An argument arose about who would be the greatest

Luke 9:46-50 presents a situation all to common among Churches and in our society.  The disciples were fighting about who was the greatest. It got me thinking about how hypocritical competition is, when it comes to wanting good for society. Jesus came to heal and forgive and set people free, but we turn it into an argument. No wonder young people leave the Church or grow cynical about the political process, as we argue about who is the greatest. Reading this passage made me check my own motivation.

This competitiveness is motivated out of fear, a fear that we will not be enough. Augustine writes in his Confessions Book 2 chapter 5, that we want joy, honor, happiness, but we think that the things that we see, the material goods, these will bring us joy, so we steal, we try and get them. Thinking that if we just have enough, then we will not be afraid anymore. Isn't this just another form of trying to be greatest? If we are the greatest, then we will have honor and friends, and ease, but what we end up with is pain and loneliness. Jesus says real joy and peace are found in becoming the least, even like a child.

The challenge is that we can see the results of great power and wealth and it looks good. We cannot see the joy that God gives, and this is the challenge. To give up what we can see and seek that which is invisible and only possible within, seems crazy.  Yet this joy that is beyond the material is a perspective that cannot be found while in the midst of wealth and power. William Stringfellow points out that the powers and principalities of this world (created things that were to serve human beings) dominate human beings. The market for example, made to help provide for human beings, now dominates human beings putting many in poverty. It becomes an "idolatry of death."

The solution, Jesus said, was to become like a little child. To realize we are dependent upon the creator and we must look up to see the joy of Christ. Power, wealth, and popularity, said Henri Nouwen, are not gifts, they are temptations to be overcome.

I Believe

I tried writing this as a spoken word - used it in a sermon

I believe 

-not deceived 

-not opiated 

-not manipulated 

-I believe and I receive 

-a faith as old as story as old as creator 

I believe 

-to keep me here 

-not to dematerialize 

-not to be invisible but indivisible 

-an earth man – a human kind  

-I believe and I receive 

-an identity made not manufactured 

I believe  

-and I enter in 

-the river running deep 

-beyond my knowledge 

-beyond my effort  

I believe and I receive  

-wisdom that listens 

I believe  

-faith pouring down 

-raining down 

-drenching ground 

-kneeling down 

I believe and I receive 

-grace for my sorrow  

I believe 

-reviving my soul 

-making me stand 

-making me testify 

-not resisting – not persisting in my doubt 

-not holding back –  

I believe, and I receive 

I believe -and silence 

Modernity and its use of death

Our modern society has used death for its social purposes. Morally it renders us in a state of death. William Stringfellow described it this way,

"In the relentless assaults upon truth and reason and comprehension and conscience, through omnipresent and seemingly omniscient surveillance, by presumption of illegal authority, by the charades of secrecy and deception, by the atmosphere created by official babel, by the virtual abolition of credibility as a premise and discipline of government: citizens are left anxious and bewildered and numbed - dehumanized, or morally in a condition of death." pg 74 An Ethic for Christians & Others in a Strange Land.

I was struck by how not much has changed since 1973 when Stringfellow wrote these words. We seek to use death, not understanding that it renders us dead as well, even thought our actual demise may take the next few years. Our purpose has become the eradication of the other, so that we can advance our own cause. Thinking we are limiting death, we end up using it to enhance our own position against the other. But, we diminish ourselves and others.

Sadly, we justify this use of death by thinking that it leads to some higher purpose or some eventual peace, but history just does not bear this out. Jacques Ellul observed that an ethic of the Kingdom does not ask, will this or that action lead to some greater kingdom. Instead, an ethic of the Kingdom of God asks, does what we are doing today fit the kingdom of God. If our actions cannot fit within the kingdom of God, then they have no justification in our lives.

Jesus and cleansing the temple

Matt 21:12-22
Have you ever noticed that in this account of the gospel, Jesus upsets and turns over the money changers tables and then immediately after he heals the lame and blind? The children see it all and take up a chant, “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Of course the religious leaders, still upset at the money being spilt all over the ground (even the possibility of losing money makes these guys upset) get cranky for the children speaking out the truth. Of course Jesus points this out to them, which makes them even more upset. It reminds me of a YouTube video of Gabor Mate, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaAJQR_9Dg8&feature=share where he points out that society sees no value in those who cannot contribute economically, but see value in those who work and make money. Thus, the old, the children, and anyone having a debilitating condition are seen of no value or a burden to society. Our world has become consumed with materialism. Like the religious leaders who seem to believe that you can only worship and serve God, if you have the right money, our society gives great value to the rich. So, we are consumed with the material world. Sad, however, that it is not the created material world that people are consumed with. It is not creation, which we can touch, smell, hear and taste, all around us. We are consumed with money, or having money, which isn’t real only a symbol of power and prestige. It is ironic that the children, and the lame and blind can see what is real, Jesus Christ, but the religious can only see the money. I am just realizing that my workaholism, which the world has always applauded, is just like the religious leaders. I missed what was going on because I was so busy working.  I need to remember that those who we think are of little value have a perspective that we need, or we may miss what the creator of all things is doing in our midst. I may miss the relationships that are all around me for some “paper” or some coins spilt on the ground.

