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An appeal to Christians in 2013

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

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Dear Fellow Christians,

After giving it much thought, I think the message of the Good News is being threatened.

Many people are leaving churches and turning their backs on Christianity.  Why?  Because people who speak on behalf of Jesus the Christ are dismissing the most important part of Christ’s message: Love.

About twenty years ago, I was rejecting Christianity myself.  When I was in college, I had experiences that led me to believe that Christianity was the religion of hypocrisy.  In the name of Christ, some were misusing their power to control and manipulate others.  When visiting churches, people were more concerned about their dress or hobnobbing with friends than greeting others with Christ’s love.

I could not see the presence of God in church or surrounding many Christians.

Fortunately, by my mid-twenties, I began to find the light in the Body of Christ.  I found my way back to church and began to see the presence of God in new and exciting ways.  There were times I still found doubt in the goodness of Christianity, especially when my beliefs weren’t “good enough” for people.  But I knew that spreading the message of Christ’s radical love was more important for me to focus on than negative remarks heading my way.

But not everyone is there.

Many people think that Christianity is the religion of rules and perfect morality.  People think we care more about getting into heaven instead of making heaven here on earth.  The message of Christ’s radical, enduring love has fallen short because Christians misuse the name of Jesus the Christ to correct and control other people.

And why not?  Mahatma Gandhi once stated “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  This is a perfect example of the reputation Christianity now has in the world.

Thinking back to 2012, I remember stories like the exclusion of my friend’s church from a softball league because he identified as bisexual.  Rev. James Darnell Semmelroth was the pastor of the church but did not participate in the games.  Even though the pastor wasn’t playing, some churches didn’t want to associate with the church in any capacity.

While I am a straight ally, I understand that not everyone is at the place where they agree with gay marriage, ordination, etc.  But for the love of LOVE, can’t we put aside our theological differences and eat together, laugh together, even play softball together?  Love means crossing boundaries to embrace a person as a child of God, whether or not you agree with them.  Jesus ate and associated with all people.  He set “rules” aside as he healed people on the Sabbath.  To Jesus, love and relationships trump dogmas and fears.  By associating with people unlike ourselves, we hear personal narratives and learn to understand each other deeply.

We hear how Westboro Baptist Church wants to protest all sorts of funerals because we’re such a sin-ridden country.  In 2012, we heard various clergy blaming LGBT persons/allies for Hurricane Sandy and atheists for the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.  Do they realize how their hateful words ripples into our world?  Do they realize their loud voices are drowning so many voices of love and compassion?  Do they really think this is the message of the all-inclusive Christ?

Yes, maybe I’m being judgmental.  But I’ll be honest… stories like these may be why many people are turning their back on Christianity.  Many of the messages linked to Christianity are not ones of love.  The Good News can not be heard.  Because of this, many people find no use for Christianity anymore.  And I can understand why they’ve reached that conclusion.

So for 2013, I challenge all of us Christians to break the boundaries of love.  Let us love radically.  If there is someone who you feel like judging, try to talk with them and understand their story.  If there is someone who you fear, pray and understand why you may fear them.  You do not have to agree with them.  But in your love and escaping your comfort zone, you are being a witness to the greatest love of all time: the unconditional love of God that we Christians see in Christ.  Let our voices be louder than those of judgment and hate.

I realize that no matter how hard I try, this doesn’t mean I’m not going to mess up or misrepresent Christ now and again.  I wouldn’t try to misrepresent Christ’s love on purpose, but I think as humans we all tend to make errors now and again.  Sometimes these errors come out of misunderstanding or fear.  As a person of the Christian faith, my goal is to continuously find ways to focus on the radical love of Christ.  Allowing this steadfast love to trample any fears and to clear misunderstandings will bring us closer as humans.

All I can do as a Christian is keep on trying.

If Jesus, the one who knew God greater than any of us, was able to love outside of the box, then maybe we should give it a try.  Because if we call ourselves Christians and do not love, what kind of witness are we to our faith?

Instead of hearing messages of judgment and hate, what if people saw Christians feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, advocating for the voiceless?  What if we told people who have been discriminated against, bullied, beaten, blamed and shamed that God loves you just as you are?  What if we started a campaign to bring the louder voice of loving Christianity to the world?  What if people realized that this is the true Good News of Christianity worth sharing?  The worst that can happen is that by January 1, 2014, people will see Christianity being the religion of Christ’s radical love more clearly.  If you have any ideas, post below.  Let’s go for it!

