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Peace on Earth

This past Sunday I found myself talking about Jesus as the Prince of Peace and the wonderful sentiment we often read on Christmas cards, "Peace on Earth, good will to all."

As part of the sermon I quoted the lyrics of U2's song 'Peace on Earth,'

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth

Jesus this song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth?
This peace on Earth

I find myself resonating to these words and more than that I am brokenhearted that 2,000 years after the coming of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the one who calls his followers to be peacemakers, that the church hasn't done a better job of it.

At the end of our service I was choking back the tears as I looked into the eyes of a young member of the US Marines and challenged the church to do better at becoming a tranformative community in the world so that more young men and women would not have to die due to lack of peace.

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

Armistice day. The day on which The Great War, the "war to end all wars," the First World War, finally came to an end.

My grandfather, his brother-in-law and many of their friends spent time in the frontline trenches of this war.Upon his return grandpa would never again speak of the horrors he saw as he fought for king and country. To his dying day he was willing to contribute to the Earl Haig Fund but would not wear the poppy that contributors received because it bore the name of Haig, the man who sent so many young men up the line to meet a brutal death.

The feeling of so many who fought on the front lines of this war are summed up in the words of the war poet Siegfried Sassoon...

Base Details

If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath,
I’d live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
You’d see me with my puffy petulant face,
Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel,
Reading the Roll of Honour. ‘Poor young chap,’
I’d say—‘I used to know his father well;
Yes, we’ve lost heavily in this last scrap.’
And when the war is done and youth stone dead,
I’d toddle safely home and die—in bed.

If only it had been the "war to end all wars," but it was not.

The sin of humanity, pride, greed, covetousness, idolatory pit nation against nation over and over again. Who will speak "peace" into a violent world? That is the call of the church, the people of God, we are to offer an alternative way, the way of Jesus, the way of the cross. It is not an easy way, but it is God's way.

Koran burning is not a Christian activity

A small Florida church is making international news because it is planning on holding a Koran burning party in four days time on September 11th.

Let me be clear on this, burning the Koran is not  a Christian activity. Actually the pastor of the church states, "We feel it's maybe the right time for America to stand up. How long are we going to bow down? How long are we going to be controlled by the terrorists, by radical Islam?" So perhaps even he thinks this isn't a Christian activity either but rather an American and patriotic activity. Of course burning the Koran could harldy be considered an American activity either, and has been condemned by Genereal Petraeus.

As private citizens with certain protected constitutional rights these folks are entitled to  burn the Koran in the same way others are free to burn the bible or the flag. But such actions by extremist fringe groups do not represent the heart of authentic Christian faith and practice. The missional heart of Christianity is to reach out in love to those who would oppose us, it is not to confront violence with violenc, we are citizens of another kingdom one that does not protect our rights in the same way kingdoms of this world do. As Jesus said to Pilate after his arrest and shortly before being sentenced to death, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Christianity, like all religions, has always had its extremists that live on the fringe, and I'm not referring to the prophetic edge here.

If you are a Mulsim and you happen to read what I'm writing here, let me, as a Christian pastor, apologize for the actions of those on the fringe of Christianity. I am sorry for the offense that is being caused to you and want to assure you that this is not representative of the way of Jesus. 

What's the big deal about a Mosque in New York?

I know this is a politically sensitive issue for many, and judging by the comments on my facebook page when I asked this question there is a great deal of diversity on how to respond to it.

My only concern here is to help people think this through from a Christian perspective, and by Christian I mean a people devoted to Jesus Christ and him alone. This is a critical starting point because the moment we add an adjective before 'Christian' or use 'Christian' as an adjective for another noun we end up with something less than truly Christian and perhaps even something that is non or anti Christian.

From my vantage point I would say it is none of my business if they build a Mosque in New York. That decsion lies solely with the city of New York and its citizens.

Is it offensive to build a Msoque in this location? I suppose that depends on your vantage point. If you think that Islam in general was responsible for the 9/11 attacks then it probably is offensive, if you don't, then probably not. Of course if you believe that Muslims as a whole have responsibility for 9/11 then every Mosque in every place would be offensive (you need to be consistent).

