I've just been sleeping all this month. Not really.

Yeah, I know. Long time since I last posted. I felt it was about time. Plus, I just wanted to get one in for ole' October.

It is hard to relate in words how my life is progressing right now, simply because the progression comes in fits, in spurts. When I figure out how to more accurately express such spiritual movement, I'll be sure to write it down. In short, I am reading Training In Christianity by Soren Kierkegaard, as well as Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner (thanks to the influence of my good friend Will Swinson). Both are immensely interesting. Buechner for his wit, Kierkegaard for his existentialist thoughts.

But for now, on to other things.

If you don't read RollingStone magazine, or even if you just haven't picked one up for this week yet, you need to drop what you are doing, go out, and pick one up now. Especially if you like U2 and Bono. Even if you don't. The experience will be educational for you. Huge cover story interview with Paul Hewson (Bono), frontman of one of the greatest rock acts of all-time (U2) = one of the best overall editions of RollingStone in quite some time. But hurry, there will be a new edition by Wednesday. By the way, countdown to U2 in Atlanta: 18 days.

➠ So much for lessening the fearmongering this Halloween season. Is that DoubleBubble really safe for eating? No reason to take chances...

➠ Bands/Artists I'm Currently Listening To (Besides U2):
1. The Arcade Fire
2. Mae
3. Kanye West
4. American Football
5. Damien Rice
6. matt pond PA

I'm out. Happy Halloween.

I'm singing this one like a broken piece of glass.

Katartidzo was, well...interesting, for many reasons. But hugely fulfilling at the same time.

A few things I am fairly sure of, after reflecting upon this weekend:

1. I am utterly human. I often judge people before I get to know them, and even after I get to know them, too. Especially if they think differently than me, and even more so if they voice their differences with as much frankness as I do. I just can't help it. Yeah, read that last sentence again. You heard right. I talk a big talk about openness, but being confronted directly with people who think differently than you makes you think hard about how naturally hesitant we all are toward new ideas, no matter what we believe or how we put that belief into action.

2. I am less angry than I used to be. People don't usually see me get angry, because I really don't. But, there used to be a time when certain ideas concerning faith and theology would light fires inside me (because I disagreed with them) that often led me to express a confrontational attitude, instead of a loving one, towards people who voiced those certain ideas. That usually doesn't happen anymore. For some reason, I think I have begun to mellow out. My friend told me that the other day. I thought about it. And he was right. I have, but I can't really pinpoint when the transition began to happen. Let's hope the trend continues, though.

3. I am behind in my work. Classwork, research work, everything. I need to shift out of second gear and up into fourth. Foot touches clutch, now.

4. T-shirts in a two inch-thick, frozen solid block of ice are hard to get out under time constraints. Even in 90 degree weather. Sometimes, even a hammer can't adequately do the job. The result? Plenty of stress. But a good story, too.

5. I will use the word "wrangle" to describe how I view issues of faith, probably until the day I die. I just like it that much. And so does Dr. CroweTipton. I will forever remember him for many, many things, but especially for introducing me to such a great word.

Update completed.

...And You're Still Alive?

As this year has begun, I have come to an immediate realization of two things.

First, I am a Senior. This means I have to figure out something to do with my life, and quickly. I'm probably going to seminary, but I may end up doing something else if things don't work out. As of right now, here is my narrowed-down list of five graduate school programs I will most likely apply to for admission:

1. Princeton Theological Seminary
2. Yale Divinity School
3. Duke Divinity School
4. Columbia Theological Seminary
5. McAfee School of Theology (Mercer University)

Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School.

Second, I have a huge amount of work left to finish here before I can even think about applying to any of those schools above. I am still finishing research from this summer, along with trying to balance that with two religion courses (one seminar) and a fairly tough history course that I am currently taking this term. Then add to the mix that I am about to begin research with a professor in history (to count for credit winter term), and that I have two internships I will have to fulfill before the year is out (one for a scholarship and the other for Leadership programs), and that I also have a regular everyday job that takes up my time, and you begin to realize how much sleep I am about to lose this year (most of it during fall term).

I would update more, but homework is calling my name. More to come later...

I could write a song. A hundred miles long.

For anyone that cares besides me, the set list from Coldplay in Charlotte last night:

Square One
Politik
Yellow
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Speed Of Sound
Low
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Amsterdam
White Shadows
The Scientist
'Til Kingdom Come [+ Ring Of Fire]
Green Eyes
Clocks
Talk

Swallowed In The Sea
In My Place
Fix You


Yes. It was great. Not many words can explain.

