Leave Aside Falsehoods

Some readers of my blog are probably aware my Sunday morning musings are usually a re-posting of my column which appears on the Friday religion page in the West Plains Daily Quill, my hometown newspaper. For those of you who typically read my column in the Quill, you might have noticed its absence this week. That was my fault. At some point on Friday, I realized what day it was and that I had missed the Thursday deadline.

Because I missed the paper, I'll use this opportunity to comment on an issue which is related to social media and the "interwebs." (That's a term our family sometimes uses because we collectively have an offbeat sense of humor which some of you might not expect if you only read my Facebook posts, which tend to be fairly serious in nature. If you're not familiar with it, you can look it up on Urban Dictionary. Not our sense of humor, the term interwebs.)

Nearly every time I log on to Facebook, I run across re-posts which are blatantly false. The vast majority are political in nature, but other topics are covered, too. There are at least three things I find fascinating (and frustrating, to say the least) about this phenomenon.

1. Fact checking is easily and quickly accomplished with several online tools. (Snopes.com being a good example.) Why post something which is a falsehood when it is easy to determine its veracity?
2. I believe most who post false information would not lie to someone face-to-face. Why lie on Facebook?
3. Many who are circulating rumors, falsehoods and mean-spirited observations will shortly be posting something which tells us how wonderful God is, often accompanied with a Bible verse. This one really leaves me shaking my head.

As the political season is upon us, and the vitriol is heating up, it will only get worse. I realize there are many of us who have differing opinions on many matters. That is understandable, and I know we have gone so far down the road of partisanship that unseating the opponent means more than progress, so there is little hope for actual civility.  However, I call on those who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus to:

1. Use some common sense, and check the facts.
2. Don't spread false information. Just stop. Okay?
3. Remember, whether or not you believe God is on your side in the opinions you express, I can tell you this: bearing false witness, strife, hatred and mean-spirited attacks are NOT in the guidebook for Christian living.
4. We all mess up, and sometimes, something which is not true might get through our "filters." If it happens you post something which is false, please have the courtesy to retract what you've said and admit you were wrong.

I will do my best to adhere to the these standards. Feel free to call me out if I ever miss the mark.

As we sort out what we believe and what is right and wrong, kindness and compassion are all-important in the process, whether in politics or anything else. Many will be disappointed with the outcome of the upcoming elections, no matter who is elected, but the key is to get over it, and get on with life without bitterness.

As scripture says, in the Book of Mark, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" As a nation, it is my hope we are not losing our soul in a political process which has adopted an "anything goes" attitude, as long as our favored candidate wins.

Regaining Community, Changing the World

Winter is my favorite time of year. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not merely saying that because new record high temperatures are being set here in the Ozarks. Summertime tends to zap my creativity, and I often feel less inspired. Such is the case as I struggled to write my blog this week. As a solution, I looked back through past entries and found one from two years ago which covers what I was trying to find the words to say. With modifications, what follows is mostly a repeat.

There are many factors eroding our communities. For example, as young people look for work in their chosen professions, they feel the pull to move away from their hometowns and families to find jobs, and when they do, it leaves a void.

Our consumer-driven, always-on-a-tight-schedule society prompts us to want "what we want, when we want it," leading us to not consider the source of what we're buying, where it came from and how, with a little more patience and shopping around, we might support a small business with a purchase rather than a huge corporation. Fast food drive-throughs vs. local eateries is a prime example.

We may not drive to California to buy our lettuce year-round, but we buy lettuce year-round which has been delivered to us from California.

Most of us know about the latest disasters in the rest of the world, but we may not be as likely to know the heartache and needs of our neighbor down the road, unless, perhaps, their situation has been posted on Facebook.

In the second chapter of Acts, we read of the early believers who were "together and had all things in common...and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need ...and breaking bread from house to house." Most of us are probably not going to give up all of our possessions any time soon, but we can all take a cue from scripture and make small steps to change the way society works.

Supporting locally-owned businesses, buying locally-grown food, taking time for face-to-face chats, re-instating the ancient practice of bartering and remembering we are all connected to one another are ways to help regain a sense of community. Our small, daily decisions have the potential to make the greatest impact in our own little corner of the world, and that's how worldwide change happens.

The Forecast

In stretches of weather like we're experiencing this summer, I have great sympathy for the local meteorologists. They don't have much to say other than it's hot, and it's going to stay that way, with no rain in sight. Nobody wants to hear the forecast, and on top of that, there are some who tend to want to shoot the messenger. Other than perhaps the times when a big snow is predicted and not a flake materializes, when school kids and teachers think they're going to get a day off, I can't imagine a worse time to be a weather forecaster.
 
Prophets face the same kind of job description. When they're talking about the imminent arrival of the Savior, people are happy, but when "tough times ahead" is the prophecy, nobody wants to hear it. And usually, few want to take the steps required to avert impending difficulties. The citizens of Ninevah, as recorded in the Book of Jonah, are a notable exception. They went on a city-wide fast to concentrate on the message Jonah gave them which said they would be overthrown in 40 days. The king also led his citizens in repenting in sackcloth and ashes, while proclaiming that everyone should "call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands." With their sincere change of heart, they were able to reverse the predicted doom of their city.
 
There are many prophets these days. In fact, it would seem almost everyone foresees difficult times ahead. The question becomes: What are we going to do about it? Will we sit idly by and seal a calamitous fate, or will we take action to achieve a favorable outcome? It should be noted, the Ninevites did not merely call on God, they put away wickedness and violence.
 
If there is agreement that our country faces adversity, then we should also find a way to be in harmony about the solution. Selfishness, greed and continued violence will not solve our problems. At every level -- government, corporate, church, individual -- we must see the way to open our hearts and put the needs of others above our own. We can pray that God will help us, but he has already given us the answer. It's the repentance shown by Ninevah.