So how should Christians respond to those who don't share our faith?
1 Peter 2:11,12 "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

As Christians we have to constantly be asking ourselves if our actions towards others reflect the love of Christ for a broken world. Do the words we use and the tone of our conversation reflect the love of the God who died for humanity? Or does our tone and language represent a fear and resentment? Are you thinking from the perspective of an American who demands protection from the state or from the position of a Christian who can say, "to live is Crist, to die is gain." "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I'm not opposed to good stable government, I think its wonderful and a gift from God, but, and its an important but, no governemnt of this world can ever represent the Kingdom of God and it is God's kingdom that we, as followers of Jesus are called to build and represent in this world.

So much of what I've heard and read from conservative sources is based on fear and sounds like a little child crying out to the state, "Please, protect me and my Christian faith from the big bad wolf of Islam!" Many of the liberal sources I've read appear to be a little naive. We can  not afford to be naive, we are to be as "wise as serpents and as innocent as doves." Unfortunately we often get this mixed up and end up as innocent as the serpent!

What about the extremists? A good question and one that should be asked, especially if there  is a sense that this particular Mosque is being built by extremists. Let's suppose that extremists really are the enemy, after all Scripture acknowledges that we will have enemies and Jesus and Paul both give us instruction in how we should treat and respond to them.  I'm not going to get into that here as you already know what they said, so just do it.

The bottom line for me is this, whether you are for or against the building of this particular Mosque, be careful to demonstarte the love of Christ and live your life as a faithful disciple.

 

Politically Correct

We live in a world that values political correctness, but what is politically correct?

We no longer seem able to use the term "man" or "mankind" to refer to all of humanity yet we are still OK with the terms man and woman as descriptives of humanity's gender differentiation. Does this strike anyone as odd since "woman" is the derived from two old English words, 'wife+man' = woman. I just learned that the word, "lady" comes from an old English word that means "bread kneader" while the word "lord" is derived from the old English term that means "bread keeper." I'm not sure that's how I want my daughters to think of themselves.

I understand that language can play a huge role in shaping people's perceptions but language alone is not enough. Just because something is PC it does not mean there is no underlying resentment or discrimination taking place. Indeed a PC environment can be used as a cover up for discrimnation.

What we need are changed hearts and minds, we need people who have been transformed by Christ and can see all of humanity as beautiful creatures, created in the image of God, who while imperfect are loved by God. The church should be the first place (and often has been) in declaring the value and worth of all people.

Is it time to abandon "Christianity"? Anne Rice thinks so

This past Tuesd author Anne Rice psoted this comment on her Facebook page,"Gandhi famously said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” When does a word (Christian)become unusable? When does it become so burdened with history and horror that it cannot be evoked without destructive controversy?"

On Wednesday of this week she announced, "Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else." She then added a few minutes later, "I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."

Yesterday she (sort of) clarified things when she posted, "My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become."

I suppose the question has to be asked, "Is she right?" Has Christianity, as a major world religion, drifted so far from its roots that followers of Jesus need to abandon the monikers "Christian and Christianity?" Anne Rice points to the hate language of the "religious right" but we could also look at the "liberal left" and make similar arguments.

What do you think? Can Chritianity be redeemed? If it was to be left behind how long would it be before the new group of "pure" Jesus followers would become corrupt and fail to fully follow Christ?

"Too Fat To Fight" - let's get in shape

The American obesity problem may be favoring the pacifists. In a report put together by Mission Readiness titled, "Too Fat To Fight" the authors state that, "Being overweight or obese turns out to be the leading medical reason why applicants fail to qualify for military service. Today, otherwise excellent recruit prospects, some of them with generations of sterling military service in their family history, are being turned away because they are just too overweight.

The military leaders see the obesity problem as "an epidemic that threatens national security." Perhaps the Pentagon should advertise on The Biggest Loser!" The estimates put forward by the army suggest that 27% of young adults between 17 and 24 are too heavy to join the military, if the CDC standards were used then 42of this population would be considered overweight (11 million people who need to lose 400,000,000 ponds).

What I like about this report is the simple solution to the obesity problem, exercise and a balanced diet. Of course implementing this is easier said than done and the report suggests some action congress can take. Might I be so bold as to suggest something other than federal regulation of school food and tell suggest the moms and dads of America get up off the couch and lead by example, get outside and play tag with your kids, shoot hoops with them, go for a walk or a bike ride. When you go to the store buy some fruit and veggies and make some modest changes to your diet.

I get really tired of people telling me how skinny I am. I run long distances and have a BMI of 20, this is well within the normal range of 18.5-24.9 for a healthy adult. I am not too skinny, everyone else is just too fat!