Humanity

i had one friend in high school, recently he hung himself with string.
his note said
"if livin' is the problem, well that's just baffling."
and at the wake i waited around to see my ex first love
and i barely recognized her, but i knew exactly what she was thinking of.
we sat quietly in the corner whispering close about loss
and i remembered why i loved her, and i asked her why i drove her off.

she said
"the slow fade of love
its soft edge might cut you.
and our poor friend, Jim
well he just lived within
the slow fade of love."

a woman calls my house once a week; she's always selling things.
some charity, a phone plan, a subscription to a magazine
and as i turned her down (i always do), there was something trembling in her voice.
i said
"hey, what troubles you?"
she said
"i'm surprised you noticed.
well, my husband, he's leaving, and i can't convince him to stay.
and he'll take our daughter with him, she wants to go with him anyway.
i'm sorry i'm hard to live with, living is the problem for me.
i'm selling people things they don't want when i don't know what you need."

he said "the slow fade of love
and its mist might choke you.
it's my gradual descent
into a life i never meant.
it's the slow fade of love."

i was driving south of Melrose; i happened upon my old lover's old house.
i found myself staring at the closed up door like the day she threw me out.
"Dianna, Dianna, Dianna i would die for you.
i'm in love with you completely, i'm afraid that's all i can do."
she said
"you can sleep upon my doorstep, you can promise me indifference, Jim
but my mind is made up, and i'll never let you in again."

for the slow fade of love
it might hit you from below
it's your gradual descent
into a life you never meant
it's the slow fade of love.

Rilo Kiley, A Man/Me/Then Jim

Brokenness. Loss. Life. Lessons. Something More.

Love. Angel. Music. Football.

Alright. Lots of time since the last post. And a few significant things have happened.

1. Two very close friends [Chris and E.A.] got 'hitched'. I was one of the groomsmen, and very honored to be a part of the ceremonies. Lots of friends came. People said I looked positively smashing, which confirmed my deep inner suspicion. People also said I looked cute. For that, I only need to thank Kate, the (also cute, in a four year-old kind of way) flower girl who, along with Kelly, the bridesmaid I was paired with, I had the great honor of leading offstage to conclude the ceremony. Anything for the sake of looking 'cute.'

2. An event much less significant than the wedding of two of my best friends, I had the opportunity to see Pat McGee Band and Vertical Horizon in concert last night at The Handlebar here in Greenville. For those of you who don't remember, Vertical Horizon was that cool foursome who had a couple hits in 2000 and 2001 with Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning), You're A God and, of course, Everything You Want. Pat McGee Band has been around for quite a long time, like Vertical, but isn't as popularly known quite yet. Definitely check them out, though.

Next up on the list of concerts: Coldplay on September 9 (the first move-in day for upperclassmen here at Furman) in Charlotte, U2 on November 18 in Atlanta, and maybe another Switchfoot concert if they come close to Georgia or the Carolinas. Yes, my friends, I just might be broke - and failing a few classes - by December.

In other news, it is high time fall came around. Fall, especially the months from September through December, is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. Why, you ask? College football, my friends. Why else? Especially since Furman is ranked #1 in Division I-AA this year by Sports Illustrated.

But, of course, there are many other things that make Furman great, especially in the fall. It seems as if, at least at Furman, the fall is packed with numerous events. Plus, the scenery here isn't too bad, either. Something about falling orange, brown and yellow leaves and cool weather in the mountains lets you know one thing: There is a Creator, and the job he did was very good. It's a shame that this is my last year to fully experience what goes on here as an actual student. The three years I already have spent here have flown by, much quicker than I would have liked. Hopefully, I'll get a chance this year to soak up things, meditate (or ruminate) more on life so far, and really wrap up my time here in a good way.

An Interactive Moral Vision

In response to some of my comments on Relevant asking for something by me to read, here is something new to look at if you want. What follows is my Faith and Ethics final exam (a take-home essay) from this spring. In it, I outline where my changing "moral vision" is right now. I still feel like my writing, even after much revision, is rough. So take note of that. Feel free to make comments and pose questions as you see fit.

An Interactive Moral Vision: How To Live As Christ In Community

I welcome challenges to my faith. I like to be stretched beyond what my limitations normally are, and asked to think in ways I might never have thought before. I want, and I need, to ask tough questions about my faith to stimulate spiritual growth. I have a sense of mysticism concerning my belief in the Holy. I have an insatiable need to question traditional orthodoxy, but also to respect it because of the precedent it has set for the Church. Most importantly, the aspects of Christ – and ultimately God – that govern my life are not specific. They cannot be strictly and concretely defined. They are general, more akin to an attitude: Love. Peace. Compassion. Hope. Grace. Redemption. These are the aspects of Christ that make me a Christian, and that form the foundation of my personal moral vision.

