Telling the Story, Part 9: Till the Soil

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I came to Christian faith in my fifties and felt my rebirth made me very special.  But when I brought faith up with other people my age I found many had similar experiences and become Christians, too.  It turns out the Holy Spirit works on lots of people and my story wasn’t unusual after all.  Its commonality makes it even more amazing.

My interest in Christianity was aroused by my physician. Whenever I went for a checkup we’d end up discussing stress.  I was president of a company in a difficult industry, a position that involved long-term, incessant stress.  I never received medication or therapy for it, but simply understood that mentally slugging it out was just part of the territory.

He invited me to a Sunday School class he taught on handling stress through Christian faith.  I didn’t give Jesus any credibility but I was curious, so I went.  Over 10 weeks I found the things he taught about Christian faith made sense.  I could see how my own life could improve by taking on a mindset of  love instead of wallowing in the “don’t get mad, get even” attitude.

The good doctor discussed the Parable of the Four Soils.  A sower’s seed can’t survive in hard, rocky or thorny ground but can only thrive in good soil.  My soil was hard and thorny but he tilled it until I opened my heart and gave Christ a fair chance.  This was a no-brainer after being exposed to Christianity’s advice, hope, and strength, not to mention the incredible promise of eternal life. Secularism offers none of this.

Tilling soil is work:  moving rocks, pulling thorns and hoeing hard ground. Fertile soil doesn’t happen without effort.  But we can ignite curiosity if we engage in  dialog, answer questions, and establish the Bible’s credibility. Once we’ve done this we can transition into deeper aspects of our faith.

A traditional evangelism technique is the Romans Road, where a series of verses systematically explains the message of salvation.  The result can be fast, but the audience receptive to it is much smaller than the gospel-resistant population.

Here’s the problem:  in order for the Romans Road to work people need to believe the Bible is credible. Secularists have done a great job of convincing people it’s nothing but fairy tales and myths with outdated morals that don’t apply today.  Years ago, public schoolchildren said prayers, even parents who didn’t attend church sent their kids to Sunday School, everyone knew people who were open about their faith, and Christianity was our society’s bedrock.

No longer.  Millions make up their own rules and dismiss the Bible on the basis of shallow misconceptions.  Presenting the Romans Road to this crowd with no preparation may cause eyes to glaze over and conversations to die.  “Tilling the soil” isn’t a recipe for instant gratification, but it’s a way to keep communication open, create respect for our faith, generate interest, and open minds.

Next ChristianStandpoint article:  Bring it Home

Telling the Story, Part 8: Bridge the Gap

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Once you’ve told your story you can talk about faith in a way that bridges the gap between Christians and secularists. Our faith teaches practical lessons that make sense - even to skeptics – and we can connect by using them.

We all see the decline in social values and the economic costs we bear because of it.  It’s happened because of a fraying work ethic, lessening of personal responsibility and trashing of the concepts of family and discipline.  Anyone with common sense sees this.  But people often don’t understand that dysfunctional behaviors violate Christian teaching or that Christianity’s standards once provided cohesiveness and self-discipline that helped prevent destructive behaviors.

Christianity is attacked so routinely that people reflexively reject our faith, don’t understand it and don’t see the importance of its values.  We should tackle this and make the connection between the diminishment of faith and our dysfunctional society.  Believe in God or not, we’ve seen what happens when secularists ignore Christian teachings and make up the rules. Their failure gives our faith street cred.

Everyone needs hope, and we can offer it.   In 2008 the presidency was won partly on the promise of hope.  But hope for what, exactly?  It was never defined, leaving everyone to plug in whatever they wished for.  In most cases it was probably for “things” like a better job, cheaper rent or the end of war.  As important as these are, they pale compared to the promise of Christ. Our hope is bigger.  It’s for an eternal life that transcends our problems and gives us a perspective that mitigates despair.  We should explain how this affects our lives. 

Many people don’t believe eternal life is possible, but we can’t be shy about presenting it.  When I understood this promise, even though I thought it was farfetched, I asked myself, “What if this is true?” and decided to find out.  It was the hook that inspired curiosity.

Sometimes we can tie into what the other person already believes.  One guy’s outlook changed because a pop author suggested an “attitude of gratitude.”  But it’s just a shallow knockoff of Christian belief. We’re thankful to a God who made everything, watches over us, and gives us eternal life. Non-spiritual gratitude is limited and lacks the depth and promise of Christian belief.

The Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution can be bridges.  Without disputing them, mention that the questions neither can answer are exactly the things faith explains. Science can’t credibly explain where life comes from or what created the universe, so skeptics are left with implausible answers that enable them to ignore God.  We should explain that faith completes our view of the universe by providing the missing answers.

Our job is to get people to think.  Get them to say “Really?” “No kidding!”  “I never knew that.”  “I never thought about it that way.”  The idea is to have them ask themselves “What if this is true?”  If you bring an unbeliever to this point, you’ve done a stellar job.

Next Christian Standpoint article:  Continuing the Conversation

Telling the Story, Part 7: Sharing Your Story

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Once you’ve listened and learned about the other person you can transition to sharing your story.  Remember, this is still a conversation - not an opportunity for you to ascend your soapbox and impose your faith on the listener.  If you do they’ll probably head for the hills.

If you speak in a conversational, genuine and heartfelt way they should be willing to listen. This is the first step in opening minds that may have snapped closed to faith long ago.

Tie your story to what you’ve learned about them.  If they think the very idea of God is bunk, you might reply “I used to think that too, and it took me a long time to get past it.”   Or, “I’ve never been in that position because I’ve always had faith.  I know He’s there because of the peace and strength I have that I can’t explain otherwise.”  Or, “I’ve believed my whole life but I’ve had the same questions as you.  I found the evidence supported faith.”

Then ask, “Is it OK if I tell you my story?”  Here’s mine:

I was raised as a church going Methodist.  Then I went to college, lost my faith and was an atheist for many years.  As time went on, I became even more convinced I was right because everything around me seemed to confirm it: news stories, commentaries, movies, world problems, injustice, and the general culture all conspired to denigrate the idea of God and Christianity. 

Even so, I still believed in the value of a Christian upbringing for my kids and when the time came my wife and I looked for a church, but I wasn't looking forward to feigning belief for the next twenty years.  Then things started happening:  questions I had about God were addressed in magazine articles, radio programs and other places. I asked a respected business associate what he thought about God and found he was a strong Christian who talked convincingly about his faith.  These things continued to happen and I found myself questioning my unbelief. 

One night I entered my son’s room to read him a bedtime story.  Out of the blue, I mentally said “God, if Jon wants to read the Little Golden Book About God - which we had never read before - instead of PJ Funnybunny, then I’ll believe.”  Jon had PJ in his hands, put it down, pulled the “God” book off the bookshelf and said “I want to read this tonight.”  I’ve believed ever since.

Although I was still skeptical about Jesus, over years of seeking answers I found He’s real, too.  I now have faith and find it continually strengthened because I look at things from a Christian perspective and see God everywhere.

Here’s an old question.  “Which man is truly crazy, the one who hears thunder and thinks it’s the voice of God, or the one who hears the voice of God and thinks it only thunder?”  Christian faith lets me hear the voice of God.

Next Christian Standpoint article:  Sharing Your Faith

 

Telling the Story, Part 6: Opening the Conversation

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There’s no magic phrase to open a conversation about faith but there are some general principles we can follow.

First, understand we need to open a dialogue.  Almost everyone is comfortable talking about themselves, so we should lead the conversation in that direction.

Second, ask “action” questions instead of those that require only a “yes” or “no” response.  These begin with “who, what, why, when, where or how?”  A good all-purpose opener is “What do you do when you’re not doing this?”  Then encourage them to continue with more action questions that will help you get to know them.

Third, remember God gave us two ears and one mouth so we’d listen twice as much as we talk.  We often ignore the most critical part of communication:  LISTENING.

Fourth, empathize. Understand their point of view and problems.  Let them know you do.

Fifth,  find common ground. We all get battered by life and it shouldn’t be hard to find things in common.  Job loss, relationship problems, substance abuse, health issues, death of a loved one, uncertainty about life….fill in the blank.

Finally, most people are fair.  If you’ve listened to them, they’ll listen to you.  Establish your right to share by being the first to listen.  When you talk, pick up a thread from what you've learned about them and relate back to it.

There a lots of  opportunities to open a conversation.  If someone is distant, daydreaming and inattentive we might say “You seem to have a lot on your mind.  What’s up?” 

If they’re clearly bothered by something, say “You look upset.  Is something wrong?”  Be genuinely concerned; for a Christian this should be easy.

If you’re in a conversation about the dreadful condition of the world, agree and ask “With things this crazy how do you deal with it?”

In discussions about sports you might interject Christian references.  Many fans aren’t aware that lots of famous athletes are committed Christians.

