St. John Studies

“We are in need of a vision, as a nation, that will call us to true greatness—defined not by how much we have but by how much we give of ourselves to lift others out of poverty and despair; defined not by how many people we can coax to do what we want but how well we listen to the needs, opinions, and thoughts of others in forging a way forward; defined not by the fear inspired by our military might but the admiration inspired by our compassion and generosity.”*

When I was a communication professor, I taught a class called “intercultural communication.” In that introductory course, my aim was to help American students understand how we look at other cultures in this world and how other cultures look at us.

I assigned many papers for my students to write and most of those papers were based on documentaries filmed in other cultures.   People around the world would give a glimpse of their reality and in turn often shared with the viewing audience how they felt about America.

Over and over the same phrase was used to describe the United States: “I like Americans; I just don’t like the United States.”

What does this mean? How could this be?

We see ourselves as benevolent and some of us see the citizens of the U.S. as Christian, charitable, caring, people who want to help the world be a better place for all.

I am not sure the facts bear that out. We have five percent of the world’s population and consume twenty-two percent of the total energy produced every year. Only China produces more greenhouse gases than America and their population is four times the size of ours. When it comes to foreign policy, we take on the role of world cop, expecting others to follow our lead.   We think we are so generous with our foreign aid but in fact most of our foreign aid goes to countries that have some strategic value for us on the world stage.   Our foreign aid does not go to the neediest people.   Many would be surprised to know that the largest recipient of foreign aid is Israel.

Other countries spend far higher percentages of their gross domestic product to help other countries. Germany gives away two times what the United States does in aid. France gives away three times more of its GDP than the U.S.   Denmark donates seven times what the U.S. gives away.

Where we as a people shine is our giving of private funds to help others recover from disaster. In a 2013 Chronicle of Philanthropy study, we ranked 13^th out of 135 countries in private giving but 1^st in private giving to help strangers in other countries experiencing disaster and 3^rd in our ability to volunteer to help countries in need.

Jesus talks so much about salt and light and what would be best is for America to be the salt and light of the world.   In Jesus’ day, salt was used as a preservative and as a flavor enhancer. America could preserve what is good and right in the world in the face of the evil that is so evident in many places throughout the world. Where there is strife, sorrow and hatred, we could be a positive force to make peace, bind up wounds and show love.   In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about “a city on a hill” and how that city cannot be hid; it can give light to the whole house. The world may see our good works and see us give glory to God and that may inspire the good in others.

In this election season we have had such self-absorbed rhetoric as candidate has bashed candidate.   I have often wondered how other cultures have viewed this election process. Has it hurt our image abroad?

I suspect it has.

Adam Hamilton expresses hope for America’s future, a hope that I also have.   Maybe it is naïve. Maybe it is too idealistic.

I like it anyway.

“The only hope for creating lasting peace [in the world] is for the United States to claim the biblical ideas of blessing, compassion, humility and servanthood as defining characteristics of our nation and our foreign policy.”

Now we are a long way from being that city on a hill, but as we aspire to be a better nation, I can think of no greater aspiration than to be that city.

As Christian Americans, I cannot think of a more important role than to be the conscience of our great nation, gently nudging our leadership to not only talk about the good we can do, but more importantly doing the good that we know we can do.

*Adam Hamilton from Chapter 22 Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White

**Chronicle of Philanthropy December 3, 2013

I plan to post on thoughts inspired by Adam Hamilton’s book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White until election day November 8, 2016.   On November 9, we begin a new study based on            W. Bingham Hunter’s book The God Who Hears.

And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister [1 John 4:21].

That’s pretty straightforward isn’t it?

But what if you have liberal leanings and want to vote Democratic and your brother and sister are conservatives and they are going to vote Republican?

Today can you love your conservative brother and sister? God says do it, but can you? In today’s world there is so much division, so much rancor, so much hatred for others that don’t believe as we do.

Let’s examine what conservatives really want.* **

Conservatives feel the basic moral fiber of American life is being torn apart and that moral fiber is being destroyed by people who cannot take individual responsibility.

Government can only interfere in our lives and the worst interference occurs when individuals become too dependent on government. Welfare, food stamps, AFDC, Perkins Loans [the list goes on and on] can only make Americans less responsible and more dependent on the government.

The conservative moral system is best explained by comparing it to a “strict father family.”   The father is the decider and the ultimate moral authority in the family. The father’s authority is not to be challenged and he has a serious job of protecting his family, supporting his family and teaching his children right from wrong. His ultimate goal is to develop children who will have enough internal discipline to become moral human beings.

Conservatives believe in a free market economy.   As the father is the decider in the family, the market is the decider in the economy. Everyone is out to make a profit.   The government should not manipulate the market in order to redistribute wealth. If the government would get out of the health care business, education, public broadcasting, public parks etc., the economy would provide help with the services we need.   The IRS is seen as a government agency that takes money away from those who have earned it and gives money to those who don’t deserve it.

When it comes to reproductive rights, the conservative opposes abortion.   God is seen as the Father, the Lord who rewards and punishes according to individual responsibility and to follow God is to deny women the option of abortion.