I have been challenged this term, and in fact since the beginning of this academic year, to contemplate the ramifications of being a Christian more than I ever have before. How do the general principles of Christianity listed above enter in to a contemplation of specific issues like homosexuality, abortion, war, capitalism and consumer culture, death, the environment, and medical research? The answers are tough to come up with sometimes. Scripture often doesn’t give us straight answers, but in fact toughens the search for what is right or correct in our lives because of our interpretive distance from it. Everything is not black and white, strictly definable and answerable. It is out of this mindset that the four points of my moral vision have begun to form.

What We’re Here To Do: Love (Unconditionally)

Love. It should be at the root of anything that we do in our lives. No matter where we are, whom we are with, or what activity we are engaging ourselves in, we should think of love first. We must remember always the words of Christ to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10.27, NASB). Jesus even gives the illustration of the Samaritan helping his enemy, a Jew, to safety and after he had been robbed and beaten to challenge our thinking on the matter.

Ultimately, if we are to believe the promise of God through Jesus, we realize that love was the complete manifestation of who Jesus was and is for us. He was love, realized in wonder and amazement. His person and his actions are utterly unable to be comprehended in rational form. That he would die for anyone, let alone everyone, makes it so. And yet it is not just his actions on the cross at Golgotha, but the whole of his life – his teachings, his stories – that we marvel at. They spoke of unconditional acceptance, no matter who you were or where you came from. His love was for oneness – with God and with each other. And he spoke of such things being hard to accomplish, but their pursuit being holy.

How anyone can be expected to act with such love is almost ridiculous, something non-human. It was, and it still is. The bottom line is that love is hard, and a difficult thing to continuously accomplish in all of our relationships. But if we examine Jesus, we ultimately see love. If we are to follow Jesus, then, we must have a mindset of love in all things and at all times.

Here is where we begin to contemplate action. Whether we are building a friendship with a homosexual, having lunch with an elderly woman in our church or talking with a young teenager who is considering an abortion, we must make love our foundation. We love the person we encounter, regardless of their homosexuality or their sexual exploits. We treat them just as we would treat the elderly woman we would have lunch with, or our close circle of friends we spend all of our time with. Exclusion is not built around love, but the self-righteousness found in thinking one is ‘better’ than someone else. If anything is unlike what Jesus might have lived like, it would be this. The love we see in Jesus and the love we must therefore exhibit if we claim to be his followers is built around inclusion, with no limitations or conditions attached. If he did that for us, we should not hesitate to do the same for others, no matter its difficulty.

‘You’re Wrong!’ (Because God Says So): Suspicion of Absolutes

Secondly, we have to be suspicious. We should question and think critically about what Jesus has called us to do. Within all of that, we should feel a call to demonstrate his love through humility. We must realize the equality of one another, that God is not hierarchical toward humanity in any way. Such a mindset is especially relevant when considering our interpretation of scripture and how it affects our moral decision-making.

A good characterization of the attitude we should take concerning our interpretation of scripture might be that of the biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann. In an essay entitled Biblical Authority, he asserts concerning scripture that “nobody’s reading is final or inerrant, precisely because the key Character in the book who creates, redeems and consummates is always beyond us in holy hiddenness” (Jung, 32). We should be humble in the realization that our knowledge of the Holy is utterly limited in scope. The scriptures we hold to be authoritative, while being so, are yet still minimal in their characterization of the God we believe in. And why should it not be so? Simple rationale would have us think that, lest we limit the abilities of God through the Spirit, there is plenty that we do not now know and plenty left to be revealed to us, through scripture or through human experience.

How does this relate to morality for Christians? This humility of interpretation and knowledge must be central to the way we live our lives in relation to others. To make definitive statements concerning the actions and character of God – if clothed in a belief in their absolute and unchanging authority – is a considerable problem. This is especially so if we defend such statements with only our limited knowledge of God that we have scripture. We should understand, within this, that “Jesus is always the critic as well as the foundation of our own Christian rituals and institutions,” challenging them “as surely as he challenged those of Israel” (Placher, 87) when we try to set limits upon the Holy. To try and turn God into an absolute, definable Being is to make scripture and to make our relationship with the Creator itself an idol.

How quickly such thinking brings into question our actions concerning our expression of Christ to the world. Can we profess to definitively know what God wants concerning an issue like abortion, considering that it is never specifically spoken of in scripture? What about for homosexuality or the justifiability of war? Ambiguousness, rather than certainty, defines such issues. Certainly there is scripture where war and homosexuality are mentioned, but those issues are briefly mentioned and contextually difficult to grasp, considering that we are thousands of years removed from the date of their writing. This is the case for many moral dilemmas we face in our society today. This is not to say that scripture has no meaning or authority for the Church. Rather, we need to restrain ourselves from making unmovable moral claims stemming from our limited knowledge of God. We must look for ways to balance scripture and experience in how we live our lives.

