Going Nuclear

I've had a number of discussions with a friend over the past few months. It is our observation that people so easily go 'nuclear' over ordinary matters and common disagreements in everyday life. Road rage is a good example...a driver doesn't accelerate fast enough from a red light or accidentally changes lanes too close to the driver just behind and beside him. The 'offended' person goes ballistic at the provocation and looks immediately to some form of 'justifiable' retribution.

Unfortunately, this behavior is not limited to the pagan population in America. I have witnessed some of the worst, most dysfunctional and 'nuclear' behavior by those in whom I placed a great deal of trust. Betrayal by a spouse (or child) is, I know from personal experience, the hardest to bear. Betrayal by one who is your shepherd, your pastor or your elder follows as a close second. Disagreements in life are inevitable. But we has Christians have a different standard when confronted with those disagreements. We are commanded to handle them in a 'higher' manner. And namecalling is not one of them. Rather than, "...go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses...", I have witnessed a 'nuclear' attack. They drop the 'H' bomb. Heretic!

Can't we, as reasonable, God-fearing men with our Bibles opened, just disagree on those issues over which we are at liberty to disagree without one of the parties going ballistic? Without using the 'H' word?

Matthew 23 contains some of those 'red-hot scorching words' noted in my previous post for leaders who speak one way and live another...who hold others to a standard that they themselves are unwilling (perhaps unable) to meet. "...Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."

The Power of Paradox

I love this quote from James S. Stewart, considered by some to be among the finest preachers of the twentieth century. Born in 1896 and died in 1990, he taught New Testament Language, Literature and Theology at the University of Edinburgh (New College). He also served as Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland and as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He authored a number of books, including Heralds of God, The Strong Name, and A Man in Christ. I have heard Ravi Zacharias use this quote in several of his sermons.

In his book The Strong Name, Stewart speaks of Christ with words that touch upon some of the many paradoxes of Jesus himself, and thus, the paradoxes of the Christian life. They are, at once, both powerful and personal: "He was the meekest and lowliest of all the sons of men, yet he spoke of coming on the clouds of heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at his coming yet He was so genial and winsome and approachable that the children loved to play with Him and the little ones nestled in His arms. No one was half so kind or compassionate to sinners yet no one ever spoke such red-hot scorching words about sin… His whole life was love. Yet on one occasion he demanded of the Pharisees how they ever expected to escape the damnation of hell… He saved others but at the last, Himself He did not save. There is nothing in history like the union of contrasts which confront us in the Gospels. The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine personality."

Thou shalt not?

A friend of mine described a snippet of a conversation with a church-going, professing- Christian neighbor. The neighbor actually chided my friend for being so naive as to believe that the 10 Commandments were meant to be obeyed all the time.

You mean they're not? You mean we get a pass some of the time? We can pick and choose appropriate times to be obedient? We can decide which are the suggestions and which are the commandments? Wow! What a deal!

Just exactly what does, "Thou shalt..." and "Thou shalt not...", mean? Jesus said it perfectly and clearly, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments....If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." -John 14:15, 23-24

Doesn't seem to leave much wiggle room--does it?

Disenrolled, Disenchanted and Disagreeable

I read a letter yesterday from parents who were withdrawing their children from a particular school. Their complaint, and the majority of their two-page letter, centered on the direction of the school and a diatribe directed at certain church leaders who don't even live in this county. In fact, those men don't even live in this state. Apparently those church leaders have offended these folks in some way and think that they somehow hold sway over the school. It's quite sad, actually.

Further, this family has made blanket charges against these men with no explanation and no evidence. Anybody can do that. Whatever happened to "two or three witnesses?" The Bible is clear in Proverbs 18:17, "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." These people have become just what they are accusing these other men of being. Is this the way Christians are supposed to behave? Toward one another? As far as I know, these folks have never met, spent any time with or listened directly to the accused. Furthermore, no church court has tried either of these men, much less found them guilty of anything. My guess is that this family has read the internet accounts from their detractors' rantings, entertained the gossip of others equally as ignorant and made their judgment based on that.

Christians! Where is the grace? This has got to stop! We have to do better than this! We are thus commanded, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - I John 4:11