I wrote this a couple years ago, but thought about it yesterday, after watching South Carolina's governor in his press conference. Of course, it isn't about him, and doesn't need to be. It's about all of us.
---------------------
A friend of mine did something really, really bad a couple years ago. Real bad. Not illegal bad, but...bad enough that even this week, it showed up on page two of a metro newspaper, a thousand miles away from where he did it.
I love this guy. He's fun, smart, and fairly new to Christian belief. He's accepted responsibility for what he did, and he's had to live with it every day. He told me the other day he was sorry even I was having to deal with it now. "I'm amazed how many people this has affected. One stupid, wrong decision I made and it keeps affecting so many people. My wife, my kids...it just keeps going."
And so it does.
We marvelled at that, and, just stood there, quietly, just shaking our heads. Amazing? Yes. But not really surprising.
The older I get, the more convinced I am there is no private sin. They don't all wind up on page two, but the surface of the pond is never undisturbed by the pebble. The ripples move well beyond ourselves, and, in many cases they radiate through generations.
Or, another recent example: One day, you're a minister getting in a quick ego-stroking flirt, thinking you're in some kind of private soap opera...and soon, there are 300 people in a flourescent-lit room, on metal folding chairs, discussing what you did. And they're cautioning each other not to judge you, and then they talk some more about what you did.
And then, some little kid you dont even know, like my daughter, has to hear some stranger talking in church about how the pastor-guy won't be back, he did something called "sexual misconduct."
Your soap opera? It wasn't private.
Sins on the computer aren't private. Larry Ellison, from Oracle, said years ago: If you think he doesn't know what's on your hard drive, you're kidding yourself. By the way, Google knows, too.
But even if they didn't know, the sins in your head aren't private. Mine affect my attitude. They keep me from being concerned about other people. They make me a jerk, in seemingly unrelated ways. ("Why's Brant a jerk?" "Probably something seemingly unrelated.")
There is no "private sin." Turns out few things have done more harm than the "do no harm" ethic. The as-long-as-it-doesn't-hurt-anyone-else construction of morality is built atop the swamp of affluence. We afford this lie, because affluence loves not only privacy, but the fantasy of it. But like the 77's said, "The lust, the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life -- drain the life right out of me."
And then...I'm not the person I'm supposed to be. I'm less creative. I'm less joyful. I have less social energy. My patience is gone. I care less about my neighbors.
Private rebellion. Public consequence. And if it seems unfair that what my friend did was so horrible, but what you or I do in our minds is somehow not so horrible -- well, you agree with Jesus. There IS no difference.
The ripple metaphor works. There's a better one, really, for what our "private" sins do to each other, but I don't want to gross you out with a picture of a fan being hit by organic material. I have higher standards than that.
Plus, I Googled for 20 minutes and couldn't find one.
So my wife says she wants me to know her – really know her. She longs for this, she says. And, I, being a serious, committed husband, think that’s a
great idea. If I do that, we'll have a great
marriage!
So I’m learning things about her! And I’m spending a lot of time, doing it!
First, I started reading books about her, and studying
them. I underline facts about her, and
highlight others. I do this every day, because
it’s the right thing to do! I now know
everything from her hair color to the birthdays of her parents to the address
of the first house she lived in! I’ve
got these facts memorized! I recite them.
Not only that, I now attend multiple Wife Fact Studies during the week. Some guys and I get together and discuss facts and remember them and sometimes argue when we disagree. But we learn things.
By the way, did you know my wife’s exact height is 5’7” and a quarter, and also that she got a B in biology once? I know that. I really know her.
Of course, since she’s told me she really wants me to deeply know her, I can’t spend enough time listening to teachings about her! Even on CD in the car! And I learn much about her from these!
Once – sometimes twice! – a week, I drive to a big building
to learn more about her. She doesn’t "live" there, but it’s a great place to feed me more information about her.
If I don’t learn anything new, or if I find a more entertaining teacher...? I switch buildings!
I know a LOT now! I’m
thinking about going to college to become a full-fledged expert! That’ll make
her really happy! One fact I found out is that she's the jealous type, but that doesn't worry me, because I'm only studying facts, all the time, about her -- no one else.
