Category: Faith

Living the Resurrection

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At church on Sunday, Bob Carlton brought up an interesting point – as Christians we tend to focus more on the crucifixion than we do the Ressurection. We have numerous theories (and debates) about atonement, we observe the Stations of the Cross, we watch movies detailing the violent death of Jesus – but give little attention to the Resurrection apart from asserting that it happened. This, of course, begged the question of “why?” Why do we fail to remember the Resurrection? Why don’t we re-enact it like we do Christ’s death? Why are we more fixated on death than life? There were a number of fascinating explanations suggested – that we feel the need to live in a story with a known climax, that we understand violence but not mystery… – but a couple things occurred to me during the discussion.

First – that as the church we haven’t always been so divorced from the practice of celebrating Resurrection. In the pre-industrial world people were much more attuned to the fading and returning of life in the unfolding of the seasons. Their feast days (which our Christian holy days attempt to co-opt) marked the turning points of the seasons – solstice, equinox, solstice – in an endless ritual. Each year the world enacted the play of death and resurrection as winter crept in and stole life and light away and then summer brought everything back to life again. But this wasn’t just a ritual – it was life. Marking and understanding this cycle meant the difference between life and death. One had to know when to plant and when to harvest and how much to store up against winter starvation. Life was cherished, and light as the harbinger of life revered. But we’ve lost that in the modern world. In our wired and climate-controlled homes we have little need to mark the passing of seasons except for how they effect our comfort. We know we can go to any store and buy produce no matter the season. We have disconnected ourselves from the cycle – living in an artificial (and unsustainable) now. We have little need to yearn for or celebrate the return of life to the earth. We take that life for granted and so have gotten out of the habit of practicing resurrection.

I believe this falling into the habit of remembering the death and not the life has marred our faith. The resurrection stands for hope – for remembering that good does win. The resurrection ushers in the Kingdom, calling us to live in that hope by following in the way of Christ. The resurrection encourages us to spread that hope – doing good, righting wrongs, caring for others. But instead we dwell simply on the death. We see less hope and possibility for improvement and instead see depravity. We make the death about us – how it serves us, how it defines us. Not that those questions are invalid, but to solely focus on them leads to a highly imbalanced faith. Our faith becomes about endings rather than beginnings. We can’t break free of the eternal now that is but a pseudo-life and embrace the return of the light. I think we can learn from the cultures that marked the passing of the seasons – even on the darkest day when it looked like death may have won the people are not called to mourn or to remain in darkness. No, they light a bonfire and chase away that very darkness asserting that the light will return and with it the life that sustains.

So I wonder what it will take for us to do more than utter a few “He is risen indeeds” on Easter and to choose to live in the Resurrection. To refrain from dwelling in despair and darkness and to affirm life instead. To live in the hope of the resurrection – choosing to bring life into the world.

At least that is what I am asking myself as I prepare for Holy Week.

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Impeach the Pope?

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So there was a fascinating editorial in The Washington Post today by that title. Robert McElvaine suggests that instead of being currently outraged at AIG and the like, we should be directing it at the Pope. He lists the Pope’s insults to Muslims and women, his acceptance of a Holocaust denier, and his recent remarks on condoms, AIDS, and Africa as reason enough to be outraged. He writes –

I am a Catholic and the idea that such a man is God’s spokesperson on earth is absurd to me.

There are, of course, no provisions in the hierarchical institution set up, not by Jesus but by men who hijacked his name and in many cases perverted his teachings, for impeaching a pope and removing him from office. But there ought to be.

I am, of course, not Catholic. So some might say I shouldn’t care the least what the Pope has to say about anything. But it got me thinking about what response the church does have when it appears a select, but vocal, few have hijacked our religion. Granted the Pope is in a place of power, so the world hears whatever he has to say. With others though, its generally the media that places them in such positions of power. The media loves extremes and gives a platform to the loudest and most obnoxious voices, hence giving them power. Would a Falwell, or Robertson, or Dobson, or Driscoll have anywhere near as influential of a voice if the media didn’t parade them around as the worst possible example of Christianity? I’m not surprised in the least that Time named the “new calvinism” as a important idea of our time – they are the perfect media draw, sure to sell magazines as they fill the spots vacated by the old ranks of fundamentalists. But however they got there, these voices have power and represent Christianity to the world.

