On The Consumption And Abuse of Women

This post, like the last one, is a copy of a Facebook status that I want to save before it gets lost on my feed:

I was struck hard this week when I found out that a six-year-old girl we serve on the reservation was victimized by a man in her community. What can we say? How can such evil exist? What can I do to combat such immorality? Many times, such events seem so far removed from my life, but are they? During service yesterday, my pastor, David Yarborough, spoke directly and boldly to the men in the congregation and reminded us that the same spirit that directs our hearts to consume pornography is the same insidious spirit that leads men to capture women and children for sex trafficking. 

I could not agree more. This does not mean, however, that these two things are simply and loosely linked to some ethereal spirit of sexual immorality. Rather they develop from the concrete interactions of our normal lives in the fallen world. Our daily interactions, if not given over to deep consideration, inoculate us to the understanding of what is right and wrong by the smallest degrees. In my reading this morning, which I will quote from momentarily, I came across a reminder that the spirit that leads men to consume pornography, as well as to steal away the lives of the innocent, does not begin when young boys discover how to access the obscene recesses of the internet and become grossly obsessed. It does not begin with pornography at all. 

It begins in what we consider to be the mundane, ordinary, and non-moral dealings of everyday life. It begins in the simplest forms, like learning that, with enough money, we can buy many things to gratify our wants and eventually forgetting that some things should not be consumed. We have lost the sense that ethical decisions beset almost everything we do. We need voices like that of Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park (while he is speaking of science here, it can apply to most areas of life in which we are empowered to freely do what we may): 

“If I may... Um, I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here; it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now...” 

Likewise, we often consume things without consideration of whom or where it came from, how it was made, and at what cost. We are free to consume what we will, because we stand on the backs of geniuses who formed a free nation and upon the soldiers who died for it. But, since we did not form it ourselves, we take little responsibility for how we use this freedom. Dr. Malcolm continues to critique Jurassic Park and, consequently, modern society: 

“Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.” 

Just because we live in a nation that has made it easy to consume what we may, does that mean we should? We live in a world in which the highest value is placed on that which can be consumed. Consumerism is heralded as right and good, because it somehow represents “freedom,” but thoughtless access to wants is not freedom, but just another form of slavery, a slavery whitewashed to appear to be a sign of our blessedness: 

“No man who simply eats and drinks whenever he feels like eating and drinking, who smokes whenever he feels the urge to light a cigarette, who gratifies his curiosity and sensuality whenever they are stimulated, can consider himself a free person” (Thomas Merton). 

The things that people can use are the things our society values most. While consumption is natural part of life—materials must be gathered for housing, food must be harvested for sustenance, and water must be gathered for hydration—blind consumerism is the perversion of this reality. It is a reality in which we cannot come to appreciate that which should not be consumed or used (things like women and children). If it cannot be used, it is looked over: 

There are men “…for whom a tree has no reality until they think of cutting it down, for whom an animal has no value until it enters a slaughterhouse, men who never look at anything until they decide to abuse it and who never even notice what they do not want to destroy” (Merton). 

While the stars remind us of our limitedness as we can only see their beauty, but cannot touch it, our world is filled with men who obsess over leaving this celestial ball for the consumption of another. We can no longer see our dependency on this earth as our reality, because we can think of nothing more than to consume it; so, we will have to find more and more to consume. Likewise, beauty is no longer a reminder of the goodness of a God beyond us, but a mark for consumption. 

It is only a small step then to abusing the beauty of humans, especially, but not limited to, women and children. After years and years of considering the value in things only by how well they can be used, it is no wonder we begin to forget that some beauty is simply meant to be appreciated and not consumed. If this is true, then this also speaks to our sense of self-worth, how we value our own existence. We no longer appreciate the gift of “being,” but only see our worth in what we “do.” 

So, women (and even our precious children) also get caught up in investing in the evil that leads to their own destruction. If men (and women) only value what they consume, women (and men), to find worth, give others more to consume. Dress becomes more and more revealing, giving men more to consume, and posing for pornography becomes a means to feel loved and valued, because, as we all know, many, many men will consume you if you put beauty out in such a way that it can be used, used, in this sense, for base gratification.

 Eventually, lusting for visions of shorter and shorter skirts no longer feeds the spirit of consumerism. We must see it all. Soon enough, “tasteful” nude shots no longer gratify this spirit, only the obscene. Then, there are men who reach the end of this pleasure, and they seek to touch and to physically consume this beauty, and sex trafficking has then been given more reason to exist. 

