The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

My personal Christmas season perspective was forever changed a few years ago, after reading a book that seemingly has very little to do with Christmas at all. "Through the Gates of Splendor," written by Elisabeth Elliot, shares the story of five young missionary men who were killed in Ecuador, in January 1956 by a very violent tribe of Ecuadorian Indians...commonly called "Aucuas," whom this group of five missionaries had worked very hard to establish contact with. The missionaries were actually brutally hacked to death by machetes they had supplied to this tribe as a gift to help make their lives in the jungle easier and establish a connection through which these missionaries would carry the Gospel to this remote tribe of Indians we would now refer to as "unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

On December 18, 1955 Nate Saint had typed out the words to provide insight into why this team of 5 had chosen to risk their lives, even refusing to use the firearms they had with them to protect themselves against a possible attack from the Aucuas. Here is what Nate Saint prophetically wrote that has permanently "ruined" this time of year for me...ruined from a comfortable American perspective that is!

"As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurdle headlong into the christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May god give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility."

                                                      

                                                      Nate Saint, speared and machetied to death less than a month after writing

While I WILL enjoy time with family and many of the traditional elements which accompany the Christmas season, I also carry a sense of restlessness and disillusionment over the tragic irony of my nation's celebration of this season. A holiday defined by the hope of salvation for the world through the coming of Jesus has been hijacked by cultural trappings, even within our churches, that have very little to do with advancing this HOPE through Jesus to those who "hurdle headlong into the christless night." We are even told now that Christmas is "TOO Christian." ???

So, to any who take the time to read my less than joyful, somewhat somber post, I humbly offer a challenge. Should we who are Christians not seek to make THIS Christmas season truly the MOST wonderful time of the year by passionately sharing the ultimate message of Christmas this season and positioning ourselves NOW to strategically advance the Gospel in 2017 through missional involvement in our communities, our state/nation as well as to the world that has still yet to hear the TRUE message of Christmas?While busy planning get-togethers with family, navigating a hectic church calendar, and trying to avoid as many of the holiday calories as possible...I am expectantly planning a busy year of 2017 opportunities advance the Gospel. A year from now, wouldn't Christmas truly be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year if you celebrated with the knowledge you and I had impacted eternity for those currently without Christ!

Tolerance...or Intolerance, when is either the right thing?

Found myself being very intolerant in public last night. Like alot of families, my wife and I had a busy day that carried over into the evening...work, working out, going to watch a friend's son as well as several of our church member's boys play football. Needless to say, neither of us had time to cook supper and a young adult we love was in town and both of us wanted to see her and catch up. So, a local favorite Mexican restaurant sounded good, easy, and relatively cheap. This particular place had a small "bar" (about enough room to turn around in, with soccer on a flat screen and loud music...actually the loud music filled the entire restaurant!) Most of my friends and people who live in my community who bother to read this will identify this place, so I'll just leave it at that!

I recognized a few songs, as most middle aged people who are empty nesters after having teenagers for several years can attest! After we had gotten our tea, salsa and chips (which were pretty stale, I might add), a popular rap song came on, one that I knew had  particularly explicit language. What can I say, I hear my kids listening to music and I'm going to check out the lyrics. Especially when it's edited because I know they'll eventually intentionally or unintentionally hear the UNedited version! So, I knew when to listen as to whether this one was edited or not. Well, about the time the edits were SUPPOSED to kick in, I shockingly realized there were no edits as the young lady sitting beside my wife and I made eye contact, shaking our heads. This song's chorus goes like this, "To the windows, to the walls..." yea, those who've heard it know what comes next!

As I heard these words, perplexed as to whether to walk out, ignore the music...practice tolerance of the "hip hop culture," etc. I actually had a surreal moment of just looking over the restaurant for about 10 seconds. I saw families with preschool and elementary aged kids, teenage couples (one actually singing along...SMH), senior adults and the restuarant employees actually smiling, singing and dancing to the song. Whether right or wrong, I immediately went to the manager...who was in the bar and no doubt either heard or allowed the song, and asked him to turn the music off, actually saying, "people didn't come here to listen to that trash!" Haha, guess I had had enough, maybe a little tired, not thinking rationally, frustrated over the stale chips...whatever! Instantaneously, I realized I had come across as angry, maybe a little imposing as I was still in workout clothes, but at that point, I was committed  to leave if he said no or brushed me off. He turned it off, somewhat ashamedly.

