masterpiece. My favourite quote:

Sherlock Holmes: Now I begin to think my reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid. 'Omne ignotum pro magnifico.'
Dr. John Watson: [explaining this to the clueless Mr. Wilson] Everything becomes commonplace by explanation.
Sherlock Holmes: Watson, that is a very loose translation!

[The phjrase by Tacitus could be translated "we have great notions of everything unknown"]

This link gives the numerous repartees in this superb episode:

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Question of Liberation Theology

It is a comfort to one's soul to fight evil that is outside of us- injustice, oppression, poverty and so on. In a sense this is also a part of fighting evil within ourselves- the evil of apathy, greed and selfishnessness. However the liberation theorists I have encountered usually give up some of the virtues of the more orhotodox Christians in order to uphold the above values. Some of these may be personal values like clean language, grace, sexual fidelity and constraint, faithfulness to the the whole of the Bible in its inerrancy and resisting the temptation to take some of it with a pinch of salt, patience with people who do not readily subscribe to their thinking and so on.

There are people who respond to this by saying that Christians have no business "being nice", rather they need to be righteous, meaning uphold social justice. While it is true that there is a lot of prissy piety out there in Christian circles reflecting in our music, dressing and a list of do's and don'ts that reduce our faith into Pharisiasm, it is equally true that these values stem from a desire not just to do right by our fellow man but to please God in our thinking and actions. While Christians can enjoy a glass of wine, they often decline refills due to a desire not to go overboard.

Orthodox Christians often accuse liberation theorists of trading away this kind of personal holiness for their "causes". As Malcolm Muggeridge once said, it is far easier and more self-sffirming to hold a placard out in a street protest than actually do something righteous. In my view this is only partially true. The fact is, most liberation theology adherents I know have struggled long and hard with personal sin and guilt to the point where they have questioned themselves and the general interpretation of sin in God's Word. This manifests itself in our politics. In North America, the question of gay marriage is a case in point.

Mark Young, Denver Seminary President's point about voting in a way that allows the Gospel the best possible access into people's lives, speaks to us clearly here. Do we think homosexual behavior is sinful? If so, is it anymore sinful than a child stealing a cookie? Are we guilty of anything far wrose or at least, equally bad? I think most Christians would agree that sin, sinful behavior, propensity to sin, ambiguity about sin and its definition are all part of our messed up nature and mental make up. Is it possible for a Christian to lovingly reach out to the gay community with Christ rathern than condemnation, and just let Christ lead him or her into a full understanding of the Truth (which if we are honest we must admit we too are only still learning)? I think it is.

You see, as my friend Mat pointed out in the last blog post, simply because a liberal espouses liberation theology, it doesn't automatically become wrong. Conservatives allowed liberals to corner the market on this thinking. In the meanwhile they have failed to see the essential connection between Christ's message of personal salvation and the idea of opposing sin everywhere- both inside and outside of ourselves. Liberals in turn have also failed to see the connection between the sin or evil that exists out there in the world and the very personal sin in our own hearts (and not just in terms of being able to have more resources while the 'poor' does not).

To the conservative I say, I wonder what you would have done when Jesus whipped the money-changers out of the temple. To the liberal I say, I wonder what you would have done when Jesus let the repentant Mary Magdalene pour her life savings on to His feet in the form of the expensive perfume.

It is telling that Jesus lets Judas know that the 'poor' will always be around. I've often wondered what this means. Could it mean that we are living in a 'Long Defeat', as JRR Tolkien said and Sara Groves sang, and Dr. Paul Farmer believes is the end of all our labor, even his labor of hope in Haiti?

In the book on Farmer's remarkable work of sacrifice and justice in Haiti, “Mountains Beyond Mountains”, author Tracy Kidder uses this phrase, 'The Long Defeat'. Dr. Farmer is quoted in this book:

"I have fought the long defeat and brought other people on to fight the long defeat, and I’m not going to stop because we keep losing. Now I actually think sometimes we may win. I don’t dislike victory…. We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it’s not worth it. So you fight the long defeat."