We are all guilty and in need of repentance, even if we do not consume what others may. We may only consume, without regret, food to excess, television to excess, or drink to excess, but it is all the same spirit. We are teaching each other that blind consumption is acceptable. Men, be protectors of beauty, not vicious consumers of it. Do not invest your consumption in the exploits of women (or children). You may feel that you harm no one simply sitting behind your computer screen, but you are lending to the machine that consumes the innocent. Women, protect your beauty and know your worth is in your being, not in how much you allow yourself to be consumed. Open your eyes that everyday life is beset by ethical decisions, that our interactions with the world are not non-moral. If we do not think, we may be unwittingly feeding the machine of our own destruction.

The Tragedy of Suicide and Christian Response...

My next few posts will be copy from a few of my Facebook statuses. I would like to have quick access to these thoughts before they get buried in my feed. This particular response comes from all the swirling debate concerning the tragic death of Robin Williams. The cause of death was determined to be suicide.

With all the tragedy in the world right now, arguing over the eternal state of a person who has committed suicide seems ludicrous (especially since this is an internal debate that makes us-Christians-all look petty). We have misplaced our theological efforts. Should we not be thinking about how our faith could bring less suffering to those around us, how our faith might make us more suitable for bringing relief, joy, and peace? 

We worry so much about others and whether or not they are right or wrong that we have little time to actually make our theology practical, to live out our beliefs of helping others, of being love, of reaching out to the oppressed. We should judge ourselves sometime if we are to judge anyone. But, since we (the social community) are talking about this issue, let me say this, just as food for thought. 

I suffered depression many years ago in my early years of college. It was a horrible experience. It feels like a lifetime ago, and, yet, at the time, it felt like it lasted a lifetime. It is easy to pick out persons who have never experienced depression. They are the ones who say things like, "Why don't you just figure out what is bothering you and work on it?" "You need to decide to be happier." "Don't focus on it." "Pray about it." 

The truth is that, if I knew what was wrong, I would have loved to fix it. Focus was often impossible. Deciding to just be happy is ridiculous. Why not just say the same to a grieving person? As for prayer, I probably did more praying in depression than ever before or after. I know that many who spoke this way were just trying to help, but real help doesn't come in trying to fix the person, but in walking with them, in being there for them, by listening to them, about showing true concern for them, about motivating the other to find real help (instead of pretending you know how to help), in understanding that you might not get what depression is and that's okay. 

I cannot tell you how relieved I was when a friend of mine just said, "I can't imagine, but let's talk about it." Chemical imbalance is real, and it is torture. It is like being eaten alive from the inside out. I do believe God can and does help heal, but suggesting that depression in someway makes the sufferer less "godly," or that one's own sin has to be the sole reason for depression, is ridiculous and callous. We live in a fallen world that causes all sorts of deficiencies in the human being. Chemical imbalance is not a special curse passed on the unrepentant sinner, but a real part of living in a broken world, just like cancer, AIDS, and heart disease. 

Our suffering can take us to dark places, to sinful places, places where we should not go. Christ revealed to us that sin in the heart is just as blameworthy as committed sin, and, in the darkness of my depression, I committed the sin in my heart of wishing I were not alive, of taking for granted the gift of life. So, perhaps I am just as guilty as the one's that acted upon his or her wishes. Thank God He offers forgiveness and healing. I needed that. I am glad to say that I did get help, and I am much better today. In fact, it was something God used, in time, to make me a better person, a much more understanding person for sure. I praise God for that. 

But, what about people who go to those dark places and don't make it out? I like what Dr. Ben Witherington III said in his recent blog post: "One of the things I would stress when we hear stories like this, especially about suicide, is that a person should never be judged by the worst moment or moments in their life, even if it is their last moment in this world. The Bible says nothing about suicide being some kind of unforgivable sin. Judging people on the basis of their worst moments is certainly not how Christ evaluated people. People should be evaluated at their very best, especially if it is a consistent part of who they are over a long period of time. It is of course not our job, even if you are a minister to makes some kind of final pronouncement about a person’s eternal destiny. Only God knows everything, including that." Amen, Doc. 

We are all blameworthy for so many things, and often these things are things we did when we felt hopeless, lost, fearful, and desperate, because we live in a world that can be so dark and tasteless. Therefore, we should be willing to be understanding, forgiving, and caring. This does not excuse our acts, especially wrongdoing against others. In fact, for any one who knew me in the days of my depression (early college) that remembers my acting like a total jerk to you, I ask for your forgiveness. It was a long time ago, and I do not remember all the people I hurt, but you might remember. I am sorry. I really am. But, again, we all need forgiveness. 

