Persecution

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Persecution

• the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
• the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed

Many of the Christians I know have a sense of being persecuted.  They miss saying "Merry Christmas".  They feel it is silly that you cannot pray at a public school event.  They believe they have to keep their faith to themselves because someone might be "offended" by the speaking of their beliefs.


My impression is that they look back to a "better time" where everyone went to church, everyone in their neighborhood was obviously a Christian and we did not have to worry about offending anyone else. 


I get that.  The world is different.  It is changing.  That change is not comfortable.


But that does not mean we are persecuted.


It is difficult to look at modern American culture and say, with a straight face, that white Christians are persecuted.  To me, that is like a millionaire telling someone scraping by on minimum wage how upset they are because they lost 10 bucks.  Christian's need to stop behaving like a wounded puppy.


The following is a paraphrase of a quote from an unknown author:

People are more comfortable with a flattering lie than an uncomfortable truth



Here is the uncomfortable truth that many of my Christian brothers and sisters do not want to accept - We cannot go back to the way it was.  Our world is going to continue to change whether we like it or not.  Digging in and fighting that change is fruitless.  If you do, you will succeed only in making enemies and driving people further and further from Christ.


We must change.  We must adapt.  We must keep our focus on Christ and listen for what He wants us to do.  What road does he want us to walk?  What is more important to Jesus - fighting to get back to the good ol' days or speaking the Good News to souls that need to be saved?


We know the answer.

Tolerance

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Tolerance

• capacity to endure pain or hardship
• sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
• the act of allowing something
• the allowable deviation from a standard; especially the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece

The Christian faith is odd.  On any given Sunday, you can walk into any Christian church in America and hear a sermon that will have some mention of accepting and loving others "as they are", which will elicit the nodding of heads, an "Amen" and maybe even a "Hallelujah!".


At the same time, Christians have an earned reputation for exclusion, intolerance, and self-righteousness.  Admittedly, I am lumping all Christians into the same group which is inherently unfair.  The thing is...I have seen it.  I have experienced it.  And I am not the only one.  Sure, the stereotype is unfair, just like all stereotypes are unfair.  But it is a stereotype with some truth behind it.


There are many examples of Christian leaders and organizations telling the world about what they must do and must not do.  This image leads to the misconception that a Christ Follower must first and foremost be a rule follower.  Being a Christ Follower is not like being in a homeowner's association.


Let me give one example.  There is a group of men I meet with weekly for Bible study and fellowship.  I have great respect for each and every one of them.  They are all, in their own way, trying to live like a follower of Christ each day.  They are all generous with their time, money and talents (often more so than I am).


But...let's not bring up the subject of the COEXIST bumper stickers.  You know those bumper stickers - each letter of COEXIST is a symbol of a different religion.  I always took this to mean that we should all play nicely in the sandbox, even if we are not all best friends.  Seemed pretty simple to me.


For some of these good, Christian men, that bumper sticker is ridiculous.  They feel as if they are being asked to accept Islam, or Judaism, or Buddhism or atheism as co-equals to Christianity.  "And if we don't, we're labeled as a bigot!"


No, guys, you are not being asked to accept these other faiths or beliefs as equal and as "true" as your own.  It just means you should follow rule #2 - don't be a jerk.  As long as no one is getting hurt, we are all free to believe what we wish.  It doesn't mean you have to agree with or even like someone else's beliefs.  It just means "don't be a jerk".

Identity - Part 2

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Identity

• sameness of essential or generic character in different instances
• sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing
• the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
• the relation established by psychological identification
• the condition of being the same with something described or asserted
• an equation that is satisfied for all values of the symbols

In the early 20th century, the terms retard, moron and imbecile were not insults.  They were accepted and defined terms used to categorize persons with cognitive disabilities.  The use of these terms in a hospital setting helped to convey important information about a person's mental abilities.






And then the general public got a hold of the terms.






How we use a word defines the word, regardless of what a dictionary says.  The actual definition of a particular word does not matter as much as how people use it.  Every time we try to use more inclusive, caring language, there will be groups who twist it and turn it into something mean and insulting.






That is how I currently feel about the word 'Christian'.  The definition of Christian is "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  By this definition, I am most certainly a Christian.


Why then do I feel the definition has changed?






