Are we headed "full circle?"

At the dawn of the Christian Church, the apostles faced some determined opposition in the Jewish Council, which met and agreed that this new sect of "The Way", as it became known, was getting too risky to just take a live-and-let-live policy. They brought in the ringleaders, Peter and John, and told them "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." (Acts 4:18) There was to be no attempts to enroll others in their religion, or they would risk prosecution and imprisonment; as did in fact happen.

2000 years later, the circle of intolerance seems to be coming around for Americans. Oh, it's not entirely new for Christians to get the crack-down from a government or competing religion. That kind of thing is routine in other nations, as Christians are persecuted by zealots and leaders of Muslim or Hindu religion, or a secular state like China. But America's constitutional freedoms of religion have precluded such discrimination.

But popular and prevailing culture is another force of opposition; less centralized and codified than government, but just as powerful in enforcing its will. And the evidence of current controversy in the forum of religious discussion and events suggests that an intolerance toward "speaking in the name of Jesus" is getting more and more of a foothold each year.

A current example of that is the uproar created by Fox News' Brit Hume, who "dared" to suggest that Tiger Woods should seek "forgiveness and redemption" which only the Christian religion offers. An editorial in today's Omaha paper points out the ire that's been aroused among liberal critics by such advice. Mr. Hume, say his critics, has crossed the line from a free exercise of religion to an unwelcome proselytizing that makes him, as one columnist said, a "sanctimonious busybody"; and so his conduct to another critic is "truly embarrassing."

At this point, Brit Hume is merely being scorned and ridiculed by his peers and others who reject any religious persuasion, and it seems Christian persuasion is especially rejected by a culture that insists that "all paths lead to God", and it's fine if my path leads nowhere at all. But how far will we need to proceed on this circle of intolerance toward evangelism before Christians are more than scorned and ridiculed by columnists, comedians and others who purport to speak for the majority culture?

We may or may not get to the point where our government explicitly forbids Christians to speak in the name of Jesus, as is already true in some places. But the tide of cultural disapproval of exclusive religion, insisting on "One Way" and "One Book", is continuing to rise around us. And those who challenge the standing policy of their culture will have to decide if they want to stand with Peter and John, who responded to the Council's prohibition by saying, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard. "(Acts 4:19-20)

Real men...

Every weekend of the Fall season, football fans get to watch their favorite gridiron gladiators battle for pigskin supremacy; or at least "show up" and do their very best against the opponent. Win or lose, every fan expects an all-out effort, to “leave it all on the field.” And even beyond the sports venue, this kind of effort and willingness to face up to any opponent, challenge or adversary is a key part of what most regard as “manliness”.

What it comes down to in practical terms is the "warrior" attitude that seeks to exert power, win the day, to remain un-bowed before whoever or whatever is confronting us in our quest for high-value objectives. There's a place for bravery and steadfast courage, but it gets easily confused in the human mind with raw power, especially the kind that's used for personal benefit.

So, when Paul tells the Church to “Stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13), it might be natural for modern minds to think of this in similar terms to what we expect in sports, business or war. The modern stereotype of a man includes things like aggression, bravery and a willingness to stand up to any opponent. Most boys play some form of “King of the hill,” and take this assertive, power-play mentality into their grown-up life. Those who can’t or won’t are often branded with some kind of negative label, like “wimp”, “cupcake” or “momma’s boy”.

This might explain a lot of unnecessary conflicts that spoil relationships in the home, the church and the workplace. When maturity is confused with power and conquest, people see competition instead of partnership, and humility is labeled as weakness.

But such images and expectations come into direct conflict with the example of Jesus Christ, who openly and unapologetically declared, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). I don’t think anyone who knew Jesus of Nazareth would have thought of Him as a “wimp”, or one who would back down from a confrontation with evil. The difference is that He stood up for God’s rights, not for His own. He bravely faced the cross without a hint of self-pity or reluctance, but stood silent before the accusations of Jerusalem’s leaders.