We all go to dark places at times. If you are a Christian, you are called to be salt and light. You do not have to judge. You do not have to fix everyone. All you must do is be light and salt, bringing sight of hope in the midst of the darkness of desperation and godly flavor to tasteless situations, and most often that is summed up in being loving. We are the temple of God, and when we want to see Him break into the darkness, perhaps we are the vessels He wants to use to do just that. He lives in us. So, let's not waste our time theologizing about the lost and the hurting as we sit at a safe distance from them. Let's take our theology and put it to work for the oppressed, the sick, the lonely, and all those desperate for love.

The Church and Culture Creating: Making changes that last…

I have referred to this before, but it is worth calling attention to once again. In his very popular song, “Waiting On The World to Change,” John Mayer suggests that the present generation of young people feels frustrated with trying to change the world for the better. Deep down, Mayer suggests, young people know that the system is corrupt and that calling for change in the present is close to hopeless. Therefore, we should not be seen as lazy when we complain about “the issues,” while doing little else to affect change. Instead, we are simply waiting our turn to be the ones in charge, and, then, we will make the difference.

I would have to agree with Mayer’s conclusion that “world change” is not a fight that can be won right now, but I do not agree with his solution, waiting for the levelheaded and enlightened youth to one day have a turn. The world will always be a corrupt place. Yet, this is no reason to admit defeat, as if, because the world around us is corrupt, no good can be done in the world. Perhaps, we are simply fighting the wrong fight. Is world change the right course?

The question is, “How do we do good?” For secularist, the only solution is to fix the world, because it is all we have. Again, I fear for this group that the world Mayer sees today will be the way the world is as long as this world exists. Christians, on the other hand, believe in a more permanent good, an ultimate good. Many Christians believe the best way to bless the world is to, in some way, impart this good upon the world itself. We have tried creating a Christian Nation. We have tried voting our views in place. We have tried social engineering. Can this work? Can the church “change the world”?

Indeed, the great irony with the North American Christian community's obsession with becoming world changers, as outsiders like Alan Wolfe and insiders like Ron Sider have documented, is that so far and on the whole we are much more changed than changing. The rise of interest in cultural transformation has been accompanied by a rise in cultural transformation of a different sort the transformation of the church into the culture's image.

(Crouch, 89)

As Christians, we must remember our relationship to the Kingdom, the Church, and the world, three separate, but interlocking political realities (poleis), three realities in which the Christian, in some way and by varying degrees, belongs.

It is true that Christ’s Kingdom is realized anywhere (including hearts) in which He fully reigns. The Kingdom of God is, of course, spread whenever persons accept Christ’s lordship, but it is also centralized—and we must not forget this fact—as the realm from which God reigns. That reality is transcendent, and, therefore, it is not to be understood as being fully accessible or fully here in this present age. Not until New Jerusalem touches down on the New Earth will the realms of humanity and the realm of God be fully united again. Until then, all Christians who are living (in this present life) have citizenry in New Jerusalem, but must live abroad in this world (Philippians 3:20, 21).

The world represents the realm of humanity, and, because of sin, a nation of the lost. It is the current realm in which we all live. We are born in a fallen realm, and, even when we are saved, we are left in this realm until we pass.  The world is a fleeting reality, because it is currently ruled by evil, and, yet, evil has already been defeated in the cross, which promises a final victory over evil. Thus, this world will pass. This age has a set date for closing. In the meantime, humans must try to do with the world what they can, because it is simply where we find ourselves. Thus, we continue to create government, laws, culture, homes, and so on.  The Christian, while a participant in this project, does not have his or her hope rest on this project. It is understood as temporary.

Even so, there is a sort of middle place, the church. The church is a diaspora, a polis without a geopolitical center. There are Christians in many, many nations; thus, our reality transcends boarders. The church is made up of all citizens of New Jerusalem that, even though we live, must die before we enter the full presence of the Lord (at least until consummation) and won’t be fully at home in the country of our citizenship until we enter New Jerusalem. The church can be understood as the sum of all those realities in which resident aliens (to borrow a term a title from Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon) take up the culture of the Kingdom while living in the world. Like the ethnic boroughs made up of dense foreign immigrants that take up space in large metropolises, we too make something of the space and time in which we live, importing cultural ways of being from the homeland. Like boroughs, we live distinctly different than the world around us, but we are still in the world that surrounds us and must in many ways move with it. Even so, we practice home life to remember where we truly belong and to share something of home with each other and our neighbors.

It is this taste of home that God plans to use to bring an allure to His way and His life (Matthew 5:14-16). When people of the world can see tangible aspects of the Kingdom of God by the actions of the Church, they too might want to take part, to give up their credentials of the world for citizenship in the Kingdom. As disciples, we have a longing to be participates in the Kingdom. Christians have what seems to be an insatiable appetite to leave their mark on the world, like scrawling one’s initials in the family stead as the framing goes up, we look to leave our own impressions.

