We Are "the Environment"

Like most profound things I have heard, I can’t remember where I heard it first. Maybe it was Wendell Berry. It’s definitely something I think he would say. Either way, the saying has stuck with me, and it continues to shape my thinking and behaving on a daily basis. It goes something like this: there’s no such thing as “the environment.” 

What does this mean? Well, the most basic understanding is that there is not this separate entity known as “the environment” that exists somewhere. It doesn’t live in George Clooney’s attic or basement. It doesn’t prefer The Beatles to Elvis. For it, commercials for Cialis are not the single most annoying thing on the planet. But all of this is true only because there is no such thing as “the environment.”

It’s seemingly the case that a group of people invented “the environment” to argue whether we should care about it or not and if so how much and if a lot how. But of course this is all preposterous because it doesn’t exist. It can’t possibly exist because what these people (politicians it seems usually) are arguing about includes water, soil, air, trees, animals, and, ya know, all the things that live and make life possible. And by “life” I should say “all life” including yours and mine. Because you see friends, we as humans are creatures. 

I know, it’s weird. It seems like we should have evolved beyond being creatures when Taco Bell started serving breakfast or when the Ryan Gosling/Macaulay Culkin shirt feud/love affair changed all time and space forever. But in fact, all the stuff you learned about mammals in second grade (maybe?) still applies, and all of it applies to us, who are, actually mammals. Our offspring are born live. We have hair. We drink milk. We are warm-blooded. And yes, we are, completely and totally animals. Which means we need food and water and air to survive. And if any of those things end up being poison, that’s really not good at all for us. Because, once again, we’re animals/mammals/creatures. 

So it’s really quite bizarre to have an argument about whether or not to care for and protect “the environment,” because how can there be another side? Do you like breathing? Anyone love drinking poison? Want to eat some rancid meat? It’s silly because “the environment” is not this separate thing we can choose to care about, because it doesn’t exist. We are “the environment.”

These Times Demand Honest Teaching

Like many Christians I have been concerned over the most faithful ways to live as a citizen in a country that seems to be off the rails in several ways. I have long since considered myself a beloved child of God first and foremost, and while my American citizenship certainly informs my identity I do not believe it can ever be my primary identity. For it to be my primary identity would, to me, mean that my baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ makes no sense. Because, after all, I was not baptized into an American identity or that of any nation - but rather a holy kingdom, not made with hands. 

So how do I live faithfully in these times as a disciple of Christ in America, perhaps particularly as a pastor and university professor of Old Testament? For me the answer lies in responding to the reaction of Franklin Graham regarding the recent “travel ban.” While I do admit that quoting Graham as saying “immigration is not a Bible issue” is taking him somewhat out of context (full quote here) the underlying message of what he says displays a lack of engagement with the Bible, particularly on a theological level. As has been pointed out numerous times, one of the main commands throughout the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible is hospitality for and care of the orphan, widow, and sojourner/alien in your midst. Moreover, Graham seems to have an identity crisis by confusing his identity as a child of God (which I believe he most certainly is) with his identity as an American. At the end of the quote he says, “We need to be very careful.” Who is the “we” in this quote? Christians are not called by Jesus to be “very careful” in any passage I can find. They are called to be wise and discerning - but mostly against false prophets and those who would lead them astray from doing the things God calls them to do like showing hospitality for and care of the orphan, widow, and sojourner/alien in your midst. In fact, one of the stories Jesus tells about people who are “very careful” involves a priest and a Levite (two religious professionals) steering clear of a man beaten for dead and lying in a ditch. Their care is not praised, it is condemned as unfaithful. 

Graham’s position confirms a deep fear of mine: even those who have been most exposed to the Bible (as he most certainly has been) seem not to understand much of what it is teaching. And at the same time I am hopeful, because I see more and more of my colleagues and friends - particularly on social media - pointing out that the Bible and theology teaches followers of Christ to love unconditionally. I do believe that the tide is turning from merely hearing the Bible to engaging with it on a critical level, and these are certainly times when honest teaching of the Bible and theology are necessary.

