The Glory of Me

I found this post on The White Horse Inn website and thought it was so clever. It is a very pointed criticism of modern Christianity and its emphasis on M-E. Instead of the belief that it's not about you, we are told it is entirely about you, 100% raw individualism. Jesus is your best friend and has a picture of you on his iPhone. While that is certainly true, Jesus does love you, the fact of the matter is is that He is more than that. He is not a therapy coach or Dr. Phil, He came here to set the entire universe right. He came here to bring the cosmos into balance, which also includes you. He came here to bring wholeness to all of the world, both in terms of animate and inanimate object. That is what the resurrection is about, it is about bringing new life.

So to reiterate, it is not about you or me. He wants to bring you into a sweeping narrative of redemption that includes setting humanity right. I am thankful for the reminder that it is not about me, but about being made whole within God's unfolding story.

Life with Emotion

I was watching the movie Equilibrium the other night and was struck by the beauty of life. This beauty I pass by on a daily basis, neglecting the majesty and mundane things of life. I do not stop and look at the remarkable mountains that border the county. I do not take advantage of gazing into the deep, blue sea, staring out into the horizon. How often do I walk through the majestic groves of trees or contemplate the absolute beauty of a small flower? Not nearly often enough.

What would it be like without emotion? What would it be like to live without laughter, anger, love, hatred or shame? It would be hell. To have no feeling as Barber’s Adagio for Strings is playing? To not have feelings towards a Monet painting or a Michelangelo sculpture? To have no emotion would be an awful way to live. If I should have another day, it would best be spent in constant amazement of little things, like the chirping of the birds and the brilliance of the sun.

I am fortunate to be greeted almost every morning by a hummingbird. She flaps her wings and hovers by a bush, and all I can do is smile. Smile that God blessed me with little objects and acts. Small beautiful gifts that remind me that one day things will be made right. One day things will be rectified.

Magnificent

I have been captivated by U2's song Magnificent for awhile now. I have tried to discover why I relate to the lyrics and have a new theory. I think the reason why the lyrics capture me is the constant cry for something beyond myself, a cry for something more than my own self absorbed life. It plugs me into something greater, "I was born I was born to be with you." (Or as St Augustine would say, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.") This song prompts me to connect to a story, a story that infuses me with purpose and vision, a story that comes from the Magnificent. What lyric has captured your attention these days?

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Surprised by Hope

I recently discovered N.T. Wright and have just finished his book 'Surprised by Hope'. His ideas are so basic and yet so profound that I have been reminded about truths that I have overlooked. We as a society have been so influenced by Greek philosophy that even Evangelicals mix-up the theology of Paul with the philosophy of Plato.

I highly recommend you buy the book and slowly read through it with a deliberative, open heart. If you do not want to purchase the book, whet your appetite with this article from ABC. I also found this video of Bishop Wright on 'The Colbert Report' (I know, I know) and thought he did an excellent job of explaining the premise of the book to Mr. Colbert.

So many thoughts

I wish that I could recount in this space what I have been discovering in the past few months. I am documenting constant revelations in my trusted Moleskine, and as I thumb through the worn pages I cannot help but smile. I feel as if large blocks of grand skyline have been torn down inside my mind, crumbling ruins surround me. Dilapidated skyscrapers that once held prominent ideas and concepts from my youth, ideas of politics and theology, concepts of relationships and presuppositions, all have been destroyed. These things have always been a part of me, until now.

I have taken a shovel to a mental hill and an axe to my former thoughts. Ruins are great, if they are then cleaned up and planted with something else. Small seeds will be scattered and sown in the once foreboding tangle of thorns that was in my mind. I hope that those ideas will be rooted in the resurrection and in the Kingdom. If they are not, then all the pain has been for naught!

All I know is that amidst the glorious wreck of my theological and political identity I can smile, because it is glorious ruin.

