Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote a blog on here (however, I have begun a movie/tv/book review blog at raisincookie.wordpress.com which has taken some of my time up). I figured it's about time I start it up again, and while I was at work, I came up with the perfect blog.
Before I get into this, I have to say that I can't take all of the credit (or really, ANY of the credit) for this blog, as I came across this exact thought process in the new Pete Wilson book "Empty Promises" (in which he was quoting Tim Keller). I'm merely expanding on that, and adding some personal experiences. So, with proper credit given to whom it should be given, here we go!
One of the most intriguing stories in the Bible is the story of Jacob. His childhood was a messed up situation of sibling rivalry, parental favouritism, lies and deceit, and his adulthood was also filled with deceit, broken promises and false expectations. for those unfamiliar with the adult portion of Jacob's life, here is a brief synopsis:
Jacob, after deceiving his father and stealing his brothers birthright, runs away to his uncle Laban's house, where he falls in love with Rachel (who was beautiful). Now, the problem was, Rachel was the youngest daughter, and therefore, according to custom had to wait until her older sister was married. Rachel's older sister Leah, was not atractive to Jacob, and so he works out a deal in which he would work for his uncle for seven years, and then be able to marry Rachel. So, that's what he does. He labours for seven long years, and finally gets married. Unfortunately, the morning after the wedding, Jacob realizes that he has married Leah. He then works an additional seven years in order to marry Rachel.
Talk about a let-down. Working so hard, giving EVERYTHING you have towards something, only to find out that what you worked for wasn't really what you wanted. It's easy to laugh or scoff at Jacob's gullibility and stupidity. We think to ourselves, "How can you be so dense, that you work for SEVEN years and end up being duped into marrying the older, uglier sister?" But the truth is, we aren't far off from what Jacob did ourselves.
How often do we think that, "If only I can get THAT job", "If I could only marry THIS person", "If only I could live THERE", "If I only had THIS much money". We have these goals, dreams and hopes that we think will fulfill and satisfy us. Not saying that dreams and hopes are bad, because they aren't. It's important to dream, important to have hopes and goals...but it's dangerous to think that those goals, hopes and dreams, when (or if) they are ever achieved will satisfy us. So we work hard. Dedicating our lives, putting all of our energy into getting that job, finding that spouse, living in that house, making that money, wearing those clothes. We work for our "Rachel". Only, when we finally wake up in the morning, we discover that our "Rachel" is actually "Leah".
The things we think will fulfill us. The things we think will make us happy, satisfied and content, won't measure up. Yeah...we may have a fun night or two. When we reach our goal. When we acheive our dreams, it seems GREAT at first. I'm sure Jacob had a fantastic wedding night...but eventually, the morning comes. The light comes in, and we see our "Rachel" for what she really is. Either we realize that what we initially wanted isn't as good as once thought, or we see someone else with something better than what we have. We finally get our dream job, only to discover that there is an even BETTER dream job out there. We get to the financial standing that we dreamt of, only to realize that we want more. We find that spouse, only to soon discover that they don't make us as happy as we thought they would. We move to a new place, and find out that it rains there too.
For me, my "Rachel" was drama. It was achievement. I wanted people to accept me. To be good at something. I wanted people to look at me and see someone who they looked up to and respected. So, I went to Bible School with the expectation of being the best thing that happened to the drama department. I wanted to do that drama tours, the Productions, Plays...everything. I wanted to be a star. So I worked for it. But I found out that...it wasn't meant to be. I worked to get to my Rachel, and I ended up getting nothing. I put all my energy into being accepted. I put everything I had into being a somebody. Into trying to make a name for myself (at least in the small Bible school circles). When I didn't end up with my "Rachel", when I didn't make any drama teams, or productions or anything, I was beyond devastated. I formed my identity in drama. Without that, without acting, I was nothing. I had no fall-back.
It's happened with relationships...thinking that this girlfriend, this spouse, this friend will complete me. But, with all due respect to Jerry Maguire...they DON'T complete you. Yeah, it's great to have somebody to love, it's great to have someone who loves you back, respects you. But if you are looking to humans. If you are looking to Sucess. Finances. Achievements. Fame. to complete you, you will never be completed. You will be a puzzle with a missing piece. A book with a missing page. A gourmet dish with a missing ingredient. You will always be a Jacob waking up with a Leah.
When we put our hope in THINGS. in PEOPLE, DREAMS, GOALS...we will be let down. We will wake up next to Leah every day. We need to put our hope in Christ. Take our fulfillment from him. Realize that, whatever happens to us. Whether we have the dream job, beautiful spouse, breathtaking view, angelic kids, filled bank account or not...God loves us. God cares for us. God is PLEASED with us.
I pray that you, and I, won't fall into the Jacob trap. My prayer is that we won't look for fulfillment, peace, acceptance and love solely in our "Rachel". My deepest hope is that we will look to Christ. Christ will never let us down. Christ will never disappoint. When we work for a "Rachel". we will always get a Leah. Every time.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Year in Review
Well...It's that time. I realize that I haven't blogged in a while, but I've had a lot going on lately, and to be honest, blogging hasn't been hight up on my list. Anyway, it is now the last day of 2011 (and for some people, it is already the early hours of 2012). I thought I would compile a list of my favourite things from this year. Not like Oprah...I'm not going to be giving away anything. I am just going to talk about my favourite books, movies, tv shows, moments from this past year. Hopefully I will make it exciting, fun and entertaining. Let's begin with movies:
My 5 Favourite movies that I saw in 2011 (In no real particular order):
1) Memento. I realize that this movie is much older than this past year...but I had the pleasure of watching it this year on Netflix...and it was amazing. Christopher Nolan created an incredible story, intricate plot, confusing yet gripping. Had me pinned the entire time, and left me shocked at the end of the movie as I thought back about what I had seen. (Also watched his even earlier movie called Following. That one is also highly recommended)
2) Bridesmaids. It's Judd Apatow's version of a chick flick. It is raunchy, crude...but very very funny. Kristen Wiig is amazing (as always), but every member of the cast really did an incredible job. Highly enjoyable.
3) It's Kind of a Funny Story. Zach Galifinakis takes on a more serious role in this movie, about a psych ward. It has funny moments, but it is filled with heart. Again, a great cast, and a fantastic plot.
4) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Could very well be the best M:I yet. Filled with humour (thanks in large part to Simon Pegg), and incredible action sequences. Had me from the opening scene. Yes...it stars Tom Cruise, but it's produced by JJ Abrams (and also includes Sawyer from LOST)...how can you go wrong with that?
5) Crazy, Stupid, Love. I just want to say that I LOVED this movie. Not as hysterical as I expected it to be...but it was very well done, and did have numerous laugh out loud moments. Bottom line, however, is it deals with serious issues, like marriage, love and divorce...and encourages people to fight for those they love. It is filled with heart, but it's not sappy. Just overall, fantastic!
My least favourite movie from 2011
I don't even have to explain too much from this one...Hangover II. It was a complete duplicate from it's predecessor. Highly disappointing.
TV Shows that I enjoyed this year:
Modern Family...still, the best written current comedy on TV in my opinion
How I Met Your Mother....Finally started getting into this show, and it is very entertaining and funny.
The Office...I thought without Carrell it would suck, but it has actually been a very surprising season filled with laughs!
New Girl....Zooey Deschenal is hilarious as always. Kind of cheesy at moments...but good.
Up All Night...Didn't watch as much of this one as I would have liked, but Will Arnett is hysterical.
Best music from 2011:
Switchfoot: Vise Verses. Nearly a perfect album!
The Civil Wars. A weird sound, but very good.
Hot Chelle Rae. I have to admit...they are very catchy!
Michael Buble Christmas. Love or hate Holiday music...Buble has a voice for Christmas.
Tyler Ward/Boyce Avenue. I just really got into both of these guys this year. AMAZING stuff!
Relient K is for Karaoke. Best Cover Album ever. Just sayin'.
Some of the Books I read this year (with a score out of 10)
Love Wins (Rob Bell)- 9/10. Not nearly as controversial as I expected, and raised some amazing questions.