Where does that leave those of us who feel like our faith has been hijacked by extremists? Do we call them to account for themselves like McElvaine suggests, saying with him “If this be heresy, make the most of it.”? Do we leave them alone and simply be faithful witnesses in our own spheres? I truly am torn. I know there are tons of people out there whose only exposure to Christianity are these voices the media reports. Mike tells me that over at the Friendly Atheist blog most of the atheists simply cannot accept that other sorts of Christianity even exist. To them the close-minded, sexist, racist, extremists they hear about on the news represent the whole of Christianity. It’s similar to how most of us, knowing nothing about Islam, choose to believe that the Taliban represents the whole of Islam.

So that’s where my hang-ups are. I don’t want to echo the extremists and call for their excommunication or impeachment as it were, but I have a hard time with the Talibanesque image they give to the faith. I’m not a fan of infighting, but I feel the need to say at times “that man (always a man) doesn’t speak for me, and I don’t believe he speaks for Jesus Christ either.” Earlier this week I asked why more of weren’t out there speaking truth to power about the financial crisis and I ask the same question of this situation. But I find it very interesting that when anyone attempts to stand up to one of these voices, we get criticized for being unholy, unloving, and unfaithful. Is the church truly the last place where the freedom to speak honestly and hold others accountable is denied? I know we have all seen the Catholic priests get away with heinous crimes in recent years, but we seem to be okay with letting others get away with the crime of stealing our faith.

So I’m getting sick of the “just be a quiet witness” solutions – I think there needs to be a place for holy outrage. Perhaps not impeachment, but outrage nonetheless.

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Lent – Being Aware

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So we are one week into Lent. I posted on Ash Wednesday about my ambivalence regarding how to observe the season this year. At this point in my life, I feel the need to build up faith instead of eliminate random habits in the name of discipline. But I really didn’t know how to do that. I finally decided to spend the season simply being more aware.

Now of course being aware could just be a euphemism for doing nothing – and it just well might be. It’s easy sometimes to open our eyes to the world around us and then fail to act upon what we see. That’s me most of the time these days. But when I’m at the point that my main goal some days is just to make it to the end of the day without having gone utterly insane from being trapped inside the house with screaming children – to open my eyes and get past my self-absorption seems like a good place to start.

So being aware…

Here’s where I show how really pathetic I am. I’ve been reading through the Lenten Guide provided by Mustard Seed Associates. It is a fantastic resource, full of faith and community building suggestions for the season. I was drawn to the meditation they had on Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.” It resonated with my desire to be more aware of my world and get over myself. And it’s a way more spiritual of a prayer than “God help me not be a selfish bitch.”  But part of the Lenten Guide is a suggestion to take the Mutunga $2 Challenge. The idea is for a family to commit for a week to eating on $2 per person per day. Since most of the world only makes $2 a day, this is an exercise to help foster awareness as to how most of the world lives. If anything, it serves to highlight how much we truly do have. I think it’s a great idea, but (and here’s the pathetic part) I’m not doing it. But in a strange way that too has helped me be more aware.

When I first heard about the challenge, I mentally started adding up the cost of what it takes to feed Aidan each day. At 8 months his diet is rather fixed and I quickly realized that there is no way that I could feed him on $2 a day. That shocked me since I already try to be economical with his food. His diet consists of breast milk, formula, oatmeal, and pureed fruits and veggies. So the breast milk is free and if I was a bit more diligent about using the (expensive) breast pump I have then perhaps I wouldn’t need the formula. But the reality is that he gets formula in his oatmeal and generally one bottle a day. I’m already over a dollar there. Granted I use organic formula – the stuff that doesn’t contain hormones, steroids, and melamine. Perhaps I could save a few cents by feeding him those poisons, but really? On top of that I make all of his pureed food. I save a ton of money (and disposable jars) doing that, but even 8-10 oz a day adds up fast (between $1-2 a day). But if I were buying the jar food, that same amount of food would cost between $2-5 a day.

But as I thought through that I was reminded that it is generally the poorer mothers who are forced to buy the more expensive foods. For a lot of women because of job circumstances using expensive formula is the only option. And finding time to make babyfood is hard – it’s a lot easier for busy moms to just buy jars off the shelf. Even ignoring what is healthiest for the baby or what is most environmentally friendly – the bottom line is that it costs more to get by when you’re stressed out trying to make ends meet. So I have to ask – what causes this? Is it culture? All the other moms use formula, so it seems like the only option. Marketing? All those free formula samples supplied to hospitals and doctors making their mark. Lack of education? Do women not know the cost difference and health benefits? Or simply systemic injustices that prevent poor mothers from fully focusing on their family. This is not just about the poor in third world countries struggling on $2 a day – but its about minimum wage single moms here that are caught in a system that holds them back. When those that can least afford it have to spend the most on food there are cultural issues that seriously need addressed.

