Beck, Wallis and my struggle with it all

This post is really more of an confession.

I’ve been following (though I need to stop) this feud between Glenn Beck and Jim Wallis.  Anyone who reads this probably knows who I would agree with.  I’m usually pretty good about linking to sites and giving you background, but I really don’t want to this time.  If you don’t know what they are discussing, you are better for it.

But the thing I am becoming the most frustrated with is not Beck’s outrageous comments.  It’s not his ridiculous rant about the church.  It’s not his attack of Jim Wallis, whom I love and often look to for wisdom and revelation.  To be honest, I expect this behavior from Beck.  And as one with a degree in journalism, I am even aware that the majority of it is for ratings so people will tune in.

But what I am struggling with the most is how I feel when I read the abusive and threatening language of Beck.

I don’t feel sad.  And I don’t feel compassion on Beck (or anyone who condones or encourages his most recent comments).  I actually feel mad and frustrated.  My heart immediately says “Well, someone has to shut this guy up!” or “I can’t wait until Jim Wallis destroys this guy in a theological/philosophical debate.”

And you know the thing about being mad?  It’s really a mask for being sad.  It’s true – I promise.

And it’s okay to be mad.  Jesus was mad.  But he didn’t neglect the feelings of sadness or pain he felt when the pharisees got it wrong – even when they were so wrong it was destructive and counter to what Jesus was saying.  Even against his most dangerous earthly enemies, He didan’t strive for the vengeance I so want against them.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was betrayed by one of his own.  Then the Roman soldiers, who have a history of mocking and slandering Jesus, came to arrest Him.  For those who know the story, I would equate my feelings to Peter.  Out of anger and frustration, I would cut that soldiers ear off too.  And if I’m perfectly honest, I want my justice and my vengeance.  Thankfully, Jesus right the wronged of Peter and healed the soldier’s ear.

So do I not trust that God is working everything for his good (Romans 8:28)?  That God will ultimately prevail?  I do, even though this situation doesn’t look hopeful right now.

So Jesus,

Calm my upset and angry heart down.  I don’t want to be mad and want vengeance towards one that You love.  You are under control.  You will turn this situation to glorify Yourself.  Nothing on earth can stop You and your purposes.  Your ways are high above.

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Reflections on “The Myth of a Christian Nation”

If that title doesn’t immediately pull you in, I don’t know what does.

I finished The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd a bit ago and after letting it sink in, I’d like to share some of the things that stuck out to me.  Brandon Jones, a good friend of mine (and a great resource) now living in Cape Town, let me borrow his copy of this book a couple months ago.  I’ll admit that I almost gave up on the book.  It started slow and was often repititious.  Not helping is that I’ve read a few other books with similar messages and themes.  However, the book really picked up towards the middle.  Boyd really started taking on some huge issues in a way that was confrontational but also well-thought, humble and in my opinion…just right.

Boyd’s begins by sharing his testimony of a time in 2004 in which he shared a sermon series entitled “The Cross and the Sword.”  In these messages he outlined the dangers of siding with any political party, agenda or ideas.  Because of this series, about 20%  of his congregation left – a sign that he had stumbled upon something people may not want to hear.  Throughout the first half of the book, Boyd talks about what he calls the “tit-for-tat” kingdom.  He tells the story that the world finds itself in, one where governments, countries and individuals repay each other evil for evil.  He compares and contrasts the Kingdom of this world and Kingdom of the Cross.  He asks his readers what it mean to be part of a “power under” kingdom rather than a “power over” kingdom.

Throughout the book, Boyd takes on many of the popular views the majority of christians in the Bible belt hold dear and shreds them apart (i.e. abortion, homosexuality, war, the popular notion that the U.S. is a Christian nation, etc.).  Though he may be looked at as a pacifist, Boyd emphasizes the values of serving and sacrificing for others as opposed to dominating and oppressing them.  He ponders the ideas of blessing and loving our enemies, not just on an individual level, but also on a global level.  Perhaps my favorite idea of Boyd’s (but really an idea found in Matthew 7) is that we should look at everyone with a large wooden plank in our own eyes and a speck of dust in the eyes if our enemies.  Imagine if we, as believers, held that kind of humility when we approached the major social issues in our country.