However, if we want to leave our mark in a place that will leave a lasting impression, not just on the physical world, but on the hearts and minds of others, is a stud the place to do it? No. It soon enough is covered up. Leaving our mark on the world itself might be likewise foolish. This world will soon be covered up, and many realities come and go here in the world. The lasting realities are the church and the Kingdom to which the church belongs, and it is the church (not the fullness of the Kingdom), which the world can see. Thus, that is where we are to leave our cultural marks, in a place both lasting and visible.

At first, it might seem strange to say, “Keep your mark in the church,” but again, it is the life of the church itself that draws people out of darkness and into the light. We should be about and for the culture of the church for the sake of those dying in this world. If we want to leave an impression on people, culture is the place to do it, since culture, as we have already noted, overlaps the church and the world (we are here together and, therefore, in some ways, must move together). Therefore, if we wish to invest in cultural change, we must choose wisely how to do this. Again, I suggest we choose to create culture within the boundaries of the church for the sake of the world.

Investing in secular causes for the sake of justice might at times be appropriate, but we must remember that any change in the way the world works is fleeting. We have seen this reality time and again. Nations rise and fall. America might be a worthy investment, but it is only worthy to a point, because, whether we like it or not, the United States of America is not a lasting state. I can make investments in the home I rent, but it would be foolish to pay for any large scale change in this home, because it is not mine; it is not permanent. Going out to vote is not terribly costly. Lending our voice to our nation by writing our senators is not an unworthy action. But, investing all our time and money for “change” on large scale secular campaigns is, perhaps, unwise and, again perhaps, from a misunderstanding of our calling in this world:

From a Christian point of view, the world needs the church, not to help the world run more smoothly or to make the world a better and safer place for Christians to live. Rather, the world needs the church because, without the church, the world does not know who it is. The only way for the world to know that it is being redeemed is for the church to point to the Redeemer by being a redeemed people. (Hauerwas and Willimon, 94)

What people really need is not legislation or bust, but a more permanent solution, a place of belonging that promises that no matter what happens in this realm, citizens have permanent security. This is something that the secular world cannot promise, only the church. Shifting our thinking from investing our moral concern into the world at all cost and towards investing in the church regardless of the world’s movements, is a radical shift in perspective, but it is a more lasting cause.

What am I trying to say to you? If you are for helping the hurting, the oppressed, the hopeless, and the dying, don’t be about changing the city, state, country, or world around you as much as you are for investing in the life of your local church (and, perhaps, the church universal). Be a part of creating a culture that shows the people of your town that there is more to life than present comfort. There is a glorious calling to a way of being that is beyond this world.

-Andy Crouch. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling (Kindle Edition) p. 189

-Hauerwas, Stanely, William H. Willimon. Resident Aliens. (Nashville: Abingdon Press) p. 94

A Word to People Like Me: Passions and Talents

Concerning Passion and Talent…

First, I would like to say that God wants to use you, but He also wants to do so in His timing. This can be discouraging to many of us. Perhaps you are wresting with your purpose or you have a child that is struggling to find a place in this world. My advice, do not be discouraged by the wait. Second, once we do finally find our calling, we can become consumed by it. It becomes all we care about. Be on guard for hubris. Each person’s gifts are important, but they are not the be-all and end-all of God’s work and beauty in the world.

Part One: Take Heart.

When I was a child, I struggled with finding my gifting. I struggled in sports, I struggled in academia, I struggled in playing the piano and other instruments, and the list could go on. Compared to most of my peers, I proved to be a fairly good cartoonist (more of a doodler actually), but there were no competitions for me to practice for or to prove to myself that I had what it took to be ranked high with other cartoonists. No affirmation whatsoever…

I received no trophies or accolades, and my artistic passion never matured to painting or the like. Doodling is where it started, and doodling is where it ended (so far). I simply could not find an outlet for this talent where people would encourage and challenge me, and I was frustrated with myself, my direction, and with my God. I did not excel at cartooning or anything else for a long time, because I convinced myself I had nothing to which I could excel. For many years, I became apathetic.

But…

It might be quite a surprise to some of the men and women who taught me in my early years of education; however, I did eventually find myself passionate about learning. I did not have the raw talent to retain information like some of my peers. I never received an impressive SAT score, and my academic career never got much above average. I have never joined a collegiate or graduate honors program, and some of the papers that I have been most passionate about writing received lackluster marks. Even so, I gained a deep appreciation for knowledge and a desire to share my passion for knowledge as a teacher. Perhaps, I thought, this could be my calling.

