Freedom or Life?

In the past few days I have come to notice a struggle between two values within our culture.  Certainly I have seen this struggle for quite some time, but I had not taken notice of it or paid attention to the ramifications until this week.

The struggle is this: Should we value autonomy (freedom) above the right to live?  Or should we so value life - which must come to an end - above freedom that we give up significant rights?

At this point, many of my readers might think I am talking about the pro-life/pro-choice debate.  Indeed, that is where I saw this struggle play out for several years.  However, I did not notice the scale and weight of it until this week as I watched a video of a woman speaking about COVID-19.

COVID-19?  The virus currently causing panic and destruction across the globe?

Yes.

The woman was questioning, as several others are, whether it was right to shut down the entire country (actually a whole bunch of countries) in order to save a few lives.  

One of her main points was that our individual rights are being trampled.  Many people are currently unable to even earn the money required to feed their families and pay their rent because the government has mandated an economic shutdown.  That's a fair point.  How far should a government be able to go in limiting personal rights and freedoms?  A lot of people are asking that question right now.  The problem is not that we are being asked to stay home and take precautions, but that we are being told what we may and may not do.  I can understand the concern here.

Another of the speaker's points was - to my understanding - that life is not a right, but rather a privilege.  She argued that everyone will eventually die, so we do not actually have a right to live.  Furthermore, she argued that the life of any one individual doesn't really matter in the larger scheme of things, so while loved ones may grieve the individual's death, it might be better for that person to die than for many others to suffer to save that one person.  That argument took me aback, but I could see her way of thinking, although I did not agree.  

Overall, the video left me with an icky feeling, but I had trouble figuring out why until I had sorted out the larger struggle.  

Our culture clings so tightly to many rights and freedoms that a single right (the right to life) seems like a small sacrifice, if only we can keep all of the other rights and freedoms.  When I understood this key way of setting priorities, I could see clearly to understand the woman's argument.  Beyond that, I was able to begin figuring out how I should be thinking about such issues.

Rights and freedoms aren't bad things.  Generally, people find them to be very good things.  Likewise, life is also considered to be good.  In fact, if rights and freedoms were evil, or if life was, the struggle wouldn't exist.  You see, the struggle is not between good and evil, right and wrong.  It is between two good things: freedom and life.

That makes this all a bit more confusing, doesn't it?  

Life is good, so we try to preserve it in reasonable ways in every given situation.  We wear personal protective gear on work sites and practice social distancing in pandemics.

Freedom is good, so we try to preserve it in reasonable ways in every given situation.  We protest in front of government buildings when our rights are overrun and we question government decisions, even in times of emergency.

Unfortunately, in some situations - like abortion and COVID-19 - these two good things surprise us by clashing.  Now what are we to do?

I don't know what the general populace is supposed to do or think, but as a Christian, I do know what I should be doing with this struggle.

Let's turn to the Word of God for instruction.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippian church, writes, 

Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 

Who, being in very nature God, 

     did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

     by taking the very nature of a servant,

     being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

     he humbled himself

     by becoming obedient to death - 

          even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

     and gave him the name that is above every name, 

that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow,

     in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

     to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:1-11, NIV)

As creator of the universe, Jesus had rights unimaginably greater than our own!  Yet, he gave up those rights.  He gave up equality with God, becoming human and even submitting to human authority.  And he allowed himself to be killed in the most humiliating, excruciatingly painful way.  

Why?

Chapters 5 and 6 of the Book of Romans tell us that Christ's death and subsequent resurrection gave us life.  Abundant life!  Eternal life!  The theme of life flows continuously through the Bible.  Death is also very real and present throughout the Biblical narrative, but it is a consequence of evil, whereas life - both life on earth and eternal life - is a precious gift from God.

In short, Jesus freely gave up his incredible rights in order that the very people who put him on the cross might be offered the gift of Life.

As Christians, we are to follow Christ's example, presenting His image to the world.  As I see it, that means that we voluntarily give up our rights in order to protect life.  In an unplanned pregnancy, that means the mother gives up her right to comfort, convenience, even her own life to protect the life of her child.  In the case of a terminally ill patient, that means we all pay the cost to protect the patient's life and dignity to the end, rather than ending it prematurely.  In a pandemic, that means we take reasonable steps to slow the spread of the disease, even if it means we bear economic and social hardship.

And yes, I did say that one who follows Jesus should be willing to give up their own right to life to protect God's gift of life to another.  Why?  Because, as Paul says, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21, NIV).  For a Christian, death simply ushers us into more life.

Ironically, there is freedom in all of that sacrifice, because we choose to give priority to the well-being of others, rather than being forced into it.  Even when the government takes away all of our rights, we are still called to bear the image of Christ and to bring life and light to a dark, death-filled world, just as the early church did and just as Christians in other nations do today.