Farmer has made it known in other interviews that there are glimpses of the [final] victory that we get on earth, but our earthly efforts in and of themselves are a series of long defeats that lead up into the final victory that is not of the earth (this is all my paraphrasing).

If this is indeed the case (and Dr. Farmer is an adherent of liberation theology though I'm not sure to what extend he takes it), then is our vision of heaven simply a heaven on earth, where we bring justice to those who do not have it? What is justice after all? If everyone were wealthy will that suffice? Surely not. If everyone were mindful of others and generous will that be it? Will not there by still incidents which are beyond our comprehension- natural disasters, death, severance of relationships? At such a point when we have achieved (this is an assumption) all there is to achieve in terms of social justice and redemption, but we feel the pain of being human, would we then question God as to why He made us this way? Would we then conclude, after all is said and done, that God is simply a social construct, and that He has outlived His purpose? If that is all there is to life, would we feel the pinch of a nagging hope that there is more to heaven than out unidimensional view of earthly justice?

If there is indeed a heaven beyond the earth, then is it in anyway connected to our recreating such a heaven here on earth? What did Jesus mean when he taught us to pray 'You Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? Or, do we simply sigh and say that all injustices will be righted in heaven and do absolutely nothing about earthly injustices? Why are we the 'tweeners' who live between the two earthly advents of Christ? What is our purpose here on earth? If we have none, maybe they should hold us all down in baptism so we would go straight to heaven.

Clearly the liberation theorists and the orthodox Christians have a lot to learn from each other. We cannot offord to trade insults or dismiss each other because there is a lot of work that is still undone.

As someone who came to faith in college firmly among those who hold the orthodox view, I spent about 13 years coming around to respecting liberation theology. It could have taken a far shorter time frame. Let me explain why.

Life in Christ is a journey when we learn more and more about His character and therefore His purposes. It is remarkable that the vast majority of liberation theorists I know actually had a conversion experience that the orthodox Christians would view as a clearly identifiable point of coming into salvific faith- the point at which one prays the conversion prayer and is ushered into the Kingdom. Over the years, especially as they worked with the 'poor', they moved into a theology that is decidedly unorthodox. Very rarely have I encountered someone who was 'born again' into liberation theology. The passion that accompanies personal salvation from personal sin has been key in the vast majority of these cases to their ardent witness and eventual participation in social justice movements. As Sara Groves sang in her characteristic story-song manner, 'I love because He loved me when I had nothing.' This is Biblical. When we are set free we are free to give and set others free. If we have not experienced freedom our passion must be questioned (gently). Some of us may even believe we have always been free simply because we have not experienced the poverty that others do. The fact is, we are all- without exception- slaves until Christ sets us free. Some are economic slaves, others are sexual slaves, yet others slaves of affluence, education deprivation, racial injustice, indifference, passion, addictive behaviors, and on and on. Freedom in Christ is clearly what inspires us to be modern day abolitionists.

In my early years in Christ I encountered many dear and well-meaning friends who tried to talk me into liberation theology. It may have worked if they had helped me connect the dots between personal accountability to God and personal accountability to people. Personal sin and external evil. Personal salvation and social redemption. It may have helped if someone sat down with me and envision for me the radical and radically true idea that personal accountability to people is not simply an option, one of the many 'mionistries', like 'mercy ministry'; but an essential part of the salvation that Christ has won for me. It may have helped if I could only understand then what I understand now- that being incarnatiunal in people's lives is the only way to bring Christ to them; just as Jesus was and is incarnational into the human experience and our own lives. It may have helped if I could only understand that being incarnational necessarily means being sacrificed- whether on the cross or in terms of a life spent with people who need us.

A dear friend who tried to talk to me about liberation theology had a radically unorthodox interpretation of the Bible. He insisted, without any reference to Biblical, traditional, logical or other evidence, that the Antichrist in the Bible referred to us, people who do nothing to oppose injustice in the world. Other liberation theorists try to make the case that sin is only the enjoyment of resources at the cost of others. Broadly this means that those of us who are relatively well off (anyone who has a roof over her head and food to eat is in this category) are well off only because in a direct or indirect way we exploit or have historically exploited or are benefitting from such exploitation of those outside this category. If anyone tried to interpret the whole of the Bible this way, the argument does not go far without encountering serious challenges. What would they say about the apostle Paul's suggestions to Christian slaves? He said in 1 Corinthians 7:20-22, "Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave."