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See, Surprised by Hope for more iconoclastic ideas

Origins of Moral Value

I stumbled upon this question on a website and was stunned by the findings:

Q. What is the ultimate origin of moral value?

Final Results
200 user(s) polled.

1. God 17.5%
2. Nature 23%

3. Culture 38%

4. Other 21.5%

The reason that I found this astounding is because of the implications of this are so profound. The ultimate origin of moral value was seen by 38% of those polled to be culture. All cultures, regardless of their values, are equal. The cultures promoting peace are the same as those promoting imperialism. Slavery and abolition are of the same essence, since after all, moral value (albeit separate moral values and separate ends) were derived from their culture. Who am I to say that one is right and one is wrong? Who am I to say that Communism is inferior to a republican form of government? Both derived their own moral value from their respective cultures.

Secondly, all moral value could come from nature. That means the natural order of things (read, Darwinian evolutionary theory) comes from "progress" and domination. I look around and nature says that the strongest survive. Social Darwinism and Eugenics surely follow closely behind on the heels of this theory.

Thirdly, other is the origin of all moral value. What could 'other' mean? Perhaps it means from extraterrestrials? It could mean it is derived from the automobile? Seriously though, what other possibilities could there be? Other is just an out for people who are too timid to say what's on their mind.

Finally, the ultimate origin of moral value could come from God. One of the reasons from my Top 10 list "Why I believe in God" would have to be that if there is no God, then there are no rights. Where would our rights to liberty come from? If they came from culture, then culture can change those original assumptions. As a theist, I firmly fall in this camp. There are absolutes in this world (besides, to say that there is no absolute laws in the world is itself absolute...). There is Truth in this world. There is a reason for living in this world. This came in the form of the Word becoming incarnate. Quite honestly, I don't know how else moral values can come into this world except through that pathway.

I am still in complete shock by the winner of the poll. We are talking about the ultimate origin of all moral value coming from cultures, regardless of their stance. Yet, why should this outcome surprise me?

Lessons from Machiavelli and Ferris Bueller

Recently I have tried to start digging into the classics of the Western World. Reading through a few of the great authors of Europe, I have realized certain themes and ideas that permeate our modern society. However, I do not want to bore you with those concepts here (at least for today's post). Instead, I want to challenge you with a picture from the great political thinker Niccolò Machiavelli's life. Machiavelli loved Florence and the political scene within its walls. However, he was forced out of that beloved atmosphere and he chose a life of exile at his family's farm. The farm, within view of the dome of the cathedral, was the place that he spent a portion of his life, taking up chores and tasks around the property. In the mundane nature of manual labor (I'm not blasting manual labor, I love Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs!), this political thinker used that time to his advantage. Machiavelli mused on the political atmosphere during the day and studied his books in the evening. He wrote, thought, and immersed himself in the political realities of the day even though his situation was less than ideal for him.

The period of Machiavelli's life reminded me about the necessity to live wholly during the seasons of your life, even if they are tough. I once heard a sermon about the nature of humanity to perpetually want the next best thing in life. As a child you will want to go to high school, then you will want to attend college, then you will want to date someone, then you will want to be married, then you will want to have kids, then you will want the kids to move out, then you will want grandkids, then you will want retirement. Unfortunately, by the time you have retired, you will then realize that you want to be a kid again! Besides the fact that this is entirely exhausting, this lifestyle misses the entire point of life. Even during the season of want and plenty, we ought to enjoy those times and take advantage of the unique opportunities that they afford. Even in the darkest storm, there could be a small sliver of opportunity for your growth. Perhaps this current season of your life has provided you a chance to perform that goal. Even though Machiavelli wanted to be in the bustle of Florence, he took advantage of the quiet evenings to expand his knowledge. Even though you look forward to the next step in life, you should take advantage of life right now. All we have is this season, who can ever tell what next month will bring?

In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Seasons of our lives provide times to grow and it is incredibly easy to miss it. Keep your eyes open and enjoy each season of your life.