My challenge for myself and my readers is simple, but not easy: Follow Christ's example and value others above yourselves, whatever that may look like, in whatever situation you may find yourself.

-  -  -

Note: I know you may still have questions.  How can the church support those who are suffering right now?  What do I do if I'm the one who is suffering?  How do I feed my family when I have been ordered not to work?  What if I get sick and bring the virus home to my children or elderly parents?  Those are hugely important and practical questions, but they are outside of the scope of this blog post.  I am keeping those in prayer who are dealing with these very real questions at this time.

Banishing Spiritual Famine

I read the Book of Amos this week.  Normally I don't like to read the prophets because I find them hard to understand, but as a Sunday school teacher, I've had the obligation to read and understand the prophets of the northern kingdom of Israel the past few weeks.

I have read through the prophets a couple of times, but this time I read a couple of verses which I seemed never to have seen before.

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord God,
     "when I will send a famine on the land -
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
     but of hearing the words of the LORD.
They shall wonder from sea to sea,
     and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,
     but they shall not find it."
Amos 8:11-12

These verses shocked me.  A famine?  And not just any famine, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD!  These words were spoken to the people of Israel by the prophet Amos just before the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed and sent into exile by the Assyrians.

Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graphic2-1877.JPG

I knew that the physical conditions of the exiled people were bad.  Really bad.  I had not, however, stopped to consider the spiritual conditions.  The people of Israel were starved of God's Word while in exile.  The worst part is, the northern kingdom has not yet come out of exile.  They simply became a part of the Assyrian empire and disappeared.  These people have not heard from the God of their ancestors, the One Creator God, in about 2,700 years!

The Psalms describe our longing for God and His Word.

Psalm 42:1-2
"As the deer pants for flowing streams,
     so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
     for the living God."

Psalm 63:1
"Oh God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
     my soul longs for you;
my flesh faints for you,
     as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

Psalm 143:6-8
"I stretch out my hands to you;
     my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Answer me quickly, O LORD!
     My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
     lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
     for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
     for to you I lift up my soul."

Can you imagine such perpetual, unsatisfied longing?  Generation after generation thirsting, starving, and seeking for 2,700 years!

Unless...

Unless Christians reach them with the Word of God, bringing hope and satisfaction.  We can introduce spiritually famished people (Israelites or not) to Jesus, who is the Word (John 1:14), who brings living water (John 4:10-14).

How, though, can Christians take this awesome gift to thirsting peoples if we do not know the Word?  So many Christians don't know what the Word of God says.  We take our bountiful access to Bibles and Bible apps so for granted that we don't even use them!

How will each one of us banish the spiritual famine which haunts people across the world and which threatens even the members of our own local churches?  Here is my challenge for myself and for my readers:

• Read your Bibles.  Every day, open up your Bible and read a page or two (at least).  Simply familiarize yourself with the Word throughout your life.
• Take your Bible to church and use it.  When the pastor reads from a passage, find it and follow along, checking for context to help you understand more deeply.
• Talk about the Word with your family and friends.  Share what you are learning with each other and encourage each other in your journey to know the Word.
• Teach the Word to other people.  Whether it is children, youth, or adults, teaching a class or Bible study forces you to get to know your topic and passage deeply.
• Memorize passages of Scripture.  Keeping God's Word in your heart and head can help you to remember God's promises.  It can also help you figure out where to search for specific promises or topics in the Bible.

Do you have anything to add?  Let me know in the comments!

All Scripture references are from the English Standard Version translation of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Guiding the Disoriented Back to Jesus

Have you ever been completely disoriented?

I can recall one particularly vivid memory of a time when I was totally disoriented.  At the time I was about 10 years old and I was at my church's family camp for the weekend.  It was time for the evening service so the children had been sent out for our own service.  The teaching session was over and we had moved en masse to the large playing field for our game.  There were dozens of children.

The game went like this:

• Blindfold all of the children by taping cotton balls over their eyes.
• Line the children up around the entire perimeter of the chain link fence surrounding the climbing wall.
• Give the start signal.
• Have the blindfolded children rush down the steep hill and attempt to make their way to a particular location on the far end of the large field where they could have the blindfolds removed.
• Provide help to the children in the form of leaders called "True Guides" who could guide the children only with their voices.  The True Guides answer questions from the children, but may only tell the truth.
• Provide confusion for the children in the form of leaders called "False Guides" who could guide the children in the wrong direction with their voices.  The False Guides answer questions from the children, but may only lie.
• Once a child successfully completes the challenge, he or she is made a True Guide and may guide other children.

Sounds like a fun game, right?  

I'm sure it would have been, except for one small detail.  I have hearing loss.  Most of the time, I can fake my way through conversations or group instructions and gain enough information through sight and hearing combined to carry on.  Indeed, I was able to gather enough information to understand how the game worked.  But that was before my sense of sight was taken away.  