Lastly, I realize that we are all on a journey to discover truth. We need to keep our eyes wide open to God's visions. I realize of course that orthodox Christians also tend to be obnoxious in their witness to liberation theorists. Who hasn't encountered those of us (and perhaps we ourselves may be guilty of this) who rebuke a fellow believer with a glass of win in his hand but practise fiscal dishonesty in tax returns, property purchases and divisive church politics, not to mention the sex scandals that have rocked both the Evangelical and Catholic leadership? The charge of hypocrisy is the third serious form of sin or evil that we encounter (personal sin and evil that is external and unattached to humans are the others) in the list of (I would also say ONLY) objections to Christianity or belief in God in general.

The fact remains though that we can and must work together. While I see and experience Christianity for the unique experience it is, I also know that the desire for justice is within all of us- atheist, Christian, Hindu or anyone. I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as a spark of the divine in us or anywhere near it, but I would consider it as God-given, and a part of the appeal that draws us to Christ. If there is sin out there we must work together. If people of different persuasions could begin a discussion on the deepest matters in life, I'm convinced that social redemption, and not philosophical debate, is the beginning.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Our Causes Define Our Allegiance

Question: I fight for justice in the world, especially in HIV/AIDS torn Africa. I believe God is just, and his righteousness means justice! Who am I (meaning what do you think of me)?

Question: I think killing unborn babies is wrong and such practices should not be supported by federal funds. I think the delilberate avoidance of this in the new healthcare bill is a shame. Who am I?

Question: India and the US signed a nuclear deal recently. My Facebook update states my take on this: There cannot be an absolute liability for an Indian and lesser liability for Americans! If India wants another Bhopal Tragedy... go ahead and pass the Nuclear Liability Law in the current form. Who am I?



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I hope you did not conclude on anything.

But if I were asking these questions separately to three different people who are complete strangers, I think each question will have established a core identification for me that these people will use in their conversation with me. But the fact remains that these are my virtues. So what makes us decide in favour of one when we are pressed to choose, as in an election. There are terms floating about like 'voting one's conscience', but that is rather unhelpful because if it is an honest conscience it would need to agree that there are plenty of Life Issues out there. How do we choose?

I remember Mark Young, current president at Denver Seminary, talking about voting on the basis of what will allow the Gospel the greatest possiblity of access into the hearts and minds of the people. This too is a value and a virtue, one I did not fully understand before, but is now becoming clearer and clearer. As time is of the essence and we are living with little time to spare for fighting any side battles, we have to remain focused on ushering in the Kingdom- by spreading the truth, fighting sin in our lives, churches and the evil that abounds in the world- economic slavery, hunger and other ills.

Here is a conversation I had with a former intern at our church who is now at a church plant in England. I reconnected with a couple of days ago and we had a good exchange of mails. I've hidden the names, but here is the exchange- it gets to the matter quickly:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: M
To: Vijai
Sent: Tue, March 23, 2010 10:14:17 AM
Subject: Re: Reconnecting


Hi Vijai,
Sadly we are not in James Herriott country, but we are only 2 hours drive from it. So it would not be impossible to come and visit us, and see the Yorkshire dales!

How wonderful that you have thrived at __________ Church. What are some of the epiphanies you and Alma have undergone?

And I am very interested in the Justice movements you mention. Can you tell me more?

in his grip

M


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Vijai
To: M
Sent: Tue, March 23, 2010 8:47:46 PM
Subject: Re: Reconnecting


Hey Mat:

I have to stop and think where to begin. There are many angles to this, and it may not be the best way to begin at the chronological beginning. Let me try to sum up my hazy thoughts as briefly and crisply as I can without losing your interest. This is not in chronological order.