What am I doing about that? I don’t know. Yet. But I know it helps to be aware.

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Lent

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So Lent starts today and honestly I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve been struggling with the whole thing. I didn’t grow up in churches that observed Lent. It was only in college that I was even exposed to the whole concept. I would hear my friends discussing what they wanted to give up for the season – chocolate, TV, soft drinks – as well as hear them complain about how Easter couldn’t arrive soon enough. But in truth it all seemed strange. I didn’t really understand Lent, but the whole give up something you like was just an odd observance.

I totally understand the idea of being disciplined and of using one’s extra time or craving to draw closer to God. That’s in theory at least how its supposed to work. But it all seemed sort of hollow to me. What lasting spiritual effect is there of not eating chocolate, complaining about it, putting others out who happen to serve it, and then resuming consumption come Easter? Or what’s the point of giving up TV when you know that you’ll just catch up on those episodes of Lost on TiVo or DVD after Easter?

What confuses me even more is the tendency to give up relational things for Lent. I’ve had friends give up using a cell phone – which just made it really annoying for us (or their employer) to reach them. Others give up going out with friends and others give up the whole Facebook, Twitter, blog thing. While I understand how such things can be addictions, but it just seems counter-intuitive to the ideals of Lent to separate ourselves from community.

So this is where I’m sure I offend, but its something I’ve been struggling with. I just don’t see the purpose of Lent to be this perfunctory elimination of some random thing we like whose loss we endure simply until Easter. It’s just too individualistic – it’s all about me, my sacrifice, and (hopefully) my relationship with God. And while I admit to and am grateful for the personal message of the gospel, this perspective seems to forget that part of the message of the gospel (and of Lent) is that of righting relationships. The gospel is not just about us – it’s not just about getting our own butts into heaven or making sure we feel close to God. It’s also about loving our neighbors, seeking justice for the oppressed, and being part of the body of Christ.

So that’s why I am uncomfortable with reducing Lent to chocolate or a few episodes of American Idol. During Lent we are called to right our relationships with God and with others. So I’m more inclined to instead of giving up Facebook use it more deliberately – trying to be more aware of the simple everyday parts of my friends lives. I don’t want to give up food simply for the sake of giving it up – I want to instead show love to others by eating food that was ethically sourced. I want to discipline my life to be more aware, more involved, and more loving. I want the season of Lent to transform me in ways that extend beyond Easter.

That said, I’m at a loss how to proceed this season. I want to love others and build community, but right now I’m still struggling to figure out how. It would be easy to simply eliminate something from my life, but I’m beginning to understand that perhaps it is better to build. But of course, that’s a lot messier. So I’m still trying to figure it out.

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Faith and Daytime TV

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So I’ve found myself inadvertently watching episodes of The View recently. Not by choice mind you – in general I despise talk shows, I’ve never even seen a full episode of Oprah. But by the time I take Emma to the kid fit class at the Y, drop Aidan off in the nursery, and hop on the elliptical in a vague attempt to not be a complete blob, I get my choice of closed captioned ESPN, CNN, or The View. I hate sports and there is really just so much economic crisis one can take, so The View it is.

This morning I caught it in the middle of a discussion on religion and the afterlife. I’m not sure about the context and I didn’t catch the whole conversation (trying to turn sideways to read a screen while trying to keep up the cardio-fat-burn pace was a tad difficult), but the whole thing was just an interesting commentary on popular conceptions of religion in America. There was of course the confused questioning of terrorists who kill others to get their virgins in the afterlife and Whoopi Goldberg’s slamming of the Catholic church for selling indulgences (really). But then there was the typical dichotomy between physical and spiritual life. A couple of the ladies agreed with the Jewish perspective (as they described it) that it is what we do here on earth that matters. That our actions and how we treat others are what really matter. Of course this visibly upset Elizabeth Hasselbeck (who I will always think of as Elizabeth from Survivor), who emphatically made it known that if it is this life that matters then we’re all screwed. The only hope we can have is to escape all this and go to heaven when we die. And of course in typical talk show fashion, at this point just as the conversation was getting interesting, Barbara Walters jumped in with a freaking product promotion. Apparently no matter what we think of heaven and hell, we can all enjoy going to Chili’s.

I felt like shouting over the Janis Joplin blaring through my earbuds – “where’s the third way??!!!” Seriously, I’m sick of this either/or business. But as I thought about it, even within the church we have difficulty entertaining the idea that this life can be a both/and. The idea that our spirituality is intertwined with our physicality just isn’t discussed. We are far too accustomed to dividing life into doing good works or going to heaven when we die. We have become extreme caricatures like Whoopi and Elizabeth on The View – so entrench in our own ideology that we ignore the truth in what the other is saying. Our theology has descended to the level of daytime television.