Velvet Elvis (Rob Bell)-8/10. Classic Rob Bell...raised many of the Love Wins questions.
Girl With the Dragon Tatoo/Hornets Nest/Played with Fire (Steig Larsson)-7/10. Had great plot, and interesting characters...but the Swedish names and places got confusing, as did some of the Swedish terms. (still want to see the movies tho).
Bossypants (Tina Fey)- 9/10. Funny, enlightening. I Love Tina Fey, and this book makes me love her even more!
Is Everyone Hanging out with Me? (Mindy Kaling)-8.5/10. I give it a half point less than Tina Fey's book only because I read Bossypants first, so it set the bar high. Still a fantastic book though!
Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson)- 9.5/10. Everything you want from a biography. It's honest, raw, and isn't afraid to show the good and the bad about Steve Jobs. A fascinating, enlightening read.
Moonlight Mile (Dennis Lehane)-8.5/10. Not as good as it's prequel Gone Baby Gone, but a nice continuation from that story. Amazing character development, and moral dilemma's.
Book of Negroes (Lawrence Hill)- 9.5/10. INCREDIBLE read. Seriously...one of the best Historical Fiction novels I have ever read!
Simply Christian (NT Wright)-8/10. Great thoughts, by a great theologian. I just had to re-read a far parts of it though because some of it went over my head.
The Know-It All (AJ Jacobs)-8.5/10. Nice, funny, entertaining read.
God Without Religion (Andrew Farley)- 9/10. Easy read, but very challenging. Great book!
127 Hours (Aron Ralston)- 8.5/10. Lot's of technical climbing terms, but the survival story is outstanding!
Cornered (Ron MacLean)- 8/10. For hockey fans, especially Canadian hockey fans...it doesn't get much better than this biography of one of the iconic hockey figures in the country!
I Am Ozzy (Ozzy Osbourne)- 9/10. I can't stand Ozzy...but his biography was incredible. I couldn't put it down, and I actually am able to tolerate him as a person knowing now all that he has been through!
Best book of the Year!
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is by far the best Biography (actually...best book in general!) I have read this year, if not in many years. For anyone who loves historical stories, especially WWII survival stories, it doesn't get any better than this one. Well written, and the story is INCREDIBLE!
My favourite moments of the year:
1) First off, the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup was amazing! Tim Thomas is a beast, and was incredible!
2) Getting a full time job at House of James has been great! Love the store, and the people I work with. Great environment to be a part of!
3) Speaking at camp this past summer. Week went great, and was even told I was the best speaker some of the campers have ever had. Was awesome to be able to share the Word with kids, in a fun and engaging way.
4) JETS ARE BACK!!!!! Seriously...best thing about this year is the return of the Winnipeg Jets. As a Canadian Hockey Fan, and as a Manitoban, I am so stoked that they have returned.
Well...that was my year (briefly). Lots has happened. It's been a tough year, in fact it could be said that it's been the toughest year for me yet....but there have been good moments. I've read some amazing books, watched some fantastic movies and TV shows, heard some great music and was a witness to many incredible world events (good and bad ones). It has been a year I will never forget, and one that has pushed me to the brink. One that has tested me as a man, as a Christian, and as a husband. But here I stand...on the verge of crossing over into 2012. Who knows what this year will hold. Who knows if it will be any easier, or if it will in fact be even tougher.
Here's to 2012. May it be a year of success! May it be a year of discovering new things, adventures, joys and excitement. If your 2011 was a great one, I hope that this coming year is even better...and if your 2011 was difficult, I pray that this upcoming year will be much easier. God Bless and Happy New Year.
My 5 Favourite movies that I saw in 2011 (In no real particular order):
1) Memento. I realize that this movie is much older than this past year...but I had the pleasure of watching it this year on Netflix...and it was amazing. Christopher Nolan created an incredible story, intricate plot, confusing yet gripping. Had me pinned the entire time, and left me shocked at the end of the movie as I thought back about what I had seen. (Also watched his even earlier movie called Following. That one is also highly recommended)
2) Bridesmaids. It's Judd Apatow's version of a chick flick. It is raunchy, crude...but very very funny. Kristen Wiig is amazing (as always), but every member of the cast really did an incredible job. Highly enjoyable.
3) It's Kind of a Funny Story. Zach Galifinakis takes on a more serious role in this movie, about a psych ward. It has funny moments, but it is filled with heart. Again, a great cast, and a fantastic plot.
4) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Could very well be the best M:I yet. Filled with humour (thanks in large part to Simon Pegg), and incredible action sequences. Had me from the opening scene. Yes...it stars Tom Cruise, but it's produced by JJ Abrams (and also includes Sawyer from LOST)...how can you go wrong with that?
5) Crazy, Stupid, Love. I just want to say that I LOVED this movie. Not as hysterical as I expected it to be...but it was very well done, and did have numerous laugh out loud moments. Bottom line, however, is it deals with serious issues, like marriage, love and divorce...and encourages people to fight for those they love. It is filled with heart, but it's not sappy. Just overall, fantastic!
My least favourite movie from 2011
I don't even have to explain too much from this one...Hangover II. It was a complete duplicate from it's predecessor. Highly disappointing.
TV Shows that I enjoyed this year:
Modern Family...still, the best written current comedy on TV in my opinion
How I Met Your Mother....Finally started getting into this show, and it is very entertaining and funny.
The Office...I thought without Carrell it would suck, but it has actually been a very surprising season filled with laughs!
New Girl....Zooey Deschenal is hilarious as always. Kind of cheesy at moments...but good.
Up All Night...Didn't watch as much of this one as I would have liked, but Will Arnett is hysterical.
Best music from 2011:
Switchfoot: Vise Verses. Nearly a perfect album!
The Civil Wars. A weird sound, but very good.
Hot Chelle Rae. I have to admit...they are very catchy!
Michael Buble Christmas. Love or hate Holiday music...Buble has a voice for Christmas.
Tyler Ward/Boyce Avenue. I just really got into both of these guys this year. AMAZING stuff!
Relient K is for Karaoke. Best Cover Album ever. Just sayin'.
Some of the Books I read this year (with a score out of 10)
Love Wins (Rob Bell)- 9/10. Not nearly as controversial as I expected, and raised some amazing questions.
Velvet Elvis (Rob Bell)-8/10. Classic Rob Bell...raised many of the Love Wins questions.
Girl With the Dragon Tatoo/Hornets Nest/Played with Fire (Steig Larsson)-7/10. Had great plot, and interesting characters...but the Swedish names and places got confusing, as did some of the Swedish terms. (still want to see the movies tho).
Bossypants (Tina Fey)- 9/10. Funny, enlightening. I Love Tina Fey, and this book makes me love her even more!
Is Everyone Hanging out with Me? (Mindy Kaling)-8.5/10. I give it a half point less than Tina Fey's book only because I read Bossypants first, so it set the bar high. Still a fantastic book though!
Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson)- 9.5/10. Everything you want from a biography. It's honest, raw, and isn't afraid to show the good and the bad about Steve Jobs. A fascinating, enlightening read.
Moonlight Mile (Dennis Lehane)-8.5/10. Not as good as it's prequel Gone Baby Gone, but a nice continuation from that story. Amazing character development, and moral dilemma's.
Book of Negroes (Lawrence Hill)- 9.5/10. INCREDIBLE read. Seriously...one of the best Historical Fiction novels I have ever read!
Simply Christian (NT Wright)-8/10. Great thoughts, by a great theologian. I just had to re-read a far parts of it though because some of it went over my head.
The Know-It All (AJ Jacobs)-8.5/10. Nice, funny, entertaining read.
God Without Religion (Andrew Farley)- 9/10. Easy read, but very challenging. Great book!
127 Hours (Aron Ralston)- 8.5/10. Lot's of technical climbing terms, but the survival story is outstanding!
Cornered (Ron MacLean)- 8/10. For hockey fans, especially Canadian hockey fans...it doesn't get much better than this biography of one of the iconic hockey figures in the country!
I Am Ozzy (Ozzy Osbourne)- 9/10. I can't stand Ozzy...but his biography was incredible. I couldn't put it down, and I actually am able to tolerate him as a person knowing now all that he has been through!