I had been blindfolded for games before, but never in such a large group of children, and never for the purpose of achieving such a difficult task.

When I was placed in my spot on the chain link fence, I was facing in the direction opposite to that in which I needed to go.  I knew that, so I thought it would be an easy task to feel my way around to the correct side of the fence and then head down the hill.  I could follow the sound of the other kids and be okay.  

Unfortunately, I didn't hear the start signal.  As the other kids left, I was only vaguely aware that something about my surroundings had changed.  Eventually, I realized that I was alone and that no one could see me because of my position behind the climbing wall.  Beginning to feel somewhat disoriented, I began feeling my way around the fence.  

The journey seemed to take forever, and after tripping over some large object (to this day I have no idea what it was), I was completely disoriented.  How many corners had I already turned?  Was the game even still in progress?  Had the sun already set?  I thought that I might at least be visible to passersby, so I stopped moving and simply clung to the fence, waiting.

Of course, I could have just removed the stupid blindfold and taken myself out of the game, but I have always been a rule follower.  If the game was still in progress, there was no way I wanted to get in trouble for "cheating."  Besides, by that time I was too disoriented to think clearly enough to offer myself that kind of help.

After what seemed like hours standing by the fence and sobbing in terror, I heard a voice, very close to me.  "Sis.  Sis, it's me.  Do you need help?"  I later learned that my twin sister had completed the challenge successfully and had turned back to become a guide.  As she did, she heard one of the adult leaders shouting to someone in the distance, "Hey, kid in the red coat!  Come off the fence!"  Glancing to the top of the hill, my sister saw me and knew that something was wrong.  She came immediately.

I sobbed in relief and told her I wanted the blindfold off.  My sister is a rule follower, too, but not to the extent that I am.  Instead of removing the blindfold, she took my arm in hers and slowly guided me down the hill to the leader who had been shouting at me.

Still crying, I was eventually able to hear the leader's voice as we came close to her.  Now instead of shouting at me, she was scolding my sister for touching me.  Guides were only supposed to use their voices.  My sister didn't let go.  Instead, she led me right up to that lady and told her I wanted my blindfold off.  It took some convincing, but the woman reluctantly agreed to let me out of the game (which was nearly over anyway) and removed the blindfold from my tear-stained face.

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blindfields/34518579155

Have you ever felt disoriented like that in your faith?  So confused that you couldn't ask for help or figure out how to help yourself?  I have.  I think a lot of people have.  Some eventually stumble upon the help they need, like I did.  Some have a courageous friend who, like my sister, are willing to come to them and offer help.  Others leave the faith.

Our young people - college students, youth, and even elementary-aged children - have doubts and confusion, but many are too confused, disoriented, or afraid to ask for help.  It is up to the adults to come to where the children are and offer help.  We need to be introducing them to the hard questions and helping them find the answers, instead of leaving them to fend for themselves in a world full of false guides.  We can't just wait for the children to ask the hard questions, or worse yet, hope they never ask them.  It is past time (but not too late) to create safe places in our churches, youth groups, and Sunday schools for the young people to ask their hard questions and search for answers under the guidance of those who have already found the answers in Jesus.  

Sadly, I see so little of that in our churches today.  The Apostle Paul commands older women to teach younger women and older men to set an example (Titus 2:1-8).  Yet today, the younger generations are told to go out and find mentors for themselves.  Most of us are too intimidated to ask.  I have heard the older women of the church say with relief, "I'm so glad the younger ones are teaching Sunday school so I don't have to."  Where in the Bible does it say the older generations get to sit back and leave it to the younger ones?  We all need to finish the race (2 Timothy 4:7), and that means guiding the disoriented back to Jesus until He calls us home.

Here are a few suggestions I have for helping those younger or newer in their faith along this great journey of following Christ:

• Teach a Sunday school class.  This is a wonderful way to get to know the children of your church.  Teach the children what God's Word says, and also teach them essential skills for studying the Word, like asking questions, summarizing a passage, checking out Bible maps, or memorizing Scripture.
• Volunteer to speak at your church's youth group.  Teach the youth what you have been learning, making sure to leave plenty of time for discussion and questions (otherwise they'll lose focus).  This is also a great way to get to know the young people of your church.
• Write letters to a younger relative or friend.  Express interest in the things they are doing, and write a bit about what you have been learning in your study of God's Word.  And who doesn't love getting mail that doesn't contain a bill?
• Offer to "formally" mentor/disciple someone.  This can feel daunting, but just dive in!  Go for walks together, or bake cookies, or play sports, and as you do, talk about the things of God.  Encourage questions and search for the answers together.

Do you have any suggestions?  Let me know in the comments section!

