“I wish you were as right about what you are saying as you are passionate while being wrong.”
Are you having Kingdom focused dialogues with others online? Passions run hot on social media; followers of Christ have an opportunity to bring truth into the equation. This blog provides examples (some good, some not as good) of my endeavors to highlight what’s true so as to point to the Truth. Before doing that, here’s a life tip shared by a longtime friend. “If something big happens, in a bad or traumatic way. Take a deep breath and wait 6 hours before posting it. Give it time to settle, maybe the world doesn’t need your thoughts written in a bad moment. Maybe it doesn’t need to know them all.”
Example One:
Friend: “I have never felt comfortable calling myself a Christian. Firstly, I am nothing like Christ. For none are good; believe me my thoughts are evil. I know. I live with myself every day. Secondly, I see myself as the best..bad example on how to live according to the Word of God. What did they call each other? Brothers/sisters in Christ. Saints. Disciples. Sinners. Bronco fans. I may have made that last one up.”
Me: “I think you can cut yourself some slack. Acts 11:26 teaches that Christ’s disciples were called Christians. A disciple is a follower and student of Jesus. So, if you adhere to His teaching and seek to follow after Him, then you’re totally fine calling yourself a Christian. There’s no biblical teaching that Christians live perfect lives with only perfect thoughts. Christ is perfect. Christians are not, although they aspire to be (hence, the need for Christ).”
Friend: “Right, 100%. I see and appreciate your point and conclusion. We should live as examples. As the light of the world. Salt to the earth. Yet, I see if we take on that moniker that was placed upon them at Antioch, then we may bring tarnish or scandal to the name from which the moniker is derived.”
Me: “I really feel your heart on this. I would encourage you to consider, though, that changing the word used for labeling a given reality does not change the given reality. No matter what label I use to identify you, you are still a believer in Jesus Christ and the world will know that He is your King. Should we call ourselves “followers of the Way”, or “believers in Jesus of Nazareth”, or “the chosen people of God”, or “disciples of our Lord and Savior”, or any other word/phrase imaginable, it will not matter. Our hypocrisy, sinful tendencies, and yet-to-be-glorified lives will always bring a stain on the name of Christ… if we make Christianity about us. But if we make our message about Him, then we can commiserate with the lost as we share the glorious Good. News that God has rescued sinners (like ourselves) from condemnation so that we can joyfully work to do the work of His kingdom. Not meaning to preach at you… simply hoping to encourage you. In Christ the yoke of guilt is lifted.”
Friend: “Preach on, brother. I concede on every point.”
Example Two:
Friend: “Breaking often precedes building. You may be in a season of life right now where you feel like everything is falling apart. God isn’t interested in refurbishing your current life. He wants to give you a whole new one. He’s not going to build on an old foundation, He’s going to establish a new one. A stronger one. An eternal foundation. That means what’s already established has to be torn down. It has to go. In other words, DEMOLITION. Demolition isn’t easy. It’s painful! God doesn’t cause seasons of pain, but He will take our seasons of pain and use them as seasons of preparation. You may be breaking, but you’re being prepared in that breaking. God’s going to build you up. Just trust Him.”
Me (offering a soft corrective): “There is so very much good in what you’ve written. Thank you for posting. Here’s an article I read this morning that adds even more depth of meaning to what you’ve shared. Enjoy. https://tifwe.org/redemption-themes-in-stories-we-love-an-easter-reflection-on-grace/?mc_cid=639a610b14&mc_eid=276a86c429&fbclid=IwAR1Qtswi77ZuwMfgLBNH9Q3JyNTjsZaTrP1w7Ngodw-AjyLXyyJZr3BOF70”
Example Three:
Friend: “This illustrates the impact of the argument being proffered by the folks in the Abolish Human Abortion movement: a baby is being murdered each and every abortion. Just as the Nazis did, just as radical Islamists do now, the easiest way to slaughter people in mass, say three-thousand of them a day, is to dehumanize them first. The pro-murder crowd (pro-abortion) are beginning to feel the heat. So, what do they do? Drag out the old ‘it’s not a person, thus it is not a baby’ mental gymnastics routine. Will we take the bait and try to argue ‘yes it is a person!’; or will we stay the course and legally define abortion as what it is… murder – and begin the process of ending this holocaust? Time will tell. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2017/04/06/slate-magazine-claims-human-fetuses-are-part-person-part-thing/?fbclid=IwAR3FMNo4DbThpHuPgSHNYH5qSBHM9sMKKTmDzcybtghMfC-BesJgRWcBlm4”
Me: “I wonder what Elissa Strauss would say if the ‘thing’ said, ‘I identify as a person.’ This would pose quite the conundrum for the Slate writer. Or what if the ‘thing’ has the biological markers of a female and then said, ‘I want the right to choose what to do with my own body.’ And then added, ‘And I choose to live.’ Another conundrum for Ms. Strauss, I would guess.”
Example Four:
Frenemy: “Something to think about. Remember when the Trump administration proposed a national budget that included the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts? The NEA operates with a budget of about $150 million a year (about 0.004 percent of the federal budget), making the move a fairly inefficient approach to trimming government spending. But as Hitler understood, artists play a distinctive role in challenging authoritarianism. Art creates pathways for subversion, for political understanding, and solidarity among coalition builders. It’s imperative that we understand what Trump’s attack on the arts was really about. This move signaled something broader and more threatening than the inability of one group of people to do their work. It was about control. It was about creating a society where propaganda reigns and dissent is silenced.”