Best book of the Year!
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is by far the best Biography (actually...best book in general!) I have read this year, if not in many years. For anyone who loves historical stories, especially WWII survival stories, it doesn't get any better than this one. Well written, and the story is INCREDIBLE!
My favourite moments of the year:
1) First off, the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup was amazing! Tim Thomas is a beast, and was incredible!
2) Getting a full time job at House of James has been great! Love the store, and the people I work with. Great environment to be a part of!
3) Speaking at camp this past summer. Week went great, and was even told I was the best speaker some of the campers have ever had. Was awesome to be able to share the Word with kids, in a fun and engaging way.
4) JETS ARE BACK!!!!! Seriously...best thing about this year is the return of the Winnipeg Jets. As a Canadian Hockey Fan, and as a Manitoban, I am so stoked that they have returned.
Well...that was my year (briefly). Lots has happened. It's been a tough year, in fact it could be said that it's been the toughest year for me yet....but there have been good moments. I've read some amazing books, watched some fantastic movies and TV shows, heard some great music and was a witness to many incredible world events (good and bad ones). It has been a year I will never forget, and one that has pushed me to the brink. One that has tested me as a man, as a Christian, and as a husband. But here I stand...on the verge of crossing over into 2012. Who knows what this year will hold. Who knows if it will be any easier, or if it will in fact be even tougher.
Here's to 2012. May it be a year of success! May it be a year of discovering new things, adventures, joys and excitement. If your 2011 was a great one, I hope that this coming year is even better...and if your 2011 was difficult, I pray that this upcoming year will be much easier. God Bless and Happy New Year.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
This or That, Either/Or, Us Vs. Them!
Christianity, it seems at least, has become a religion of Either/Or. We are a religion that has divided itself into "us against them", and the sad thing is, most of the division is between fellow Christians. It's not Us (as Christians) against Them (The non-believers) most of the time...it has become Us (insert denomination/theological belief) against Another opossing denomination/theological belef. To be honest, it sickens me and frustrates me.
Now, I realize that there has to be some level of Either/Or. It's impossible to both believe in God and be an Atheist It's impossible to be a pacifist and yet believe in War. But a lot of the Either/Or's we have are needless. I hate how Christianity has become a large, diverse group of people at war with itself. I love the idea of diversity. I love the vast aray of denominations, and the fact that people can believe in the same God, and yet have healthy debate and discussion about things that they disagree with about that God (or the Bible). Unfortunately, the things that I love about Christianity is becoming a thing of the past. There is no longer a healthy community discussion. It's evolved into arguments, curses and verbal warfare. Not everything has to be a This/That. Not everything needs to be an Either/Or, and not everything needs to be a Us/Them. Here are some things that ae traditionally an Either/Or, that I personally am on the fencefor:
Creation/Evolution. Now, when I say "Creation" here I am referring to the traditional 7 day creation, not the mere fact that God ceated the world (because THAT I believe with all my heart). Christians have creed 2 camps. Either you believe in the 7 day Creation that God spoke into existence or you believe in the billion year Evolution that God had no part of. Most Christians it seems would say that it is impossible to be a Christian and believe in Evolution. To that I say, Bullcrap! I will agree that it is impossible to be a Christian and believe in an evolution that God had no part of...but Evolution in and of itself is not evil. I believe that God created the world. I also believe that God gave us brains, and knowledge and SCIENCE. I think we are stupid if we neglect the proof. Do we reject the idea of gravity because it's not mentioned in the Bible? Or the idea of a round Earth because the Bible refers to a flat Earth? No. We learn, and we grow as things become clear. I thnk God is shaking his head at many of us for rejecting some Science because we think that it disproves God. God is big enough to handle adversity. Instead of seeing Science and thinking, "Wow...so THAT'S how God did it" we end up thinking "Blasphemy! This is trying to disprove the need for God!". Just because Science takes away a lot of the mystery doesn't make it any less wonderful or amazing. Science doesn't disprove God. It's OK to believe Science AND the Bible. I give you my permission!
Pro-Life/Pro-Choice. What's that? I'm taking on the abortion debate? You bet I am! Now, first and foremost I believe that abortion as an act is wrong 99% of the time. I am a firm believer in the choice of life, and a firm believer that life begins at conception. At the same time however, I believe that God gave us free will and the right to choose. I think that, while I disagree with the act, the choice should still be legal. Will this be controversial? Yes. Will people hate me for saying this? Maybe. Here is why I believe it needs to be legal: First of all, whether it is legal or not will not stop people from getting abortions. The problem with it being illegal is that, the abortions that are done will be sketchy and will probably lead to more botched surgeries where both the baby AND the mother die. Also, if the mother ever needs help recovering from the abortion(physically, mentaly or psychologicaly) she will be afraid to come forward. She will have to deal with the effects for the rest of her life without anyone there to help her. At least now, she is a bit more likely to come forward and ask for help. Secondly, I believe that there are some cases when Abortion (while sad, and disappointing) is necessary. I believe that, if the pregnancy will put the mothers life in serious risk, that the mother should be able to choose to abort the pregnancy to save her life. I hate how the Pro-Life people ONLY care about the life of the unborn baby. Do they not remember that Life continues AFTER birth as well? If the mother is going to die while giving birth, or while carrying the baby in her womb, is it not better to abort the baby (which would likely die along with the mother anyway) and save the mothers life?
Final one (I could keep going on, but this is getting kind of long!) Chan/Bell. Now it seems you are either Pro-Rob Bell or Pro-Francis Chan. It seems that if you enjoyed Love Win, you have to hate Chan, and if you hated Love Wins you have to hate Bell. But why? First off, I would argue that, just because an author writes one controversial book doesn't mean everything else he has preached is wrong and blasphemous (on that note...since when did controversial=blapshemy?). I've heard people say that they returne Bell's books (that they used to enjoy) after Love Wins came out because they disagreed with his ideas in THAT book. It's ok to like both. I prefer Bell to Chan, but that doesn't mean I think that Chan is wrong, it's a preference for me. More specifically though, we have this idea that you can't like both Love Wins AND Erasing Hell. But I do. I like one more than the other, but I still enjoyed both books and can agree with where both are coming from. Can they both be 100% right? No. But is one of them 100% wrong? Most likely not. It's ok to like both. It's ok to read both, struggle with it and ask questions..in fact that is encouraged. Not liking one idea by an author and preacher doesn't mean we need to write off EVERY idea by that pastor of author. It just means we need to ask questions and discern!
Well...those are my thoughts. There are other Either/Or's I could get into, but I am interested in what you have to say. What are YOUR Either/Or's. What are the things that you are on the fence on that other people assume has to be one or the other? Do you agree with my ideas or am I wrong? Give me your thoughts, comments and questions!
Now, I realize that there has to be some level of Either/Or. It's impossible to both believe in God and be an Atheist It's impossible to be a pacifist and yet believe in War. But a lot of the Either/Or's we have are needless. I hate how Christianity has become a large, diverse group of people at war with itself. I love the idea of diversity. I love the vast aray of denominations, and the fact that people can believe in the same God, and yet have healthy debate and discussion about things that they disagree with about that God (or the Bible). Unfortunately, the things that I love about Christianity is becoming a thing of the past. There is no longer a healthy community discussion. It's evolved into arguments, curses and verbal warfare. Not everything has to be a This/That. Not everything needs to be an Either/Or, and not everything needs to be a Us/Them. Here are some things that ae traditionally an Either/Or, that I personally am on the fencefor:
Creation/Evolution. Now, when I say "Creation" here I am referring to the traditional 7 day creation, not the mere fact that God ceated the world (because THAT I believe with all my heart). Christians have creed 2 camps. Either you believe in the 7 day Creation that God spoke into existence or you believe in the billion year Evolution that God had no part of. Most Christians it seems would say that it is impossible to be a Christian and believe in Evolution. To that I say, Bullcrap! I will agree that it is impossible to be a Christian and believe in an evolution that God had no part of...but Evolution in and of itself is not evil. I believe that God created the world. I also believe that God gave us brains, and knowledge and SCIENCE. I think we are stupid if we neglect the proof. Do we reject the idea of gravity because it's not mentioned in the Bible? Or the idea of a round Earth because the Bible refers to a flat Earth? No. We learn, and we grow as things become clear. I thnk God is shaking his head at many of us for rejecting some Science because we think that it disproves God. God is big enough to handle adversity. Instead of seeing Science and thinking, "Wow...so THAT'S how God did it" we end up thinking "Blasphemy! This is trying to disprove the need for God!". Just because Science takes away a lot of the mystery doesn't make it any less wonderful or amazing. Science doesn't disprove God. It's OK to believe Science AND the Bible. I give you my permission!