It took a longer time for me to find a talent hidden within my being than some of my friends, and discovery of talent is only the beginning. Mastering a talent takes time. My passion soon found an area of interest to work with, theology. However, I look back with horror at some of my early attempts to teach. After fulfilling an invitation to speak at my home church in my college years, I asked my father to evaluate my work. He was kind, but suggested that I did not convey my thoughts very well. It was devastating to learn that I was not as great at this talent as I thought I might be. I had to learn a lesson that many talented people learn as children: Talent still needs to be made useful through practice.

I kept it up, but I have not even spent a decade in practice. So, I am still a somewhat rough work in progress. Even so, at the core of who God has created me to be lies a passion for teaching. God has identified His self in me as a God who is concerned with proper knowledge. He is walking with me down a path of wonderful discovery, as He is honing the rough edge of this gift into a fine edge. He has given me people who believe in me and challenge me to continue in my art. Over the past few years, I have been able to use my talent to great affect, and my confidence in this calling has risen to great heights. I praise God for His continual work in my life as He uses me to bless others.

So, if you are struggling, keep at it. Perseverance is key to God’s work. He has to shape us, and the molding of our being into His intended image is often painful. However, the more He works, the more time He takes, the more we allow Him to shape us in His mighty Hand, the more impact we will be able to have for His purposes. Thank Him for being so called that He would only reveal His gift to you after long wait. Jesus prepared thirty years for a three-year ministry. Take heart!

-TM

Part Two coming soon...

The Good Samaritan Revisited: A New Year's Message

I love that we have seasons. As time moves forever forward, seasons repeat themselves so that year-to-year we have some semblance of the past. Times is, as an English professor once told me, linear, yes, but not perfectly straight. It is more like a gyre, having regular ups and downs, a repeating pattern that makes time spiral, like a spring lying on its side.

And so it never fails. No matter whether we are ready for it or not, Christmas comes every year, and for many of us, Christmas is something we look forward to with great expectation and anticipation, because we know, from prior experience, that Christmas should be joyful. And why do we think this? We think this way because we are reminded of all the Christmases before.

Think about it like this: For those children that do have joyous Christmas expectations, the child’s first Christmas (that he or she can remember that is) is not nearly as fun as the next one and the one after that. Why? This is because they are looking forward to Christmas as being like last year. The past gives a frame of reference for the child so that expectations are made: “You mean that Christmas is going to happen again!” How could each year not be more exciting?

As adults, many of us are still just as excited as the children. We look forward to watching our own children open their gifts with wide-eyed wonder. We love some time off from work. We love the cozy comforts: Hot chocolate or Christmas blend coffees, fuzzy socks, ridiculous pajamas, and those movie reruns that give just the right ambiance to the family wondering about the house.

But, as much as we should celebrate the joy of the Christmas season, because God has chosen to give us such a great Gift, we cannot forget that the very reason for sending His great Gift, His only Son, was because of the sin and death that permeate our present world. And, as long as this present age continues, while the Lord patiently tarries for the lost, this world will have pain and suffering, toil and struggle, sin and death.

As a matter of fact, Christmas for many is an acute reminder of sorrow. All the Christmases in the world, for some, could never bring the joy we espouse as the reason for the season.  Christmas is a reminder that loved ones that are supposed to be here with us no longer are. Jobs and incomes that we had last year are gone. Friends and loved ones that were once close are now estranged. For these people, this is a season of depression, desperation, and loneliness.

But, for Christians, Christmas is more than just memories of our own past, and that is what makes Christmas so great for us, even in light of all the pain and suffering the season can bring. Christmas is that celebration of Christ’s coming to us. Like other Church seasons, Christmas is a time to remember the great acts of God in our past that promise that our future will be unlike our present, which is a good thing. In these times, we experience the gift of hope, which is like a memory, but imagines the future instead of the past. We become nostalgic for a time and place we know, but have never been. Hope is, therefore, not like saying, "Well, I hope it happens," but is more like saying, "I can't wait until it does."

For Christians, Christmas is a reminder of hope, hope for a day when the world will be put to rights (as N.T. Wright would say), a day in which all the pain and sorrow will be done away with, a day when the tears will be wiped from our eyes by no less than the hand of God. To the rest of the world, hope is an illusion. The only thing that is certain is death, waiting for each of us. We will all be swallowed up into oblivion.

Yet, for the Church, while we might not be able to articulate our joy all the time, we know it is there. It is spiritual, and it is more real than simple physical pleasures, although we cannot express them as we might tell a friend about how it felt to walk on the beach last night. Instead, it is like explaining sight to the blind, but, in this case, the blind want to deny your sight is real and are angered by your assurance that it is. And we should not be angry with these people for denying our joy or not wanting to recognize Christmas for what it is. We should realize that what their anger is a sign of their pain and lack of joy. Christmas joy is real, and it is restful and restorative. At least that is one of the blessing God decides to give to some of us during this time.