Much has been made of science in this election. Science should not have any authority over the market so the science of global warming and evolution must be denied. If science produces facts that oppose conservative values, those must be ignored. Remember the market is the great decider and it will naturally control how we approach topics like global warming.   For example, shutting down lucrative market ventures in response to global warming is a horrible mistake.

What is freedom for the conservative?   It is taking control of your own individual social responsibility. No governmental authority has to tell you what you can or cannot do. Just in case someone tries to impinge on your freedom, the conservative feels there is a great need for a gun.

Conservatives have mastered the art of “conservative-speak.” They unabashedly tout their values through a right-leaning national television outlet and have several very powerful radio personalities that espouse their views.   Besides this, there are conservative think tanks, institutes, authors, speakers etc.   The conservative knows that something said over and over will eventually grab the public’s attention and will sink into people’s brains. The current Republican presidential nominee has the attitude that simple ideas that are said a thousand times will penetrate the public’s consciousness. Complex ideas expressed over and over are merely confusing i.e. “Make America Great Again.”

Some of you may have read this and think, these generalizations tend to be right [let’s be real: all generalizations are never always “right”].   But if you are a conservative, you may feel comfortable with some of these ideas applied to you.

Here is the real reason for writing this post.

Some of the readers of this blog may indeed not call themselves conservative.   The ideas presented above do not seem to apply to your worldview.

My big question is this. Do you see some ideas espoused by conservatives that are redeemable, ideas that would make you say “I can love you, my conservative brother.”

1 John 4:21 does not say “conservative brother and sister.” It just says “brother and sister.”

Why?

As Christians we are to look beyond surface, worldly concerns to see the Godly heart within the person. For you see, the Holy Spirit does not reside in one political party.   It resides in us all.

*George Lakoff “What Conservatives Really Want”

**This discussion is full of generalizations but hopefully consideration of these “big wide-ranging thoughts” may give us some insight.

Right after this contentious election, let’s focus on prayer…

Set to begin November 9th…

We all hear it: you know, the phrase “separation of church and state.” But what are the implications of this phrase in American life?   We all know that many early settlers came to America due to the inability to exercise their religious freedom in their native countries.   Thomas Jefferson used the “separation” idea to exclude government from trying to influence what is preached from the pulpit. Thus we have the clause to the first amendment that reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”

Let’s turn the table toward the pulpit.   Should politics be preached?   Should pastors insert themselves in the political process by declaring their personal stand about candidates?   There is no Jeffersonian Constitutional clause prohibiting this but there are tax laws that discourage pastors from politicizing the pulpit. To qualify for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must meet the following requirement: “The organization may not intervene in political campaigns.”   If pastors get too political, tax exempt status may be withdrawn from their church.

Christians, let’s be honest. What Jesus preached in His lifetime was not a series of sermons, parables and admonitions for us to be “political”. He preached radical ideas but “love one another” does not seem to fit the behavior exhibited by polarized politicians today. Forgive those that harm you is totally out of fashion as today’s political charge is met with countercharge. The usual pattern is name-calling followed by unsupported statements, etc. Many politicians today are more concerned with their material needs and holding onto their seat in Congress.   Jesus preached for us to not be consumed by material wealth. I would venture to say that most politicians are very concerned with their exercise of power whereas Jesus seemed not to be too concerned about power.   Think about His trial where He could have called down angels to be freed.   When asked simple questions about who He was and what He was doing, He did not even attempt to defend Himself. Indeed Jesus seemed to draw the line between God and government when He replied in Mark 12:17 “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’ And they were amazed at Him.”   This comment was delivered to a group of Sadducees who were trying to trip up Jesus and make Him look like an insurrectionist. Instead, the way He responded seems to imply church/state difference.

Today, what is the climate of politics? Where do we see a confusing overlap between church and state? The examples go on and on. A Vice-Presidential candidate declares that he is a Christian first, a conservative and then a Republican. President Obama has taken his pet issues like health care reform and invoked the command from God “love thy neighbor as thyself” as the reason he has been dedicated to health care reform.* Some Christians struggle with single issues like Supreme Court appointees, gay rights or abortion. Others oppose candidates due to crude, sexist comments. Thou shalt not lie is the commandment that causes a lot of trouble for Christians and makes voting very hard because politicians are caught in so many lies.   One television news network touts faith and patriotism; in fact they seem to have a monopoly on claiming Christ in everyday life. Another network speaks of progressive issues and seems to cast Jesus as a social reformer.

Let’s get real? Andrew Sullivan says it best: “ A Christian cannot find salvation by fighting political battles, winning a few news cycles, or funding an anti-abortion super pac.”**

If Sullivan is correct, what are we to do?

The answer is simple, read the Bible and try to live the life of Jesus as much as you can. Living the life of the political Christian is giving into the world and we know we are not to be of this world [see John 17]. Sullivan says that focus on worldly concerns is not the key because Christianity is a life not from the head, not from the gut, but from the soul. It is a quiet religion, not seeking the limelight. Meekness of Christians should be liberating.   The materialism that we cling to in America is not a Christian concern.   Our anxiety-ridden lives are not characteristic of how Christians should respond to crisis. We are to do God’s will on a day-to-day basis.   We are to read His Word and apply it to our lives.   We are to study His Word and grow more in loving our neighbors.