Pro-Life/Pro-Choice. What's that? I'm taking on the abortion debate? You bet I am! Now, first and foremost I believe that abortion as an act is wrong 99% of the time. I am a firm believer in the choice of life, and a firm believer that life begins at conception. At the same time however, I believe that God gave us free will and the right to choose. I think that, while I disagree with the act, the choice should still be legal. Will this be controversial? Yes. Will people hate me for saying this? Maybe. Here is why I believe it needs to be legal: First of all, whether it is legal or not will not stop people from getting abortions. The problem with it being illegal is that, the abortions that are done will be sketchy and will probably lead to more botched surgeries where both the baby AND the mother die. Also, if the mother ever needs help recovering from the abortion(physically, mentaly or psychologicaly) she will be afraid to come forward. She will have to deal with the effects for the rest of her life without anyone there to help her. At least now, she is a bit more likely to come forward and ask for help. Secondly, I believe that there are some cases when Abortion (while sad, and disappointing) is necessary. I believe that, if the pregnancy will put the mothers life in serious risk, that the mother should be able to choose to abort the pregnancy to save her life. I hate how the Pro-Life people ONLY care about the life of the unborn baby. Do they not remember that Life continues AFTER birth as well? If the mother is going to die while giving birth, or while carrying the baby in her womb, is it not better to abort the baby (which would likely die along with the mother anyway) and save the mothers life?
Final one (I could keep going on, but this is getting kind of long!) Chan/Bell. Now it seems you are either Pro-Rob Bell or Pro-Francis Chan. It seems that if you enjoyed Love Win, you have to hate Chan, and if you hated Love Wins you have to hate Bell. But why? First off, I would argue that, just because an author writes one controversial book doesn't mean everything else he has preached is wrong and blasphemous (on that note...since when did controversial=blapshemy?). I've heard people say that they returne Bell's books (that they used to enjoy) after Love Wins came out because they disagreed with his ideas in THAT book. It's ok to like both. I prefer Bell to Chan, but that doesn't mean I think that Chan is wrong, it's a preference for me. More specifically though, we have this idea that you can't like both Love Wins AND Erasing Hell. But I do. I like one more than the other, but I still enjoyed both books and can agree with where both are coming from. Can they both be 100% right? No. But is one of them 100% wrong? Most likely not. It's ok to like both. It's ok to read both, struggle with it and ask questions..in fact that is encouraged. Not liking one idea by an author and preacher doesn't mean we need to write off EVERY idea by that pastor of author. It just means we need to ask questions and discern!
Well...those are my thoughts. There are other Either/Or's I could get into, but I am interested in what you have to say. What are YOUR Either/Or's. What are the things that you are on the fence on that other people assume has to be one or the other? Do you agree with my ideas or am I wrong? Give me your thoughts, comments and questions!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Gender Equality and Divine Design
There has been much debate and discussion about the roles of women, in the church and in the family. Many Christians quote the Bible, saying that the man is the head of the household, and so is therefore superior to the woman. Mark Driscoll adamantly claims that the man HAS to be the one to work, and the woman needs to be the one to stay home and look after the kids. He states the the Bible is clear that a man must provide for his family (and therefore, apparently, staying home to look after kids is NOT providing for a family). Now, John Macarthur has a new book out (actually, not sure if it is ne...it may just be a new edition or cover) called Divine Design, where he talks about the roles of the genders in both family and church.
To be honest, I skimmed through the book, so I may be taking things out of context, but to me, it seemed as if Macarthur missed the point on a lot of passages of Scripture. He seemed to be applying verses about particular churches, or particular women, and meaning that it was a universal truth. Anyway, from what I gathered from what I skimmed in the book, Women cannot be pastor's, and, like Driscoll says, should stay home with the kids. Is this really the case though?
I think, when we start taking verses out of context and assigning certain roles and positions for genders (such as the man is the head, and provider..and the woman is the support) we miss the main point. We tend to focus on these controversial verses, and women claim that the Bible is sexist when it tells wives to Submit. I understand that the word Submit is hard to accept, and has a lot of misconceptions...and I'm not going to get into what the word means here...perhaps that will be another blog. Today, I want to focus on he ATTITUDE of people in the debate. It seems that, we want to have a seperation. We want to know, "women can or should do this, and men can or should do that". We want it to be black and white. And so long as we have this attitude, the gender equality debate will never end.
We seem to miss the verses in which the Bible says that all have different gifts. The Bible doesn't specify that "men recieve this gift, and women recieve this one". The Bible just lists gits and tells us to use our gifts to further the Kingdom of God.
I'm sick of this idea that, churches or companies need to have so much diversity in their staff. I hate the concept that, "every company must haveso many women on staff, so many african-americans, so many native, so many homosexuals...blah blah blah". I'm not trying to say that we need to not hire people of different ethnicity or gender...in fact I am going the opposite direction of that. We need to hire people based on their skills and talents. Why do companies get into trouble when they don't have a certain amount of "diversity"? Yes...if they are NOT hiring someone out of sexism, or racism or prejudice then yes, that is wrong...but hav we ever though that just maybe, the people that are hired are the ones that are most suited to that position? Maybe there was no prejudice behind the hiring process and they just chose who was best?
Finally, I want to get to the Feminism group. Keep in mind, I LOVE the idea of gender equality. I think it is wrong when one gender is treated differently (for better or worse) of another gender (or race/sexual orientation/age whatever) But I hate how Feminists, or at least many of them, try to take it beyond equality. They want to make men pay and put women AHEAD of men. To many feminists, men can't do anything right. Everything is prejudice, or sexist and needs to be stopped. When men are Chivalrous and hold the door open, it is sexist...when men fail to do so, again...it is sexist. I hate these women that want special privileges, but then don't want men to have the same privileges. For examples, we go to the world of sports:
Why are women reporters allowed into Mens dressing rooms, but not Men reporters into women dressing rooms? Women fought for the right, but dont' want men to have the same right. It has to go both way...either don't go into the Men's dressing room and wait for the athletes to come out, or allow men to go into the women's room too.
On that note, women who fight to play on men's sports teams. I'm all for women wanting to play sports, and compete. And I think they should be able to play in whatever league they feel comfortable playing in...but why can't a man play in a girls league? There was a boy who played Field Hockey in his home country...but when he came to Canada (or maybe it was the US), the only Field Hockey teams were girl teams. But the girl teams didnt want him to play with them. So once again...it's a two way street. The key word in Gender Equality is...EQUALITY. It's not about, let's make ourselves better than them! It's about...let's stop this idea of one person being better than another and treat everyone as equals.
Keep in mind, while this blog is about the genders, it can be applied to all differences,such as race, age, religion...anything that ha prejudices and inequality (whether real or implied). I don't like the idea that, in the home, the men have certain tasks and jobs that are ok, and the women have others. What happened to, "everyone do what they are the best at"? Why can't a man clean, or a woman mow the lawn? Why is Laudry a womans job, and fixing things a man's job? People should be able to do what they are good at, and enjoy doing. It shouldn't be based on stereotypes, or genders, or cultural norms.
I want to finish with the hypocrisy of the Church. Many Christian and Church leaders don't like the idea of Women Pastor's. They think that the Bible is clear on the issue that men should be the leaders of the church (which is a debatable issue, but for another time). However, these same people don't seem to have a problem with major women author's and speakers such as Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore. Is writing a major book, which is a form of preaching and teaching, and speaking to a massive group of people at a large conference any different than being a pastor? Not really.