It’s not easy, I can tell you that! See, there’s always more to learn, so I can still
feel pretty stupid. It’s really very
complex. I’m pretty busy with all this
studying, but man, it's exhilarating, this knowing her -- I have 4,332 facts about her memorized so far!
And someday, in the by and by, when I have time to spend with her, to just live life with her, to listen to her, to bear my heart to her and hear her voice, to just be with her -- well, I think she’ll be impressed by how much I know.
Here's a book we've been talking about: Frank Viola's From Eternity to Here.
You can get it at the usual places online. And you really should get it. Like here.
I don't say that often, and -- of course -- it's true that one book does not fit all. But this is a very accessible book about a topic so important, the word "topic" seems diminishing.
It's about Jesus. And you. And a wedding.
-------------
Many people think knowing Jesus is ultimately about one thing: Going to heaven. "I got my ticket to heaven, so the rest is details" -- I've actually heard that.
This sounds right to some, at some level, maybe, but it doesn't capture the love affair between God and His people. Not even close. Viola brilliantly explains what he calls the "eternal purpose of God", and it's a love story, since before time began.
When I read about this love story, this wedding-to-come, I can't help but think the "ticket to heaven" idea of Christianity is a selling-short of this Great Romance. You see, it's like saying, "All that matters is I get in the reception, and I get some of that cake. I loves me some wedding cake."
Well, okay. We all do. But this is about love. Always has been. You see, it's about much more than whether or not you get some cake. YOU ARE IN THE WEDDING. You're being proposed to. You're going to be standing up in this one, front-and-center, and the question isn't whether you want some cake. The question is: Do you take this man...?
The question is, and always has been, not "Do you have your ticket?" but..."Do you love me?"
So do I?
--------------
Viola admits to being a romantic. I'm not -- not in the typical I-love-"The Notebook" sense -- but I'm glad he's that type, because it's allowed him some remarkable insight and appreciation into the romantic elements of the Bible, from start to finish.
Genesis to Revelation is all about Jesus. I knew that. But Viola points out the romantic storylines, played out over and again, that I'd never noticed. Fascinating stuff. (I'd never thought, before, about how "communion" is, among other things, a re-enactment, based on Jewish tradition, of the acceptance of a wedding proposal, for example. And there's much, much more.)
This book is not overly heady, not written for scholarly-types only. And there's far more to it than I can allude to in a short entry. If you read it, let me know what you think. It might rock your world, in the most exciting, freeing way.
I have this idea for a Christian t-shirt line. I'm not into t-shirts that (in my opinion) diminish Jesus, and reduce him to a Mountain Dew logo, with "Do the Jew". I say, if we're going to Christian t-shirts, we do them right. Straight scripture.
Jesus quotes, like, "You should not be called 'leader', because your one and only leader is the Messiah." -- stuff like that. Or, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor."
Not sure if they will sell.
Like this one, set up at a big event...?
Then there's Jon Foreman's "Instead of a Show". I love it. But I'm not sure this will ever be a big party song or worship sing-along. By the way, the lyrics are from Isaiah 1:
HT on the vid
We talked about it this week, on the air: How the church -- the Jesus community -- should be a place where status doesn't count. Unfortunately, we tend to make "stars" out of leaders, when really, leaders are to be servants.
And we need leaders, desperately. But, in a Jesus community, "leadership" looks a lot different than, say, at a Fortune 500 company. Leadership means servanthood, not CEO stardom.
We need servant leaders, men and women who are gifted for servant-leadership, whom people naturally follow, who point those people toward Jesus alone, our Teacher.
Granted, as always, I may not know what I'm talking about. It's all just one guy's opinion, here. But below are some off-the-top-of-the-head attempts at distinguishing one from the other.
