Muslim-hating

I will probably get myself in a great deal of trouble with this post. I won't make anyone happy, I don't imagine. People who want all religions to coexist as equals will not be pleased with what follows. Neither will those who see Islam as the next great scourge of our planet. I apologize for that in advance. I have to speak as the Holy Spirit leads my heart. I see the elements of a gathering storm that I find ominous.

The storm is the rise of Muslim-hating by the largely Caucasian west. People of Islamic faith are being seen as the new deadly threat to life as we know it. (I guess we've been struggling to find a bogey-man for our cultural fears since Communism fell apart.) Seriously, I am well aware that violence seems endemic to many people who embrace Islamic faith. The threats resulting from this fanaticism are quite real, and I know that. It's important, though, that we realize that Islam as a whole is as diverse as those who slap the label "Christian" on themselves. The various sects of Islam can't even agree on the meaning of the word jihad, which we presume means "holy war" or "death to infidels." (As best I can tell, the root meaning of the word seems to be "to persevere.")

Followers of Jesus do not have the luxury of either a universalist approach to those of the Muslim faith or a blanket judgement of them. We too conveniently forget scriptures that command us to pray for our enemies and to bless those who persecute us. In our checkered history, true evangelization has been weakest and most shallow when "Christians" are motivated primarily by fear and hate. Witness the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, etc. Conversely, we are strongest when we stand faithfully and lovingly in the face of opposition, even if it means our martyrdom, as in the first two centuries of the movement's existence.

I once played coed church volleyball in a YMCA league. One of our regular referees was an Iranian expatriot with an Islamic background. He once asked members of our team if we could explain this Jesus to him. Had we dismissed him as a faceless part of a monolithic threat, we would have never had the chance to do so.

Worldwide, Islam is a rapidly growing movement. Instead of jumping to a defensive posture in the face of threat, maybe we who follow Jesus should be asking why this is the case? To what are people drawn and what kind of people are drawn? How have we not offered the living Jesus in a compelling way that could counter the works-righteousness approach of Muslim faith?

I never trust collective demonizing. It usually says less about a presumed enemy and more about where we as the followers of Jesus are coming up short. Just my thoughts...I accept and respect varying opinions. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Cheap, Plentiful Labor

Again, I apologize for not posting in a while. See my Facebook page for an explanation.

Sometimes when I'm running early in the morning I listen to "The Big Show" on the radio. "The Big Show" is a redneck-leaning, humorous, classic rock* format, originating in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each day the show features commentary by their curmudgeon-in-residence, Robert D. Raiford. I just caught the last half of Raiford's rant today. He talked about cheap, plentiful labor, and how dominant economic powers have sought this all throughout history. Raiford noticed that this effort always seems to sew the seeds of its own destruction. As a case in point, he noted the Old South in our country's history. The southern, hierarchical social structure and economy needed a cheap, plentiful labor force to make sure that cotton stayed king. Slaves provided that. The system worked to keep the labor force uneducated, docile, and prolific in procreation. External and internal forces, though, created the collapse of this system.

I've thought about this all morning. What Raiford observed is true. No dominant power dependent on a controlled, contained, plentiful labor force lasts. History proves it time after time: Egypt and Hebrew slaves, the Roman empire and conquered populations, the era of British colonialism, the French Revolution, the Third Reich, the Soviet Union, etc. China has become an economic power, largely built on a massive internal cheap labor force. How long will that last? How long will the United States reap the benefits of wearing clothing that is produced by virtual wage slaves in places in the world where labor laws don't apply? Sooner or later, such systems will collapse. Raiford reminded me that history teaches this.

Why does this happen? I'm sure many people see political, economic, and social reasons. I believe there's a bigger dynamic in play. Human beings, all human beings are created in the image of God. Every person drawing breath is worth the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God in human form. To treat any human being as any less than this is to defy the very Creator of the universe. How long would we think any such defiance would be allowed to last?

Just something about which to think. Some this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday I want to share a post giving my thoughts about the growing hysteria over the spread of Islam. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

*classic rock - A Baby-boomer euphemism for "oldies."

We're Already Engaged!

I kind of like a movie made in 2003 called Tears of the Sun. It's about a team of U.S. Navy seals sent into Nigeria during a period of Civil War and genocide in order the extract a doctor from danger. Bruce Willis played the commander of the seal team (known to his soldiers as "L.T." for lieutenant) and Monica Belluci played the doctor. She refuses to leave unless the team also aids the escape of the people connected with her clinic. At one point, working their way to safety, the soldiers and refugees come upon a valley in which villagers are systematically being tortured and killed by marauding militiamen. L.T.'s soldiers suggest they lead the team around the valley, since the Seals are clandestine and not supposed to be involved directly in the internal conflict. Instead, L.T. orders snipers to take positions against the militiamen, and prepared to organize an assault and a rescue of the remaining villagers. In shock, one of the sergeants says, "L.T.!...Rules of engagement!" reminding him of the legalities of their situation. L.T. looks back at him sternly and says, "We're already engaged."

That is to say, if we know about it and have the means to do something about it, we're engaged.

When did the Church, the Body of Christ become insulated? When did we develop the tendency to say, "It doesn't affect us directly, so we're not involved"? When did we become more concerned with the thermostat setting in our comfortable sanctuaries than with those within sight of our buildings who will go to bed hungry? When did our hearts start burning more for whether or not the bills were paid than for whether or not lost people had the chance to meet Jesus? When did we decide God's job is to see to our personal comfort rather than to discomfort us so our eyes will open to the needs of those whom God loves?