Did I offend anyone? Maybe, and if that is the case, then please try to make sure that what you are reading and understanding is truly what I am trying to say before you call me names and disagree. But please...let me know what you think. Have I gone too far? Not far enough? What are your thoughts on this issue....or is it even still an issue?
To be honest, I skimmed through the book, so I may be taking things out of context, but to me, it seemed as if Macarthur missed the point on a lot of passages of Scripture. He seemed to be applying verses about particular churches, or particular women, and meaning that it was a universal truth. Anyway, from what I gathered from what I skimmed in the book, Women cannot be pastor's, and, like Driscoll says, should stay home with the kids. Is this really the case though?
I think, when we start taking verses out of context and assigning certain roles and positions for genders (such as the man is the head, and provider..and the woman is the support) we miss the main point. We tend to focus on these controversial verses, and women claim that the Bible is sexist when it tells wives to Submit. I understand that the word Submit is hard to accept, and has a lot of misconceptions...and I'm not going to get into what the word means here...perhaps that will be another blog. Today, I want to focus on he ATTITUDE of people in the debate. It seems that, we want to have a seperation. We want to know, "women can or should do this, and men can or should do that". We want it to be black and white. And so long as we have this attitude, the gender equality debate will never end.
We seem to miss the verses in which the Bible says that all have different gifts. The Bible doesn't specify that "men recieve this gift, and women recieve this one". The Bible just lists gits and tells us to use our gifts to further the Kingdom of God.
I'm sick of this idea that, churches or companies need to have so much diversity in their staff. I hate the concept that, "every company must haveso many women on staff, so many african-americans, so many native, so many homosexuals...blah blah blah". I'm not trying to say that we need to not hire people of different ethnicity or gender...in fact I am going the opposite direction of that. We need to hire people based on their skills and talents. Why do companies get into trouble when they don't have a certain amount of "diversity"? Yes...if they are NOT hiring someone out of sexism, or racism or prejudice then yes, that is wrong...but hav we ever though that just maybe, the people that are hired are the ones that are most suited to that position? Maybe there was no prejudice behind the hiring process and they just chose who was best?
Finally, I want to get to the Feminism group. Keep in mind, I LOVE the idea of gender equality. I think it is wrong when one gender is treated differently (for better or worse) of another gender (or race/sexual orientation/age whatever) But I hate how Feminists, or at least many of them, try to take it beyond equality. They want to make men pay and put women AHEAD of men. To many feminists, men can't do anything right. Everything is prejudice, or sexist and needs to be stopped. When men are Chivalrous and hold the door open, it is sexist...when men fail to do so, again...it is sexist. I hate these women that want special privileges, but then don't want men to have the same privileges. For examples, we go to the world of sports:
Why are women reporters allowed into Mens dressing rooms, but not Men reporters into women dressing rooms? Women fought for the right, but dont' want men to have the same right. It has to go both way...either don't go into the Men's dressing room and wait for the athletes to come out, or allow men to go into the women's room too.
On that note, women who fight to play on men's sports teams. I'm all for women wanting to play sports, and compete. And I think they should be able to play in whatever league they feel comfortable playing in...but why can't a man play in a girls league? There was a boy who played Field Hockey in his home country...but when he came to Canada (or maybe it was the US), the only Field Hockey teams were girl teams. But the girl teams didnt want him to play with them. So once again...it's a two way street. The key word in Gender Equality is...EQUALITY. It's not about, let's make ourselves better than them! It's about...let's stop this idea of one person being better than another and treat everyone as equals.
Keep in mind, while this blog is about the genders, it can be applied to all differences,such as race, age, religion...anything that ha prejudices and inequality (whether real or implied). I don't like the idea that, in the home, the men have certain tasks and jobs that are ok, and the women have others. What happened to, "everyone do what they are the best at"? Why can't a man clean, or a woman mow the lawn? Why is Laudry a womans job, and fixing things a man's job? People should be able to do what they are good at, and enjoy doing. It shouldn't be based on stereotypes, or genders, or cultural norms.
I want to finish with the hypocrisy of the Church. Many Christian and Church leaders don't like the idea of Women Pastor's. They think that the Bible is clear on the issue that men should be the leaders of the church (which is a debatable issue, but for another time). However, these same people don't seem to have a problem with major women author's and speakers such as Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore. Is writing a major book, which is a form of preaching and teaching, and speaking to a massive group of people at a large conference any different than being a pastor? Not really.
Did I offend anyone? Maybe, and if that is the case, then please try to make sure that what you are reading and understanding is truly what I am trying to say before you call me names and disagree. But please...let me know what you think. Have I gone too far? Not far enough? What are your thoughts on this issue....or is it even still an issue?
Sunday, September 25, 2011
My New Quest
Ok, wow...so I realize it has been a very long time since my last post, and lots has happend since then. I now have a full time job at a Christian Bookstore here in Abbotsford (and LOVE it!), and we moved to a new place in Abbotsford. Kitchen is smaller than our last place, but overall we really enjoy our new apartment. Anyway, I just finished reading the book "The Know-It All" by A.J. Jacobs, and it was very interesting, funny and inspiring. For those of you who are unfamiliar wth AJ Jacobs and this book, AJ Jacobs is the author of books "The Year of Livin Biblically" and "The Guinea Pig Diaries". In this book, he reads through the entire 2002 edition of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, from A-Z. He writes out his thoughts, and things that he learns. It was a very fascinating book, in which he meets Alex Trebek, tries to get on Jeopardy and other game shows, and struggles with trying to have a baby.
Anyway, this book challenged me. I don't own an Encyclopaedia set, but I wanted to do something that was worthwhile. Being a Christian, I thought, what better thing to do than to read the Bible through (in Chronological order) from cover to cover. Now, I know what you are probably thinking..."umm, Keith...you haven't read the whole bible before?" Well, the honest answer is no. Ok...maybe I did throughout by time at Bethany, but that was different. It was sporadic reading for different classes, and lets be honest....it involved a lot of skimming. So I am going to go through the Bible, in the order it was written (at least according to a website telling me the order in which it was written), and I will take notes. I will write out things that stick out to me, things that I may have overlooked in my skimming days. I will write out questions that certain books, verses and chapters raise. I will even write out frustrations that arise...frustrations at God,people, stories, whatever. I will do my best to update a blog about it (I may or may not start a new blog..but I may just use this one), but even if I don't blog, I will try to read every day. I know, it's something that I should have been doing a long time ago. I should already be reading every day, but unfortunately I am not. I am surrounded by Christians stuff every day at work, and I get very cynical towards things. I read a lot of other people telling me what to believe about the Bible, but I have avoided actually coming to my own conclusions in a very long time. So...here I go. Please, pray for me, join me, think of me, encourage me, whatever. I'm not doing this to say "look at me"...I'm not trying to just draw attention to myself, I am doing this because I want to. I want to go deeper into Scripture. I want to draw closer to God. I want to share my thoughts because hopefully it can encourage you. God Bless everyone...and I really will try to blog more often now!
Anyway, this book challenged me. I don't own an Encyclopaedia set, but I wanted to do something that was worthwhile. Being a Christian, I thought, what better thing to do than to read the Bible through (in Chronological order) from cover to cover. Now, I know what you are probably thinking..."umm, Keith...you haven't read the whole bible before?" Well, the honest answer is no. Ok...maybe I did throughout by time at Bethany, but that was different. It was sporadic reading for different classes, and lets be honest....it involved a lot of skimming. So I am going to go through the Bible, in the order it was written (at least according to a website telling me the order in which it was written), and I will take notes. I will write out things that stick out to me, things that I may have overlooked in my skimming days. I will write out questions that certain books, verses and chapters raise. I will even write out frustrations that arise...frustrations at God,people, stories, whatever. I will do my best to update a blog about it (I may or may not start a new blog..but I may just use this one), but even if I don't blog, I will try to read every day. I know, it's something that I should have been doing a long time ago. I should already be reading every day, but unfortunately I am not. I am surrounded by Christians stuff every day at work, and I get very cynical towards things. I read a lot of other people telling me what to believe about the Bible, but I have avoided actually coming to my own conclusions in a very long time. So...here I go. Please, pray for me, join me, think of me, encourage me, whatever. I'm not doing this to say "look at me"...I'm not trying to just draw attention to myself, I am doing this because I want to. I want to go deeper into Scripture. I want to draw closer to God. I want to share my thoughts because hopefully it can encourage you. God Bless everyone...and I really will try to blog more often now!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saved!
