THE KINGDOM OR THE CULTURE?

What just happened to me happens daily to millions of Christians.  We are faced with questions of priority that come down to choosing The Kingdom or the culture?  I’m sure there is a proverb somewhere that speaks to this dilemma, especially when we have a great heart for that thing in the culture that we “love” so much.

In this case for me, that “thing” is University of Kentucky basketball.  I love to watch the games each year.  When we lived in Canada for many years, my wife and I would pay extra money to get the NCAA games on TV.  A great evening or Saturday afternoon was making popcorn and watching the Kentucky Wildcats take it to the rim.  In forty-five years I have actually been to only one game.  That was in 1970 and, truthfully, I sat right behind Col. Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Now, 45 years later my old (equally old) college roommate just called me with a ticket for tonight’s game. Kentucky's win-loss record is now 18 wins and no losses, ranked number one nationally.  This is possibly the best year they’ve ever had.  So, without a second thought, I immediately accepted the offer.  I was pleased (understatement).  I went to the kitchen and shared the good news with my wife who immediately said, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!  YOU ARE HOSTING AND LEADING OUR TUESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY.”   A pin just poked my balloon.  It laid limp on the kitchen floor.  Disappointment ensued.  Then came a discussion of how I could get someone to fill in for me at the Bible study.  After all, going to the game was the opportunity of a life time.  It might be another forty-five years before I could get another ticket.  It seemed settled, until . . .

I heard the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit clarifying the nature of the problem.  “What about Kingdom priorities?”  Right.  I almost forgot.  “What about the book you’ve been reading?”  I thought which one? “Desiring the Kingdom.  Remember?  It’s all about how various cultures (shopping centers, ball games, university social life) shape our desires, values, and habits; how they capture our hearts and form our character?”  And then the Spirit’s voice said, “What about the people coming to your home tonight for the Bible study?  What kind of testimony about priorities are they going to get when you bow out of a host and leader role?  What story will they go away to share, how you chose the culture over the Kingdom?”

Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit and the Spirit would guide us into all truth.  He would convict and guide.  Well, that’s what just happened.  Given the choice of culture or the Kingdom, what would you do?  Right.  That’s what I did too!

Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,

But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Proverbs 20:5

WHAT TO DO ABOUT HUMANITY’S HORRID CONDITION

Are you like me, disturbed by the overwhelmingly horrid conditions of humanity and a seeming inability and collective unwillingness to do something about it?  By horrid conditions I mean the gross economic injustice and organized crime masquerading as democratic governments.  I mean the rape, murder, oppression, and genocide of whole populations by despots and war Lords.  I mean the violent, vicious dehumanization of vulnerable peoples in the contexts of civil war in places of the global south.  I mean the insidious, toxic global profit of drug cartels, arms dealers, and global human sex trafficking with the participation of every day citizens as consumers of drugs, guns, and sex.  I mean the self-serving demonization of people in the political opposition.  I also mean the benign neglect and callous indifference of most of the world who look the other way and pretend that they don’t see the sin that daily washes over the world.

I don’t mean to diminish the global humanitarian concern and compassion we see in organizations like The Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and others who reflect largely a Christian response.  They bring hope and healing to millions.  But the magnitude of sin in the world far outstrips the relatively small measure of compassion offered in Jesus name.  This is the case in part because the response of more than two billion people in the world, who self-identify as Christians, is either to do nothing or to respond with token charity.  In this country it is seen as enough to drop a donation into a Salvation Army kettle at Christmas or send World Vision a twenty-five dollar gift as long as one receives a charitable tax benefit.  While such collective efforts adds up and makes possible organized acts of compassion, is it really enough to counter the long established sin-based roots of the world’s suffering?  Clearly not!

Where does one even begin?  There is only one answer.  The world cries for a complete about face, a radical change in direction, a global movement of repentance and forgiveness.  Until there is a worldwide acknowledgement of sins of commission and omission, there will be no solution to the world’s greatest problems.  The world’s daily papers, evening news, talk radio programs, and internet communications give testimony to the disobedience and willful sin that characterizes humanity’s existence.  

2 Chronicles 2:14

The answer is global revival, repentance, redemption, and restoration.  The world needs a complete washing away of sin and a complete 180 degree turn to Christ.  Only the love of Christ can restore the world to a place of loving kindness, mercy, and justice. That may not occur until Christ comes again, but in the mean time the first response of all sincere followers of Christ must be prayer.  All revivals in history began with prayer.  Prayer is our first response.  Prayer seeks God’s intervention, guidance and wisdom.  In prayer we seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.  We plead for the Holy Spirit to come into the world.  We petition God to occasion a great salvation, and to give us a love in the likeness of his love for the world.  Where does it begin.  I see now that it begins with me.