As I began to reflect on this reality—that Christmas is so restorative to some like me and not for some others—I began to reflect on the question, “Why? Why would God give me this gift? What is this blessing of rest for?” So, as I began to ponder this question and focusing on the resting aspect of the holiday that so many of us enjoy, I tried to put his gift into context.

So, as I reflected on biblical rest, I reflected on the familiar rest that God gives us each Sunday if we but take it, Sabbath rest, which is a reflection of that final rest with God we will all enjoy one day.  Rest in God is an experience of the future in the here and now, a time to rest in God. Christmas is an intensified Sabbath. Loved ones we have long missed surround us. We are excited about giving. We are excited about rest. It reminds us that our first assignment on earth was to rest. He created us on the sixth day and rested on the seventh. In other words, we rested to get ready, not to recharge. Rest is a sign of purpose, of a job yet to come. If God is giving you rest, you have to ask, “What for? What for, God?”

And, yes, we might call Christmas hectic, but you know how I know that many of us feel rested, even when we say things like, “But, I have to go here and then there. I have to buy all these last minute gifts for all these people. I have to cook for all these other people”? You know how I know it is restful regardless of some of the hustle and bustle? Because, only a week later, we are ready to do all these ridiculous things we call “New Year’s resolutions.”

Six months ago, the plans we are making for the New Year sounded absurd:

“I’m going to lose that fifty pounds.”

“I’m going to exercise at least an hour per day.”

“I’m going to spend at least two hours per night with the kids.”

And, yes, it might be because we are excited about a new year, but that seems so abstract for a real reason to feel (actually feel) it can be done, when at all other times of the year it seemed impossible. I think that for many of us, we feel like the impossible is possible, because we experienced the joyful rest of Christmas, and, as another Christmas passes, because, for now, Christmas joy cannot and will not last forever (there is still work to be done), we have to ask, “God, what is it that you have in mind?” The blessing of rest tells us that God has a purpose for us greater than the vanity project, greater than the self- growth, greater than “me.” We are asked to rest in Him so that we are ready to go and do His will.

So, perhaps a sensible thing to do with all the rest is to make a New Year’s resolution that is mindful that God gives us rest for more than rest’s sake. Perhaps a good New Year’s resolution is to simply say, “This year, God, I’m yours. My heart is open to what you have for me, because you obviously have something for me to do.”

However, let’s not let this turn into the sour resolutions of yesteryear, when we let the nonessentials become the essentials and the essentials fade away. Let us not try to make our resolution into something we find more manageable, as we inevitably do when the going gets tough again and the New Year proves to be as busy as the last. Isn’t this what we finally result to as the year progresses?

We say,

“Well, fifty pounds might have been a bit ambitious. I’ll shoot for ten.”

“Exercising an hour a day is too much. I’ll stop after thirty, and if I eat well, I might consider that good enough.”

“Spending two hours with the kids gives me little time to myself, maybe dinner at the table is good enough.”

Let’s not say to God later this year, “God, I gave you my heart, but you are asking too much. Give me a list, and I will fit you in. Yes, you are the one that gives me my days and my rest to do all the things I have to get done, but I have a life. Tell me what is enough for you, and I promise to do that.”

You know who this reminds me of. It reminds me of a person in Scripture. It reminds me of Jesus’ telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Now, I know I just wrote about this a few months ago, and my breakdown of the Scripture will be about the same as last time, but, in the last article about the Good Samaritan, we focused on the man who was beaten and left for dead. This time, I want to focus on the Lawyer. Now, if your brain is hurting, trying to remember if a lawyer was actually in the story, let me ease your mind. He was not. He was the man Jesus was telling the story to. He was the one that reminds me of me when I say, “God, give me a list!” And the whole point of the story Jesus tells is to shift our thought away from “The list,” away from the idea of “good enough.”

So, put yourself in the lawyer’s shoes, and let’s see what we can learn. Perhaps this will help you re-envision the way you think about doing well with a New Year’s resolution:

Let’s look at Luke 10:25-37:

²⁵ Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Just to set this lawyer’s challenge up, let me mention what has just happened in the previous verses. Jesus has just sent seventy (or seventy-two depending on the translation) disciples into the cities He is about to visit to prepare His coming. They have come back with great reports about the receptiveness of the people in these cities. Jesus then turns to the twelve and they are celebrating.