I watched, for the first time, the movie Saved! starring Mandy Moore. I've heard a lot about this movie, mostly from Christians, saying that the movie is offensive, and inappropriate. Which is esentially why I decided to watch it. I know, that may come as a shock to you, but when people tell me that somethin is offensive or heretical, I feel the need to see it for myself. It's for that reason that I began reading books lik Davinci Code, watching the Harry Potter Movies and reading Love Wins (all of the above by the way I loved!). Anyway, this movie, while being a parody of Christianity, actually has a lot of really good things to say to Christians (whether it means to or not is beside the point). I wasn't initially going to blog about the movie, as I don't generally do movie reviews, but when I finished watching the movie I checked out the Focus on the Family review of it, and te review just made me so mad that I felt the need that I needed to write a blog about the movie.
One of the main points of the movie is that Christians can get so caught up in whats right and wrong, that they forget to actually love and accept others. In the movie, one of the main plots is the attempted conversion of the lone non-Christian at the Christian school. Everyone is so eager to convert her, so eager to tell her that she is doomed to Hell without the love of Christ, that they end up shunning her, pushing her away, ridiculing her and embarrasing her. Throughout the movie as previously good Christians falter, the other Christians throw them under the bus, pray over them (forcibly), and literally throw the Bible at them. They get so caught up in making sure everyone is doing what is right, that they forget that Jesus loved everyone, especially the sinners.
Throughout the movie, it is clear that the most truly Christ-like people are those who aren't even 'Christians'. The non-Christian that everyone is trying to convert is the person who accepts, and loves, the other people who 'lose their way', and are ridiculed for sins that they commit. Unfortunately, I wish I could say that this is an area where the movie is clearly wrong, but the truth is, the movie is very accurate in this regard. Many of the most Christ-like individuals aren't even Christian (or at least, we wouldn't classify them as Christian). Sadly, many Christians are so centred on ASKING what Jesus would do that they forget to just live it out.
Hypocrisy and being a 'Pharisee' is another key part of the movie, as one of the main characters goes out of her way to make sure that everyone sees how Christian she is. She sings a worsip song before an assembly starts, she paints a statue of Jesus, she acts in the School plays, oranizes prayr circles, hands out tracts and pins, and is first in line to picket outside of the abortion clinics. She does all the 'right stuff', but for all the wrong reasons. She wants people to see how Christian she is. She wants to get noticed. She wants te attention. Like the Pharisees, she is a white washed tomb. Looks good on he outside, but inside is full of hate, full of sin, and just a gross mess. In the end, the one who needs saving the most is the one who thought she was saved all along. Sometimes, we are like her. We try to make everyone notice how good we are, we try to do all the right things, but we have no substance. We do it all for show.
Doing God's will is another thing that is poked at in the movie. On 2 occasions throughout the film, 2 different characters do things that are wrong because they think Jesus is telling them to do it. As much as the movie is trying to be funny, the truth is, we all have a "vision" or hear the voice of God every now and then tellins us to do something that is bad. What I mean is...we try to tell oureselves that God is blessing out action. We say things like, "Oh, I know it's usually wrong, but God wants me to do this so I can know what its like and so I can further witness to someone who has been through this". We make ourselves think that God is blessing our actions, just so we can do something that is otherwise wrong, or frowned upon. It's the ol', "God is giving me permission to do this" trick.
The movie also takes a stance on homosexuality, premarital sex and pro-life. I won't mention where they fall on these issues, but the movies does talk about grey areas. One character sees the Bible as black and white, while another argues that its all a grey area, and that everyone falls short in some area somewhere along the line. No one is perfect. The quote is, "why would God make us all so different, if he wants us to all be the same".
Overall, this movie, in a humorous satirical way, raises some good points. It should challenge Christians to realize how they are living, how hypocritical their lives are, and focus more on loving, accepting and being truly Christ-like. It's too bad that a lot of Christians will decide that the movie is too offensive to be worthwhile. I'm not saying that everyone should watch this movie, but I do think that sometimes, Christians are too afraid of what is controversial. Too scared of what is offensive. And refuse to learn from or be challenge by, someone who has different beliefs. In my opinion, the movie Saved! is more of an accurate Christian movie than most of the other literal christian movies. What do you guys think? Is the movie Saved! a satirical look at Christians, and something that we can actually learn from, or is FOTF right and the movie is offensive, heretical and has nothing (or very little) redeeming about it?
One of the main points of the movie is that Christians can get so caught up in whats right and wrong, that they forget to actually love and accept others. In the movie, one of the main plots is the attempted conversion of the lone non-Christian at the Christian school. Everyone is so eager to convert her, so eager to tell her that she is doomed to Hell without the love of Christ, that they end up shunning her, pushing her away, ridiculing her and embarrasing her. Throughout the movie as previously good Christians falter, the other Christians throw them under the bus, pray over them (forcibly), and literally throw the Bible at them. They get so caught up in making sure everyone is doing what is right, that they forget that Jesus loved everyone, especially the sinners.
Throughout the movie, it is clear that the most truly Christ-like people are those who aren't even 'Christians'. The non-Christian that everyone is trying to convert is the person who accepts, and loves, the other people who 'lose their way', and are ridiculed for sins that they commit. Unfortunately, I wish I could say that this is an area where the movie is clearly wrong, but the truth is, the movie is very accurate in this regard. Many of the most Christ-like individuals aren't even Christian (or at least, we wouldn't classify them as Christian). Sadly, many Christians are so centred on ASKING what Jesus would do that they forget to just live it out.
Hypocrisy and being a 'Pharisee' is another key part of the movie, as one of the main characters goes out of her way to make sure that everyone sees how Christian she is. She sings a worsip song before an assembly starts, she paints a statue of Jesus, she acts in the School plays, oranizes prayr circles, hands out tracts and pins, and is first in line to picket outside of the abortion clinics. She does all the 'right stuff', but for all the wrong reasons. She wants people to see how Christian she is. She wants to get noticed. She wants te attention. Like the Pharisees, she is a white washed tomb. Looks good on he outside, but inside is full of hate, full of sin, and just a gross mess. In the end, the one who needs saving the most is the one who thought she was saved all along. Sometimes, we are like her. We try to make everyone notice how good we are, we try to do all the right things, but we have no substance. We do it all for show.
Doing God's will is another thing that is poked at in the movie. On 2 occasions throughout the film, 2 different characters do things that are wrong because they think Jesus is telling them to do it. As much as the movie is trying to be funny, the truth is, we all have a "vision" or hear the voice of God every now and then tellins us to do something that is bad. What I mean is...we try to tell oureselves that God is blessing out action. We say things like, "Oh, I know it's usually wrong, but God wants me to do this so I can know what its like and so I can further witness to someone who has been through this". We make ourselves think that God is blessing our actions, just so we can do something that is otherwise wrong, or frowned upon. It's the ol', "God is giving me permission to do this" trick.
The movie also takes a stance on homosexuality, premarital sex and pro-life. I won't mention where they fall on these issues, but the movies does talk about grey areas. One character sees the Bible as black and white, while another argues that its all a grey area, and that everyone falls short in some area somewhere along the line. No one is perfect. The quote is, "why would God make us all so different, if he wants us to all be the same".