-----------
Servant Leader: Has something to say
LeaderMan: Wants a platform on which to say something
-----------
LeaderMan: You almost feel you know his family, because he's your Leader
Servant Leader: You allow him to influence you, because you know his family
-----------
LeaderMan: Wants you to know he's a Leader
Servant Leader: You're not sure he knows he's a leader
-----------
LeaderMan: Loves the idea of the Gospel, and the idea of The Church
Servant Leader: Loves God and the actual individual people God brings across his path
-----------
LeaderMan: A great speaker, but self-described as, "Not really a people person."
Servant Leader: Makes himself a people person
-----------
LeaderMan: Helps you find where God is leading you in his organization
Servant Leader: Helps you find where God is leading you
-----------
LeaderMan: Gets together with you to talk about his vision
Servant Leader: Just gets together with you
-----------
LeaderMan: Resents "sheep stealing"
Servant Leader: Doesn't get the "stealing" part, since he doesn't own anyone to begin with
-----------
LeaderMan: Wants the right people on the bus
Servant Leader: Wants to find the right bus for you, and sit next to you on it
-----------
Servant Leader: Shows you his whole heart
LeaderMan: Shows you a flow chart
-----------
LeaderMan: A visionary who knows what the future looks like
Servant Leader: Knows what your kitchen looks like
-----------
LeaderMan: Talks about confronting one another in love
Servant Leader: Actually confronts you in love
-----------
LeaderMan: Impressed by success and successful people
Servant Leader: Impressed by faithfulness
-----------
LeaderMan: Invests time in you, if you are "key people"
Servant Leader: Wastes time with you
-----------
LeaderMan: Reveals sins of his past
Servant Leader: Reveals sins of his present
----------
LeaderMan: Gives you things to do
Servant Leader: Gives you freedom
-----------
LeaderMan: Leads because of official position
Servant Leader: Leads in spite of position
-----------
LeaderMan: Deep down, threatened by other Leaders
Servant Leader: Has nothing to lose
Here's the story we talked about: The girl who "sang" in the Olympic opening ceremonies? She wasn't singing. The real recording was made by a girl with a "perfect" voice, but less-than-perfect teeth. China's leaders couldn't allow such a representative on such a large, international stage.
Of course, they're both adorable, but that's beside the point. The little one on the right fell short of a perfection standard, and it couldn't be tolerated.
It's absurd, yes. So absurd that it got me started thinking about how ridiculous Chinese culture must be, how hypocritical their own leaders must be (are THEY perfect-looking...?) and how horrible it must be to be raised in such a system. I thought about all those things, until I realized we're no better.
Check out the typical musicians in the CCM industry. Did you notice? They're better-looking than normal. This is not by happenstance. This is because they are easier to market to Christian audiences.
This means good church-goin' folk will pay more to listen to pretty people, and, in many cases, will never hear ones who aren't so pretty. At least in China, they got to hear the little girl with the imperfect teeth.
Want a record deal? Be good-lookin'. It helps.
By the way, this certainly doesn't invalidate the artists who DO get deals -- they may well be talented, and God bless 'em all. We certainly can't punish people for how good-looking they are. Shoot, I'd be grounded for life. (I'm KIDDING. Sheesh.)
Point is, before we point fingers: China's not alone here. Give them credit: They're confessed atheists. In their world, it makes a certain sense: The first will be first.
In ours, it's not supposed to work that way. Hopefully, in time, it won't.
(Note: This review isn't going to be for everyone. I just had to write it. I really hated this movie. If you disagree, you thought it was awesome -- you're as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. I'm merely humbly submitting my own impressions. By the way, when I refer here to junior high boys as "fools", I mean it -- it's not their fault, either. Foolishness is a part of youth. Adults are asked to demonstrate wisdom, and inculcate it in the young.)
At one level, this movie is a bunch of violent, purposeless noise.
But there is a second deeper level. At that level, "The Dark Knight" is a discourse on the nature of evil.
And then... there is a third, still deeper, final level.
At that final level, this movie is a bunch of violent, purposeless noise.
---------------------
People are buying scalped tickets this weekend for $100 apiece. The critics say it's brilliant. You've likely heard them, speaking in uniform voice, extolling the profundity of this very, very important movie. The hype has been unmatched. It's the best of its genre -- ever. Thoroughly engrossing, thoroughly entertaining, thoroughly -- you know -- important.