We don't have the right to debate whether or not we will engage the world outside the walls of our church buildings. We exist, and we exist in God's world. We're already engaged. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

On Wednesday night I enjoyed the humbling blessing and privilege of baptizing a friend. I met him about a year ago during a weather emergency in our area. He's a tough individual, having survived some rough territory in his life. I could tell when I first met him, though, that this was someone whose heart was in the grip of God. And he's become a loyal friend. He chose to be baptized in the name of Jesus, and he asked two of our closest friends in Christ to join with us as witnesses. It was a glorious moment. I'm not sure if he will end up at our church, but it doesn't matter. He has Jesus-follower friends who will walk with him and have his back in this faith journey.

I have seen more in three decades of pastoral ministry than I ever thought I would see. I have served better churches than I ever thought I would receive. I have been involved in four church building programs. I have served in public office and in positions of denominational leadership. I have been blessed with various recognitions and done a little bit of publishing. I have traveled the nation and even a little bit of the world as a result of my ministry. And all of this completely pales in comparison to moments like Wednesday night. If I was given the choice between everything noted in this paragraph and more and one more occasion to see a friend kneel and receive Christ, I would take the latter in a heartbeat!

Nothing, and I mean nothing compares to the victory of one more person embraced in the arms of Jesus. That's where my heart is; by the grace of God alone, and not by anything I generate.

Thanks be to God. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

A Deficit of Trust

A wise friend of mine noted a phrase President Barack Obama used during his recent State of the Union address. The President spoke of "a deficit of trust." I think he's on to something, regardless of any individual political preferences. The two major political parties display an essential distrust of one another. Republicans and Democrats are beyond having differing approaches to the common goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. Republicans believe the Democrats are out to create a big government, socialist state. Democrats assume all Republicans aim to protect those of power and means at the expense of the working class and the poor. In addition, we see an erosion of trust between the average citizen and those in leadership positions. As my friend suggested, from Watergate, to Monica Lewinsky, and through non-existent weapons of mass destruction, confidence is evaporating.

In his fascinating book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni suggests that the foundational dysfunction of any group is the absence of trust. This holds true for anything from a committee, to a small business, to a corporation, to a faith community, to a nation. A deficit of trust is indicative of many things: lack of a common mission and vision, the needs of individuals overriding the main goal of the group, egotistic power plays, etc.

I believe this holds true, at least in gatherings of Jesus-followers. I'm familiar with a number of congregations. In the congregations that have the most health and success at making new disciples, the disciple-making mission is clear and it drives everything the group does. Ego needs take a back seat to overall fulfillment of the mission. Everyone knows his/her role in the movement, and works to trust everyone else to fulfill their roles. Involvement is less about what I get out of it, and more about what I put into it.

So again, whether your are a Republican or a Democrat, or an Independent voter like me, the President may have pin-pointed the issue. It's not about which ideology prevails. It's deeper than that. The question is whether we can rebuild a basic trust that, though we may differ in methodology, we are all aiming for the same goal.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river. (Trout season opens in the Missouri state impoundments in 18 days!)

Follower-Ship

The topic of leadership is a hot one these days, for good reason. Times are changing. Governments, businesses, markets, not-for-profits, churches and faith-based operations all face a serious crossroads. Human entities of all kinds must reconnect with their primary mission and transform methodology. If they fail to do so, and if they doggedly make existing methodology their goal, they will doom themselves to irrelevance and oblivion. Leaders are needed to chart the course through these unknown and potentially dangerous waters.

So, leadership is the topic of study. In my field, the mission of the Body of Jesus Christ, leadership is not what it once was. Leaders of churches (pastors) at one time tended to inspiring weekly messages, regular visitation of membership, spending time with the sick and dying, solving all problems of the church, and that sort of thing. Now pastors must keep the congregation focused on the primary mission of making new disciples of Jesus, cast a clear and compelling vision of addressing that mission, select and train leadership within the congregation, and keep the congregation more focused outward than inward. For many of us, that means a necessary reshaping of our leadership skills and focus. This is vitally important. An organization or movement will only be as strong and effective as the vision, impact, and influence of the leadership. No well informed person would deny this principle.

However, there's another side to leadership. A friend of mine directs a not-for-profit mission. She is working diligently to keep her organization focused on it's primary goal. To accomplish this, she is seeking to be the best leader she can be. She reads, she spends time on-line, she observes other outreach organizations, she receives critical coaching, and she participates in all manner of on-going transformation of her role as a leader. She does this willingly and eagerly. However, in a moment of fatigue the other day, she asked a disarming question..."How many books do I have to read to change them?" That's a good question. True the leader of any organization has to be at his or her best, and work constantly to maintain that. However, are those who are to be lead merely inert objects waiting for the right motivation? At some point, are we who are called to follow not individuals with moral responsibility and choice making capacity.

While he presented a compelling vision, and embodied that vision, I don't think Jesus forced following on anyone. In fact, at the crucial pinnacle of his embodiment of the vision, the cross, only one of his closest followers was still with him, and then possibly only there out of obligation to take care of Jesus' mother. At some point he had done all he could do, and it was up to those before whom he cast the vision to decide if they were compelled to follow him and it, or if it was some kind of a divine hoax to be ignored.

I'm not making excuses for leaders. If leaders don't do what they do with excellence, there's no hope of followers. I just wonder if in addition to developing leadership we need to develop "follower-ship."

I'll see you around the next bend in the river. Hopefully it won't be as long a stretch next time.