Overall, this movie, in a humorous satirical way, raises some good points. It should challenge Christians to realize how they are living, how hypocritical their lives are, and focus more on loving, accepting and being truly Christ-like. It's too bad that a lot of Christians will decide that the movie is too offensive to be worthwhile. I'm not saying that everyone should watch this movie, but I do think that sometimes, Christians are too afraid of what is controversial. Too scared of what is offensive. And refuse to learn from or be challenge by, someone who has different beliefs. In my opinion, the movie Saved! is more of an accurate Christian movie than most of the other literal christian movies. What do you guys think? Is the movie Saved! a satirical look at Christians, and something that we can actually learn from, or is FOTF right and the movie is offensive, heretical and has nothing (or very little) redeeming about it?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Hated for the Right Reasons
I admit I sometimes live in the naive world-belief that Christians would be liked and, actually probably loved, if we would just live the way Jesus commanded us. Who wouldn't want to hang around with people who love and accept everyone right? I'd get so involved in this thought, that I would see people bashing Christians, people saying hateful remarks towards us, and I think..."see! If only we would live like Christ, we would be accepted". But the truth is, we STILL wouldn't be accepted, and loved. We would still be hated, still be despised. As Christians, it seems we can't win in the social game. We will always be the brunt of a joke, we will always be the first to be scoffed at, laughed at, kicked, spit on.
So, I am trying to give up this notion that we need to be liked and accepted. It's hard for me, because I like being liked. I like being accepted, and appreciated. I like being "in". But what I CAN'T ignore, is that...if we are going to be hated, we better be hated for the right reasons. Unfortunately, it seems most (ok, maybe not most...but too many) Christians are ok with being hated for the wrong reasons. It seems that, because the Bible tells us that the world will despise us, many of us TRY to MAKE the world despise us. We give them fuel for the fire...on purpose. We write signs that say, "God hates Fags", we bomb abortion clinics, we are homophobic, we are anti-everything. We protest teachers teaching evolution as a theory. We pull our kids out of school because they can't say the Lord's Prayer anymore. We aren't known for love and acceptance, are a known for hate, judgment, false apocolyptic predictions. They hate us because we do everything in our power to make sure that they do, because "the bible says that they will". We are hypocrites! We arn't even close to living the life that Jesus wants us to. We are so far away from the great commission of "Go and make Disciples", and we always seem to forget about the greatest commandment of "Love God, and Love Others".
Wake up Christians! Wae up so called "Followers of Christ". Are we really celebrating the death of an enemy? Are we really telling homosexuals that they ae abominations and God hates them? Are we really throwing Rob Bell under the bus of damnation because he raises questions? Have we forgotten to look at our tacky bracelets and ask ourselves, "What Would Jesus Do?".
Yes...the Bible says we will be hated...but let's not go out of our way to remind the world of that. People should hate us because we are so loving, so accepting, so kind, so compassionate, so Christ-Like that it is almost annoying. If you look at why Jesus was hated, it was because he wasn't afraid to stick up for the little guy. He stood next to the tax-collector. He walked beside the prostitute. He embraced the leper. The Pharisees hated him because he neglected their "pious religious rules". The Romans hated him because he skewed the class/gender/race lines. The Jews hated him because he loved the Gentiles. The Gentiles hated him because he loved the Jews. THAT is being hated for the right reasons. When Jesus told us that we would be despised, he was envisioning us being despised for doing RIGHT. Jesus wasn't telling us, "Go out, and make the world hate you!", he was saying, "doing the right thing. Doing the unpopular, loving thing, will make people despise you."
I'm sick of the world hating us for being hypocrites. I'm sick of atheists like Bill Maher, or comedians like Steven Colbert, or shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park or American Dad being the only ones who are willing to challenge us, the only ones who apparantly see how off-based and hypocritical we are being. In fact..I want to say, "Thank You!" to these secular shows, these often anti-Christian people who aren't afraid to say exactly what we need to hear. It's just too bad that most Christians aren't willing to listen to atheists, or non-Christians.
That's my opinion anway. What do you guys think? Are we actually being hated for the right reasons? Or, is it possible for us to actually be loved and accepted in this world?
So, I am trying to give up this notion that we need to be liked and accepted. It's hard for me, because I like being liked. I like being accepted, and appreciated. I like being "in". But what I CAN'T ignore, is that...if we are going to be hated, we better be hated for the right reasons. Unfortunately, it seems most (ok, maybe not most...but too many) Christians are ok with being hated for the wrong reasons. It seems that, because the Bible tells us that the world will despise us, many of us TRY to MAKE the world despise us. We give them fuel for the fire...on purpose. We write signs that say, "God hates Fags", we bomb abortion clinics, we are homophobic, we are anti-everything. We protest teachers teaching evolution as a theory. We pull our kids out of school because they can't say the Lord's Prayer anymore. We aren't known for love and acceptance, are a known for hate, judgment, false apocolyptic predictions. They hate us because we do everything in our power to make sure that they do, because "the bible says that they will". We are hypocrites! We arn't even close to living the life that Jesus wants us to. We are so far away from the great commission of "Go and make Disciples", and we always seem to forget about the greatest commandment of "Love God, and Love Others".
Wake up Christians! Wae up so called "Followers of Christ". Are we really celebrating the death of an enemy? Are we really telling homosexuals that they ae abominations and God hates them? Are we really throwing Rob Bell under the bus of damnation because he raises questions? Have we forgotten to look at our tacky bracelets and ask ourselves, "What Would Jesus Do?".
Yes...the Bible says we will be hated...but let's not go out of our way to remind the world of that. People should hate us because we are so loving, so accepting, so kind, so compassionate, so Christ-Like that it is almost annoying. If you look at why Jesus was hated, it was because he wasn't afraid to stick up for the little guy. He stood next to the tax-collector. He walked beside the prostitute. He embraced the leper. The Pharisees hated him because he neglected their "pious religious rules". The Romans hated him because he skewed the class/gender/race lines. The Jews hated him because he loved the Gentiles. The Gentiles hated him because he loved the Jews. THAT is being hated for the right reasons. When Jesus told us that we would be despised, he was envisioning us being despised for doing RIGHT. Jesus wasn't telling us, "Go out, and make the world hate you!", he was saying, "doing the right thing. Doing the unpopular, loving thing, will make people despise you."
I'm sick of the world hating us for being hypocrites. I'm sick of atheists like Bill Maher, or comedians like Steven Colbert, or shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park or American Dad being the only ones who are willing to challenge us, the only ones who apparantly see how off-based and hypocritical we are being. In fact..I want to say, "Thank You!" to these secular shows, these often anti-Christian people who aren't afraid to say exactly what we need to hear. It's just too bad that most Christians aren't willing to listen to atheists, or non-Christians.
That's my opinion anway. What do you guys think? Are we actually being hated for the right reasons? Or, is it possible for us to actually be loved and accepted in this world?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Because I Said So!
I'm sure we have all been on one side (or both sides) of this conversation before:
"Why can't I (insert desired activity here)?"
"Because, I said so!"
"Oh...ok, that makes sense!?" (or some variation ranging frm acceptance to anger and cursing)
The point is, as we grow up, we are told things that we need to do, things we can't do, things we can eat, things we can't eat, places we can and can't go, drinks we can and can't drink and words we can and can't say. For most of us, we never get a good reason as to why these things are accepted or forbidden. We just accept it as kids, and then one day pass down these same rules and regulations to our children, who will in turn pass it down to theirs and so on and so forth. While the "Because I said So" rule is fine in most family situations, as kids should listen to their parents, the problem comes when "Because I Said So" enters the world of religion. When the rule enters the church, the interpretation of the Bible, and the minds of Chrst Followers.
Ever since we went to Sunday School, we have been taught certain "Biblical Truths". Depending on your denomination (or even religion...as I am sure most religions have things that are taught "just because I said so"), it will change what these rules ar, but for me grwing up here is a short list of "Absolute Truths!":
-alcohol is bad (Jesus drank grape juice after all, right?)
-Swearing is straight from the pit of hell
-Pre-Marital sex is very bad.
-Homosexuality is even worse
-Pre-Marital-homosexual sex is enough to turn you into a demon (ok..I embelleshed that one a bit)
-Saying "The Prayer" is the only way to get to Heaven
-Watching a movie (or listening to music) with violence, and language will decensetize you so you go out and use curse words while killing people
-Jesus will return, takin Christian to heaven and then send an Apocolypse and force the rest f the world to suffer the reign of an evil Anti-Christ, locusts, fire, and the "mark of the beast"
-This "Apocolypse" is upon us, and will happen in our lifetime!
