The Need To Make Things Right

Going to a church where creeds, doctrine, history are important is something I am thankful for. I would have no interest in attending a church that had ambiguous beliefs and is just as much about fluff as it is about substance. But while I have found common ground about theology with those in the church, I find it interesting that when it comes to political ideology, there are differences of opinion in the church of Jesus Christ. It would be one thing if different denominations would sway to particular political positions because of their doctrinal beliefs, having a kind of biblical worldview that would logically follow towards a tendency to fall into a particular ideological camp regarding public policy choices. However, as much as I wish this might be the case, I have discovered that this is not the case at all. In fact, some close friends I have, as well as people i admire and respect have political philosophies that are far removed from the ones I have.

Recently I have been trying to cultivate a look, listen, and learn approach in my dealings with people. It is common for me to listen to a persons ideas and determine what I think of them. This often has left me shaking my head because often after a person has established credibility with me on their reasoning ability they may later take a position that makes me think, "Is he or she kidding me.?" But I am now beginning to understand that their are other factors that cause a person to have a belief, particularly a political one, that may be rooted more in what a person thinks is important that what may be better rooted in sound thinking.

I hope not to be condescending to those who take a approach different from mine and in fact in some ways I feel those who have a different view than mine are in some ways nicer, sweeter, more compassionate people than I am. Let me explain some things. Politically I think the governments main responsibility is to preserve and protect the liberty of the people. More than anything else, I wish for government to establish laws to preserve a civil society, and then do all that it can to make sure the citizenry has the "right to be left alone." Others I know have a different view of the government and that is for it to have a more active role, not just preserving and protecting, but also to try to find a way to make things right in a society that isn't always fair.

These two views were best illustrated to me a few years ago at a party. It was a parent get together that was a year end celebration as our children finished another school year. I am fortunate enough that my children attend a prep school via a scholarship and because of this I get to meet many parents who have careers that pay the kind of wages that are far beyond my imagination. This particular party was hosted by a senior vice president from a very successful company and he had a huge, beautifully decorated home, a great table spread of appetizers, fine wines, imported beers, and he hired people to serve us for the evening. I was there prepared to enjoy myself. A woman friend of mine, who I've known for 5 years while are kids have been in school together, looked around and said to me something like, "How can people live like this, in such wealth and luxury, while others who slave away and work just as hard, struggle just to have a modest home and pay their bills."

I looked at her and noticed how sincere she was. It genuinely pained her that life was full of inequities and she wanted somehow to make things right. This type of thinking never occurs to me. I just think, "Nice house, great life, good for them." I also can see there are stresses and trade-offs to this type of wealth, but I wasn't going to get into it right then. But then it occurred to me from previous conversations that my friend was a "liberal." I've attacked liberalism from many angles and have always felt confident that liberalism is a worldview that is deeply flawed. Later that evening, she brought up the idea that when people get to a certain income level, then they should have to give above that level to charitable causes and give back to the community someway and use their wealth less for themselves and more for the common good. I am terrified of the notion of having government coming into people's lives as some sort of referee, to make sure we have a more just world, a world where we can make things right.

Back to making things right. I have observed from conversations I've had that many people who have this desire to "make things right".... that this desire shapes how they view so many things. If I see a pregnant woman smoking a cigarette while walking down the street, I may think, "What a shame, that woman should really know better." But others who perhaps "care" more than me they just feel that they need to do something about it and find a way to stop it. This can and does have far reaching implications. We must stop fat people from overindulging in saturated fat for their own good, using speech that may hurt people's feelings, you can probably name dozens more. I on the other hand don't think that much about it, I just go about my business and let people be.

I am not saying that these observations are the norm for where people fall on their political ideology. Liberals can be self-righteous and self-promoting. Those more conservative or laissez-faire may be community activists and the most compassionate of do-gooders. But I think my observations deserve consideration. How often when there is a problem coming from Washington do you hear liberals say, "We've got to do something." This is the mantra even when common sense shows that there is really nothing that can be done that will not ultimately make things worse. Others on the other hand can just let things be and live with the fact that life isn't fair. Knowing these facts I think is important while we engage in public debate. Perhaps knowing that what we find important is different may help prevent us from shounting at one another.

My Intense Longing

an intense longing
deep and inescapable
my heart's filled with love

eyes focused outward
creates passion for people
want to know their needs

i'm moving so fast
yet i find time to slow down
people who have needs

this intense longing
as i look at my neighbor
pray that it not be short lived

i see flesh and blood
those who are hurt and have fears
let me be their friend

my intense longing
may this feeling fill my heart
move me to action

living with neighbors
seeing Jesus in others
let my heart be touched

you want to see God?
do you long to touch His face?
see Him in broken people

Johnny's Psalm

O' Lord, again i am here
my heart toubled, and yes, selfish
i'm able to keep the thought from passing through my lips,
yet my heart is still corrupt..."another f***ing day"

free my soul from this bondage, My God Almighty,
on and on and on, i think of me, and complain
Lord, redeem me from my ungreatful ways,
why, why, o' Lord do i seek my ease, my enjoyment

my heart is wicked, yea, i am a sinful man
Lord, many days i hate and fight your ways,
those around me seem to prosper and have more fun,
yet Lord, where could i go?

it's so simple, Lord...yet i fight, deny your greatness,
deny You are God, oh that i only have a glimpse of my
utter wickedness..i could not bare it.
i sin Lord, and for just two horrible reasons.

i want to do what is right with me, what's fun for me.
i feel, deep down, that you are not good...if you were,
you'd leave me alone.
my heart is deceitful, Lord...and where could i go?

i follow my own ways, my sinful ways...over and over,
cause You, My Lord, aren't powerful,
you can't deliver me from the power and bondage of sin,
Lord, my sin is great...please, please forgive me

Where is the grace of God?
Lord, let me taste and see that the Lord is good,
and in a sinful, dark, world,
let me see the God who parted the Red Sea

Lord, i need rest
i sin over and over again,
i wonder if i make any progress,
Lord, love me...i am your child Johnny

and Lord, like me too
show me that not only are you preparing me...
yea, to be more like Jesus (is this really true, my Lord?)
but show me that you like spending time with me.