After the Haiti incident I read an article by Richard Dawkins in the Guardian- as one could expect it wasn't about any scientific rebuttal against the existence of God, but more about (a) Christian inability to explain the existence of evil, (b) Christian hypocrisy in saying that people like Pat Robertson did not represent them, and (c) the tyranny of Christianity in holding people and the world itself accountable for sin.

It struck me that nearly every conversation I have had with skeptics have turned in this direction. After all there are several scientists out there who do believe in God and many are Christians. Without going into other empirical observations I made, it struck me with pretty blinding clarity that the only real objection in a person's mind/heart to God or Jesus was evil- in 3 different forms: (1) evil in the form of one's own personal sin and the guilt that follows it, exacerbated by the difficulty in getting rid of it; (2) evil in the form of someone else's sin, especially those of faith, especially Christians who are perceived as hypocritical; and (3) evil that cannot be attributed to direct or overt human action- like death, severance of relationships, economic hardship, earthquakes, disease, natural disasters, et al. I'm fairly convinced that other objections are only a smokescreen, or perhaps "the icing on the cake" from the point of view of a skeptic. I suppose one could extend the argument to the believer as well, that scientific, geologic, archaeologic, logical, historical and all other proofs are an afterthought to faith.

Be that as it may, it struck me that if evil is the single stumbling block to an unbeliever, then Christians as the image of Christ, created to revere and reveal Him, must demonstrate holiness.

It then struck me that we tend to explain away our lack of holiness in certain situations when one virtue seems to us to take precedence over others- as in politics, when for instance abortion takes precedence over world hunger. But the fact remains that whatever our politics, these issues- abortion, hunger, poverty, social justice, healthcare, environment, racial healing, charitable giving, sancitity of marriage- are all "Life Issues". Our political grandstanding tends to constrain us from demonstrating, preaching or allowing free access to the Gospel. When I vote, do I consider the stance that will make the Gospel as accessible as possible to people? I think that is also a value, as much as voting one's conscience is.

It seems to me that some of areas of deep need for Christians to pour themselves into are right in front of us- human beings are slaves in every way. Some are slaves of men, others slaves of sin, others slaves who don't realize that they are slaves at all- in fact they believe sincerely that they are free. As Christians we read and teach that being slaves to Christ, slaves to righteousness is true freedom. From reading a book by Michael Card, A Better Freedom, which deals with the same topic, I was surprised to see something I hadn't noticed before- that Christianity is a "slave religion"- out of the 54 or so parables that Jesus told, 34 had to do with slavery. The terms, handmaiden, servant, manservant, 'one who serves', etc are all translated 'slave' in many versions. Card says it is important for us to maintain this translation of the word 'doulos' because in the context of Roman slavery in which these books were written, noone would have had any doubt what this term meant- the kind of economic slavery that they saw in their own lives or others' lives. Slaves were owned. Card connects this with African American slavery in which there are many parallels.

This book is really revolutionary- there are examples in this that took my breath away, I hadn't noticed them before. Another book on the Gospel of John by the same author, Parable of Joy, dealt with similar themes.

It seems to me that if Jesus who was free came as a slave and died a slave's death, then rose again as Master, in order to free us from slavery so that we may be free to offer ourselves as slaves to Christ- then as His slaves who continue His amazing mission, our priority is to free slaves of every kind so that they may be able to offer themselves as slaves to Christ.

It seems to me that we must free slaves of all kinds- economic slaves, sexual slaves, indentured labourers, slaves of affluence... The book by M Card has a 'coda' by Sara Groves, the artist, who also works with IJM. She talks about modern day slavery in many parts of the world. Sshe says there are more slaves today than at any point in history, many of them in Asia. Indentured labourers in India who cannot repay a debt and must work for his master to even keep paying the interest or minimum. The slavery extends to his family as well. Many are brutally treated and exploited. Sexual slaves in Thailand and the Philippines. Children trafficked in other parts of the world as slaves.