Ok...a few of these ideas go beyond the church and into my home environment, but you get the picture. Now, I am no saying that these things are false, untrue, or bad in and of themselves. Here is what I am saying..."We have to know WHY we believe what we believe!". "Because I said so" can't work as a foundation for Christian beliefs. We have to know why certain things are wrong? Why certain things are right? Why do we believe this is the way and not that?
This all started for me actually a few days ago when I was chatting with a friend. We got onto the topic of pre-marital sex (I don't know how we got there), and both of us asked, "Where in the Bible does it say that pre-marital sex is wrong?". It was a fundamental truth we had been taught since being a fetus, but we didn't know where it came from. Turns out, thanks to Google!, that there is no verse in the bible that condemns pre-marital sex. The closest thing it comes to is forbidding "sexual immorality" (which it does numerous times in the Bible). Now, what does Sexual immorality mean? How is it translated? I'm not sure...it could be interpretted in many ways. But somewhere, many years ago, someone translated Sexual Immorality to include (but not be limited to) pre-marital sex, passed it on to the next generation, and here we are believing this now! Believeing it as TRUTH!.
Once again, I am not encouraging people to have lots of pre-martial sex, that is not the point...the point is, "why do we believe that it is wrong?". Why do we believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is it because there are some verses in the Old Testament that forbid it? If that is the case, why is it ok for men to have long hair, or people to sit in a chair that a...ahem...woman on her "time of the month" sat on? Yes, there are verses in the New Testament about homosexuality too, but many of them are one person's opinion on the subject. I may be mistaken, but I don't believe Jesus ever says anything on the topic. But why do we believe what we do? Why is swearing so wrong? Ok, so the Bible mentions "unwholesome" talk...but once again, what does that mean? I am fairly certain that Jesus swore when we turned the tables in the temple.
So what I am trying to say, is..."Know what you believe, and WHY you believe it!". This goes beyond just the rules and regulations...it goes to the fundamental truths of Christianity too. "Why is Jesus the only way?", "What is the Trinity?", "Did God Create the world?", "Is there a God?", "How do we know Jesus rose from the dead?". If your entire faith system...if all of your rules, regulations, and religious beliefs are based on "Because I said so" answers, then you are in trouble....it is going to collapse. You are going to discover something that makes more sense, and go for that instead. Yes, there needs to be elements of faith, I get that. i'm not saying that we need proof for EVERYTHING, but we do at least need to find out for ourselves why certain things in Christianity are the way they are. Why we believe this, why we do that? Do some research, ask some questions, use Scripture, pray. Don't just accept what you believe as a "Because I said so" truth!.
So what are some of the "Because I Said So" things you were taught growing up, or are still taught today? Have you looked into why things are the way they are?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Morphsuit Christians
I don't know how you feel about these guys, but I HATE the green morphsuit guys at Canuck games. If you don't know who I am talking about, it's these guys:
I would love to see them do that stuff WITHOUT the green suit covering their face. They hide behind this costume, and then taunt, harass and annoy the heck out of opponents (and other fans). Now, I get that they are proud of their team, and cheering and jeering is all part of sports, I get that...but doing this type of thing EVERY time gets old very fast, and just becomes silly. Anyway, that's not really the point of this blog, just thought I would add my own personal opinion (feel free to LOVE the green guys, that is your right). What I really wanted to talk about though, is spiritually living under a green morphsuit. What I mean is, as Christians we hide behind our bibles, hide behind our computer screens, our blogs, our friends. We hide behind the safety of the penalty glass, and the anonymity (is that a word?) of the green suits. We stand up for our beliefs, so long as people don't really know who we are, or we are able to run into a group of likeminded individuals.
This goes even beyond just staying anonymous...we hide who we truly are. In one group of friends we are one way, in another we are a different person. We act like a devout Christian or fundamentalist nutjob, or religious pharisee or whatever on Sunday, and then on Monday we are the exact opposite. We put on a fake smile, hide behind laughter, join in when others are bullying or judging (even if we don't agree with the judgement). I urge us as Christians. I urge us as HUMANS...take off the morphsuits. Step out from behind the glass, reveal your true self. Why do we insist on being who we aren't? Why do we only stand up for our beliefs when no one knows who we are, or when we can easily run away? Why do we taunt and tease in large groups because we know we are "safe" there. Jesus wants us to be REAL. He wants us to be authentic. He wants us to LOVE. Take off the mask, get out of the suit, uncover your face. If you are too scared to let people know who you truly are, then maybe you need to re-evaluate who you are.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Love the Team, Hate the Fans
Have you ever heard an atheist (or some other person of another faith) say something like, "I don't mind God, I just can't stand his followers!". Well, I used to somewhat understand that sentiment, but now, living in Canuck central (and being a non-Canuck fan), I completely understand what they mean. I used to be indifferent to the Canucks. Growing up in Ontario, and being a Leaf fan (and still am...I know, pass judgement and ridicule), my hatred was more for the Sens and Habs. The Canucks, Flames and Oilers were teams that I didn't hate, didn't love, but wanted to see do decently well. Then I moved here to BC. EVERYONE is a crazy Canuck fan. Every game is meticulously scrutenized. Every hit by the Canucks is a clean hit, every hit against is the dirtiest hit in NHL history. Every loss is seen as the end of the world, and every win is viewed as the Stanley Cup winning game. Yes, I am emebellishing a little here, but I think you get my point. Also, I do want to clairify that, you can substitute any team for the Canucks. I know Leaf fans have a bad reputation so feel free to substitute "Leafs" for Canucks if it makes you more comfortable (or whichever team you want). Anyway, it gets frustrating. When all you hear on the sports radio is people calling in saying that this team is guaranteed to win the cup, and probably sweep their way there, you get really frustrated with it. I've gone from indifferent to the Canucks to wanting them to lose every game they play. I want them to fail, miserably bad. So that takes me back to the phrase, "I don't mind God, but I hate his followers". Christians sometimes (ok...quite often) act like bad fans of a sports team. When someone oposses our beliefs in some way, like wanting to take the Lords Prayer out of schools, teach evolution, promote gay marriage or whatever, we feel that it is a brutally dirty play. It's as if Daniel Sedin got blindsided when the puck was on the other side of the rink. We want blood. We call for suspensions. We call for the law to step in and stop these "anti-Christians" from taking away everything we stand for. We feel that our rights are being stomped on. But as soon as we try to oppose something. When we fight for abortion to be illegal, or for all Presidents and Prime Ministers to be Christians, or for prayer to be brought back into school. When we fight for "don't-ask-don't-tell", Creation to be solely taught as the origin of the world, and we try to ostracize the other faiths, we see it as a clean hit. We see it as "just playing the puck, a solid hockey hit". And it frustrates the hell out of everyone else. I realize that saying "hell" is proabably getting a bunch of you angry at me, but I feel that the words need to be strong. People who used to not really care about Christianity, either way, suddenly oppose it strongly, because of the "fans". It makes you wonder how badly we are screwing this up. Do we want to be known as the "worst fans in history"? Ranked up there ahead of the Red Sox, and Yankee faithful? We have to do something. It's not all about us. We have to keep our focus on God, on Christ, and on His message. We have to focus on LOVE, focus on compassion. I'm not blameless in this either. I mess up often and make Christianity look idiotic from time to time too. But we have to stop this. We have to make sure that, us "fans", us followers of Christ make sure to show true sportsmanship. We too often act like the Bieber fanatics who vandalized that girls Wikipedia page because she beat out Bieber in the Grammy's. Bieber didn't condone their actions at all, and it made HIM look bad and caused the haters to grow stronger. Or we act like the Habs fans who rioted after Maurice Richard was suspended for the rest of the season, casting a bad light on an otherwise classic and historical organization. The worse we the fans act, the worse it looks for God, and Christianity. Do we not understand that people reject God because of the way we act? Why does that not bother us more than it does? Why does it not cause us to change how we live? Why are we ok with the idea that people want to believe in God, but can't because of the way we treat them? Something has to change.
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