The “power-play” kind of manliness accounts for a great many church splits, many broken homes and other impaired relationships, and stands in stark contrast to the Bible’s image of “acting like men” (or mature women for that matter). Paul puts the whole matter of real maturity and strength into perspective, as he concludes his short exhortation in saying, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). Real men know how to live with real love, just like the greatest Man who loved the world in the greatest way, when He went boldly and powerfully to the cross for sinful mankind.

Why Christmas?

With things that are familiar and such a part of our lives that we do them on autopilot, it's a good mental exercise to take a minute and remind ourselves what it's all about, or else we get to taking it for granted. We just had our annual reminder of the things we have to be thankful for, and now it's almost the climax of the Christmas season; a much bigger deal in terms of the hoopla most Americans devote to various events of partying, shopping, eating and gifting. All the more reason we have to be careful not to forget why this holiday came about to begin with.

Jesus came into our world in exactly the way God knew He needed to come, to fit the need of a problem between God and the human race. And only the right solution would address the particular problem that, according to the Bible, separates mankind from the relationship with God He created them for.

If the problem was man’s ignorance of God, then we would have needed a Teacher. But people fail in many things they know they should do/shouldn’t do. Knowing may be important, but it doesn't trump unwillingness.

If the problem was man’s own inability to please God, then we would have needed a Helper. But people often fail to please others, but not because they can’t; more like because they would rather please themselves.

If the problem was man’s errors in offending God, then we would have needed an Expert. But the greatest expert can't make people learn from mistakes, and even promises and vows won't guarantee a person won't repeat the same mistake.

If the problem was man’s stubborn attitude toward God, then we would have needed a Counselor. But people can be told again and again about their misdeeds, and, despite insights and lightbulbs in the mind, many don't change.

If the problem was man’s rebellious nature toward God, then we would have needed a Ruler. But people disobey their human rulers all the time, and even crucified the King of heaven when He came.

The real problem is man’s sin against God’s Person, a simple choice to do what we want to do, rather than what He wants us to do. And we do it, not because we don't know better, not because we just can't seem to get it right, nor because we're weak and incompetent. We disobey God, in spite of what we put into our memory cells and recite when prompted. We choose to prefer our own way because of what's in our hearts, not because of the content of our minds or the culture of our society or the training of our families. Simply put, we do it because we think it will benefit us in some way, and that's more important to us than anything someone else, including God, tells us is good for us.

The problem is sin, and so we needed a Savior, One who is a great Teacher, our Helper in trouble, an Expert in righteousness, a Wonderful Counselor, and the Ruler of all. But unless He came to save us from the penalty and power and corruption of our sinful hearts, all the rest would have been insufficient to solve the real problem. So the angels said to the shepherds, "Today is born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" I hope He's your Savior at this Christmas season!

The "apple" bites back

Many people, including some who take the Bible seriously as the Word of God, regard the story of Adam and Eve's encounter with the Tree of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden to be a piece of allegory or mythology. Those who prefer the theory of evolution over the stories of Genesis put the whole Eden scenario into the same category as the Greek gods. Others who accept some of the Bible's history have a hard time seeing the incident at the tree, complete with a talking snake, as anything other than a figurative tale to explain how mankind got into the mess of this world, with death, disease and innumerable sorrows.

But, there are a number of reasons to consider the story of Eden as being exactly as presented by Moses, not the least of which is that Jesus and various inspired authors of Scripture regarded the events of Adam and Eve's fall into sin and death to be just as described in the Bible's opening chapters. That would seem reason enough for anyone who thinks of the Bible as more than a collection of religious tales and moral lessons, with no more claim to divine inspiration that the fables of Aesop. If the Bible is truly a cohesive Book, "God-breathed" and useful for equipping servants of the truth (2 Timothy 3:16), then we have to take seriously the unified voice of its many authors, who attest to the actual events of the Fall of Man.

But in addition to this, perhaps the most compelling reason, in view of what we know of our world and its persistent troubles, is that we would have no way to account for the universal presence of certain harmful, malevolent and destructive traits of the human personality, such as are found in humans of every nation, culture, language and stage of sophistication. From the most isolated tribe in the jungle to the denizens of urban concrete jungles, there has always been in human behavior a capacity for cruelty, violence and disregard for the welfare of others. Adam and Even went for the satisfaction of their desires with that "apple", but the apple bit back in a big way!