The problem with Church

William Stringfellow wrote in An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, on the roots of many North American expressions of Church and how they are born out of Western culture. He wrote, "So it is not that such "churches" have abandoned the gospel they once upheld and have become acculturated and conformed, but that they have been from their origins American cultural productions or Babylonian shrines."

When I read what Stringfellow wrote, I understand that the reason that Western Christendom does not work for Indigenous society is because it is missing the gospel at its core. It does not have the resources to actually share the gospel because it has not had a gospel encounter. Maybe that could change.

The life of the disciple

Matthew 23:1-12

23Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; ³therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. ⁴They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^* and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. ⁵They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. ⁶They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. ⁸But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.^* 9And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. ¹⁰Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.^* 11The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

What impacted me today from this passage was the importance of humility. That is a safe way of saying something about this passage, but reality shows that if we find ourselves in positions of authority, the temptation to exalt ourselves is always present. It is intoxicating to be at the front of things and have people notice you and have people come for your advice. They give you the place of honour at banquets and the best seats - but it is not a gift. It is a temptation to overcome - so said Henri Nouwen in In the name of Jesus. 

Humility is something that I saw practiced by my father. He was aware of who he was and most of the time, of his limitations. He cared deeply for my mother, and now that he is gone, today I remember him and his example. He worked in a plywood factory, he was an assistant foreman at the end of his career. I like to think he was known as someone who was good to work for. 

Humility means to not look down on someone else but to see all as part of God's creation. Immediately some will assert that equality means to fight for one's rights, for one's position, and that may be true for those who are oppressed, but if someone who already has authority begins fighting for their rights to have that authority, it just ends up putting other people down or keeping them down. All you can do in leadership is to try and create space to be who creator made us to be. Leadership is about humility, not about exalting ourselves. 

My daughter, Catherine, shared with me that it struck her that her Grandpa (my dad) had lived a great life, not because he tried to change the world but because he cared about people. People came to celebrate his life because he was loved by most who knew him. He wasn't a political force, or someone who was trying to change the world, but he was a wonderful human being. I like to think that in this way he did change the world and now he is being exalted in the presence of Christ. This day I purpose to live out the legacy handed on by my father. 

Made Part of Creation

I was thinking about our responsibility as human beings being part of creation. I had a conversation recently where a person expressed his opinion about climate change. He was sure that our actions as human beings (and especially the oil industry) had been grossly over estimated. He expressed that we human beings just didn't have the capacity to make changes to the environment and, so we should not be blamed for climate change. This exchange left me wondering about this line of reasoning, especially since the person claimed to have some theological insight. And so, I have been thinking about a response to climate change "deniers" but specifically those who claim to be part of the Church.

First, from both First Nations and Christian heritage I affirm that we are part of creation. This is a theological statement. The great mystery has created all things and has made human beings the most dependent of all the creatures. This is supposed to produce humility and understanding that we are dependent upon creation. Thus, we cannot claim superiority over creation or a right to do whatever we want since our very existence is premised upon our having been created.

Second, creator has made us most dependent but also responsible for this relationship through creation. There is no life apart from created life, and in some way our being created in the image of God means that we are responsible both to creation and to creator. Indigenous story also reminds me that I must strive to take responsibility to live in harmony with all things. Being in harmony with creator is expressed in my relationship with creation. This responsibility should produce humility. For when the animals give themselves to us, so that we can survive, how can we claim superiority? Rather, it should produce humility, respect and responsibility within us.

The Genesis creation account states that we have been given responsibility (dominion) to draw forth from the earth what is best. We cannot deny this responsibility by a feigned humility that says our actions do not actually impact creation. We cannot say that we can continue to cut, burn, and flood without some sort of thought about longer repercussions. This does not mean that we will not have to cut down trees, burn oil, or flood valleys to produce power at times, but we must always carefully weigh and monitor the impact of these measures to draw what is best from, and for all creation. As Bruce Cockburn puts it, "this is the burden of the angel-beast."

The idea that our actions are too small to effect creation are excuses to deny responsibility to creation and creator. The claim by some climate change deniers that they are two weak or small to actually produce change in the world is another way we deny our humanity and the responsibility that this reality brings.

We should at least give thinks for our lives and the life that the created world gives so we can live. We should think how our actions will impact those who will come after us, at least 7 generations. We could try and think through in a holistic way how what we are doing is drawing forth what is best in creation.

"In the fall we pray for good hunting and in the spring, we give thanks for good hunting."