Circle Up and Hold Hands: Community and Conversation

If anything is definitive about Christ, it is general, as stated above: love, peace, compassion, and the like. But there is also something else that should be fundamental for us – community. If we are to express love – if we are to express Christ – we must do it in the context of individuals within a community. Paul tells us to simultaneously remember both our individuality and our need for community when writing to the Corinthians that “If we were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body” (1 Cor. 12.19-20). He writes at length about the unique gifts and talents each member of the Body has been given, and the different ways in which they are to use them. Differences are expected, and even cherished. “If the body were an eye, where would the hearing be?” he asks, and “if the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?” (1 Cor. 12.17). Uniqueness in the Body of One, rather than strict uniformity, is valuable to Paul and should be of importance to us.

And thus we must deal with our differences, and not shy away from them. We must realize that we have drastically different views at times on how to live as Christ concerning a number of moral issues. Some of us will argue for the need for stem-cell medical research; some of us will voice strong opinions against it. Some of us will see no problem in shopping at Wal-Mart or eating at McDonalds; some of us will see their history of worker’s rights abuses and choose not to shop there. We will all try and justify our actions theologically and philosophically. We will cite scripture and form intricate explanations of our positions. But this is not enough.

Conversation and dialogue should form the core of a community centered upon becoming like Christ, rooted in love. With the recognition of our human limitations to fully knowing the ways and means of God, we realize we must dialogue if we are to experience what Jesus calls the ‘kingdom of God’. He tells the Pharisees that the kingdom of God is “in your midst” (Luke 17.21), and not simply something to be realized in the future but also in the here and now. It is something to be presently experienced. The ‘kingdom’ is fulfilled through the participatory understanding of the meaning of Christ upon our lives through communal dialogue.

In community – in a full understanding of the ‘kingdom’ – we challenge each other to live as Christ by simultaneously holding true to the generalities of Christ and yet encountering attitudes and interpretations unlike our own concerning issues of deeper specificity. We use the diversity of the Body as an example of how we are to relate to one another, openly and in conversation, full of love. Christ said as well that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Luke 18.17). He was right. To live in community can be summarized that simply – circle up, hold hands and stick together.

What Do You Mean ‘You Don’t Know?!’: Keeping It Humble

Finally, we must once again remember our humanity. We must realize we are nowhere close to understanding the intricacies of the Creator. We must not be afraid to say the we do not know all the answers, that scripture simply doesn’t give them to us or allow us to comprehend them. We must take comfort in the activeness of God, that the Being we serve is not static and stationary but in constant motion through and around us, no matter whether we can pinpoint and accurately describe such experiences. We need to realize that saying ‘I don’t know’ concerning matters of faith doesn’t constitute a loss of spiritual foundation. It should be viewed as but a door to seeing the mystical revelation and creativity of God. This love exhibited through humility is central to following Jesus.

Quit Kidding Yourself: Points of Tension Within Our Pluralistic Society

Of course, my interpretation of a moral vision with Jesus as a foundation is quite different from the moral attitudes of the larger pluralistic society that we are all a part of. When considering the moral vision outlined above, there are quite a few ways in which religious, sociological and philosophical tensions make themselves known. Put simply, we are not all followers of Christ in the often presupposed modern Western context, and naturally do not consider the ramifications of his message in conjunction with our moral decision-making. More specifically, though, the tension we find has to do with the general fact that we are human, and intrinsically exhibit certain qualities.

The Easy Way or The Hard Way: Hate v. Love

First, there are certain qualities that are inherently human. One of those is the inability to control our self-righteousness. We live our lives in a tension between our realized redemption and our remaining physical and spiritual separation from complete communion with God. We still exhibit the destructive qualities of humanity, mostly because they are more natural. Society not only values but also fuels these qualities in us. We simply have to turn on the television or walk outside our doors to notice. Our society values individualism and ultimate concern for yourself over others. This individualism even boils over at times to hatred and contempt for those whom we disagree with. Hatred is much easier to exhibit than unconditional love, and our society deepens the difficulty in overcoming this.

Just Spin, No Dialogue

Society feeds upon discord, rather than harmony. It is much more interesting, as we can tell from the amount of debate shows on television today. Watch ‘Crossfire’ on CNN or ‘Hannity and Colmes’ on Fox News Channel, and you’ll understand the nature of our discontent politically, religiously, and socially. We engage too often in the political form of ‘spin,’ using anything we can to form unmovable arguments for our position and against those of others. Constructive, contemplative dialogue is of less value to us, viewed as a weakness in argument rather than an attempt at community and oneness. The concept of exhibiting Jesus through the unity and diversity of the Body is an idea still tough for mainstream society to grasp.

Certainty: What’s There To Hold On To?