We are now well into spring, its a great time to get outdoors and be active. Find a local 5k and run/walk it with your family. Join with Team World Vision and try a marathon or a half, or commit to run for another non-profit of your choice.

It's time to end this $75 billion medical expenditure.

I wonder what impact this problem has on our police and fire services?

Joe Biden... Charity giving... what's the deal?

Joe Biden reports an adjusted gross income of $333,182 on his tax return. That's not a small amount of money but its not a lot for someone in his position. But what surprised me was how little he gave to charity, $4,820 or 1.44%. That is, in my opinion, very disappointing. 

Now, before anyone gets on my case that it's none of my business what he gives, I fully agree. Although his tax records are public documents he is fully entitled to do what he likes with his money.

When I see numbers like this I'm left wondering if there is any charitable cause that he cares about enough to invest his resources in? It's not that I'm a philanthropic hero in my own life but I feel truly sorry for people who either haven't learned the great gift of generosity or don't care enough to want to contribute to charitable organization that support issues that are on their hearts.

Why do you give to charity?  

Solar Energy and Electric Cars at Church

The issue of renewable energy sources is one that is rarely out of the headlines these days. It is also something that is important to a number of the members of our congregation. As a result of this we are in the process of installing several solar panels at our facility.

The purpose of these panels will initially be as much for educational purposes as for energy saving potential. We are not going to be adding enough panels to take us off the grid, but we should see some modest savings in our electric bills and if perhaps an even greater percentage in savings if we can tap into the solar energy at our times of peak usage.

When I arrived at our facility this morning I was pleasantly amused by the sight that greeted me. There in our parking lot was a "green" truck owned by one of our members plugged into an outlet outside the building. 

I guess we are now a "full service" church!

Should We Watch/Support The Biggest Loser?

A couple of days ago I saw that Jillian Michaels, the trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser was being sued over the diet supplement that she endorses. My initial reaction was why does a top notch trainer, who talks about a healthy diet and exercise as the best means of weight loss, endorse a weight loss supplement? Money!

That started me thinking about the show itself, what is The Biggest Loser? Well, on one level its designed to take a group of morbidly obese people and give them the tools they need to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle. That's a good thing.

On another level it's also a game show in which the winner gets a large check and each week people who are in desperate need of help get voted out and sent home to fend for themselves. For some reason the public seems to think it is OK to do this with morbidly obese people but I wonder if the viewers would still be there if the illness was cancer or some other terminal disease? Part of problem is that the very thing the show is trying to address, obesity, has now become a game show and the result is that morbid obesity is not seen in the same light as cancer or other potentially terminal illness, remember it is terminal.

I have to confess that I do watch the show, perhaps I will stop though as it just keeps getting worse in terms of product placement. Every time Bob takes contestants off campus they mysteriously end up at Subway! And I ask myself is this a show about getting healthy or for promoting Subway. If you've ever watched the show you'd swear that Extra gum is the best way to curb your appetite and sweet cravings. When the trainers arrive in the kitchen it's time to learn how Ziploc bags can keep your food fresh or how Jennie-O turkey can be a low fat, high protein tasty alternative to beef, not any turkey, Jennie-O! Don't drink tap water, make sure you use a Brita filter! And this year Walgreens has got in on the act too with several of its own brand first aid items.

When Marshall McLuhan warned us that "the medium is the message" this is exactly the kind of thing he had in mind. Turning a serious health issue into a game show should not be acceptable and yet we have allowed it to become an extremely popular show.

We don't need a TV show to raise our awareness of the obesity pandemic here in the USA. We certainly don't need a game show that votes people off because they failed to lose weight quickly enough, aren't they the very people that need the most help?

Sally Jenkins, Tim Tebow and tolerance

Every once in a while you find someone who can honestly disagree with someone's position on an issue but truly defend their right to be heard, even at the expense of groups that would share their position. Sally Jenkins is one such person who in today's Washington Post is able to address the pro-life ad starring Tim Tebow and while disagreeing with Tebow's position is thoroughly complimentary of Tebow as a person and the kind of guy our society should be delighted to have.

Tebow's Super Bowl ad isn't intolerant; its critics are

I'll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time. I realize this stance won't endear me to the "Dwindling Organizations of Ladies in Lockstep," otherwise known as DOLL, but I'll try to pick up the shards of my shattered feminist credentials and go on. (read more)

Relief Agencies Need Cash Not Goods

When a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti is brought to our attention we often think, "Oh wow, I have to do something." But let's make sure the something we do is the right thing.