This past fall, 80% of white, evangelical Christians voted for a presidential candidate who has rarely displayed any of the "fruits of the Spirit" from Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Let me be clear on one point.  I do not know what is in Donald Trump's heart.  I do not know and cannot know where he stands with God.  Maybe, just maybe, he is really and truly trying every day to be more like Christ.  Maybe he has such a long way to go that it is hard for us to see how far he has come.  This is not for me to judge.  But we can all see his behavior, his actions and his words.  There is no debate as to the content.  And the content is not good.
There are those who voted for President Trump because they believe he was "ordained by God".  There are those who voted for him based solely on his anti-abortion stance.  Many Christians voted for him because they felt he would appoint Supreme Court justices who were more conservative.  There were those who simply disliked Hillary Clinton so much they would vote for anyone opposing her.  Some voted for President Trump because they believed he would undo many Obama-era policies and regulations that they personally disagreed with.  Maybe some Christians voted for President Trump because they believed the Federal government needed an outsider to "shake things up".




Considerable time and effort has been put into arguing for and against the reasons listed above.  I will not add to that.  What I have yet to hear is how President Trump's election affects the Kingdom of God.  As a Christ Follower, that is important to me.




The very last verses of the Book of Matthew are:




Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


This is often referred to as the Great Commission.  These verses have spurred on evangelical effort for the last two millennia.  With his last earthly words, Jesus makes it clear that we are called to spread the Good News to all people everywhere.  There is no "except", "if", "but" or other qualifying language in Christ's statement.  It is not up to us to determine who gets to hear the Good News.  Each Christ Follower is called to do our part in growing the Kingdom of God.


If you fall anywhere under the umbrella of non-Christian, would conservative Christian support for President Trump bring you closer to being a Christ Follower or would it push you farther away?

Eighty percent of white, Evangelical Christians voted for a man who, by all objective standards, has been mean, rude, dishonest, lacking in self-control, and seems to intentionally sow discord.  I have yet to see any of the "fruit of the Spirit" in him.  And yet, because of his position and ties to Christian conservatives, he is a Christian leader (whether we like it or not).

From my point of view, my fellow Christians have significantly impaired their evangelical efforts in a trade for...I'm not really sure what.  A return to "power" or "authority" or "the good ol' days"?  Maybe a desire to redirect the moral compass of our nation.  Stop and think about that for a moment.  Will President Trump help bring the U.S. back to Christian Values?  I would not get your hopes up.

In recent weeks, when I have thought about the word modern use of the term 'Christian', I have thought of the word 'Pharisee' - someone who is more interested in rule-following and maintaining the sociopolitical status quo than following God's Will.

That is why, at this particular point in time, I would rather be known as a Christ Follower than a Christian.

Identity - Part 1

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Identity

• sameness of essential or generic character in different instances
• sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing
• the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
• the relation established by psychological identification
• the condition of being the same with something described or asserted
• an equation that is satisfied for all values of the symbols

It is difficult to live and exist in our current times without making reference to the current state of our country and our world.  At this moment in time, I feel compelled to do so; I feel convicted to do so.  Is this arrogance?  Possibly.  Is this a hidden form of self-righteousness?  Maybe.  I hope not.

 

Before I can comment on today, I feel I must describe myself...my identity.  Where do I come from, how do I see the world, what defines who I am?  We will start with a bullet list because I have a 'thing' for bullet lists.

• I am 42 years old (born 1975)
• I am a Caucasian male.
• I was born into a middle class household in a suburb of Grand Rapids in West Michigan.
• My father was an auto mechanic and my mother was a public school teacher.
• I spent my childhood going to church and Sunday school and youth group.
• I did not become a follower of Christ until about a year after finishing graduate school.
• I was a nominal Christian - If someone had asked me when I was 20 what my religion was, I would have said 'Christian'.  However, I was not a follower of Christ.
• I have been married for 14 years.
• My wife and I have 3 kids from 11 to 5 years old - a girl, a boy, and a girl.
• I love my wife and my children so deeply that it can truly hurt.
• We are part of a church family at a Christian Reformed Church.
• My children go to a Christian school that originates from the Reformed tradition, with a strong Dutch background.
• I am a physical therapist.
• I work in a multidisciplinary chronic pain rehab program.
• I thoroughly and completely enjoy my work.
• I would be remiss if I didn't not mention my passion for all things cycling.

The list above is what you would expect if you asked someone "Who are you?"  But does it really give you the distinguishing character or personality of an individual?

 

Who am I?  I am a follower of Christ (Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God).  At my heart, at my core, in the deepest part of myself, that is who I am.  Each day I try to be a follower.  Each day I try to do it better, more purely, than the day before.  I fail most days.

 

That is who I am.  Nothing more needs to be said.