And now we come to the ultimate point of tension. Certainty. The moral vision outlined above would surely be attacked as weak in terms of having visible roots. It would be seen as weak in terms of tangible ideas that we can stake our lives upon, where we know we are right and correct, especially concerning scripture. Our pluralistic society makes claims based on empirical evidence. We cite endless statistics through scientific studies aimed at being certain about one thing or another. Not only does mainstream society do it, but Christians as well. Many Christians continue to turn to literalist interpretations of scripture, making definitive claims about God and Jesus.

The point is that we all want something to hold on to. We want something to tell us for certain that life has a divine meaning, something that will comfort us amidst the confusing and chaotic life we often live here on Earth. Simply grasping the general concepts of love, grace, compassion, hope, and redemption that are central to the message of Jesus is tough for the world because of their lack of specificity and concreteness. In a sense, maybe this is the point of life. Maybe we should spend our years not forming for ourselves immovable theological positions, but learning how to instead be open to the powerful abilities of the Holy to show us how to manifest these general concepts for the good of the kingdom of God.

Citations:
Patricia Beattie Jung/Shannon Jung.
Moral Issues and Christian Responses. Wadsworth Publishing, 2002.
William Placher.
Jesus The Savior: The Meaning Of Jesus Christ For Christian Faith. Westminster John Knox, 2001.

One more reason I will never read John Piper...

I came across this today.

I've had friends tell me about the "great mind that is John Piper," but so far I have seen none of that -- especially when I read postings like this one from his Desiring God website.

Check this out. This is only a small bit of what the ministry of John Piper stands to say to people who think differently than them:

"to liberals in Christendom: Come home to objective, Biblical truth about God and Christ, and return to reality-based morality."

"to Muslims: Consider that the absolute sovereignty of God is not incompatible with his mercy, and that he is more glorious when he combines these diverse excellencies. Consider that his Son, Jesus Christ was not sexually conceived or even created, but is co-eternal with God the Father as perfectly one with him in divine essence so that there is only one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Consider that your zeal to honor Jesus by saying he escaped the cross, undermines his glory as the one who died by his own design and rose triumphant over death and hell and Satan, bearing our sin and giving eternal life to all who trust in him."

"to Hindus and Buddhists: The final state of the soul is not the end of emotion but ever-increasing capacities for all pleasing emotions, together with never-ending satisfaction in seeing and savoring Jesus Christ."

The world hates Christians because of people who say things like this. Not only do these statements alienate Christians who are more liberal, they alienate other religions, too. Check the rest of the page. Anything different than Piper's narrow, conservative Calvinist worldview seems to be heretical. Where's the conversation? Where is the real, authentic community that allows people to think differently and still be respected (and not condemned)? Not here. Definitely not here. And that, my friends, is sad. When we make dogmatic, absolute statements like these, the diversity of the Body ceases to be.

Desiring God? Don't Waste Your Life? Thanks for the advice, JP. I definitely won't waste any of my life on desiring things concerning your ministry, if this is the only picture of Christianity you present to me. I want a conversation, not a lecture of why anyone who believes differently from you is absolutely wrong and must change. Bring that to the table, and there will be progress within the state of the Body.

Evangelical Holiness? Hmm...

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern.

You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

Emergent/Postmodern 89% Neo Orthodox 57% Classical Liberal 50% Modern Liberal 46% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 43% Reformed Evangelical 21% Roman Catholic 21% Charismatic/Pentecostal 18% Fundamentalist 4% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

So, I'm an emergent/postmodern. But I really don't like to characterize myself as anything. Interesting quiz, though. One bad thing about it: it makes the presupposition that everyone who is taking it is a Christian....they could at least state the assumption before we take it.

Progress, God's Middle Name

I feel like writing tonight. Most of this is random, most of it a process in venting.

I am sickened by the ignorance of extreme religion. I am sickened by people who consistently claim to love Jesus, or God, but clearly hate the people God would have loved, and does love - gays, lesbians, abortionists, feminists, liberalists, fundamentalists or any other -ists that have beliefs that may be something other than socially or religiously toward the extreme.

I am disturbed by beliefs that women (and men) be bound to strict rights and responsibilities based on ancient writings taken out of their context, and further placed forcefully into our own.

I am made deeply concerned by Christians who are willing to squelch any form of questioning that may not involve clear answers, as if all answers can be found in some form of scripture, even on subjects that scripture never mentions at all. I am amazed at the open, intentional hypocrisy of Christians who thus think that they know God well enough to believe in a boundary-laden, concrete systematic theology.

I am mystified by people who allow Luther, Calvin, Augustine, Aquinas, James Dobson or Focus on the Family, the Southern Baptist Convention or any other person or entity speak for them and form their close-minded thoughts concerning religion and the world. If that is all that they can bring to the table, then I say go back to the Reformation, go back to the Third Century, and go back to Nashville. Those thoughts only hinder the world; they hinder it from the progressivism that ushers in equality, and justice, and oneness and peace that Jesus talks about.