International Justice Mission and other organizations are modern day abolitionists. This one area seems to be to be the loudest and most painful call that we hear but choose to ignore. Closer to home, it is important for us to consider those in West, in the cities and towns who are in ghettoes, often of their own making, and others who are systemically denied a good fostering community, education and other benefits. Racial divisions and tensions which are artificially created by the divisions in our society- in terms of good suburbs, gated communities, exclusive schools (not bad things in themselves)- only serve to drive us inward to our own safe havens further. As Christians cut off from those who need us most, we deteriorate in our lives in Christ, unable to live Christ before them, fearing for our lives, our 'culture' and our children's culture when it was Christ who gave us these blessings in the first place and without whose grace, there would we go. We know who these people are- perhaps African American kids in Detroit, Pakistanis in Newcastle (and perhaps Indians as well- I don't know)? Card is part of an organization called the Empty Hands Fellowship that has built bridges with some of these communities in his hometown of Nashville, TN. Too long a narrative to go into here.,

I have friends who work with some of these organizations, particularly one if the trenches working with the International Justice Mission in India. Her stories appear regularly on IJM's website, right up front Their lives are full of challenges from seeing the difficult lives before them and from threats and dangers which come with the territory. But they are also truly incarnational as Christ is; and they seem to know the joy that I once knew- that of seeing as Sara Groves puts it 'a slave awaken to the value of her soul'.

But then I think of my work, family, future, etc.and get cold feet. I'm not looking for any mission agency to sponsor me- there are others who are eager to get into mission- one such couple in _______ Church with whom we are accountability partners are young, faithful and about to go into India. I think of what I can possibly do to move in this direction.

I think our biggest inertia is in thinking that all this is somewhere down the line, in the unforeseeable future when we have enough money saved up for retirement, kids' education and other such things. Given that we all need to support our families and have other responsibilities in life, we make a mistake if we live in perpetual angst about a future mission and not think about the here and now. If there are people in our inner cities who are homeless or refugees in Wheaton or Newcastle who are new to the country and looking for some help, I think it is a good place to begin to demonstrate Christ before we take a step in a larger direction. The couple going to India I talked about moved into a low income apartment in Wheaton, and have developed numerous friendships with the Burmese refugee community there. One particular family has been close to them- they are in fact informal foster parents for a boy who lost his dad to war with the Burmese government.

I also realized that a genuinely lived Christian life- complete with confession, "coming clean", getting rid of the Christianese that our sub-culture bestows us with, connects us with the world out there quickly. I had dinner with an Indian family that was disillusioned with some of the community's Christian leaders who look down on anyone with a glass of win in his hand but practice dubious methods in evangelism, handling finances and other issues. This family had recently discovered __________ Church's Naperville Church plant, pastored by Doug ______. They absolutely loved Doug. Meeting a Christian in that sense is a release for those who are looking for the real thing, a joyful conviction that this is indeed something true.

Mat- I can't claim that I'm anywhere near it. I want to be. There are people at work who are longing for answers. Many are Hindus, several are part of charities like the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. When you were here I think I discussed with you India's neo-Nazi movement. This is actually a quasi-nationalistic organization that serves community interests in the States. It seems remarkable now, but they tied up with Calvary Church, a pentecostal organization, to provide food and shelter for the homeless in the Naperville-Aurora area recently. This organization now regularly contributes to Loaves and Fishes, a Christian organization that serves the poor in this area. One of coworkers who is a leader withi the organization confided in me recently that he was deeply impressed by a CEO of a client company who gave up his position to go into Christian ministry fulltime.

In my lifetime I never thought I'd see this rapprochement taking place, but the God we serve is the great reconciler. His Gospel may be offensive to many, but why should *we* be offensive as well?

Plenty of other stuff about contextualization, the potential of Christ-bearing in the Hindu community, etc to talk about, but it must another time. I've not exhausted the extend of epiphanies yet- but it gives you the idea. 'Nuff said, I'm curious to know about your own interest in this topic.

In Him,

VJ





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: M
To: Vijai
Sent: Wed, March 24, 2010 6:42:30 AM
Subject: Re: Reconnecting


Hi Vijai,
Thank you for this. I have just read your email -- and am very encouraged that the Lord has so clearly been challenging you.