Me: “Agree or disagree with a cut of $150 million from the budget, it seems that we’ve allowed our use of language to get out of control. When one eliminates something from their household budget is he/she ‘attacking’ whatever they no longer buy? A few years ago, when the Frederick County BOCC proposed budget cuts for: sheriff’s office, fire and rescue, emergency management, detention center, road and bridge maintenance, parks and recreation, transit, public health, animal control, planning, citizen services, libraries, and even snow removal… were the commissioners ‘attacking’ law enforcement, emergency responders, inmates, the environment, dogs & cats, reading, and community livability? Perhaps we can all give ourselves permission to relax a little. Plenty of art was created before the arrival of the NEA in 1965, and plenty of new art awaits us on the horizon. By the way, your thinking on these things is not aging well. And the Hitler reference – really?”
Example Five:
Here’s an oldie but goodie.
Friend: “This will probably be my most controversial post to date. I am responding to a very popular military action from last week: the launching of 59 Tomahawk missiles from U.S. Navy destroyers, to destroy chemical weapons in Syria. Sounds like a humanitarian, justifiable act — right? Well, yes, from the perspective of conventional, worldly wisdom. But from the perspective and wisdom of Jesus? I’m surprised at how often I don’t view everything through the lens of the Savior. I think it’s because, if I am honest, I find Him too radical — and can I just say it: a bit naive in many instances. But then I sing: ‘I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back’ – and I am convicted. And so, struggle with me, if you will. See the Syrian crisis not just through the lens of the word, but the eyes of Jesus. Then let me know where you ‘land.’ I love your comments and wrestling with these issues. https://wwwpaulmundey.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-violence-ever-will-of-god.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR0FCZMFiHtJBsHQErvlAL00DFG6KzmMG0Zy4J22NawtHS3SynNcTWG4i8g”
Me: “I’m adding this link to the discussion mostly in response to the inner conflict that you and many others share. Perhaps it will be helpful ‘fodder for thought’ to others within your sphere of influence, as well. This question might be processed more clearly if categorizing the behavior of the church differently than the behavior of the state. This helps my own thinking, anyway. So, I share this idea with you in case you find it similarly helpful. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/government-and-sword?fbclid=IwAR0kNFUps4eoDe3f_WAziKNlDHZ93WV-5HcyKsozcWhRIfkjTlNpdzaMCZM”
Friend: “Troy, you raise a very important perspective. It’s important to note that though Romans 13 does not rule out an offensive role for the State, the emphasis is on the State’s defensive role. For example, most interpret Romans 13:4, the State ‘bears the sword’ as a justification for the State utilizing offensive force/retaliation — when a primary meaning is the State’s policing role. In fact, as John Toews points out, ‘The metaphor of the sword has many meanings in Greek literature. It can be a symbol of authority. For example, police soldiers who accompanied Roman tax collectors were often called sword bearers to legitimate the tax collecting function.’ One could argue from Romans 13 that the State’s primary role is protection and policing, in a defensive capacity, rather than engaging in an active offensive activity. In any event, we are citizens of another Kingdom, supporting the legitimacy of the State’s protective/policing role, yet still advocating that even in that role the best strategy is non-violence without killing.”
Another friend: “Luke 22:36 ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.’ There are a many stories which serve as examples in the Old Testament where God commanded the Israelites to do violence against evil tribes and certain people. There was a great battle in heaven were the archangels cast out the enemy and his followers. The Garden of Eden is guarded with an angel carrying a flaming sword. Therefore, self-defense and the means in which to do so is sometimes necessary. He first came as a Lamb, but shall return as a Lion: I believe this serves as an example of peace first and whenever possible, strength second and only when necessary. Unfortunately, that is not the Middle East, Korea, Nazi Germany or Stalin’s Russia. It is eternally naive to believe that we can solve these problems with peace, cooperation, and holding hands. The bad guys have no fear of that.”
Example Six:
Distraught: “When family assumes ‘you’re unbalanced’ all you look forward to is being dead, just so you never have to see their fear again.”
Me: “For you my friend… Psalm 42:5. For your family… Psalm 34:4.”
Distraught: “Psalm 42:5 ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.’ Psalm 34:4 ‘I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’ Ecclesiastes 2:17-18 ‘Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.’ In other words, I try my best every day, it fails every day, and my family will be afraid of me no matter what Scripture either of us quote from a book. On to the next.”
Me: “My heart hurts with concern for you when I hear such sorrow in your thoughts. I learned something a number of years ago that might be helpful to you now. I learned how important it is to always keep in mind the context of any text. This is especially true for a book like Ecclesiastes. All twelve chapters lead up to the climactic point being made by the author, which is finally revealed in the last two verses. Spending time contemplating the full impact of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 can be a salve for the soul, in my experience. Peace friend.”
Example Seven:
Someone shared a story about a doctor who complained about airline service after he was bumped from a flight. The story sounded bad, but we must always wait to get the other side of the story before making judgments. Here’s part of what I shared in response to the story: “Did anyone, including the passenger, do the right thing in this scenario? Maybe the gate agent should have stopped the man before he boarded. Maybe the airline could have offered better perks to entice someone else to surrender their seat. Perhaps the security officers could have been gentler. Perhaps the doctor could have complied with the requests of the legal authorities aboard that plane. Perhaps…” Do we consistently enough pause to consider such things?
Closing thought:
“Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” – John Wesley
In love,
Pastor Troy Skinner