Perhaps Boyd is most compelling when he makes the case that the issues that many Christians believe are ruining the Christian fiber of our nation are not the issues at all.  He even argues that if we are to define a Christian as one that looks like Jesus, the U.S. has never been a Christian nation.  But Boyd doesn’t just tear down without ideas for hope.  He finds hope in looking like Jesus.  How do we become a nation that looks like Jesus?  We bless our enemies (offensive when applied to our current enemies), we sacrifice for the well-being of others (offensive when we’re forced to sacrifice for the undeserving and dirty) we put down the sword (or gun) and pick up Calvary-type love.

One thing I love about Greg Boyd is that he makes mention that the only way to express these values and Calvary love is to spend time with God in the quiet places.  Many authors have great ideas and brilliant revelations about justice and mercy but don’t emphasize the value of being alone with Jesus.  I believe that Boyd knows what the Kingdom of God looks like because he knows Jesus so well.  Yes, he knows the scriptures.  Yes, he knows the theology and the greek translations (he’s a pretty smart as he is really Dr. Gregory A. Boyd with a degrees from the University of Minnesota, Yale Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary.  He was then a professor of theology at Bethel College in St. Paul.  Don’t be intimidated though, he writes in a friendly, easy-to-understand tone).  But this book is good because he knows Jesus.

An exert from Boyd’s thesis taken from the introduction:

“For some evangelicals, the kingdom of God is largely about, if not centered on, “taking America back for God,” voting for the Christian candidate, outlawing abortion, outlawing gay marriage, winning the culture war, defending political freedom at home and abroad, keeping the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, fighting for prayer in the public schools and at public events, and fighting to display the Ten Commandments in government buildings.

I will argue that this perspective is misguided, that fusing together the kingdom of God with this or any other version of the kingdom of the world is idolatrous and that this fusion is having serious negative consequences for Christ’s church and for the advancement of God’s kingdom.” - Dr. Gregory A. Boyd

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up to the minute

My Manhattan booty call

The purpose of this entry is twofold.

1.  I’m in New York City for the weekend.

2.  All my adventures can be found on my tumblr page.

No, this is in no way replacing my blog.  Absolutely not.  But Tumblr is just so much easier to keep everyone updated (kudos Tumblr iPhone app… take a hint WordPress and make your app halfway useable).  I can’t guarantee how up to date I will keep this tumblr page when I’m back to everyday life but let’s give it a shot.

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

A few comments about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy have really bothered me.

Sen. Chambliss’ (R-GA) bothering (and just bizarre) thoughts on what repealing DADT would mean

Focus on the Family on why the country doesn’t need this

However, Steve Wernick of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, has the right idea…particularly when he points out that “it cannot be God’s will to give gay men and lesbians less dignity than God has given the rest of us.”

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compassion in haiti

Jim Wallis of Sojourners is a contributor to the Washington Post’s On Faith section and recently posted a response to Pat Robertson’s remarks on Haiti.  His thoughts on the whereabouts of Jesus in Haiti can be found by clicking on the link.

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the older son in luke 15 and the sense of entitlement that comes with it.

I’ve been sitting on a new revelation from the Prodigal Son story for the past couple weeks.  I’ve processed it with a few people to get their opinions and I think I’m ready to type this thing out.

The sense of entitlement is destructive to followers of Jesus.  I find especially invasive among upper and middle-class believers.   It’s this attitude that says “I deserve this because…[I went to college, I worked hard to get where I am, I don't do that, etc...].  I’ve known that this sense of entitlement is detrimental to the advancement of the Kingdom of God here on Earth and to the poor, the hopeless, misunderstood and socially unacceptable in the eyes of the world, but I’ve never been able to put my finger on any scripture that particularly addresses this.

Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son

The story of a Father running out to welcome back his rebellious and estranged son isn’t new to anyone.  Whether you are a believer in Jesus or not, you have most likely heard the story.  Many major religions have their own version of this parable and the story has appeared numerous times in literature, music and art.