Lord, i may be back soon..tomorrow or maybe in just an hour,
be patient with me, hear my psalm...your boy, Johnny's psalm,
He hurts, he's weak, he doubts, he fears, he's stubborn,
yet Lord, i'm yours, and because of Jesus, the cross, hear my prayer

Some Old poetry

I got some old stuff when I was in a poetry phase...man, so unlike me. Still I got quite a few and I thought I would cut and paste some. Unfiltered means I'll show all sides of me. Love some feedback!

that we would not slip

hate, despise, and take no delight
Lord, let not these feeling be made against us,
O' that our worship be not a stench

may we not be hypocrites...pleasing you by our good deeds
O' that our dress, our smiles, our attendance in your courts,
be not like burnt or grain offerings

Lord, that our hearts are broken and contrite
may our music, our songs, overflow with devotion...
and repentence, or you will not hear

O' that we would not slip...stumble as the saints of old,
may we trust in Your grace, and not in ourselves,
knowing that we're to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God

The Groom's Intention

being here, the wedding of a close friend,
it's a beautiful day;
the sun, the backdrop of boats on the ocean...
all is perfect and right in the world.

the message...the charge given to the groom.
at first it's just background music,
my thoughts are simply of the peace of the day,
even the ant walking on my sandal, well, i'm content to leave him be.

yet then words hit me...gravity like an apple
falling from a tree,
INTENTION, the groom chose his bride purposely,
with that...a singular event, a wedding, brought to me the wider context.

it was a purposeful act, done with intention,
Our Father set out do find a bride for His beloved son,
that bride is the church...those who are chosen,
and the bridegroom is Our Lord Jesus...and He who calls us is faithful.

but this marriage is not secured by a ring...not even the most
loftiest of carats, no it's bought by a willing sacrifice,
a groom laying down His life for His bride, securing a marriage
that will last all through eternity.

and the INTENTION is this, one that should not fail to capture
the brides love and adoration,
the sacrifice...a degrading death on a cross,
was not intended that all men COULD be saved,
no, its INTENTION was that the groom's bride WOULD be saved.
*************************************************************************

Matthew 1:21 "And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call His name
Jesus, for He WILL save HIS people from their sins."

No Small Task

I made a profession of faith to Christ in the early 80's but it wasn't until 1987 that I began attending a "bible" church. After about 2 years there I realized the church had crazy cult-like beliefs and fortunately I was able to get out of there before the church came crashing down amid a scandal.

While I was there I had been warned several times that there were things not right about the church. But I was never interested in any of the warnings because this was "my place" and these were "my people." I wish I had a tape recorder of some of the arguments I would make with critics of the church, and I was never short of reasons why the church was sound. Amazing how when something is important to you and you like it, you can come up with all kinds of convoluted reasons for why you like it there.

I think reason has little effect when you have discourse with someone who you disagree with. And I think that is greatly in part because people like what they believe and have yet to find out that it is broken. I was watching a a Christian station and was watching a preacher spit out false teaching to a huge flock of adoring worshipers. Now if I had a chance to explain to them why they were receiving wrong teaching, even documenting several inconsistencies with their own doctrine, I doubt it would make a difference to them. As a matter of fact I bet they would come right back at me confidently defending their own position, doing it in a way that makes no sense at all, while at the same time be convinced that I was the bad guy.

This has everything to do with me attacking "their place" and "their people." Somehow we as orthodox Christians seem to think that knowing the truth is the most important thing for people of faith. We believe that those who are genuinely converted will somehow pick up on erroneous teaching and make it a priority to follow "sound doctrine." This is not how life works it seems to me, at least not with many people. The reason many crazy churches work is because they speak the language and have the pulse of the people. I realize this is hard to measure, yet some preachers are very good at it and therefore find people who love their ministry and love their pastor as an apostle-like figure.

So how do you find a way to stir people away from a church that is ultimately bad for them and maybe in the future leaves them shipwrecked from the faith. First, we need to be aware that the people who are there are there because the church works for them and language is being spoken that resonates with them. As crazy as a ministry may be, we have to admit that these places may be a safe haven from where a person has come from. I have many fond memories from my crazy church even though there was damage done from attending it for 2 years. And with the knowledge that at least on a belonging and surface level that the church works for people we have to kindly come up with ways to get them to explain to us specifically how the church works for them. If they come up with a crazy premise, say something like, "I haven't heard of that before can you tell me more about it."

Having said that I think it is far more likely that we will have to be there for them when things fall apart due to the aberrant or heretical teaching that will not nourish the soul. Hence the "my people/my place" glue will slowly come apart. Then we need to find them a place that has "sound doctrine" yet still speaks the language and has the pulse of the people. This is no small task yet I find that both are of equal value.