I have a mentor who is a retired pastor. He served faithfully and tirelessly in ministry. After the massacre at Sandy Hook we had coffee together. He lamented the state of the Christian Church and confessed his feelings that he and his peers had not done enough to speak out against racism, sexism, hatred, and fear. He specifically mentioned being a pastor during the Civil Rights Movement and not challenging his congregations more honestly with the teachings of Jesus. He said he felt as though he failed by not teaching more courageously. I disagreed with him and pointed to several examples of his ministry that led others to be more inclusive and loving. Still, it was difficult to see the look in his eyes at that moment. I can’t promise that I won’t feel as though I have failed when my time in ministry comes to an end. But I can promise that I will try as much as possible to share the teachings that challenge us - especially me - to greater and more widespread love and less fear.

Movie Review - Passengers

The last few blog posts have been pretty heavy. So I thought with this one I would return to my first love of writing movie reviews. This goes out to Sierra who is frightened of space movies.

I saw “Passengers” with my wife on Christmas Eve - thus fulfilling an age-old tradition in my family of going to see a big movie on Christmas Day or Eve. I had been wanting to see it since I first caught a trailer of it. I (unlike Sierra) love space movies. Some of my favorite movies of all time are centered on space including “Apollo 13,” “Gravity,” and, of course, “Armageddon.” And I guess those "Star Wars" films are alright too.

Without giving too much away, “Passengers” isn't all that much about space. The overarching plot is much more interesting. Of course space is there threatening the characters and heightening the drama, but much more is happening. “Passengers” ends up being a pretty fascinating story about desperation, desire, and disaster.

The synopsis is that there are 5,000 people in hibernation aboard a space ship headed to a new planet “Homestead 2.” There they will make a new life for themselves. The journey is to take around 120 years. A malfunction results in two passengers waking up before it is time - roughly 90 years before it’s time. And hilarity ensues! Just kidding. Actually, shit gets real in a hurry, especially as further malfunctions occur.

I loved the acting and the actors in the movie. I haven’t seen Chris Pratt in much, but I have liked him in what I’ve seen him in. And he seems made for this kind of role. He handles the range of emotions really well, and he doesn’t overact or overreach. I’ve seen Jennifer Lawrence in almost everything she’s done, and I’m continually impressed by her. She basically can’t miss. The camera loves her, and her acting is almost always spot on. Pratt and Lawrence have great chemistry in this, and the inevitable love story is pretty catching. Michael Sheen is the third of four mains and plays a cyborg bartender. He is perfect in this, and his character balances this odd role of saint and Satan. I couldn’t help but think of “The Shining” when I saw him. All at once he is comforting and terrifying. And when the ships starts failing, he flips in an epic way. Laurence Fishburne is the last main, and plays one of the crew who also is awakened early. Again, stellar actor and great job.

It likely goes without saying, but the effects and design of the movie are captivating. It’s not quite on the level of “Gravity,” but nothing I’ve seen so far is. The filmmakers do some pretty interesting things with zero gravity. Hint: don’t go swimming when you might lose gravitational pressure.

The only parts of the movie I didn’t enjoy centered around the lack of information about the company populating the new planet and hints of malfeasance there. Although, there is enough lack of help to make the viewer believe Comcast is behind it all. I was also amazed and maybe a little saddened that Andy Garcia has the shortest cameo in the history of film. Literally don’t blink if you are looking for him. I’ll be fascinated to know if there is more to the story there - except I don’t care because I’ve never like him.

I had a pretty cumbersome rating system, so now I will introduce a new one. Because I literally can’t go to a movie without getting popcorn, I will base all future reviews on buckets of popcorn - from 1 to 5 - 5 being “The Godfather” and 1 being anything with James Franco in it (kidding, but only barely). And yeah, I’m going to be a pretty tough grader - but I will give “Passengers” 3.5 Buckets. It's a great holiday movie to check out on the big screen, and it will lead to some conversations that might be less than comfortable. But hey it's Christmas, and we're all in misery!

Who Decides If There is Room in the Inn?