Cash is best donation after disaster, aid groups say
Earthquake-devastated Haitians need donations of cash -- not clothes, food, medicine, or other relief supplies, as well intended as they might be, aid groups said Thursday.

Such "in-kind" donations can at best take up valuable space in cargo shipments and waste aid workers' time in sorting through the items, charities said. At worst, the food or medicine could be unusable or even dangerous.

"Sending donated goods oversees is an appealing idea because it makes you feel like you're really helping while at the same time recycling things that are no longer of any use to you," writes former aid worker Saundra Schimmelpfennig in her blog about the impact of aid. "Unfortunately inappropriate donations can do more harm than good and it often costs more to ship used goods than to buy new goods locally." read more

Yes we might like the idea of providing hands on opportunities to make a difference but let's make sure we are getting as much bang for our buck as we can and that we're not making life more difficult for the aid agencies. Right now World Vision can multiply a gift for Haiti Relief and Long Term Support by three, the same is true for several of their other giving options for Haiti and other projects.

There are organizations like Church World Services who encourage you to make care kits to their specifications and they will get them to the people who need them. If you feel this is what you need to do then go for it, it really does make a difference and for some people the value of hands on work is what they need. (Personally I'd rather send my money knowing that an organization can get far more for the same amount I spend on the care kit supplies but I don't say that to put down the work of CWS).

If you haven't responded to this great need in our world today, please do.

"Kill Thy Enemy" - Gunsights made to "biblical standards!"

Every once in a while a news story comes along that just leaves me shaking my head, this is one of them. A top gunsight manufacturer, Trijico, is inscribing its sights with raised biblical references.

As the BBC report states, "The markings include "2COR4:6" and "JN8:12", relating to verses in the books of II Corinthians and John. Trijicon, the US-based manufacturer, was founded by a devout Christian, and says it runs to "Biblical standards"."

As the company states on its website, "We believe that America is great when its people are good. This goodness has been based on biblical standards throughout our history and we will strive to follow those morals."Someone needs to give these folks a brief theology lesson beginning with, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and that no one is good except God. America could be great if its people were good but its people are not good, we, like all people, are sinners standing in the need of grace.

So what are the inscriptions? The BBC reports...

The inscriptions are subtle and appear in raised lettering at the end of the stock number.

John 8:12 reads: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The nod to part of the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians, found on the company's Reflex sight, references the text: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

I don't know about you but I don't think this was what Jesus and Paul had in mind for their words. Perhaps we could suggest some other texts for them, "love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you." "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink."

There is nothing more frightening to me than nationalism tied up with religion. I should know, I grew up in Northern Ireland.

Image from Boing Boing
 

Church, Cruising and Royal Caribbean

So Royal Caribbean has taking some some hits for allowing its cruise ships to continue to dock in Haiti after the earthquake has claimed so many lives. I even read that one passenger was sickened by the ship stopping there because, "tens of thousands of dead people are being piled up on the streets, with the survivors stunned and looking for food and water."

I found this an interesting comment because so many of the people of Haiti were looking for food and water before the earthquake. Indeed many of the islands that these cruise ships stop at suffer from a great deal of poverty, perhaps none greater than Haiti. If your cruise ship stops in Jamaica at Ocho Rios, try going a few blocks inland from the resort and you'll also have your illusion shattered.

If your idyllic cruise is ruined because the illusion that everything is OK with this world is stripped away and the reality of suffering people in this world is made known to you then I say that's a good thing and before you drop several thousand on your next cruise perhaps you should take a closer look at your charitable giving. (Way too long a sentence!) If you want to go on a cruise go, but don't close your eyes to the world or live in a fantasy land while you are there, be aware of the issues in every port you stop.

Now that I've started I might as well keep going...

One of our local Christian radio stations is sponsoring a cruise. You can find a link to it right underneath the link to help the people of Haiti!Perhaps its just me but I don't see how the church of Jesus Christ can justify going on cruises together where, as the brochure says you will, "enjoy your well-appointed
stateroom, the elegant restaurants, swim in the two pools, and of course be pampered in the spa
and salon. There’s even a complete fitness center to stay in shape after all the fabulous food we’ll
encounter." Sounds like several of the seven deadly sins are being justified here.