If you’re asked what you’re doing this weekend and a church activity is involved, talk about it and develop a dialogue by asking what they’re doing.

With people you know well, you might ask,  “We’ve known each other for a long time and I’m curious: what do you think about spiritual things?  I respect your opinion and really  wonder what you think.”

Don’t be critical.  Your job isn’t to judge, it’s to promote an ongoing conversation that may help you share the Good News.    Don’t blow an opportunity by tearing down what they believe, insulting them and killing communication.

When people open up you’ll find what they say is often fascinating.  I once met a woman who believed she could meet someone, go back in time and change their karma.  It’s an opportunity for you to reexamine your faith in light of the beliefs of others.  You’ll discover Christian beliefs hold up and become stronger when you’re exposed to other ideas.

And you’ll be able to share your faith in a reasoned, committed, low-key and effective way. 

Next Christian Standpoint article:  Sharing Your Story.

Telling the Story, Part 5: Pick Your Spot

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What’s a spot?  A spot is a situation conducive to personal, respectful and open communication where we can begin to share our faith.

Spots come in lots of shapes, sizes and colors.  They’re usually in casual settings where the conversation won’t be interrupted by a meeting agenda or constrained by someone’s schedule. Everybody should be relaxed. 

Spots can be found on a train commute, watching the kids at the playground, on the beach with friends, visiting people in the hospital or at home, getting your hair done  or hanging out at a picnic. They could crop up at work in conversations about the news of the day, sports or even the weather.

Sometimes spots happen with people we may never see again.  A Christian friend tells how she and her husband express their faith by assisting others in need – like helping change a flat tire.  In situations like this, people will thank you and you’ve created a spot where you can tell them, “Your welcome, but it’s our pleasure.  We’re Christians and we’re happy to have the opportunity to help!”  Even if the conversation ends there, you’ve left a positive message about Christianity and your actions will give them something to think about.

Look at it this way.  First, there's a stereotype of Christians as being judgmental and bigoted that can be countered in a small way if people know they're being helped by a Christian.  Second, many of us hide our faith under a bushel basket. Others are free to develop wrong opinions about us because we don't even identify ourselves, much less talk about our faith.  Finally, non-Christians surely do good things, but Christians are impelled to do them as part of their faith..

Doing right and not taking bows is certainly biblical.  But remember:  the credit goes to God - not you - and if we're able to express that, we should.

In long term relationships the “spot” can be used to open a dialogue.  Most of us don't have the power or influence to make people instantly drop all their anti-Christian baggage and become Christians just because we brought it up.   But we can create interest so they’re willing to pursue the conversation later. 

Here are some thoughts.  First, you shouldn’t exhibit fits of rage, gossip, envy or other destructive behaviors the Bible warns about.  Christians aren’t perfect, but we should clearly be operating on a different plane from non-Christians.  If Christian faith hasn’t made a difference in your life, you have nothing to offer and shouldn’t even look for a spot until your faith has made a change in you.

Second, non-Christians see the same societal dysfunctions as Christians. If we discuss things they already know to be true, we can create common ground that will let us segue into how we see things through our faith.  When these topics come up they create spots.

Third, even non-religious people recognize the anti-Christian bias in the media and many think it’s wrong.  For example, a judge ruled he would allow a school to display the Ten Commandments as long as the first four were expunged, leaving six commandments that excluded any reference to God. When this sort of craziness happens, even non-religious people see it for the secular cheap shot it is and spots arise.

Fourth, everyday conversation can create spots.  When you’re asked how your weekend was, if it involved church you should talk about it.  It shows your faith is important to you and may allow you to transition into a conversation about spirituality.

Paul prayed for God to “open a door for our message” (Col. 4:2) and we should be on the lookout for His opportunities.  Keep your eyes, ears and heart open; spots will appear!

Next Christian Standpoint article: “Opening the Conversation.” 

Telling the Story, Part 4: Lighten Up!

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We descended the steps to the 125^th Street subway platform.  It was crowded with people moving briskly and purposefully with the hurried emotional disconnect perfected by New Yorkers.    Below, a man and woman strode around yelling about hell and damnation while waving large Bibles overhead.  Their frantic movements were unpredictable and they were given a wide berth by passersby who violated the trackside warning lines to squeeze by.