Now, I'm not big on us Christians boycotting this and that, sticking our heads in the sand, alienating ourselves, and constantly bashing our culture, but after eating/leaving said restuarant, I could not help evaluate my decision and behavior. Pretty sure I was right, but certainly do not want to be labeled "holier than thou." But, after thinking, maybe OVERthinking this incident, I believe the struggle over tolerance and intolerance is creating much of the discord in our present society. When is tolerance the correct reaction? When do situations, behaviors, lifestyles, etc. become so offensive, not only to us personally but to society in general, that we become intolerant and say enough is enough? What determines whether something is offensive or not? What worldview does the restaurant manager possess that allows them to deem this type of music accceptable for a family restaurant, and how do we engage these worldviews as Christ would have us to? With the go along to get along, live and let live approaches we've been told is MOST Christlike, or the approach Jesus used when he cleared the Temple and even angrily rebuked those closest to him for simply preventing children from approaching Him? To me, the struggle between tolerance and intolerance is shaping alot of the cultural conflicts and even the 2016 Presidential election in the US and how we handle this tolerance/intolerance tension will likely determine whether our country survives. The trajectory of the culture our children and grandchildren grow up in, and what God ultimately says about the American church and each of us as Christians, is at stake.

I guess for me, I've kind of set a precedent for myself...I'm now obligated to request disgusting music be turned off. I'm aware this may offend, probably eliminate potential lunch meetings with friends, family, etc., who knows...some of you may walk out of a restaurant when this old "stick in the mud" comes in, but perhaps many are simply wanting to speak up but choosing to remain silent due to the struggle over tolerance or intolerance, and afraid to stand up for what's right...or what YOU deem to be right. A good question to ask, is "What would oru grandmothers have us do?" I think it's relatively simple. We are compelled to be intolerant over the issues that plagued our nation in the past...racism, bigotry toward anyone we do not identify with in general, but we are more and more being asked to be tolerant of elements in our culture which have traditionally been unacceptable...in our homes, churches and even in our entertainment. We certainly must carefully determine when tolerance or intolerance is the correct choice, but we must be willing to be viewed as politically incorrrect, intolerant prudes when so much is at risk in our society, and for the next generations.

So, I know the rap songs to be intolerant about...guessing the rest will not be so easy and clearcut!

The Rude Awakening

This past week, I found myself with an especially busy morning and did not have the time to eat a moderately healthy breakfast before leaving home. So, I compromised and decided it would be ok to go through a drive thru window at Chik fil A for once a month chicken biscuit. As I joined the two lines (which merge into one, usually without incident, after ordering) I placed my order to the always friendly employee and tried to navigate whether I should be the first to merge into the one lane or the car in the other ordering lane, which is occasionally awkward. I guess since I was really looking forward to my biscuit, I was in a good mood and completely ok with allowing the car full of grade school age kids being driven by what appeared to be a stressed out mom go ahead of me.

As I paused, I received a RUDE awakening, the vehicle behind me blew their horn. My mood immediately transitioned from patient, happy driver anticipating a spicy piece of chicken stuffed between a warm biscuit to the one I try to resist. You know the one, the one where you get in your vehicle determined to drive like Jesus would before becoming defensive when the driver behind me blows their horn, follows too closely, revs their engine, etc. Well, THAT mood temporarily won and I checked my rear view mirror to see just who this jerk was who dared honk at me for trying to be a gentleman. Well, was I surprised! The "jerk" was someone's grandmother, looked to be 70 or older, grey hair, just barely able to see over the steering wheel, giving me the "what's your problem, double holding up of the hands" gesture and shaking of the head I often receive from much a much younger driver. I was initially amused, laughed it off, and enjoyed my spicy chicken biscuit as I merged into the considerate, patient, subdued early morning interstate traffic flow.