I will always keep the need to be theologically progressive in my mind and heart. Why would God expect anything less if we were formed in the direct likeness of the Holy One, creatively, with the charge to live that way? Why, if we see the progress - socially, religiously, economically - of the human race throughout scripture?

It saddens me that millions of Christians hold to extremes, unwilling to engage in conversation, and unwilling to live progressively.

west wing/research/theological rants

It has been awhile, again, since the last post.

The research on sacrifice in Ancient Israel is going well, and I am learning many new things. Additionally, I have taken a significant liking to the drama "The West Wing" after not watching it for six seasons, and I am quickly catching up on the numerous missed episodes through my friend Will, who has the DVD collections for seasons 1-4. I saw the pilot one of my first nights here in the apartment in early June, and I have since been hooked. Every night (with exceptions here and there) we are watching 2-3 episodes, which has at this point put us a third of the way through season two.

For lack of anything better to put, I thought I might give you (whomever reads this, friends or people who aimlessly surf across my blog) a little bit of a rant/thoughts I wrote down on homosexuality (I'm really into writing about subjects dealing with ethics and the Church after taking Faith and Ethics this spring), to read and think about, and of course respond to me about....


Homosexuality & Jesus: A Few Thoughts

Homosexuality. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t try to deny it. You probably want to stop reading this because you’re first instinct, if you are a typical conservative Christian, is to say that scripture clearly says homosexuality is a sin. I’m a more moderate-to-liberal Christian, so I’ll probably disagree with you about how you interpret that scripture. I know what the scriptures say about homosexuality, but I also know that there are many interpretations of that scripture, some strict and others not as strict. The point is that, undeniably, Christians disagree on whether homosexuality is a sin when considered in light of scriptural interpretation.

A brief interjection to begin: The fact is, we are all human and nobody’s interpretation of scripture (no matter the specific subject, homosexuality or anything else) should be held as ultimately right or correct. Think about it. Think about how self-righteous it is to claim that we know exactly what a certain scripture means for everyone, no questions asked. Doing that would itself, regardless of where your interpretation fell theologically, border on some type of idolatry (something Jesus warns us against). We have to discuss, we have to be in community with one another to talk about the scriptures and how Christ would have us live in response to them.

With that in mind, hear me out for a few minutes. I want to talk about homosexuality in a different way. I’m tired of citing Hebrew law from the Pentateuch or one-liners from Pauline letters to form my opinion on homosexuality, especially with the knowledge of the radically different context (time period, culture) in which they were written. That’s not to discredit their authority, but to say that I think the conversation deserves more than just throwing around those certain few scriptures in such an absolute, limited way. I would hope God would think this, too, since God seems to be – in scripture, no less – extremely expansive and unknowable, bigger than we could ever imagine, and utterly limitless in scope. I would hope God would want us to not limit ourselves to living life based on just what we see in scripture, but to be open to seeing the Holy in human experience as well. So, I want to start talking about homosexuality, about how God might view the subject, with this kind of open and curious mind.

I want to start talking about homosexuality in relation to the word love. Of all the things that Jesus is to me, he is love most of all. His love was manifested in unconditional acceptance of people, no matter who you were or where you came from. The love I see in Jesus was for oneness – with God and with each other. From his parables to his preaching to his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus was always about love. You can’t go a page in the Gospels without seeing this. Bottom line, I want to be about that love. I think that more than anything else I do in my life, Jesus would want me to simply love people as he did – unconditionally, with gentleness and compassion, and with hope.

This love – this unconditional, accepting love – is what I want to exhibit towards people who are homosexual. I don't see the Church (especially the conservative Christian church who so furiously fights homosexuality) exhibiting this very much. I don't see love. Instead, I see fear. Fear of accepting people who may be different than the status quo. I know a few homosexuals, and they are intellectual, loving people who care about our world and who make significant contributions to it. These aren't the "flaming" homosexual people we sometimes see in the media, either. The media is a gross misrepresentation of who homosexuals really are. If you care to talk to a homosexual, you will find out they really are no different than a heterosexual, in terms of their interests or their passions (and often these passions involve at the least, less than anything else, something sexual).

And so, in light of the unconditional, compassionate love of Jesus, should homosexuals thus be treated differently than heterosexuals? Should they thus be treated with the nasty contempt and misunderstanding that most churches today exhibit towards them? I don’t think they should. I can't look down on a person who, just like me, is making positive contributions to our society. I have to stop and think about Jesus. Think about his love. Think about those whom he loved. Do I love unconditionally like Jesus? Do I treat a homosexual as my equal in love or do I look down upon him or her as a nasty sinner?