The shouters were unavoidable but nobody stopped long enough to hear any message.  They fruitlessly managed to annoy hundreds of people and give them a “crazy Christian” story to tell.  No doubt the proselytizers believed they were doing God’s work, but the effect was to reinforce anti-Christian stereotypes and turn people off.  Hellfire and damnation preaching can drive home a point but listeners can take it as a misguided threat that ends communication before it even starts. 

Few Christians have the personality or desire to try to impose our faith on others like this.  Instead we’re better at conveying the positive messages of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. And it's more appropriate.  This is good news to be shared in the same spirit you share other things you know will be helpful to the recipient.   

It’s what we’re called to do.  Jesus put the responsibility for convicting people’s hearts squarely in the hands of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11).  But He gave us the job of sharing the Good News by “making the most out of every opportunity, and letting our conversations be full of grace”(Col 4:5-6).  Paul was talking about using personal opportunities for intimate, peaceful, positive conversations

There have always been gifted evangelists who can move individual audience members with their oratory.  Most of us aren’t in that league and it’s just as well.  The fact is 80-90% of new Christians are introduced to faith by friends, relatives or acquaintances who arouse their interest and invite them to church. To do this we need to be ready for opportunities by “always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.  Do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

When a new mother holds her baby she has a glow on her face, a lilt in her voice and devotion in her gaze.  Her love for her child is beyond question.  If we present ourselves in a similar way when we talk about Jesus it sends a powerful positive message of love and hope and it’s far more likely we’ll open a productive dialog.

Jesus told us to come to him like a child (Mat 18:2-4) and it’s good advice.  At its heart, Christianity’s amazing promises are understandable by all who are open to them. We don’t need to be theologians on one hand or subway station hawkers on the other. We just need to be ourselves and exude joy while sharing the peace and hope we’ve found. 

Smile!  It’s Good News! 


Next post:  Telling the Story 5:  Pick Your Spot

Telling the Story, Part 3: A Strategy You Can Use

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We're called to be ambassadors for Christ.  Here's an eight-point stategy we can use.

1.      Lighten up.  Your job is to be a messenger who shares the Good News, not a scold who puts people off.  The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting:  ultimately it’s the Spirit’s job to open minds and then to convict people’s hearts.  We should take advantage of opportunities - which we can help create - in fulfilling our mission.

2.      Pick your spot.  Wait for an opportunity to have a quiet conversation.  It may be over a cup of coffee, during a time when you’re traveling, or another informal setting   There are usually lulls in conversation when you could ask, “What do you think about spiritual things?” 

3.      Listen.  Humans innately know there’s something going on and everyone has an opinion. Secular people dismiss Christianity and are stuck with other options:  New Age nostrums like pyramid power or magic crystals, self-improvement gurus with manufactured theories, or belief in aliens (think of the crop circle mania).  Some will have “their own” faith.  Listen and you’ll learn some interesting and amusing things.  Ask them why they believe what they do – and if they profess not to believe in anything, ask “why not?”  Most people haven’t thought deeply about this and you may be surprised at how shallow their “beliefs” are.

4.      Ask permission.  When they’re done, don’t dispute them but ask if it’s OK if you explained what you believe. Once you’ve got their permission you’re free to discuss Christianity without imposing it with a heavy hand.  If they don’t offer it, don’t violate their decision. They’ve demonstrated a boorish, unfair closed-mindedness that you probably won’t penetrate anyway.

5.      Share your story. If they give you permission, talk about yourself and your personal faith experience.  This has two advantages:  (1) People like stories and (2) since it’s about you it can’t be disputed.  Mention how your life has changed and gets better as you understand more.  If you’ve had a miracle happen to you, talk about it. If you were ever skeptical about Jesus tell them why – and then tell them how you overcame it.

6.      Share your faith.  Since the Bible is the source of Christian teaching you may explain how specific lessons have affected you (staying out of debt, not being envious, strengthening your marriage, helping you through an illness or death, etc.).  Mention that the promise of eternal life – which you have every reason to believe is true – puts life’s problems in a whole new positive perspective.

7.      Remember it’s a dialogue.  Our faith will stand on its own merits and you should welcome questions or comments.  The answers you give will help clarify our faith for the listener. If you don't have an answer, don't wing it.  Tell them you'd like to know, too, and you'll get back to them.

8.      Ask to meet again.  If it’s been a pleasant, informative, non-confrontational and intriguing discussion the answer should be “sure.”   The creaking you’ll hear is the sound of a door opening.

Over the next several Christian Standpoint articles we’ll look at each of these steps in more detail.