I want to respond in greater detail, but don't have time to do that now. Very briefly, I would say that we are in middle of an urban area with enormous need. We have the slaves of religious system, alongside the slaves of economic deprivation, and educational destitution. We also have the slaves of pleasure too. So all of what you say is deeply challengining.
I wish that more of __________ Church were thinking along a similar line to you! Have you chatted to Chris __________ about any of this?

When the Gospel is preached, and believed, it also has to be lived out. And it has to be lived out in every area of life. A visiting speaker was telling us about William Wilberforce. He observed that Wilberforce was not primarily concerned about slavery, even though that was his life's work. Rather, he was primarily concerned that the rule of Christ ought to be lived out, so that the Gospel ought to be preached, and men ought to bow the knee and live for Christ. And *this* is what motivated him to fight slavery. This is getting it right I think.

I could write a lot more, but sadly do not have time.

in his grip

Mat



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Vijai
To: M
Sent: Wed, March 24, 2010 1:22:03 PM
Subject: Re: Reconnecting


I agree. What has kept me from this thinking much earlier was the posture of many well-meaning friends who have tried to talk me into a very narrowly focused liberation theology. It doesn't make sense that simple social or economic liberation is Jesus' mission- that is so uni-dimensional a view!

[This is not part of the email, but I want to add this as a clarification: I also want to add here that the voices that have turned me off have typically been strident, harsh, judgmental of Christians in a way that shut me out from listening to the truth in their words. When artists like Dererk Webb feel the need to rely on profanity to get their message through, people tend to judge them- and this may be hypocritical but it is the way we are wired, to look for faults. When others rant about Christians' political infatuation with the Republican party without connecting other non-Republican values gently and lovingly to the Gospel message, the Christian loses the connection and therefore the interest to continue in this line of thinking. This is what happened to me- I simply did not identify the speaker as being truly Christian except that they mouthed desperate calls for justice, often laced with judgment, profanity and insults. I do not see how this could ever be edifying.]


What finally put it together for me was the consistent message of some of these Christians I trust, that the Gospel necessarily includes embracing the 'poor' of every kind. I haven't talked to Chris- is he thinking along these lines?

VJ


---------------------------------------------------------------------------




Re: Reconnecting
Wed, March 24, 2010 9:23:31 AM
From: M
To: Vijai


Hi Vijai,
It's fascinating that you mention liberation theology. In some ways the situation is analagous to old fashioned liberal theology. What happened there was that conservatives allowed the liberals to "corner the market" on social action. But just because the liberals do it, doesn't mean it is wrong!! And the situation is the same with liberation theology. Just because liberation theology says that the sinful institutions of slavery ought to be torn down doesn't mean that it ain't so!! It just has to take its proper place under the Lordship of Christ, and the bringing of his kingdom, which first means proclamation, but must include the fulsome consequences of this proclamation. Sin must be opposed because it is anathma to God.

Regarding Christ -- you will find him very thoughtful, and open to engaging with you. Make an appointment for a coffee with him (best feed him at least one Espresso -- he's Italian!) and you will enjoy his take, and he may even have some ideas about how to take it further within ________ Church.

cheers

M

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Music Review- 'Fireflies and Songs' by Sara Groves

I can't review Sara Groves' December 2009 album 'Fireflies and Songs' any more eloquently than this interview with her does.

While this is the best confessional songwriting I've come across it is also the best songwriting that adapts to any artist's vocal style that I've seen.

I've been listening to this album for over 2 months, and some songs have been difficult to listen to because they question me at my deepest levels- on my marriage, the level of confession in my life- the "coming clean", the freedom of letting "light shine to the very inside", the idea that there are "different kinds of happy" in our relationships, the haunting picture of asking for forgiveness in "It's Me" and finally to my relief and infinite comfort the song 'Joy Is In Our Hearts', reflecting on a passage of Scripture from Paul's epistles that was one of the earliest bookmarks of my Christian experience, the chorus finally praising God for suffering, "Alleluia, Alleluia, Christ our Joy and Strength."