This morning I read an article from Nicholas Kristof entitled “Am I a Christian, Pastor Timothy Keller?” Articles like this generally bother me because what they cover is so small. Many people in the comments section (which I generally try to avoid like grim death) pointed out that Kristof was asking Keller to define what makes one a Christian. But, because Keller is of a particular Christian “camp” his definition should not speak for all or even many Christians. There were even pastors who said according to Keller’s definition they would not make the cut. I guess technically I wouldn’t either, and that for me is the bigger issue. It’s not that I’m all that concerned with someone not considering me a Christian (even though I am a pastor - so maybe it should concern me if people don't consider me a Christian), but that people and pastors feel empowered to make the call to begin with bothers me deeply. I’ve hinted at my arrogance as recently as the last thing I wrote on this blog, but I can count on one hand the times I’ve thought or said someone is going to hell - and all those times were over a decade ago (when I believed in hell and still thought those who put the Bible together believed in it as well).

I don’t get the certainty of saying this person or group is in and that one is out. Sure I can appreciate some basic boundaries. If you don’t believe anything about Jesus at all, it’s probably hard to call yourself a Christian. Although at the moment I’m not willing to say you would not be with God in eternity (my way of talking about heaven - cause that’s not really in the Bible either - at least not the way we generally consider it). And that’s mostly where the rub is for me - the business of the afterlife. Keller didn’t make major pronouncements in this area, but I’ve heard countless others speak with certainty about who is heaven or hell bound. Most notably the Westboro Baptist quacks who now seem to “believe” those who wear shorts will burn in hell. I guess maybe at least they won’t be as hot wearing shorts and all.

I go to a few things to help remind me that I’m not alone in being slow or nonexistent with these answers. One of my professors in divinity school when asked about such things would often say “That ain’t my job!” He meant it’s not his (or our) job to decide who is in and who is out when the final trumpet sounds. That’s completely and totally up to God. So perhaps we should let God be God. Which leads to something pretty meaningful to me: Jesus actually talking about this.

In the Gospel According to John, Jesus has an exchange with Peter after the resurrection. Peter seems to be questioning Jesus on the acceptability of someone being on the inside with Jesus. It goes like this: “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’” (John 21:20-22). The prevailing belief is that the “beloved disciple” is John (unless you are Dan Brown, and then it’s obviously Mary Magdalene). So Peter has a problem with John following Jesus. And Jesus’ response is perfect: “What’s it to you?!” I love that. Once again, it’s really not your concern who is in and who is out. Jesus will settle all that. What should we do? Following seems like a good idea. And if we focus on that, we will have enough work for this life and probably the next.

Let's Stay Together

In these hours before Christmas Day I start to ruminate. Reflecting is my routine before I enter the “year in review” portion of my brain festivities. I take stock of where things are in several areas: How is it with my soul (traditional Wesleyan question)? What’s my outlook on the world? Am I growing in my faith (whatever that means) and going on to perfection (being made perfect in love - not having the whitest teeth and best head of hair, as I already have damn fine hair)?

To say this year has been a mixed bag doesn’t quite cover it. I’ve truly experienced joy like none other at the birth of our first child (a masculine child). Also, the Cubs won the World Series. And while I’m in the process of falling out of love with sports (more on that soon), that was and is a big deal to me - especially since my newborn son got to watch the team from the north side win it all.

But there have been all these other things this year. And yes, the election shocked and, in many ways, appalled me. I am not going to get into winners and losers in this post except to say that my overall feeling is that America is losing more and more. As a society, America is losing or has lost any sense of being able to disagree and still remain united. Those with whom I disagree must be idiots, morons, or worse - subhuman. The demonization is rampant and the arrogance is overwhelming. And trust me, I write this with full recognition that I’m one of the most arrogant people I know.

Being able to disagree respectfully is a hallmark of maturity. I haven’t possessed this kind of maturity for long. Even just a few years ago, I wanted to verbally eviscerate those who disagreed with me. During the 2008 election I was invited to a kind of debate. I was to support/defend Barack Obama and the other person invited (who actually had political aspirations) was to do the same for John McCain. It’s fascinating to me now that I even did this, but I behaved childishly. Even though a few people told me that I changed their minds, I realized my dismissal of “the other side” was petty and wrong. It lacked the respect that competition requires.