At some point during the day I had another brief smile, recalling the Chik fil A moment, wondering whose grandmother had directed some road rage at me in the drive thru lane this morning. As I've been burdened over the presidential race in the US which has become driven by personal attacks and disrespect toward other candidates, a sports culture where disrespecting the other team, coaches, fans (even toward those cheering for YOUR team) and especially officials is acceptable...from the youth through the professional leagues, and the general rudeness I witness and encounter in all facets of American culture these days. What was initially a funny, fast food drive thru encounter became another symptom of our increasingly rude and disrespectful culture.

Of course, everything I interpret in our world is through the lenses of my Christian worldview, but even so it seems that even among  brothers and sister in Christ, we Americans are simply more rude than in past years. This rudeness is magnified by the racial tension, immigration issues, widening moral values, and, currently, political perspectives. One of the major political candidates has owned the phrase, "We're going too make America great again." Early in our nation's history,  French philosopher Alexis De Tocqueville visited the US to determine just how our nation had actually broken away from the British Empire and flourished since doing so. His conclusion is a haunting reminder and hopefully a wake-up call for all of us. De Tocqueville concluded, "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." 

"Come on and go with us"

This invitation from friends, especially from my teenage and early adult years, still troubles me from time to time. Sometimes I said ok, sometimes I said no. Most of the time I knew "where they were going," other times I was in for a surprise...or a shock. I'm thankful for the times I said no and found out later that my friends had gotten themselves in trouble. I carry regret with me over the times I said yes, "went along to get along," went along for the sake of not "losing friends" or being considered a loser, nerd, or a ...uh, let's just say my "friends" had some pretty creative and colorful names for those who chose NOT to "go with them" at times.

As I've matured (a word I prefer over aged these days, haha), I've often pondered how much more remorse I'd carry or how many more regrets I'd have if I'd jumped in the car more when 'they' said "go with us" instead of standing in my driveway, feeling like a loser and social reject as my 'friends' drove off laughing at me and calling me those colorful names. Now, friends who say "come go with us" isn't nearly as risky...unless it has to do with going to eat at a buffet, get some ice cream, or shopping for hunting gear! Hahaha. I've also pondered what all this has to do with my walk with Christ. Particularly, in an age when it's pretty popular among Christians to consider oneself "Spirit filled," "walking in His Presence," basically, claiming that our lives are controlled, even affirmed by God.

Two passages really trouble me when it comes to God's presence, one applying to an individual and the other to a nation. In Judges 16:20, the writer of Judges made this terrifying statement about Samson, a man's man, a warrior and leader who had forfeited God's presence in his life for sexual immorality..."he did not know that the Lord had left Him." In 1 Samuel 4:21, a baby born to a mother who died in birth was named Ichabod, meaning "the Glory (God's presence) has departed from Israel." As troubling as these two cases are, God never leaves us without hope! In Ephesians 5:18, Paul instructs us to "Be filled with the Spirit," the original language literally charging us to "be being kept filled." Being "filled with the Spirit" is also passive in that we only submit to this filling, we don't control it. A passage that facilitates our being in a "being kept filled" position is Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." 

What does this have to do with my "Come and go with us" life lesson? According to some of the guys who challenged me to ride with them, our "friendship" hinged upon my willingness to go and participate in what was often partying-beer drinking, occasional weed smoking, and almost always sex with girls (or trying to find one who 'would').  I do not claim to be a saint, that I didn't go with them a time or two, nor do I condemn anyone (including my friends) who made these choices. At the risk of coming off prideful or condescending, I have realized that who I am would have been compromised if I'd have jumped in the car or truck every time they said, "Come go with us."

My sincere question, and this comes from a heart desiring to please my Lord and speak truth to friends/anyone else who cares to read, is "Can we really claim to be 'Spirit filled,' to be 'walking in His presence' without being people who allow the 'word of Christ to dwell in us richly?" I'm concerned that claiming God's presence has become a cliche in Christian circles, a comforting social media post, and spiritual lingo among American Christians. If I sincerely evaluate my life according to His word, I must ask myself a sobering question, and invite any readers of this to do the same, "Can God go with us, with me, with you?" "Has the Lord/His Glory departed from me, from us?"