So it's interesting to watch people emerge into the light of day in the hot Florida sun, looking for their cars in the crowded lots. They look kinda...bored. Like they did when they walked in. Almost like they didn't just see 2.5 hours of non-stop explosions, ear-crushing destruction, screams, bleeding, shotgun blasts, and brutal torture scenes.
Let the record show that in the waning days of western civilization, when we were artistically spent, the going rate for 2.5 hours of defibrillation was $9. Anything -- anything! -- to get our hearts pumping again, if for a short time, before exiting to find where we put the Accord.
This movie is well-made, of course. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, "People who enjoy that sort of thing will certainly enjoy that sort of thing."
"The Dark Knight" is that sort of thing. Death, mayhem, horrifying chaos -- wrapped in ooh-that's-deep philosophizing that will prompt many an essay from high school sophomores. Too bad it, ultimately, means nothing.
Granted, my experience was colored somewhat. Carolyn and I were sitting next to a three-year-old, who was treated to a happy-time-with-dad buffet of burnt flesh, maniacal laughing, and corpses. It's only PG-13, you know, which just means parents need show guidance, as they guide those they are to protect into their seats in dark, stranger-filled blood shows. Where would we be without parental guidance?
---------------------
Focus on the Family gives this movie 2-and-a-half stars for "family friendliness". For what family, the Mansons?
Will kids say they liked it, though? Will the junior high boys like it? Here's an experiement: Ask a group of junior high boys for movies they say that were NOT awesome. I've done it. There follows a long silence. This is because they are fools.
---------------------
"The Dark Knight" is cultural rigormortis. It's what happens when we are done, and we are done. Jacques Barzun had it right, when he wrote a history of western culture up through the 1990s, and said, certainly, that our age is defined by boredom. We are excited by nothing, really, but maybe for a moment here, or a moment there, we can try to be turned on. Sex can do it (or fake sex, much more likely) but brutal violence can work, too, if for a short time.
Our culture is lying on the table, and "The Dark Knight" is just another jolt before the flatline resumes.
At least give us this: Our mass-market (which included me, yesterday) is willing to pay for it, but also demands some sense that it was all, ultimately, high-minded, that it was making some statement, that it was horrific, yes, but redemptive, blah blah blah. Expect many hip Christian types to write as much, because 1) That's the essence of being hip, and 2) Who doesn't like Batman?
But it's not redemptive...unless...
Unless we can emerge in the sunlight, after ALL THAT HYPE for this masterwork, this penultimate expression, this marvel-ous creation, saying, "Really? That's as good as it gets?"
Then we walk out into the sun, and decide it's infinitely more interesting than what we just paid to see.
I really, really like this.
We talked about it yesterday in our "Brant's Book Nook": It's the Bible, but with the books in a different order, and without the "additives" -- like chapter and verse divisions. (Click here to find it.)
Now, there's nothing WRONG with chapter and verse divisions, but there's nothing specially right about them, either. They can break up thoughts, make ideas disjunct, and confuse context. They help us locate things, but they certainly weren't a part of the original versions, either -- not even close.
The Books of the Bible publisher (the International Bible Society) re-orders the books to give us a sense of the chronology of the books of the Bible, which I find helpful. The common ordering of the N.T. is actually based, largely, on biggest-to-smallest. That's why Corinthians comes before Thessalonians, even though Thessalonians was likely written first.
Also, this re-ordering gives us a good idea of the literary styles of the books. The book of James isn't a letter to a church, but many people think it is, simply because it's included with others, traditionally. It shouldn't be read that way. It's a wisdom book, written along the lines of Proverbs.
I think all this is great to keep in mind, because we tend to view the Bible as a puzzle: We take a verse here, a verse there, another one here, and cobble together an entire theology that may be quite apart from the over-arching message that God is sharing with us in scripture. The Bible is a gift, a blessing from God, and, as such, we should do our best to understand literary styles, context, and purpose from Genesis to Revelation. (Hint: It's all about Jesus.)
Recent Comments