But when I look at where things are now, it’s so beyond the pale it’s astonishing. The vitriol and downright hatred of “those people” is indefensible. It’s clear that many politicians have no interest in having anything to do with those who disagree with them. They cater to their base endlessly. I don’t believe that they believe most of what they say, but they know what plays and what pays. And perhaps what pisses me off more than anything is that they are never, ever wrong.

This last part offends me so deeply because I feel so many Christians have bought it lock, stock, and barrel. Fundamentalism continues to dominate the Christian landscape in terms of exposure. So a faith that teaches questions, doubts, and curiosities is worthless. People, want answers and the simpler the better. That’s just not where I am, but my own denomination continues to fracture over an inability to disagree while remaining united. This concerns me so much because the last time the Methodists were this divided (it seems to me) was just before The Civil War. The denomination was quite influential then, and its inability to hold together over beliefs about slavery tore at the nation as well. When the denomination split into northern and southern factions, a religious body gave tacit permission if not approval for the country to follow suit. And there are wounds from this that have never healed.

And so division grows today. If you disagree, don’t stay together. Divorce. Leave the church you are in and head to a new one - or even better, start a new one. Yes, sometimes these things are necessary, but doing so out of convenience has become a problem. While you are at it, mock those with whom you disagree and call them names. After all, they don’t really matter. If they really mattered, they would know everything you know. They would be just like you. Everyone in the world would look, think, and act the same. This is what God wants, right?

Funny thing to remember this time of year for us Christians in North America: God wasn’t born here. Of all the options given God, God chose to be born in the Middle East. Jesus’ skin tone likely wasn’t nearly as white as my son’s (I know - most companies and many churches still can’t grasp this - but there it is). From the beginning, Jesus was radically different than anything the world expected. There are those who disagreed with him so much that they had him killed. For them, there was no other way. You are wrong, and you must die. I spend lots of time praying that people of the faith that bears Jesus’ name would reflect on that story and realize that hating and demonizing those with whom we disagree turns us into Jesus’ killers. It makes us literally anti-Christ. It ensures that we will remain far from the purposes God has to restore and renew creation.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, as others have taught it to me, I plan to give myself the gift of less anger and more understanding. I hope to model and teach what I have been taught about disagreeing respectfully and staying together despite differences. I pray this will bring joy to the world, peace on earth, and goodwill to all. I can’t imagine hatred and division will accomplish these things, so let’s give peace a chance.

Wee Care Too

I enjoy the clever use of words. I’m even a fan of most puns and turns of phrase. But I’ve never gotten the intentional naming of things (especially businesses) in a way that tries to get a laugh or appear clever. To me it just comes across as desperation. 



I noticed a few years ago several restaurants were obsessed with using “too” instead of “2” or “two.” Like, “The Melting Pot Too” would be a thing. Obviously that’s not a thing because “The Melting Pot” isn’t really into naming different locations anything other than the initial brand name. But this was mainly with local restaurants that spun off into another location and thought they would be clever. You know what, just don’t. Be bold and call your second restaurant the same name as the first. Worried that people will be confused? So what if they are? Even if they get the locations mixed up they will still be eating at one of your two restaurants. You literally can’t lose! It absolutely worked for Chili’s, and that should be the basis of every decision you make as a restauranteur.

This is so embarrassing. The one restaurant I picked as my
example for all others to follow did the very thing I advise
against. Cruel irony...or just extremely poor decision making. 

Also, I passed a daycare today that was “Wee Care.” Stop it. There’s immediately a zero percent chance I’m bringing my kid to your place if that kind of marketing and branding is what you’re going to teach him. I realize it’s got to be pretty hard to name a daycare, because you need to sound really friendly and at the same time respectable. There’s probably no way to do better than something like “Harry Potter’s Daycare” but then a lawsuit will likely follow. So I can’t help you. It’s at least one reason I am not running a daycare - the naming is so impossible. Come to think of it, just go with St. Sebastian’s Daycare or even Center for Children. Who is St. Sebastian? Doesn’t matter. Are you affiliated with some sort of religious group? Maybe, does that appeal to you? If not, then “No way” is the answer. It’s completely the best way to go.

To sum up. When naming establishments - whether of the food and beverage variety or those that feature lawn care, the molding of young minds, or stores of furniture - just say what the place is or pick a completely random but unassailably cool-sounding name. Again, nothing clever is needed. Just “St. Sebastian’s Store of Furniture” please.