When I ask myself these things, I choose love and acceptance, because that is what I believe Christ taught. I don’t think it is my place to judge homosexuals, only to love them equally as I love everyone else in the world. To put it simply, I want to be humble. I want to always remember Micah 6:8. I want to go through life and not fight against people, because Jesus never did that. I want to love people, and live in community with them as equals as Christ said we should. No barrier should separate us from complete love for one another, be it race or gender or even now, sexuality.

The fact that this topic is even an issue in the Church upsets me, because we have relegated ourselves to defining the boundaries of love and acceptance, as if love is conditional. Ultimately, when I die I'd rather get to heaven and have St. Peter call me out on loving too many people than for not loving enough. Something tells me God would rather have it that way.

where have you been, andrew?

Well. Definitely has been a long time since I last posted. About 3 months, actually. I love my overcommitted life at Furman.

In other news, I'm about to become a Senior in 3 weeks. It feels a tad bit weird, but considering how much I have changed since freshman year at Furman, nothing is very weird anymore. Classes will end in the next two weeks, then I'll hit finals.

I'll be at Furman over the summer, so I'll probably be able to write more then.

It's laundry time now.

More updates later.

weekends in solitude (are needed)

so this has been an interesting weekend. i really felt like i needed a weekend to myself, so i stayed here at Furman instead of going with some very good friends of mine to a conference/retreat in Tennesse for two days. and it was a very good decision. here are some reasons why:

1. i got 8 hours of sleep on Friday night. so far, for this whole year, i have been averaging around 4-5 hours of sleep at night. my body is still reeling from a summer spent doing M-Fuge where I was editing video from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. and getting (barely) 4 hours of sleep a night. the only upside is that since i'm actually awake at 1 a.m., i can study. this is a good thing because for most of the day, until after 10 p.m. at night, my schedule is full with things I have committed myseslf to. remind me to continue to chip some activities off my daily schedule, when i get a chance to.

2. some of the Dinner Theatre for BCM got written. more like i got the basic concept solidified and wrote a little bit more. it's nowhere near completion, but i made a significant advancement on it these past two days.

3. a new SNL was on. granted, it was Paris Hilton hosting, but it was still somewhat funny and worth watching.

4. time was spent talking with God. wasn't a deep, overwhelming connection, but one nonetheless. a needed one.

i don't really feel like giving a fifth reason so the list could feel "complete." you're just gonna' have to live with four. i really couldn't come up with a fifth reason, although i'm sure there is one, after about 5 minutes of staring at my computer screen, so i felt it was time to give it up and leave it at four.

happy super bowl sunday. go eagles.

the church of stretch armstrong

I'm going to be very honest here. I really can't understand most people who are adamantly conservative. And I really can't understand most peple who are unabashedly liberal. Not only of the political persuasion, but of the Christian one as well. Christians have polarized themselves into subcultures and subgroups and political parties and almost everything else imaginable, and in turn have themselves divided the body of Christ more than any curse-word-screaming rapper, Supreme Court member or President of our country ever could.

We divide ourselves over petty issues. We pull our own sections of the body of Christ until we are like one big Strech Armstrong doll. Should the table with the words "In Remembrance Of Me" be at the altar in front of the preacher's podium every Sunday? I can here a parishoner now..."If it isn't, I may just go to the Methodist/Presbyterian/Baptist/Episcopal/insert denomination here church across the street that does keep it there every Sunday. And it doesn't matter if the children are doing a play in front and need the space this Sunday, they can like it or f*@# it." That's the way issues tend to be tackled in a lot of churces today, and it infuriates me. Especially because we are Christians.

Want some more? I know a good number of Christians that think that just because this or that person does/doesn't support something they believe in as strongly as themselves, that there is something severely wrong with them, maybe even that their faith may be faltering. So just because I might not be pro-life with the same staunch conservatism that you exhibit, you think my faith is faltering? Something has gone drastically wrong with the Church today.

I think life is about challenges and growth. Life, the way Christ intended it, is also about relationships. It's about learning all that we can about how to be Christ and to share that with others, through mostly tough experiences. It is certainly not about picketing in front of abortion clinics to prove the point that abortion is wrong or authoring a constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage to make that point that God says homosexuality is a sin. Those people have it all wrong. The lessons of life come from way more serious and way more difficult things to do than that. Why? Because God didn't put us on this earth to figure out by age 25, 43 or even 87 all that we needed to know and then go tell others with staunch conviction as if we were He himself. I hope God keeps teaching me the humbleness that accompanies such an outlook on life, because of anyone I probably exhibit it the least.

a [gradual] change of perspective

So I've come to a realization. Christians (not all but way too many) aren't easy people to have constructive and intelligent conversations with on what are referred to as "hot-button" issues. Mention the words "sex," "homosexual," "abortion" or "democrat" (along with a handfull of others) to a Christian and we go into what I call "defense mode."