I’m reminded of the pre-election thing both Obama and McCain did with Rick Warren. The evangelical church loved McCain’s answers to the faith questions because he was very clear and absolute. He choose a side and made his position known. Obama was far more the both/and guy. He saw the complexity in the issues and chose to acknowledge it. He didn’t succumb  to the feel good easy answers, but was okay with the ambiguity and mystery that is simply a part of the faith. I admire that.

I’m sick of soundbites and either/or extremes when it comes to faith. I don’t care if it boosts ratings and grows your church following – ignoring truth for the sake of ideology just doesn’t make sense. Forget the popularity ploys of liberal vs. conservative or us vs. them, living in mystery is a far more faithful approach.

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Love and Sin

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I grew up having the doctrine of original sin hammered into me.  People are sinful – rotten to the core from conception.  As a result, I always assumed the worst of people.  Sin was a person’s defining character trait.  And above all else they needed redemption – at whatever cost.  So in interacting with people one focused on their depravity – seeing how they were sinful and even making sure they knew that as well.

The problem with that stance is that it makes it really hard to love one’s neighbor.  And I mean really love them – not some silly “tough love” line about loving them too much to allow them to continue in sin.  But loving them even amidst the mess.  So in this mindset, when it was brought up that we should care for the poor who lost their homes in Katrina we were told that some of them are poor because of their sin.  Or when its suggested that illegal immigrants should be treated with dignity and respect, some horrendous anecdote about a criminal act committed by an immigrant is mentioned.  Or when its suggested that the homeless get fed, they are written off as undeserving addicts and alcoholics.  The idea seems to be that if some sort of sin can be pinned on a person that gets us off the hook for having to love them.

But it can be dangerous to fall out of the habit to love.  When we chose not to “in humility consider others better than ourselves” but instead dwell wholly on their faults we end up resorting to doing most things out of “selfish ambition and vain conceit.”  Our needs reign supreme when we readily find excuses not to love others.  Loving our neighbor then becomes a foreign concept.

Perhaps I’ve been too long in the emerging church world where loving others is just a given.  Or perhaps spending the holidays with my family who thinks I’m an idealistic freak was a wake-up call.  But it still shocks me when I encounter people who are genuinely confused as to why caring for the needs of others would be a motivating factor for doing anything.  I want to believe love wins, but then I encounter so many people who can’t even fathom the concept.  It’s just difficult when even the basic aspects of the faith can’t even be agreed upon.

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Hopeful Imagining

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Contrary to what my husband may think, I really am an optimist – at least in the long term perspective. I think we can bring about good in this world. As one of my favorite lines from Lord of the Rings goes, “there is some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for.” As hard and hopeless as it might sometimes seem, I think it’s worth working towards a positive vision.

That said I understand the reluctance of some to affirm efforts to present such a positive vision of the future. These efforts can come across as insincere – mocking instead of hopeful. We believe another world is possible, but don’t know how to cope when glimpses of that world invade our. We might smile at the ideas, but are wary of utopian visions of the future.

For example when the Yes Men a few years ago marked the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Diaster by creating an elaborate hoax where posing as a representative of Dow Chemicals on the BBC a Jude Finisterra announced that Dow was finally accepting full responsibility for the incident and offering a multibillion dollar compensation to the hundreds of thousands of people still suffering from the accident. This is what the world had been waiting for for two decades as opposed to the cover-up and denial of responsibility that actually occurred. The name Jude Finisterra – the saint of impossible causes and the ends of the earth. Fitting. The response though? Dow share prices dropped 4.2% in 23 minutes (fully recovered later in the day). The BBC issued an apology to Dow and the Yes Men were chastised for bringing false hope to the Indians. So the harbingers of hope, those who dare to image a better world, are chastised while those that should be taking responsibility are apologized to.

Another great examples of hopeful imagining is the Jim Carrey movie Fun with Dick and Jane. After losing his job in an Enron like company collapse, Carrey’s character pulls a Yes Men like stunt by holding a press conference announcing that the company’s CEO will personally reimburse the retirement funds of the jobless employees who lost it all. Surprised at his house with the news, surrounded by cameras and people thanking him, the CEO has to go along with the scheme. This is the way things should have been after Enron – the fair and positive world we desired but didn’t get.