I talked about a series of epiphanies in my previous post. This has been one.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Book Review- A Better Freedom- Michael Card

Once every few years a book comes along that questions everything we know about ourselves, God, reality, work and life. When we read these books we are confronted with the heady elixir of unchartered territory and the sweet familiarity that this rings true.

Michael Card's new book 'A Better Freedom' is truly Biblical orthodoxy, and is empirically verifiable in our lives. There is little that we could question in this volume, but it stirs the pot and gives us a breadth of perspective that either provokes old defenses to action or lays our contentions to rest.

For me this has been the latest in a series of epiphanies that have confronted old dragons and slayed them with the Truth. The marvelous aspect of this has been that the words of this book appeal not only to my desire for Biblical, logical, linguistic and historical accuracy, but it blunts the non-arguments that the 'St Paul versus Jesus' school of thought has been putting forward.

In contemporary American experience, prejudice is a dark, sinister motif to be avoided at all costs. When we hear about Michelle Obama's ancestry which includes a great great grandmother who was a former slave girl (even in her childhood) and gave birth to a mixed race boy, we cringe- rightly so- but we heave a sigh of relief and self-congratulation that it is the progeny of this former slave that now graces the White House as First Lady. Yes- that is indeed beautiful and we need to feel the pride of the moment. But the Bible's references to slavery often ring against our ears and hearts with annoying vagueness. Paul in his writings has pieces of advice for both slaves and masters, but we do not see a William Wilberforce in Paul rousing slaves to action against their masters, Christian or not- and we feel the irony. Didn't Christ come to set us free from the yoke of all bondage?

Michael Card's look at slavery is instantly sensitive and affirming of Jesus' call for us to be slaves of righteousness or slaves of Christ. His insistence that those of us who are in situations of slavery are indeed in a dark place but those who are not owned by Christ are in worse slavery is a transforming truth. This theme resonates through his illustrations of Christ's parables, over 60 percent of which have to do with the theme of slavehood, often translated "servant-hood" in English versions. It brings up people who identified themselves as slaves- Paul, Mary ("handmaiden" in the KJV actually makes the word milder than it should be), Stephen, John and others who also exemplified with their lives what it meant to be owned. He also illustrates through Jesus' life and specific actions that our Lord himself considered his life as a slave's life. He, the Master, came as a slave and died a slave's death, served us so that we who are in bondage might be freed to become his slaves. The Master becomes the slave to be the Master. The slaves die to be free to be slaves to the Master.

What struck me most was the parable of the prodigal son which Card talks about. Perhaps this should be called the parable of the Legalistic Son, as it is as much about the 'good son' as it is about the prodigal. Consider the setting. Jesus is talking to a motley group of sinners and lawyers. He tells three parables- the parable of the sheep that was lost and is found, the parable of the woman who searched for and found the lost silver coin, and finally the parable in question- that order. The first two end with a feast, a celebration because the lost has now been found. The final parable ends with a celebration to which the 'good son' is invited, but we are left with the father's invitation and no answer from the son. There is no closure. The explanation is clear enough. Card says, with Jesus nothing is as it seems. While the prodigal speaks to the wretch that was lost and now is found, the good son is the archetype of the Pharisees and lawyers who are invited and need to respond to Jesus' call. The prodigal prepares a lame speech that he will deliver to his dad on returning home, but he never gets a chance to say it all. He says, "'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But he also wanted to say, "make me like one of your hired men." He never gets the chance because the father showers him with kisses, covers him with the best robe, puts a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. He then throws a big party- and as Card points out parables with this extravagant celebration and kindness (and there are several that Jesus told) are clear indications of our Father's attitude towards repentant sinners. The prodigal hoped to be a slave to the father, but he becomes as a prince. The 'good son' says, "All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends."

Card asks us, Who was the slave between the brothers? Those who would be slaves in humility and brokenness find that true freedom comes from slavery to Christ. Those that think they are free are in reality slaves.