Of course they add "I think you’ll agree with us that the best part will be the opportunities throughout the cruise for praise and worship with (Don Moen, Robin Mark, and Lenny LeBlanc!)." But Micah says we are to, "act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God."  Or as Isaiah reminds us, "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

Let me be clear, I'm not a killjoy and I don't think every vacation is bad. Indeed I thoroughly enjoy vacations. I think it is wonderful when Christians with additional resources left after contributing faithfully to their local church can afford to go on educational trips to Israel or follow Paul's journey. I think its wonderful when we can go on short term mission trips to see and gain an appreciation of poverty firsthand. But let me be clear, giving to the local church must come first for the follower of Jesus.

I do question a Christian radio station that decides to host a luxury cruise.

Pat Robertson, Haiti and You!

OK, no surprise Pat Robertson sees the earthquake as God's judgment on Haiti. Did anyone expect him to say anything else? Surely not, he also said, "right now, we're helping the suffering people and suffering is unimaginable." In that he is correct.

So what are we going to do? Lambast an old man who in giving ultimate sovereignty to God perhaps draws what some might consider crazy and inappropriate conclusions. Or agree with him that right now we are to help suffering people. I only hope that every critic of Pat Robertson (and I'm no fan) steps up to the plate and gives some time or money to help those in greatest need right now in Haiti.

If you speak up against Pat Robertson and don't do anything for those in need then you are only declaring your own self righteousness and are no better or perhaps even worse than those you would condemn.

Which is worse, saying what Pat Robertson said and then doing something to help or condemning Pat Robertson and doing nothing?

Here's the clip from the show...

Tiger Woods - a game of integrity

I suppose I'm just another voice among the many who have weighed in on the Tiger Woods "scandal" but here's my thoughts anyway.

I was raised playing golf, my dad played for Ireland and while I never reached suck lofty levels I have always enjoyed banging the little white ball down the fairway and into the hole. Long before I knew the intricacies of the rules of golf I was taught two lessons about the game. First you always play the ball as it lies and second when you break a rule you come clean about.

As far as I know, golf is the only sport in which you call penalties on yourself. When I played rugby if the referee wasn't calling a certain penalty we'd encroach in that area, looking for any advantage we could. When I was on the golf course and accidentally grounded my club in the bunker or the hazard, even though it went unseen, I called the penalty on myself.

With stellar programs like The First Tee, that seeks to develop character and values in young people through the game of golf we are reminded what  lies behind this game and what makes it different. Tiger Woods has failed to allow the game to transform his character the way it should.

We all make mistakes and from time to time we all break the rules. The lesson from golf, is that when this happens we admit what we have done and we allow the penalty to be assessed and then move on, we keep playing. Without this belief in the honesty and integrity of the players golf would fall apart, for there is no way to monitor the actions of every golfer on the course at all times. 

All the great golfers know that the integrity of the game transforms how we conduct our lives off the course as well as on the course. Tiger Woods, may win more tournaments than any other golfer to play the game, he may eclipse Jack Nicholaus' record for wins in majors, he may make more money than any other person to ever play a sport, but he will not be the greatest golfer ever if the lessons on the course don't translate into how he lives his life.

I hope he can become an example of someone who comes clean, admits his wrongdoing, accepts the penalty and can move on to great success in life. He should know that his life is a public life and it matters what he does off the course, just as it matters what I do outside the pulpit.

It is true for all of us that it matters how we conduct ourselves privately, may this very public incident cause us all to pause and reflect on the penalty strokes we may need to call on ourselves.

A Time For Peace

Last night I sat down to watch, "Joyeux Noel." It has become a holiday tradition for my to watch this movie based on the actual events of Christmas in the tranches of World War I. I highly recommend the movie and then don't forget to watch the interview with the Director in the special features section, you'll be surprised to learn that even the cat in the movie is based on a true story from the war. 

It is a powerful movie and a powerful true story.

It is also well articulated in Stanley Weintraub’s book "Silent Night."

So what is the story? It was Christmas Eve 1914, the War had been raging for several months and to celebrate Christmas the German high command had sent miniature Christmas trees to the men on the front lines. They set these trees up on the parapets and lit the candles. The British soldiers had been sent ‘Princess Mary’s Christmas Boxes’ filled with goodies from home. As the German, British, and French troops settled in for the night, a young German soldier began to sing the well known carol “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.”  Soon others joined in. When they had finished, the British responded in English singing “Silent Night, Holy Night.”