We Write Our Own Script

Melodramatic plays have a fairly standard formula: a heroine in distress, a hero who comes to her rescue and a villain who wants to wreck everything. In the end, no matter how bleak the situation appears, the heroine is saved, the hero is victorious and the villain's plans are foiled. All along the way, emotions are exaggerated and improbable circumstances keep cropping up, usually for comedic effect.
 
After having recently been involved in a melodrama, I was thinking how convenient it would be if life had the same standard outcome, with good winning out over evil in such obvious ways, and all of us learning to keep a good sense of humor about bumps in the road. But in the real world, good doesn't always appear to triumph, and defining good isn't always even possible. As much as we would like to think it's true, not everything can be broken down into absolute right and wrong. Murky areas persist.
 
War in the name of justice is a prime example, but closer to home for all of us are questions of loving those around us. How do we do that? For instance, there's the balance between disciplining children and giving them freedom to make mistakes on their own, of providing for them without going overboard. There's the call to love our neighbors and deciding if that means giving them what they need or helping them get what they need on their own. If we are "taken advantage of" by someone who appears to have misused what we've given them, do we never help them again because it could be "casting our pearls before swine," as scripture mentions?
 
There is no right or wrong answer to many of life's questions. We make decisions based on the circumstances at hand and hope we don't make a situation worse. When our motivation is based on our impulse to help someone who is in distress, when our desire is to place the needs of others ahead of our own, that's about the best we can do. Not every situation will always be summed up neatly like it is in a melodrama, life's too messy and unpredictable for that, but we can't let that stop us from trying to do the right thing, helping where we see a need. We're writing our own script as we go, we might as well learn to enjoy the plot twists and turns along the way.

Technicality Nation

Why have we become focused on technicalities? Looking for loopholes to push an agenda or ruin someone else's plans seems to have become a new national pastime. It's especially prevalent in politics, but everywhere you look, it would seem someone has made an art of getting what they want by the use of petty and strict interpretation of an often obscure rule or law. Many people seem to have no qualms about making a point or getting their way at the expense of others by twisting the rules.

 

Unfortunately, this line of reasoning has extended to Christianity. My goodness, the ideas which have become focal points for those claiming the name of Christ are mind-boggling. Waving away the commands of love and compassion, large segments of the church world have become zeroed in on a few issues which, in many cases, were never mentioned by Jesus in his recorded teachings. Even worse, in other instances, we have become quite good at doing the exact opposite of what Jesus taught.
 

The fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control -- have rotted on the vine of many branches of the Church, leaving a reeking mess of finger-pointing, turmoil, greed, strife, fear and hate. As James says, in reference to blessing and cursing coming out of the same mouth, "these things ought not to be this way." (3:10)
 

Can we please just get a grip on the character and nature of Jesus and stop letting our own agendas, biases and overblown religiosity get in the way of his work? I have never believed God is nitpicky. If his desire is that all should be saved and none should be lost, then it does not seem, and I believe scripture bears this out, he is looking to exclude people from his kingdom based on trivialities or technicalities. I have said it before, will say it again and it will continue to be my call for myself and for all believers: Adhere to the simple, compassionate, peaceful Way of Jesus and change the world for the better.

Putting Aside the Old

Much of the Book of Hebrews offers an explanation of how the old covenant of God differs from the new covenant. In chapter 8 we read that Jesus, "has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises." (v. 6) In the Old Testament, there was an old way of doing things, then Jesus arrived, offering the new and better Way of life and living.

It is wise to be open to times of change. When we remain stuck in old habits, refusing to budge from our attitudes and ideas without considering different viewpoints, we are in danger of becoming less happy, rather than more so. Stubbornness merely for the sake of being stubborn is a very limiting way to live.

For example, we don't have to look far to see where obstinance has gotten our country. By refusing to work together, elected officials are not leading us, they are dividing us, breeding discontent, mistrust and a more resilient strain of stubbornness than ever seen before. Sadly, we can see that dogged determination to hold the line against change in many institutions and organizations, perhaps churches most of all.

What is the antidote? I can think of several things: a willingness to listen to others and compromise on issues where our core principles are not being violated; an openness which admits we might not agree on every issue, but we can still peacefully co-exist; and acknowledging that some ways of thinking and doing things are becoming obsolete, and it is time to let those things go and move forward. Going back to the Book of Hebrews, 8:13 says, "When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."

It is important for all of us to examine our opinions from time to time and think about how things could be better if we would let go of worn-out ideas. Under careful consideration, things which previously seemed significant might fade away into obscurity. It is a good path to take to discover new ways of working together. By doing so, positive change can happen.

Arise, shine...

Occasionally, I wake up knowing the day ahead will be filled with tasks which are mundane but necessary to fulfill work obligations, and my usual enthusiasm suffers. One morning earlier this week was like that. On those days, my mind wanders to grand and important things. Then, I remind myself each of us doing our individual jobs, whatever that work might be, is vital in the larger picture of life, and I get out of bed ready to tackle the day with glad anticipation to see what will be accomplished. (That last statement may be a little heavy on the eagerness and exhilaration, but mostly it's accurate.)

Oswald Chambers, in "My Utmost for His Highest," is quoted as saying, "When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery...there is no point in waiting for God to help us -- He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue -- a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

"Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything that we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery -- washing fishermen's feet. He then says to them, 'If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet' (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it."

Oswald said it best, but I will add: When we go about our work, doing it to honor the teachings of Jesus, unexpected good things happen. As Isaiah 60:1 says, it is time to, "Arise, shine..."