Yes, the answer is simple but the execution is terribly hard.

Don’t confuse yourself.   God is terribly concerned with our execution of His ideas.

There is a great cost in politicizing Jesus, a great cost to our country, a great cost to our churches but most of all to you and me.

*February 2^nd 2012 National Prayer Breakfast

**Andrew Sullivan Forget the Church: Follow Jesus

We all have things that get in the way of what we want to get done…

Tuesday afternoon, the 18th of October, I was on a 12 foot ladder chopping the top out of a tree.  One second I was fine; the next second I was on the ground with a broken pelvis and a broken sacrum.

I will get back to St. John Studies soon.  I have had my operations now and I am getting stronger every day.  My movements will be limited for the next three months but it won’t affect my mind.

Revelation 2:10   Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.                                    

In the news we hear so much about divisions: today it is the deepening division among the Republican Party, you know the people who support the nominee and the people who have decided to abandon the nominee.   We know about the deep division between Republican and Democrat. We know about the deep division between liberal and conservative. It seems impossible to bridge all the divides. A book entitled Seeing Gray in A World of Black and White* seems a hopeless effort. It is all one way or the other, either right or wrong, either black or white.

But those divisions are not the ones that really bother me.

One that bothers me more is the division in the Christian community among the Trump supporters and the Clinton supporters. If you follow the “news”, neither candidate is lily white.   One has a history of questionable conduct around attractive women and the other has “shady” relationships with powerful people that have resulted in ethical questions about her true positions. [These examples are just the “tip of the iceberg” on either candidate.]

I think it is an understatement to admit that both candidates “stretch the truth” to the breaking point. [I am trying to use very generous terms here.]

Let’s explore the divide even more. Russell Moore** who makes a living trying to represent the Christian values of the Southern Baptist denomination is well aware of his congregation’s division. Moore explained that he knows many Southern Baptists older than 50 who oppose Trump — and nearly all of them are women. Among Southern Baptists younger than 40, Moore says, almost all of them he knows are appalled by Trump. That means, then, that most white Southern Baptist men older than 50 back Trump, at least given the alternative of Hillary Clinton from the Democratic Party. We already know this election has exposed deep racial divides in America at large and among evangelicals. Trump polls at historically low levels, perhaps just 3 percent, among African Americans who aren’t swayed by his promise to restore “law and order.”

I don’t want to give the impression of ignoring the other candidate but by using just one as an example [for purposes of space] one can clearly see the problem of division in the Christian community. A division that we don’t need in our community.

Younger Christians wonder how older Christians can wrap their minds around supporting either candidate, but how can an older Christian man vote for a candidate who seems to only utter empty words of faith, a candidate who has a growing record of love of power, money and sex.

Older Christians can say that they are voting for a person who will be our commander-in-chief, not a Sunday school teacher. But can you see the problem in the minds of younger Christian voters? Does the word hypocrisy come to mind? I have heard the argument that God can use pagan leaders to do His work but can that occur today? It did occur in the Bible [check out the story of King Cyrus in Isaiah who encouraged the Hebrews to rebuild Jerusalem after it had been destroyed earlier by the Babylonians]. Some like to point to single item issues like woman’s reproductive choices or Supreme Court decisions and they turn a blind eye to the total package.

I am not sure that younger voters buy these arguments. Younger Christians have always been a great concern as they find themselves pressured by their peers to abandon Christian beliefs for more worldly values. This happens in college and it happens in the non-college world as they are tempted to spend their adult lives in a quest for power, money and sex.

But Moore has some words for the over fifty crowd.  Words that are hard to read. “Can we not see, though, how older evangelicals are likewise tempted? Does aging past 50 suddenly deliver Christians from the need to fit in among their peers in the country club or diner? Can we not see how the church’s failure to discipline and teach against divorce and racism has orphaned so many youth who don’t know if they can trust their elders to do the hard thing when God demands it?”

The divide is real.

Younger Christian voters, female Christian voters and African-American Christian voters will wonder about the justification of the older Christian voter’s and what may happen—their faith may weaken and their political participation may dampen. We know that respect for the Church and allegiance to the Church is at an all-time low among young Christians.***

Teaching in the church and living out the Word should go hand in hand and when they don’t, young Christians will quickly cry “hypocrisy.”

I apologize for the focus on the Republican. He was the focus of Mr. Moore’s thoughts. I know that the Democrat candidate has generated similar concerns among faith leaders.

None of us is perfect. I believe in grace. I receive it every day of my life. I need it. We all fall short of the glory of God and we should call on the name of Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.

But we must be careful as we discuss our voting preferences within the church. I am sixty-four and if I choose to vote for a leader of the free world and my standards for their behavior are lower than what I would expect for a young Christian, I should probably keep my intentions to myself.

I want young believers to serve God and their neighbors. I don’t want an open discussion of my politics to be their stumbling block.

*by Pastor Adam Hamilton

**President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

*** https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/pew-research-why-young-people-leaving-christianity/