Telling the Story, Part 2: What We're Up Against

Ever meet someone new and discovered they were Christian?  Remember the instant kinship you both felt?  It’s a marvelous thing that transcends race, age, sex, health, wealth and every other category that typically separates us.  Christians from all walks of life are brothers and sisters because we’re bonded by a faith we know to be rich and true.

But unbelievers see our faith as foolish, naive and even childish.  One guy actually said “God is like Santa Claus – you give it up when you grow up.”  Uneasy about encountering attitudes like this, it’s no wonder Christians can be shy about sharing their faith with others.

Let’s look at some reasons non-Christians think this way.  We’ve had at least two generations of parents who don’t attend church and don’t send their kids, either.  Millions of people have minimal knowledge of faith and little contact with a church community.

Life can be hard, and with no spiritual guidance it’s easy to disbelieve in a “good” God who, as far as they’re concerned, should be providing for them but isn’t.

Others have been “educated” and buy into Karl Marx’s notion that “religion is the opiate of the masses.”  In fact, the quotation itself is an opiate that endows “sophisticated” people with a misguided sense of superiority.

Child abuse scandals, hateful “Christians” picketing military funerals, pastors threatening to burn Qur’ans, and headlines proclaiming apocalyptic deadlines have all tainted  Christianity’s image.

TV shows, movies, edited news stories, comedy routines, contemporary music and other biased influences permeate the culture.  Skepticism is understandably rampant. 

It’s a hostile environment for American Christians but it’s easy compared to much of the modern world.  We're free to share our faith and should relish the opportunity to do so.   We can succeed by proceeding in a sensible, biblical way.

Our first job is to open minds.  In the parable of the four soils Jesus taught that only seed sowed on good soil would produce a crop.  People tend to be rocky, thorny and shallow regarding faith, just like the unproductive soils.  We need to find good soils and improve the condition of the others so the things we say will take root instead of being ignored. 

We can do this  in part by addressing the individual’s reasons for skepticism, showing the shallowness of disbelief and then sharing the sensible answers provided by faith.

The first step is to open a dialogue.  We know the ultimate truth is in the Bible but others don't, so we should speak in everyday terms in order to find out why the person is skeptical. Then we should address the issues. The process is biblical.  For example, when Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well he told her, “you Samaritans worship what you do not know.” He knew her wrong-headed beliefs were barriers to her understanding the truth. We need to understand this, too.

This takes time and patience, but if we can awaken people one at a time we may be able to change the momentum.

The next Christian Standpoint article will discuss finding opportunities to share faith and how to open the conversation.

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Telling the Story, Part 1: Things Have Changed

Evangelist Billy Graham

They started trickling in before noon, then the first of 400 buses arrived.  By 6:33 every seat in Yankee Stadium was taken and new arrivals had to stand on the field.  They filled all but the infield, which was cordoned off by a four-foot snow fence.

That warm midsummer day witnessed the biggest crowd in stadium history   More than 100,000 people crammed in while over 10,000 were turned away.  At 8:00 the lights were turned on and they were bathed in soft light.

Five minutes later Billy Graham strode to the podium.  His dynamic, heartfelt presentation pierced listener’s hearts as he emphatically preached, “Christ is the only answer to our problems and dilemmas.”   Then he called for attendees to make a decision for Him.  In typical Graham crusades the audience was invited to the platform, but this night was different:  with no room to move, those who accepted Christ were asked to rise if they were sitting and  raise their hands if they were already standing.

Gradually people seated in the stands rose and hands went up all over the outfield.  Thousands of people came to Christian faith in this one place, at this one time.  The New York Crusade drew 2.3 million people to multiple services in the stadium, Madison Square Garden and Times Square.

Dr. Graham in his prime might still fill Yankee Stadium today, but it likely wouldn’t be the purely spiritual event it was in 1957.  It doesn’t take much imagination to visualize the posters, hear the epithets and feel the anger protesters would unleash.  Rampant antagonism makes evangelizing harder than it should be.

To deal with this we need a variety of tools to choose from, starting with traditional methods.  One goes like this:

1.      Using Romans 3:10 and 3:23 show the person he’s a sinner and get him to admit it.

2.      Using 5:12 and 6:23 show him the price of sin is spiritual and physical death.

3.      Using 5:8 show him that Jesus paid the price for his sins.

4.      Using 10:9 show that by receiving Jesus as his savior he’ll enter heaven when he dies.

5.      Pray with him and ask God to save him.

6.      Get him to pray for the forgiveness of his sins and salvation for his soul, and  then state he has received Jesus as his Savior.