Here I am, Lord.  It is I Lord?  I have heard You calling in the night.

I will pray, Lord.  You will hear me.  I will hold your people in my heart.*

*Words adapted from J. Gowans and J. Larson’s “Here am I Lord.” SASB 482

THE GOOD LIFE: LOVE’S AIM AND END

My idea of heaven is a fabulous library with a great food court.  I am hoping there’s food in heaven.  Heaven with a great library and at least a Starbucks is what you would expect of a retired university president and professor.  It’s not surprising that the best Christmas presents I recieved this year from my daughter and son were wonderful books.  The one I am reading now makes great sense.  It resonates with my heart and faith.  Its title is Desiring the Kingdom by James K. A. Smith (published in 2009 by Baker Academic).  Here’s a few nuggets of gold in this well crafted tome.  I’ll paraphrase and summarize Jamie Smith:

He paints the picture that we are not containers filled with ideas and beliefs.  Instead we are dynamic, desiring arrows aimed at targets that represent the kind of people we seek to become.  We are creatures of desire craving our visions of the good life.  Our desire is constantly formed by practices and habits that point the heart.  As intentional beings of desire, we lead life with our heart and head, but the heart (affect, kardia, love, feeling our way) is more powerful than just ideas and belief.  We are affective before we are cognitive.  Smith states “To be human is to love, and it is what we love that defines who we are. . . A vision of the good life captures our hearts and imaginations painting a picture of what its like to flourish and live well.”

In our present culture, the good life we pursue defines us through the habit and value shaping cultural contexts that we frequent with near reverence and awe.  They include shopping centers, sports arenas, cathedrals of learning (universities), and community celebrations of patriotism.  He suggests that a lifetime of practices and habits shape our hearts as we pursue our vision of the good life highly influenced by the culture.  As you might expect by the title, Smith makes the case first and foremost for desiring the Kingdom.  As followers of Jesus, our vision of the good life is not based so much on the basic beliefs of the Christian faith, particular doctrines, theology or cognitive catechism.  Rather it is a matter of the heart and the heart is aimed at the priority, the Kingdom of God.  If not aimed at the Kingdom then, it will be aimed at something else.  Sadly, foror many Christians, the reality is that the heart's priority aims at things other than the Kingdom.

I am only half the way through the book.  I know I want to grow in my desire for the Kingdom.  I want Jesus and the Kingdom to be my priority, my only priority following Christ’s directive to see the Kingdom.  As I finish the book, I’ll keep you posted!  Better yet, visit Amazon.com and get a copy.  But beware. You’ll be captured by this author and he has a sequal,  volume two, Imagining the Kingdom.  I imagine I will like that one too.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness

And all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

PRIORITY AND REPENTANCE AS A WAY OF LIFE

                       Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness

                       And all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

The New Year is a time for new resolutions and a reordering of priorities.  The Christian life is all about a priority, not priorities.  Our only real priority in life is to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.  Our daily response is repentance as God continues to restore us to his likeness. When we embrace Christ as our only priority, it occasions repentance as a way of life on the way to holiness.  Repentance as a way of life?  How can that be?  The idea of repentance is a 180 degree turn.  We turn not only from sin, but from all the other priorities, distractions and attractions before us.  We turn not from the terrible, but from the 1,000 good things that call to us.  We turn to the one thing that is most excellent knowing that everything else follows.  Even the most mature saint walking in holiness exercises repentance daily.

One of my living heroes of the faith is a friend in whom the Holy Spirit resides.  I admire him so much.  One day I asked him a semi-ridiculous question.   “Do you ever sin?”  He laughed and said.  “I sin daily.  When I was young, I struggled with sins of commission.  Now, at the end of each day I think about the day and confess my sins of omission.  I think about opportunities I missed to be loving, kind, and Christ like.”  I then said, “So, what do you do about that?”  He replied, “Right away I repent, ask forgiveness, and for the Lord’s help and guidance going forward.  Then I get on with life.”  Repentance for the mature Christian is the continual turning toward and faithful following of Christ.  Repent for the Kingdom of God is near.  And for a living saint like my friend, it is nearer and nearer each day.  The Kingdom of God is within you.  Make that your sole priority.

Ask and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find.

Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7