Obviously, this lawyer does not know what is going on, but he sees this rabbi with His disciples celebrating, and He undoubtedly knows of Jesus and apparently wants to burst His bubble. A lawyer and a rabbi debating was not an uncommon scene in this world. As a matter of fact, this debate style here in this passage is very common, and I am going to be pointing out the various practices throughout.

A lawyer and a rabbi both had to know the Torah, the first five books of the Bible known as the Law. Israel not only read the Bible to shape their spiritual lives, but their civil lives as well. So, the lawyer would be an expert in the law for civil reasons, to be able to discuss law in the courtroom so they could shape peoples’ civil lives. Likewise, the rabbi would be an expert in the law to show His followers how to shape their spiritual lives in light of God’s will. It was not uncommon for a match of wits between these two types of people to form.

The lawyer’s question here, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” is really a challenge to Jesus to boil down the discipline to its most basic core. Essentially, the lawyer is saying, “You think you know the law so well, see if you can sum it up for me. What is the big point?” And, as we all know, a person does not challenge another to a debate unless they think they already know the answer. Note Jesus’ response:

 ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”

In Israelite society, many questions were answered with a question. This is still the case today in Jewish society. This was another part of this common debate. Jesus is accepting the challenge by putting the ball in the lawyer’s court, giving Him the chance to share his big idea. 

²⁷ He [the lawyer] answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 

Do you recognize the answer here? It is the same answer Jesus gives in Matthew 22, an answer that impresses everyone. Jesus was asked to sum up all 613 commandments into one, and He does so with the same answer the lawyer gave above.

Now, if you are like me, you might be impressed with this lawyer. He must be close to the Kingdom, right? We might not have liked him at the beginning of the story for trying to burst Jesus ‘ bubble, but now it seems they are on the same page.

²⁸ And he [Jesus] said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

Wow. Jesus says the lawyer is right. Of course he is, but notice what else Jesus says: “Do this, and you live.” This is a challenge. Jesus is saying, “You have answered correctly, but are you practicing what you preach?

Again, this is a common practice for the Jewish people. If you want to see another example of this, see the conversation between Nathan the prophet and King David. In 2 Samuel 12:1-15, Nathan tells David something. He says that there was a rich man with a lot of sheep and a poor man with only one lamb. A visitor came to see the rich man, and, as is custom, the rich man had to prepare a lamb for the man. But, instead of taking from one of his many sheep, he takes the poor man’s lamb and cooks it.

David is enraged, and calls for this man’s life. That is when Nathan says, “You are that man.” In other words, Nathan says, “David, you know what is right, but you do not practice it.” David had a whole kingdom and could marry any virgin he chose, but instead, he took Uriah’s only beloved wife and killed Uriah to have her. David is immediately convicted and repents.

Likewise, Jesus says, in essence to the lawyer, “You speak correctly, are you acting on what you say?”

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

This is proof that the lawyer sees Jesus command, “do this,” as a challenge. The Bible says the lawyer wants to defend his self.

And this is where I see myself so clearly. He wants Jesus to give him specifics to the job. He is thinking, surely I cannot help everyone. So, who is it. The guy next door, the guy two doors down: “How far do I have to go, Jesus, before you’re happy?”

So, he asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Now, remember, when the lawyer says we are to “love our neighbor,” the lawyer quoted Leviticus 19:18. This verse clearly is speaking about a fellow Jew. So, in essence, the lawyer is saying, how many Jews do I have to help? He has a checklist, and wants to see if his matches Jesus. He might be able to say to Jesus that he is already doing all of this.

I have often brought my checklists in unwittingly. One of my favorite verses is Jesus’ proclamation to the Church, the body of believers, that they will preach in all of Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in all of Samaria, and, finally, to the ends of the earth. The concentric circles starts at home and move to the farthest reaches. Sometimes I pat myself on the back because I serve in Brunswick, in the county I live, at a downtown ministry. I serve in Claxton, a couple hours away, by teaching on radio, I serve on the reservation, on the other side of the country, by pastor training, and I serve people in Peru and Africa by financial support, and sometimes, in my mind, I think I have completed the check list of Acts 1:8, but that is not the point. The lawyer and I are asking how far is far enough, how much is good enough, and Jesus turns us away from our checklists.

This is where Jesus turns up the heat.

³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 

A few things to point out here: The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was known to be dangerous. The robbers did not strip the man simply to be cruel. Clothing was a sign of wealth and was costly. It would be something to steal. Finally, Jesus says he was left half dead. This would be to say the man appeared lifeless.