7.      Ask where he would go if he died at this moment.

8.      If he answers “heaven” you’ve done your job.

This has been and is successfully used.  But people often don’t think the Bible is credible, so to them it has no authority.  Even worse, nowadays people conjure their own moral standards.  Modern self-centered, custom designed, elastic rules are easy to live up (or down) to, so people don’t see themselves as sinners at all.

For this tough audience we need an approach that addresses their reasons for skepticism, is usable by most Christians, and doesn’t compromise our beliefs.  More on this in the next Christian Standpoint post.

To view an excerpt from one of Billy Graham’s Madison Square Garden services please click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOxCFJ7bX5o

Photo credit:  Time Photos

We Have Met the Enemy...

A Message for Christians

A newspaper columnist recently wrote a piece about the need for young people to return to religious groups.  She bemoaned the fact that 103 parishioners from her church had died during the previous year and nowhere near that number of new people had joined.  In fact, her church was already a consolidation of three churches, two of which had closed.  She asked for advice from churches that weren’t experiencing these problems.
 

The writer felt the causes were the disappearance of religion from family life and a smaller number of people choosing church life as a career. But these aren’t causes; they’re symptoms.  The root cause is the marginalization of Christianity by a steady drip of attacks that’s produced at least one generation of Americans who’ve fallen into secularism and have limited, if any, knowledge of Christian faith.

Why – and how – would parents introduce their children to something they know little about aside from the fact that Christianity is disrespected and attacked?   And why would potential clergy choose careers in a dying industry?  These symptoms can only be addressed by reaching parents and children who are truly lost when it comes to faith.

I contacted the columnist because she asked for help and I could offer it.  In our brief conversation she told me her church already had a program for outreach and I should contact other pastors in the area.  She had publicly complained but wouldn’t even listen to a new idea. She’s probably just a typical Christian and, if so, it’s no wonder secularists have successfully whittled away at our faith.  
  

Here’s the bad news: the U.S. has a Christian heritage but it no longer has a Christian culture.
 

The good news is that everyone – secularists included – has a God sized hole in their heart, even if they don’t recognize it.  They try to fill it with substance abuse, “wisdom” invented by secular gurus, New Age fads, perceived alien visitations and who knows what else. Millions of misguided people trying to pound square pegs into round holes. Christian faith is the missing round peg and it’s our job to help them find it.
 

Christianity has been cast as hateful, judgmental and bigoted by secularists whose own “beliefs” are incredibly shallow – and wrong.  We need to tackle this in order to share our faith,  and  it’s a disservice to both the unbeliever and to Jesus if we don’t.  Fortunately, ways to do this are easy to teach and simple to use.
 

In his classic comic strip Pogo, cartoonist Walt Kelly coined the phrase, “We have met the enemy and he is us” to point out that individual people were personally responsible for a massive littering problem 40 years ago. We Christians are personally responsible for living, defending and sharing our faith, and if we merely convey a message of noncommittal uncertainty we ARE our own enemies.
 

There are practical, friendly ways to communicate with today’s unbeliever but we need to know how to do it. We’ll discuss some ideas in the next post.

Graphic credit:  We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us, Walt Kelly, Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Wake-up Time

Let’s stroll down memory lane.  I remember saying the Lord’s Prayer in public school until the Supreme Court banned it.  Up until then Christian faith was respected; America was Christian and that was OK.

But the siege had begun.  The Ten Commandments were removed from courthouses and crosses were torn from hilltops.  Christmas morphed from a celebration of Jesus’s birth into a legal free-for-all as lawsuits to ban Christmas from public schools and crèches from town squares became common.  Political correctness dictated we say “Happy Holidays,” and “Merry Christmas“ became an almost subversive greeting.  Anti-God ads on buses, subways and billboards slammed Christianity annually.    

A “work of art” depicting a crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine got wide publicity.  It was distasteful and outrageous, but the media made sure every sentient human being in America could see it.  The press promoted stories about unhinged "Christians," like the tiny hate group that picketed military funerals or the obscure preacher who threatened to burn the Qur'an.  Splinter groups got the spotlight while the vast majority of Christians observed their faith in quiet anonymity.

Christianity has been relentlessly assaulted and its status chipped away, but we believed the government would protect our rights until the madness passed.  Until recently.