A ceasefire was called for Christmas day. One by one the men from both sides left their trenches and met in no-man’s land. They shook hands, exchanged gifts, and shared pictures of their families. Informal soccer games took place and a joint service was held to bury the dead of both sides (In the movie the mass is given in Latin and beautifully transcends the language barriers of English, French and German).

The higher ranking officers, who were not at the front, were not pleased when they heard of this. Men, who have come to know each other’s names, play together, seen pictures of each other's families and exchanged gifts with one another are much less likely to want to kill each other.

Indeed when the fighting resumed the men who had participated in the ceasefire spent a few days simply firing aimlessly into the sky. The war didn’t start back in earnest until the frontline troops were relieved and new troops who hadn’t participated in the ceasefire where brought to the front. The war would rage until the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918.

Here's John McCutcheon's song that I post each Advent season.

Do They Know It's Christmas

Well, its been a lot of years since it was written but the need is still there. There are plenty of hungry people in the world this time of year, and I'm not one of them. "So tonight thank God it's them instead of you!" Bono said this may have been the hardest line he has ever had to sing because there is an element of honesty to it.

How is God stirring your heart this advent to think about those who won't be sitting down with family to a sumptuous feast, who don't even know if they'll be eating at all?

It's been my favorite Christmas song for almost 25 years now.

A Call To Treason? Maybe... What do you think Paul means?

 
Do you ever find a particular verse of Scripture just eating away at you? Gnawing its way deep into your being? I've had that experience recently.

Paul's words in Romans 12 as he quotes from the Proverbs have been gnawing at me now for a while. It is a chapter that opens with Paul's call to no longer, "conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." It is then followed by a call to live humbly, exercising the gifts we have been given to support the body of Christ and then, as in Corinthians, he talks about love.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Good stuff!But then comes the hard stuff...

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not think you are superior.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So why should I feed my enemy when he is hungry and give him a drink when he is thirsty? Apparently this is one way to show your enemy you love them. OK, but surely giving aid to the enemy is an act of treason in the eyes of the state.

Imagine you are part of the Roman army laying siege to Masada (these verses went written with 21st century enemies in mind), what is you goal? To force them to surrender by depriving them of access to food and water, the main military strategy behind a siege. Now as part of that Roman army you are a Christian and you read Paul's words, what do you do? Do you feed your enemy and get them something to drink? What do you suppose would happen to a Roman soldier providing this sort of support for the enemy?

I wrestle with these verses, they gnaw at me because they are not simply a call to provide basic needs for even our enemy but rather they go against the powers the state uses to suppress and defeat the enemy. How do you think a first century Roman would have read these words? What would Paul say if he were to write this to 21st Century America?

Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world, clearly we are to live by a different standard, a different way than the nations of this world would have us live.

Remembering 8 years later - just war?

Eight years ago the waitress at Perkins came over to our table and told John, Buck and myself that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. We waited for the punchline but it never came, it wasn't a joke. I spent the rest of the day in my office watching the days events unfold on the TV. I wept.

Having grown up in Northern Ireland and having worked with Prison Fellowship I knew something of terrorism and even counted some former terrorists among my friends. I had witnessed bombs going off, I had friends who had lost family members to terrorists but this was something different.

When I moved to Virginia in 2004 this particular attack became a lot more personal as several members of our congregation worked at the Pentagon and one of our members, Bud Boon, lost his life in the attack. It was a very moving moment for me when I entered the Pentagon to give the invocation at a change of command  ceremony and we entered the building where the plane had hit.

What I don't get are the tens of thousands of lives that have been lost in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since then. I suppose its Jesus teaching to love your enemy that causes me to pause here. Perhaps its Paul reminding us of the proverb to feed our enemy if they are hungry and to give them something to drink if they are thirsty that causes me pause.

I know there is a long tradition of just war theory but every major Christian body outside the USA and many within, rejected the war in Iraq as a just war.

A truly Christian just war theory allows the believer to question every order to discern whether it meets the criteria of a just war. In reality this makes this position untenable for military service and is only one small step away from pacifism. What the nation and the military want is a patriotic just war approach where people will follow orders and act because the authorities determine they are just, the authorities are not to be questioned. But this is not and never has been the Christian position.

I mentioned in an earlier post how Ray Davey responded to seeing Dresden afrer the allied bombing. Certainly the bombing of Dresden like the current campaigns demonstratecd superior military strength on the part of the US and the allied forces, but is that the way of Christ?