The fact that we often describe behavior that is particularly violent with the adjective "inhuman", is evidence that we also find in ourselves a nobler motive, a desire to lift ourselves above the merely animal behaviors of the wild creatures. But this too would be impossible to explain apart from the revelation that humans are not, as evolutionary doctrine would make us, a product of nothing more than "natural selection" and the genetic mutations of whatever happened to arise from the ooze of naturally occurring chemicals.

True, it is not every person on earth that acts out such natural passions that lead to violence and inhuman treatment of their fellows. And many act, for the most part, in ways that are gracious and generous to the well being of others. But that doesn't negate the fact that the tendency to act in gross selfishness is present, in those of great education and refinement as well as in those of humble and simple means and lives. When we see habits and lives marked by kindness and "good will to men," it is nonetheless in great distinction to the kind of "inhuman" deeds that our news channels report to us daily, and with increasing frequency.

What makes the difference then, if the capacity for cruelty and selfishness is indeed universal? Generically speaking, the belief that there is something greater than ourselves, a goal greater than our own well being, a reason for living that is larger than our small ambitions for self-improvement, each of these is capable of lifting men to a greater level of moral behavior in regard to their fellow men. So the committed Buddhist or the faithful Jew or the "peace-loving" Muslim may find reason in their philosophies for loving at least some of their neighbors.

But, for my money, all of these lack the power to overcome the universal nature of man's heart toward selfishness. When we choose actions that gratify our selfish nature, we put aside the noble convictions of mind in favor of the more pressing desires of the heart. And this is what separates the religions of Man from the redemption of Christ. Only He can change the heart and give men daily strength to walk by His Spirit, so as to put aside the desires of human nature. When that happens, humans are able to live up to the nobler aspirations of their hearts, which are there only because Man is created in the image of a noble, good and gracious God.

And that's what Christmas is about. God came personally into our sad world, with the intention of offering in the death of His Son a way out of the death and sorrow of Eden. Evolution has no credible explanation in its godless and random science for both aspects of man's nature, the dark and the light, the violent and the kind, the "inhuman" and the noble. Only the Bible yields that explanation, as well as the solution in God's own way of redemption, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) Merry Christmas!

What kind of stimulation is needed?

One can get different views of the effects of the government's "stimulus " initiatives, depending on which party is spinning the evidence. Whether any new jobs have really been created, or existing jobs saved due wholly or in part to the infusion of cash into the economy is uncertain. The "cash for clunkers" program seemed to have some immediate effect among auto dealers, but it's not clear this effect will be broad-based throughout the marketplace.

But, at the very least, you could give our government some credit for trying to do something to "kick start" an economic recovery. Not all such ideas are effective, but sometimes a poor idea is better than none, since, at least, a poor idea can be tweaked; which is more than you can do with the absence of ideas.

But, as we see illustrated often in the Bible, an economic stimulus often works against the long-term and greater interests of humankind. The love of money, says Paul, is "a root of all kinds of evil." There are worse things that happen to people than a lack of money. A lack of love, a lack of compassion, a lack of sensitivity to the voice of God, all these are far worse than a cash shortfall. And, when God works to stimulate the heart toward greater spiritual and moral vigor, He seems to do so more often through a lack of certain things, than through a sudden abundance of the same.

More people, for example, have searched for spiritual harmony with God because of a lack of peace or joy, than because they have all the peace and joy their heart desires. Many have sought the Lord when their lives "hit bottom" in some respect, rather than when they felt they were "on top", enjoying the view. More have been open to the Gospel of Christ by feeling a hunger for meaning and satisfaction in life, than those who feel already full and in need of nothing (such as the Laodicean church of Revelation ch. 3).

The saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" pretty much applies to people's motivation for spiritual renewal. But God's stimulus package for a broken heart, a crushed spirit, an empty and unfulfilling life, is not to give things that would make most humans feel less need of Him. This is, I believe, the meaning behind Jesus's pithy statements like, "Blessed are the poor", "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst," and "Blessed are you when men persecute you." We are more likely to seek the Lord when we feel something missing from our lives, than when we add up our abundance and say, "Soul, you are well off."