The fine line between “pretend” and “real life” violence

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Current Events, Pop, Television

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Last night I was watching one of my favorite new shows: Scandal.  Part of the reason I enjoy this show is because it’s fascinating to watch the story line unfold.

There were moments in last night’s episode that left me a little nauseated.  When Huck entered the house of the family that he admired, he discovered that the entire family had been fatally shot.  This scene was one of the most graphic and intense moments of the series so far.

Even with the intelligent story lines and fantastic acting, the show has a substantial amount of violence.  Two weeks ago on Scandal, the President was shot.  Others have been killed or tortured in the name of politics.

Sometimes, I wonder why I watch any intense and violent dramas.

Shows about homicide investigations and wars do not usually appeal to me.  I like Grey’s Anatomy, a drama where people are healed and sent to live a happier life.  Sure, there was violence on the show (at the end of season six), but overall, a message of healing and hope fills the story line.  I tend to avoid intensely graphic movies, like Quentin Tarantino films, no matter how technically well they are created.

Yet, even a series about healing can’t avoid scenes of destruction and violence.  In fact, violence is in every part of our culture.

Yes, there are times when inferring violence is crucial in telling a story.  But sometimes the director creates a very real scene, and death appears to have happened on the screen in front of us.

It’s even hard to avoid violence in church.  The Hebrew Bible is filled with violent stories; the writers attributed these acts of violence to God.  They also believed they were warriors for God.

Then, we have a cross in front of us.  Sometimes the cross has the crucified Jesus, sometimes it doesn’t.  The story of the crucifixion is read each year during Holy Week.  In many theologies, salvation comes because Jesus was brutally killed since humans are sinners.  Additionally, songs like “Onward Christian Soldiers” give a very war-like image of our faith.

Many of our communion tables reflect violence.  Each time we eat the body and blood of Christ, are we creating a violent image in the minds of those in the pews?

So books, the Bible, movies, music, theology, news, internet and video games all include violence.  It’s a reality that’s all around us.  When we allow scene after scene of violence, how can violence not seep into our culture?

In conversations that I have recently had with a friend of mine, we often wonder if people are becoming immune to violence.  After the last shooting in Oregon, very little was said.  Were we becoming tolerant of the stories heard multiple times this year?  What has happened to those who survived the massacre at the Wisconsin Sikh temple in August or the people in the hair salon who experienced trauma in October?

I wonder why all of a sudden that today’s particular shooting in Newtown, CT creates more conversation, even though this type of violence has happened repeatedly in 2012.  Has it become part of everyone’s status updates because children were killed?  Why aren’t we talking about violence that happen in some neighborhoods each and every day?  Do certain stories get attention because we value certain people over others?  Weren’t the Sikhs, the workers in Minnesota or the young adults in the movie theater just as valuable and made in God’s image?

We are becoming immune to the stories.  The fine line between “pretend” and “real life” violence is fading.  As we become more unaffected by violent visions, the ripple effect of violence continues to grow.

There will be people with a variety of views on gun control reading this post.  How can we, a diverse culture with a variety of perspectives on guns, come together to reduce gun violence?  How can we see that a variety of issues (mental health issues, access to weapons, the economy, being exposed to violent scenes, etc.) have the potential to play into these acts of destruction?  How can we work together to avoid casualties like the ones in Newtown?

These are the questions swimming in my head this evening.  I am so blessed that I told my niece and nephew that I loved them this afternoon, and I wish I was there to give them a hug.

Gentle God, Great Comforter,
We open our lives to you and each other.
Yet in times like these it’s so very difficult to remain hopeful and trusting.
It’s hard to hear of more and more violent situations.
Our minds and hearts are with those in Newtown, Connecticut today.
Please be with those who have lost a loved one in this shooting.
Heal those who have been injured.
Give comfort to those who experience trauma,
and bring peace to our communities, country and world.
Give strength to those who bring a comforting presence to those hurt.
We are grateful for our families and friends
and ask for your love to surround all of us as we process this news.
May we see the hope, love and peace that is to come during this season of Advent.
Amen.