The federal government ordered Roman Catholic hospitals, charities, colleges, parochial schools and social service agencies to provide insurance coverage that violated church teachings.  In a nutshell, they must pay for abortion pills or face many millions of dollars in punitive fines that will threaten their existence. 

The rule isn’t sensible on a few levels.  First, these institutions have always been subject to the conscience clause which allows them to avoid complying with such mandates, so this order violates precedent.  Second, everything mandated can be obtained by individuals privately without forcing the church to violate its moral standards.  If abortion pills, contraception and sterilization are critically important to an employee he can buy them privately or find another job that offers coverage for them.

The third is the most mind-boggling.  Catholic organizations play a huge role in our society.  Communities across the country will suffer if these institutions are compelled to curtail services or close down. 

If they’re financially unstable who will fill the void?  Here’s a scary thought: maybe the strategy is to force the church to sell out to private companies.  Secularists would get a twofer: the rules would be enforced and Christian outreach slashed at the same time.

This isn’t about contraception; it’s about freedom of religion. It’s triggered a firestorm of protest and the rule may yet be modified.  Even if it is, the lesson remains that secularists are willing to go beyond filing individual anti-Christian court cases brought by private citizens to issuing unilateral government commands that limit religious expression.

Our society has trashed God for decades, and now we’re on the cusp of making Him legally irrelevant.  History shows what happens when matters of conscience are dictated by whoever has political power, and it is dangerous.

It’s wake-up time.

Photo Credit:  bedbathandbeyond.com

Sprituality for Sale

Karl Marx

Karl Marx, who would’ve made a great shopping mall Santa, said “religion is the opiate (actually, “opium”) of the masses,” seeing it as a fabricated device that comforted naïve, ignorant common folk. Marx’s 19^th century Communist theories were thoroughly discredited in the 20^th century, but somehow he still has credibility among those insulated from reality enough to still think he was onto something. 

Communists are atheists for good reason.  They need to destroy the moral framework of a society in order to impose their system, and this means repudiating God.  And they did, rejecting God’s guidance and implementing a system that eliminated freedom and individual rights.  It impoverished entire populations and killed millions around the world.

But it couldn’t kill the thirst for God. Trying to deny man’s need for a higher power is a fool’s errand.  Even if people aren’t Christian they still have a God-shaped hole in their hearts and seek ways to fill it with something that provides peace, understanding and hope.  In the spirit of Herr Marx, our skeptical culture has tried to marginalize and discredit Christianity, leaving people to seek  answers elsewhere.  They don’t have to look far for options.

Books, seminars and websites with enticing hooks claim to fill the void.   Surf  the web and you’ll find promises to  “shift you into a new magical awareness of your life,””learn the secrets of how our souls work,”  give you “a profound understanding of the deepest forces of your essence,”  “make you the captain of your subconscious mind,”  take you “to a shining place of candid self-realization,”  teach “healing that aligns you with the vibration of money,” get the “happiness which is your birthright,”  find “the enchanted path of enlightenment,”  and “romance the God I AM within.”    Graduates of the last program will have a particularly interesting discussion with St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

Practitioners offer psychic, numerological, “energy pattern” and astrological readings.  Some sell self-hypnosis, Feng Shui, meditation and life coaching help.    There’s probably a fortune teller with a crystal ball out there too.

See any similarities between them?  First, they charge handsomely for their advice.  Capitalist sages see the opportunity to fill a need and make a buck.  But secondly - and more importantly - they all focus inwardly on the self, as if we have the capacity within ourselves to reach spiritual fulfillment.  If this were true, mankind would have figured out which therapies worked and weeded out the imposters long ago.     

The problem is they’re all imposters.

Unlike followers of the guru du jour, Christians understand their own weaknesses and imperfections, know the source of their strength is outside of themselves, and that it comes from God.  When a society practices the lessons taught by Jesus, the result is personal responsibility, sensible decision-making and a moral framework that discourages the rampant social dysfunctions we see today.  Our politically correct culture dismisses God just like Marx did, and we're drifting into chaos because of it.

“Spirituality for sale” schemes only misdirect the attention of those who really need Christian faith.  And by distracting people one at a time, they impede a return to the Christian values our society profoundly needs.

Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

The Vilification of JoePa

Joe Paterno 1926-2012

Joe Paterno arrived at Pennsylvania State College in 1950.  It was located thirty miles from the nearest railroad station and you drove there on secondary roads.  It wasn’t on a route between population centers, so it wasn’t even a rest stop for travelers.  Today Pennsylvania State University enrolls over 44,000 students and is serviced by highways able to move the 107,000 fans who attend Nittany Lions football games.