Politicians Through a Biblical Lens

I have been deeply disturbed for some time by the attitudes many of my fellow Christians have taken towards certain politicians.

All too many of my fellow Christians have an unhealthy, incorrect, un-Biblical view of politicians, treating them as powerful deities, vile demons, or worthless dirt.

Allow me to drop a truth bomb.  Politicians are not deities.  Politicians are not demons.  Politicians are not dirt.

Photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_buildings_of_Canada

Politicians are people.

They have lives and loved ones.  They have hopes, dreams, disappointments, and sorrows.  Most importantly, as human beings, we know that politicians "have been made in God's likeness" (James 3:9).  Unfortunately, humans cannot attain God's perfection, as Romans 3:23 tells us: "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Certainly that is true.  Even the good politicians fall short sometimes.

Even so, the Bible tells us to submit to the governing authorities.  Romans 13:1-7 says,

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.  For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.  Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?  Then do what is right and you will be commended.  For the one in authority is God's servant for your good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.  They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

"This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.  Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Additionally, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:1-4,

"I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

These passages were written in a time when the governing authorities were cruel Roman tyrants who persecuted Christians, torturing and killing large numbers of them, and stirring up public opinion against them.  And yet, the Christians were instructed to pay taxes, to pray for those in government, and even to submit to these tyrants!

The Christians could obey these commands in peace because they knew that the tyrants were in authority only by the say so of the all-powerful, righteous Creator.  This is the same God, Jesus, who told His followers, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).  Jesus also said, "in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Jesus offers His followers such strength and hope.  He commands us to live to a higher standard, possible only through His strength.

But we fail: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be" (James 3:9-10).

Here is my challenge to myself and to my readers: Pray for those in government.

• Pray that they would bring glory to God.  
• Pray that they would use our taxes dollars wisely.  
• Pray that they would become worthy of the respect that we, through God's strength, give them.  
• Pray that they would come to know our Savior personally and would take off the sinful old self and "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10).

All Scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise noted.

Where are Your Bibles?

I had a frightening experience today as I taught my Sunday school class. 

We ran out of Bibles. 

I happen to know that every single one of those students owns a Bible because we are blessed to live in a country where we are allowed to own Bibles and where the vast majority of people have enough money to purchase at least one Bible.

Only one student in the class of ten brought his Bible to church with him.  The rest forgot.

Yes, there are Bibles in the classroom for those who don't own one or who forget to bring theirs along.  We all forget sometimes.  But 90% of the class?  Every time?

Every time.

This was not just a weird coincidence.  I hand out Bibles to the majority of the students every time I teach.  And it's not just happening in my Sunday school class.

I taught as a special speaker at the youth Bible study for the last four weeks.  Every week I arrived early so that I would have time to scrounge through the church to find enough Bibles for every student to have one because not one student ever brought a Bible to Bible study.  Even most of the leaders neglected to bring their Bibles!

What is happening?!

I'll tell you what's happening.  The enemy is launching a campaign of Biblical illiteracy.  And he's winning an awful lot of battles. 

The father of lies doesn't want us to know the truth.  He doesn't want us to read and study God's Word.  He doesn't want us to use our swords.  He wants us to be ignorant so that we are unable to counter false teachings.  He wants to steal the abundant life that God offers.

Photo credit: https://www.needpix.com/photo/723322/bible-study-bible-hand-child-open-bible-study-student-word-holy

In my first year of college, a theology professor taught me something that I hope I will never forget.  This is what he said: 

"When you are listening to a pastor or teacher preach or teach from the Bible, have your Bible open in front of you and follow along.  False teachers are successful because no one bothers to check what they are saying and so they are easily able to twist Scripture to their advantage and deceive their listeners.  Always bring your Bible.  Always follow along."

I have been blessed with parents who bought me a Bible at a young age.  In fact, I don't think I've ever bought my own Bible.  They just keep replacing mine when they get old and worn.  My parents sent me to Sunday school and other church programs that taught me to read and understand the Bible.  They helped me memorize verses and introduced me to pastors and others who could answer my hard questions.

Why aren't parents doing that today?  Why aren't the parents of my Sunday school students making sure their children have their Bibles on a Sunday morning?  Is it because they are 10-12 years old and should be able to do it themselves?  Is age a good reason to quit parenting?  Sure, it's not a good idea to do everything for them at that age, but you still have a responsibility to make sure the children are fulfilling their responsibilities.

I know, I know.  I should not dare to lecture parents when I have no idea what it is to be one.  My point is, these same children get to school with their homework, backpack, gym clothes, and lunches intact on the vast majority of days.  Why is Sunday the day they are allowed to just forget?

We are in a battle for the children of our communities.  Why aren't we giving them their swords?  Why aren't we bringing our own swords along?