Imagine, if you will, a clip from the first Batman movie. At one point after Batman escapes from a burning factory, at the touch of his remote he shuts the Batmobile off and huge, impenetrable shields (which are built-in) wrap around its whole body to protect it. That is the picture I see when I think of our Christian "defense mode." The sad part is that Christians often times do this for the exact same reason Batman did it: protection. We don't want to hear anything of or from the secular, sinful, non-Christian world around us. But we aren't being protected, although we think we are. In fact, what we are really doing is stunting our spiritual growth. Growth comes from taking chances and being risky with our faith. We can't keep lying to ourselves. Although having a few non-Christian friends, I stay in my "holy huddle," as many do. I'd bet that most Christians would say the same thing.

But, I've been thinking, and I can't seem to move away from the thought that Christians cannot submit to engaging the world in this way anymore - and something drastic must be done. How can we expect to be Christ-like when we aren't showing the love of Christ to exactly the people who need it (people in the "secular" world that we want no part of)? We can't. We simply aren't fulfilling the action of becomming Christ-like if we don't engage the world. Conversations must happen, not just random shouting about "hell and heaven" with a tract thrown around here or there.

We are so hypocritical. How can Christians picket at abortion clinics with a clear conscience while being some of the most outspoken supporters of the death penalty at the same time? How can Christians rant about the Defense of Marriage Act when statistics clearly show Christians have some of the highest divorce rates in the world? I'm not standing up for or advocating against anything here. I'm simply saying we need to take things in perspective. How many of us as Christians actively try to form friendships with a homosexual, or an aethiest, or a homeless family? These are the people that need love. Many of them are waiting on us, on me. I hope that, day by day, I can take on the challenge of loving the ones that have been waiting on us and on God.

St. Charles Place

Another day, another bit of randomness. And lack of sleep.

I went to my CRV (Church Related Vocations) internship at GAIHN (Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network) this afternoon, where homeless families are kept together and given shelter by churches as they are helped to find temporary housing, and played Monopoly with three of the kids there for 2 hours. Yes, I definitely had some strenuous work to do at my internship today..."Hey, kid, pass me $200, will ya? I just passed Go." Good times, definitely. And, as you might guess, I was loosing horribly to two eighth grade students when I finally had to give up and play something different with one of their younger, five year-old siblings - who couldn't yet do enough math to outwit me financially.

In other news, today was the 20th birthday for my good friend (and many a person's good friend) here at Furman, Kellie King. I had some late-night celebratory cake in her dorm room. Absolutely amazing. The Publix bakery rocks. Hard. To quote Kellie's roomate, Melissa McNair, on her noteworthy accomplishment: "Alright! Halfway to 40!!," which Kellie, as expected, responded to with a resounding laugh/sigh/groan/cry to God, in succession, at the situation. From everyone here on staff at IntheRye (essentially no one but me), kudos to Kellie on her magnificent achievement.

For now, this is it.

Music In Rotation: Five For Fighting, "The Battle For Everything" and U2 "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb."

Introduction

A few random thoughts, occuring throughout the day:

1. Kanye West rapping about faith is revolutionary. Especially since he's nominated for 10 Grammy awards. Groups like Switchfoot, POD, U2 and others like Kanye West, who unabashedly bring faith into the mainstream arena, deserve more credit for the role they play in the music business. What they do not deserve is judgemental Christians doing anything but supporting them, because they feel as if they have "sold out" to the "sinful" mainstream that promotes sex, drugs and un-Christian things. I think most Christians, in many ways, simply don't have the guts, patience, and resilience to try and perform and promote the message of love found in the gospels in a culture that needs it more than ever.

2. Politics in America lacks virtue. Everyone in politics seems to have angles, and the theory of democracy (the theory of compromise) promoted originally by the ancient Greeks is nowhere to be found. Yes, only white males with lots of property in ancient Greece had the power, but at least they were virtuous about weilding it for the good of mankind. We have lost that ability to compromise in America and to consistently do good things for the good of mankind. Too much time is spent talking to people who hold our same views, ideas and morals. We don't talk to the people who disagree with us nearly enough. And we don't listen nearly enough. I know I don't. I hope others see the need for conversation (other than with our close political allies) and compromise.

3. This will be a much harder term in Greek 12 than last term in Greek 11. More studying will need to be done.

4. Everyone around me is getting engaged. Which is a really, REALLY happy sight! I'm already in one wedding, I will be attending one this weekend, one in May, and probably one in the summer at some point. Really great happenings, but weird all the same that all these people around me (many who are close friends) are getting engaged/married. Maybe just the life of a normal twenty-something college student? Probably. Especially at Furman. Casual aquaintances turn into about-to-be-weds with little else happening in between. Call me cynical. Because I am.

5. DH breakfast was surprisingly good this past morning. Kudos, little old ladies (and men).