In 1955 Paterno became the head football coach and turned Penn State into a powerhouse.  His teams won two national championships and he holds the major college record for wins.  He lived in a modest house on campus and didn’t seek the big money contracts other coaches demanded, preferring to donate millions to the university.    In a collegiate sports world where the ideal of “student athlete” is often an oxymoron, Paterno insisted on producing players who earned degrees for 46 years. 

Paterno lived by his Christian principles and emphasized the work ethic and the importance of fair play.  His integrity imbued the university with a sense of specialness;  if you’ve ever met a Penn Stater you know what I mean.   Joe shared his sense of decency widely, whether holding the door for a student, calling an underclassman’s  cancer-stricken parent or getting out of  his car to castigate a student he saw littering.  It was an indelible moment for the litterer, who thought it was like being reprimanded by God.

He earned the endearing nickname “JoePa.”

He was an 85 year-old man who dedicated his long life to his faith and the moral pursuit of excellence.  Thousands of kind gestures.  Generous donations.  Untold lives inspired, improved and turned around.

Then, the week after breaking the record for total wins, a former assistant coach was charged with sexual abuse of a child and Paterno was accused of quashing it.  The national media and a chorus of indignant, condescending, shrill voices demanded action against him.  Within a week, a stellar reputation was torched and a legend  fired in a phone call by trustees who didn’t have the decency to tell him in person.  They even removed his name from the Big Ten championship trophy.

In 2002 a graduate assistant told Paterno about an incident he had witnessed but withheld  the details from him.  Paterno  followed procedure and notified university officials.  He was pilloried for not doing more, but just what did they expect him to do?  Appoint himself judge, jury and executioner on the basis of hearsay?  

The Bible tells us it’s not our place to judge, and Paterno responsibly turned the case over to those in a position to investigate.   Nevertheless the media salivated over the chance to ruin a good man and dogged him with video cameras and microphones, today’s equivalent of torches and pitchforks.

Joe Paterno died last weekend, 11 weeks after the scandal broke.  History may well vacate the kangaroo court’s decision, but in the meantime the only judge who counts is no doubt welcoming JoePa with open arms.

 Photo credit: dailyherald.com

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, the intense, creative, groundbreaking, domineering, obsessive  co-founder of Apple Computer was the face of cutting edge technology.   The world was stunned when he died.

 He gave a commencement speech at Stanford University.  An excerpt:

 “No one wants to die.  Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.  And yet death is the destination we all share.  No one has ever escaped it.  And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life.  It’s life’s change agent:  it clears the old to make way for the new.  Right now, the new is you.  But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become old and be cleared away.  Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true.” 

 Andy Crouch of Christianity Today saw him as a secular evangelist for technology-generated hope when he “strode on stage with a miracle in his pocket.”   But his cold outlook was godless, soulless, self-centered, morally neutral and offered no promise of an afterlife.  On 60 Minutes Jobs said “You’re born alone, you’re gonna die alone.  And does anything else really matter?  I mean what is it exactly, is it that you have to lose?  You know?  There’s nothing.”

 This was consistent with his embrace of Zen Buddhism, which is non-theistic and denies the existence of self. 

 But impending death challenged him.  He told biographer Walter Isaacson  “Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t.  I think it’s 50-50 maybe.  But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more.  And I find myself believing a bit more….. maybe it’s because I want to believe in an afterlife.’ 

 Steve Jobs was consumed with work to the exclusion of many other things, including God.  Once his illness slowed him down he seems to have sensed Him and decided there was a better than even chance for an afterlife after all.  Shortly before he died Jobs told his sister “that he was going to a better place.”

“Oh wow, Oh wow, Oh wow” were Steve Jobs’ last words.  Peggy Noonan, writing in, The Wall Street Journal, thinks they “were the best thing said in 2011.”  “What happened  there that he looked away from his family and expressed what sounds like awe?”

Noonan told of a friend whose son died at home, surrounded by family.  “As Robert breathed his last an infant in the room let out a great baby laugh as if he saw something joyous, wonderful and gestured toward the area above Robert’s head.  The infant’s mother, startled, moved to shush him but my friend, her mother, said no, maybe he’s reacting to …something only babies see.”  And the dying person experiences.

 Monumental wealth, fame and success still leaves one guessing about the afterlife.  Steve Jobs learned it exists when he finally met God.  It would have been better if he’d been a Christian and known Him long before he died.