³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

A priest had to be ritually clean to perform his duties. Touching a dead body would make him unclean. So, he does not want to get down to check to see if the man is alive. His religious duty kept him from helping. He thought to himself, “Well, I help hundreds (if not thousands) of people day in and day out get right with God. I serve people. In a week I serve more people than most will serve in a lifetime. Here is one, perhaps dead, man. But, if I stop now, I will have to spend time with this guy and become ritually clean (perhaps), which will prohibit my work with so many others. What is one guy in light of my checklist of many?”

But, notice: He is said to be going “down” the road. In our day, we might say we are going up to Savannah or down to Jacksonville (that is if you live where I do. We mean we are heading north or south, but in this day, going up or down meant elevation. Jericho is downhill from Jerusalem.

The priest worked in Jerusalem. He wasn’t even on his way to serve the people as priest. He had time to get ritually clean if need be. Instead, he not only passed by, but also he is said to have passed by on the other side. The Pharisees believed that even if one’s shadow touched something unclean, the person would be made unclean. In the priest’s mind, he helps hundreds of people by mediating between them and God, taking broken lives and making them whole. Here is just one man; he has a duty to so many more. Even if he wasn’t heading to work, he would have to take time out of his day to cleanse before he could serve as priest again.

³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

A Levite had even less reason to worry about ritual cleanness. He was a temple worker, not a priest. But, likewise, he passes by

³³ But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 

Two good Jews have now passed by. We know they are good Jews because they want to stay clean for the sake of their job serving others. Cleanliness was their religious sense of duty. Now comes a Samaritan. Not only was a Samaritan not a Jew, but Jews and Samaritans hated each other. But, in his heart, he is moved to pity.

³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

This verse shows that the Samaritan went to great length, sharing his valuables to heal the man. He also gave of his time, forfeiting his ride on an animal to walk the hurt man into town. He also took care of him over night, giving up on his sleep. Valuables, time, and sleep, all given up for the sake of a person this man did not know, who was not on his agenda for the day.

³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 

In fact, he goes above and beyond helping. He is willing to go to whatever length to serve.

³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 

Remember the lawyers question: He is asking how far a good Jew must go to help a neighbor in need, and Jesus responds with this parable to suggest that it is not about being a good Jew. The priest and Levite were good Jews, but terrible neighbors. There is no checklist. It was about the heart.

³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus did not have to hear the lawyer’s response after this. His question (who is my neighbor; tell me what’s good enough) had proven he was already wrong; Jesus parable only brought the lawyer’s flaw to light. For the lawyer, a checklist was good enough. Likewise, the priest and Levite had their lists. The Samaritan did not have a list, but an open heart. He had pity. He was open to the appointment God had set up for him that day. And that is how we need to think about our saying, “God, I’m yours.” We need to say, God, I’m waiting for whatever purpose you have for me, whatever divine appointment you have for me. Your purposes are bigger than mine, and, because I am me and You are You, I cannot predict or imagine what you have in mind, a list just won’t work. My heart is open.

And now a word to those who are hurting, to those who are saying, “Being rested and ready for God is well and good, but my Christmas was not a joyous rest. I am in pain. I am suffering. I am the one who you talked about when you said all the Christmases in the world would not bring the joy that they should.” To you, I have something short to say:

Jesus is for you. This is what He demonstrates in His parable. While the world passes you by, and all those people who are supposed to care are too busy to notice, Jesus' eye is on you. His heart is open to you. His ministry, as He has shown in the story He told above, is emphatically for those in need and in pain. He is the one who said that those who mourn will be comforted. Your future, the future His gift promises you, is a future in His arms, resting in His bosom. I hope that you can find joy in reflecting upon what He has done (and is doing for you). The acts of Christ in the past (and today) promise that your future will not be like your present. Your destiny is enveloped in Christ’s joy.

Maybe you are thinking, “Well, I have not had anything devastating happen to me or anything, but I certainly did not have a season of rest.” I have this little bit of good news for you. The only work that is essential is the work God has assigned you. Yes, that includes (more than likely) your occupation.  But, if you are too busy to do what He has for you to do, including ministering to those in need, you are too busy. He gives us permission to rest from the work He gives us (every Sunday, or what ever Sabbath day you take). It is His gift to you. And if you are feeling encouraged to give your heart to God, don’t jump off the starting block running. You will tire out. Be sure to rest first. You have to be poured into by God before you can have anything available to poor out.

And let’s all be prepared to open our hearts to God’s love. He has a purpose for you, a purpose to spread His love to all those in need. Remember that for some, only God’s grace will bring them joy and renewal, and you might just be the means of grace He wants to use. Forget the lists and wait on Him; He sets divine appointments for us all. It is often because we are too busy to notice. Let your heart slow down this year. Don’t be too busy for Love.

Happy New Year and bright blessings upon you in 2014,

-Tab