When the younger son, who has run squandered his inheritance from his father returns home, he is given a new robe, a ring on his finger, sandals, a fattened calf and a huge party to celebrate his return.  The elder son, who has lived to please his father and always acted accordingly, becomes upset that his younger, undeserving brother is to be celebrated.

Most people in the church have asked if they are the younger son.  Have we gone astray from our Heavenly Father?  Is he chasing after us?  Are we being irresponsible with the things our Father has given us? Furthermore, if you stick around a church long enough, the question will be turned and asked if you may be the older son.  Are you jealous of someone?  Are you pitying yourself when you should be celebrating the return of a prodigal son or daughter?

Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle

All good questions but not ones I want to focus on.  My conviction is that the oldest son who stayed home and was obedient to his father in this story exemplifies this sense of entitlement and the younger son, who ran away, is representative of the oppressed.  I think of the offense the older brother felt when his little brother came back and his father threw a party for him and welcomed him home.  The older son believed his little brother didn’t deserve the fattened calf, the ring, the huge party and his father’s overwhelming love.  But the father doesn’t care that he is denying cultural normalcies, he’s just happy his son is back.  And it’s not even just that his son is back, it’s that his son will never be poor again, he will never be hungry again, he now has a roof over his head, etc.  The father says to the oldest son, that “…everything I have is yours (Luke 15:31),” but I would think this promise is for every child in the Kingdom.  As Bill Johnson says sometimes, “It doesn’t matter if you start working at the beginning of the day or the end of the day, you get payed the same (paraphrased).”

I also realize that the Prodigal Son parable and Johnson’s words are about the salvation Jesus offers, but I would say that they are applicable to this scenario as well.  All the Luke 15 stories (The Good Shepherd, The Good Woman and the Good Father) are demonstrations of how the Kingdom of God operates.  And if we are to pray “on earth as it is in Heaven,” then we also ought to be about Kingdom work and carrying out the narratives of Jesus here on Earth.

Anytime the argument that Jesus spent his time with the ‘least of these’ or anytime it’s pointed out that God always hears the cry of the oppressed, the issue of of fairness comes up among the offended.  For example, “Why should I have to pay more taxes so others can live better?  It’s not fair.”  Or the infamous “I worked hard all my life to get to where I am and others could have my success if they …fill in the blank… as well as I did.”  This argument comes out of a misunderstanding of what justice looks like in the Kingdom of God.  We view justice as we see it on Earth.  Our view of justice says that people get what they deserve.  And the people that don’t have what I have must not deserve it because …they haven’t worked as hard as I have, they don’t have the education I have, they don’t come from the family I come from, they squandered their wealth, they blew their chance… you get the idea.  But Jesus’ view of justice is different.  In the Kingdom of God, the one that doesn’t have the good education, the one that blew their chance or the one that didn’t work as hard toward a better life and failed because of it gets everything the Father has.  That’s how justice works with Jesus (plus he loves redemption stories).

I’m convinced that this is a bigger problem amongst believers that any other issue.  More that abortion or gay marriage…health care or spending.  Before any of these issues can be addressed in a Christ-like manor, the issue of entitlement, primarily amongst middle and upper-class believers, must be addressed.

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Transition

Well, I’m done with school.  While that may be enough to qualify oneself for a transitional season, there’s more.  This past Sunday, I stepped out of Young Life after four years.  Both school and YL are things that have played large roles in my life over the past four and a half years of my life.  I’ve actually never been in a season where I have not been in enrolled in school.  I don’t really have a grid for what life after school is like.

Also, today was my final day working over at KGOU.  We had a Christmas luncheon today and that was it for me at the radio station.  When I look at what my time was dedicated to over the past semester, at least in terms of activities, most of it was being taken by those three things.  But all of that is done now.

But as it usually is, the thing thats that are going on in the physical reflect the things going on in the spiritual.  Their’s definitely some doors being opened up in both spiritual and physical places that I haven’t  had before.  Anyways, the thoughts going through my mind are probably what you would expect.  Excitement, anxiety, a bit of fear, peace and some others too.