Same thing with the video to U2’s The Saints are Coming. One sees images of Katrina ravaged New Orleans, but then fake headlines of “US Troops Redeployed from Iraq to New Orleans” flash across the screen. Images of bombers dropping aid packages and rescuing children from the floods along with the mesmerizing lyrics of “the saints are coming” do inspire hope. This is how it should have been (and if you read some of the 20,000+ comments on YouTube, what some people actually think did happen). But then the lyrics remind us that “I say no matter how I try I realize there is no reply” and the video ends with the sign “not as seen on TV.” Is it a hopeful future or simply a reminder of how bad things are?

So what do you do with such hopeful imaginings? Do you laugh at their naivete? Roll your eyes and say “that will never happen”? Or appreciate the encouragement in envisioning a better world? I’ve personally come to enjoy these positive visions. I like the reminders of the way things could be. Having something concrete to grasp onto, albeit fictional, helps with the whole moving forward in the quest for justice thing.

So yes, I’m an optimist in my own quirky way.

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Pentecost

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Change comes on the wind.  Or at least that’s how it happens in movies.

 

The scene is set.  A quiet little town or neighborhood existing as it always has.  The habits and rituals of daily life are center stage.  No major crises are looming and yet something appears to be missing.  People appear to be content, but one can see they are not fully alive.  They lack a certain spark, the joie de vivre so to speak that gives a passion and purpose to ordinary existence.  This is when the wind changes.  A select few may pause to notice the change marked by the creaking turning of the weather vanes, but then they go their way forgetting they noticed anything at all.  They are unaware how drastically their lives are about to be transformed or that the wind currently whipping through their hair heralds the awakening of their souls.  For with the wind comes a new voice, one that will speak into their lives and set them on an utterly new path.

 

This is where in the movies we are introduced to say Mary Poppins or Vianne in Chocolat.  Unassuming at first glance, these women blow into town and quietly get to work at changing lives.  Their ways are a bit unorthodox to be sure.  Having a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down or opening up a chocolaterie during Lent just aren’t the way things are done.  Yet one soon discovers that the outward quirks of these women are part of the awakening and healing process they bring to those around them.  From Mary Poppins helping a family become a true family, to Vianne helping a town restore broken relationships, it took the stirrings of something new and different to affect change.  Of course their ways were questioned and ridiculed by those who preferred the status quo, but eventually the winds of change prevailed and a happier much more alive group of people emerged.  The wind then once again changes and pushes onward to new situations in need of this special form of healing and growth.

 

The image of a mighty rushing wind is of course the Biblical imagery for the Holy Spirit.  On Pentecost change came with the wind as the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus who had been meeting in prayer.  Yet it isn’t just the Holy spirit rushing in on the wind that I find so extraordinary (although it certainly is that), it is how it was sent to dwell in and empower Christ’s followers to do the work he left them.  Change didn’t just come with the wind (or as the wind), it took the form of people sent out to transform the world.

 

Like the Hollywood stories of Mary Poppins and Vianne, change occurred often through unexpected and unorthodox methods as those who had received the Holy Spirit sought to bring hope and healing to those they encountered.  The Holy Spirit wasn’t blowing haphazardly, stirring hearts to change here and there.  Real people found themselves moved to be the harbingers of these changes.  One finds the church praying in Acts 4 that they might have boldness in spreading the message of Christ.  The scriptures tell us that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and not only were they able to testify powerfully, but that they were unified as a group and took care of each others needs.  Radical change came upon the group in ways that brought them closer and healed the hurts of those in needs among them.  Change brought about by the work of people empowered by the Spirit.

 

It is this sort of change that is needed in our world today.  Too often I hear prayers asking for God to send the Spirit to change the hearts of a community or to bring healing to a situation.  These prayers while rightfully trusting in the power of the Spirit fail to recall that the Spirit works through people to affect these changes.  We should be praying instead that we would be emboldened to change hearts and help heal.  Being filled with the spirit isn’t something that is done merely for our own good, but to empower us to serve.  Seeking to transform the world is of course something none of us can do on our own strength, but it is a vital part of the very nature of what it means to be filled with the Spirit.

 

So are we even bothering with the winds of change?  Are we the ones sitting around seemingly content yet utterly unalive when we should be the Mary Poppinses and Viannes of the world?  We have been given the Spirit, we should be empowered by the greatest wind of change ever to blow on this earth  –  why are we expecting not to have to do anything?  We should be the one’s loving boldly, sharing the good news, and taking care of the needs of the hurting.  We should be the one’s out there bringing families back together, healing broken marriages, and restoring broken friendships.   We should be the one’s overcoming oppression, setting captives free, and seeking justice.  We should truly be acting as witnesses to God’s power.

 

Our scene is set.  The wind is blowing.  May we be emboldened to act.

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