I’ve had some good prophetic words over me recently that are encouraging and preparing me for the upcoming shift of seasons.  So we’ll see how it goes.  I’ll keep you updated.

I found this brilliant picture of a Haitian sunset by Zoriah, in part due to a friend in Cardiff, Jonathan Morgan.

Sunset in Haiti

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Since everyone else is doing it…

To ESPN, CNN, NBC and to whomever else it would concern,

I also had an affair with Tiger Woods.  I first met him when he invited me out to his beach home in California for a party in July of 2006.  After the party, he took me home and he invited himself inside.  Since that time, we have had an ongoing relationship.  I regret the actions that occurred at his home, my house, the dairy section of Homeland, Blockbuster Video, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, the Sharper Image store at the mall and feel nothing but remorse for the pain I have caused for both his family and his fans.  Mr. Woods has bought large amounts of jewelry, automobiles, Pei Wei gift cards, Los Angeles Clippers tickets, a sleeping bag and autographed golf balls by Phil Mickelson for me throughout the three and a half years of our relationship.

He continuously has told me that he loves me and sends romantic texts frequently.  He has continually told me that his marriage with Elin was fine.  I feel like a dumb boy for believing it.  However over the past seven months it has become increasingly apparent that not everything is okay.  Again, I regret my actions and am upset this news had to come out this way.

I would appreciate your privacy as my family and close friends deal with this situation in private.  I’m sure you understand the pain and shame my family and I are going through.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen Pyle

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thoughts before I go to sleep

A few thoughts I wanted to get down before I fall asleep:

Can people who do not believe in the teachings of Jesus carry out his teachings?  In particular, his truths about the oppressed, the chained and the broken?

The reason I ask is that pretty frequently, I have seen an individual who does not know God make a move that looks very much like a move of the Kingdom.  I’ll give an example.  A global organization begins to give aid to an impoverished African country.  This global organization has no ties to Jesus or any other sets of spirituality for that matter.  They develop a relationship with this country and continue to provide aid over a significant amount of time.  Or what about someone like Angelina Jolie?  I know most people are tired of the media painting Jolie as a saint or the next Mother Teresa, but she has some credibility in my mind.  I don’t know what or who she believes in, but she does use her status to place a spotlight on refugees in Africa, Pakistan, Thailand and others.  That’s pretty cool, right?  What about a more local example?  Something simple, like a guy picking up a hungry, poverty-struck man to take him out for a hot meal?  What if that guy helps to enable the poorer man to get a job?  That’s Christ-like.

All of the above are examples of fighting for the oppressed, feeding the hungry and trying to eliminate poverty.  They are acts of love and kindness; they bring about hope and peace.

I’m not arguing that non-believers are working to bring salvation to people. But I am believing that they, whether they know it (or like it) or not, are being an active part in making all things new.  Yes, there has to be the love of the Lord involved.  Yes, salvation needs to come.  But shouldn’t we be glad that the those who don’t even know Jesus or the teachings of Jesus are actually following through on his call to humanity?

I think we (body of believers in Jesus) should be willing to partner with those who are Isaiah 61-ing it regardless of their awareness.  I want to be quick to point out the good stuff that’s going on around me, whether a church is doing it or not.  We ought to be for justice, peace, love and hope at all times.

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Austin City Limits

I had a good time this weekend at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.  It’s a three day festival that lasted from Oct. 2-4.  Austin Tolin hosted us.  Despite being in Texas, I really enjoy the city of Austin.  The first day of the festival was awesome – perfect, cool weather.  It rained all day Saturday which made for a cool dynamic to the festival.  The third day was mud though.  Everywhere I went Sunday, mud was up to my ankles.  It was pretty gross; everyone was covered in mud.  By Sunday, I was certainly ready to come home though.

Some of the highlights of the festival were Phoenix, Kings of Leon, Ghostland Observatory, The Dead Weather, Passion Pit, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and Mute Math.

Grizzly Bear, courtesy of stereogum.com

Phoenix, courtesy of pastemagazine.com

jaunted.com

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