I Don't Know Pete Wilson

This is Pete Wilson.

I’m writing the post that probably every pastor like me is writing or thinking about writing if they have any idea who Pete Wilson is and what just happened. To be honest and fair, I really don’t know who Pete Wilson is. I hadn’t heard his name until a few days ago when I heard he resigned from Crosspoint Church. I knew that was a big deal. One reason I knew this was because one of the local news channels tweeted about it. Think you are an important and influential pastor/regular human? If you quit your job would the local news tweet about it? That’s a hard “no” in my case. So that was one reason I knew it was a big deal. Another reason I knew this was a big deal is that Crosspoint is a big church. It’s a really big church - even a megachurch with multiple sites, one of which is three miles from my house. I knew it was close, but it’s exactly three miles. I confirmed it on Google Maps. I’m pretty tech-savvy. Something I just read said that 7,000 people attend their services. That’s a lot of people - more than the gospels report Jesus feeding in a massive feeding miracle (although it’s argued they were only counting the men - which is dumb cause why wouldn’t you want the biggest number possible? - it’s dumb for other reasons too). 

I guess the “why wouldn’t you want the biggest number possible?” is what started me writing this post, and what I’m guessing will cause lots of other people like me to write the exact same post - only way better. You see I don’t know Pete Wilson at all, and I don’t know exactly why he resigned. But he claims he was “empty,” “tired,” and “not okay.” I know those feelings, and I have a sneaking suspicion his feelings come from the same place as mine. There’s a pressure in certain branches of the Christian Church to get the biggest number possible. Pastors who have lots of people in seats/pews are seen as effective. Those who don’t just plain suck. We all know this isn’t really true, but often the pressure remains. Some pastors are asked to turn in weekly statistics that only measure the number of people who show up to things. This is all of course happening as increasing evidence tells us that fewer people are attending religious services overall due to more competition for their time and increasing work, family, and financial pressures.

I'm not saying it’s not a great goal to have more people involved with what you are doing if what you are doing is a wonderful thing. Anyone would be a fool to say, “I want fewer people involved in this amazing thing that is transforming the world.” But I have become enamored with the idea of “healthy growth.” Such growth focuses on the health of an organization as well as the health of its leaders. For instance, I don’t necessarily agree that it is healthy for a group to double in size in a year. It would depend on a number of factors about the group and what costs come at such an increase in size. And maybe this is where the rub is for me: we rarely talk about the cost of growth in my church circles. So we aren’t strategic and wise as we grow and people can get hurt in the process. 

Again, I don’t know Pete Wilson from Brian Wilson (although, I do know Brian Wilson because I’ve seen him on TV), but I can imagine many details of his story. He likely put everything he had into what he did. He was successful in attracting people to a new mission and idea of what church can be like. Growth occurred and that gets intoxicating, so he wanted more and more. He was probably surrounded by lots of people who supported him but maybe not that many who would get in his face and stand up to him (this could be a reach, but stay with me). And because everything he was doing was so good, maybe he didn’t stop regularly enough to count the cost on him and his soul and those he loves most. It’s possible that he also neglected self care and Sabbath (other essentials to healthy growth). And then he woke up and said, “Enough with this.” I admire his courage, honesty, and vulnerability in stepping down - especially when it’s clear by what I’ve heard that many people tried to talk him out of it. And what happens next with Crosspoint Church will be interesting to see. I pray for the best and for God’s spirit of guidance in this season of change. I pray above all for a healthy approach for all involved because while Jesus attracted some large crowds and called many followers, not everyone chose to go after him, and he didn’t seem obsessed with making sure everyone did. He didn’t chase after the rich young ruler and say, “Nevermind! You don’t have to sell everything you own and give the money to the poor. Just please come follow me cause I really need the numbers!” He realized there were sheep of other flocks that God would care for in other ways. But all who did follow him were offered healing and wholeness, and all of us would do well to put these things first in our leading and following. 

I don’t know Pete Wilson, but I hope he finds peace and healing. I believe God wants this peace and healing - or shalom - and will bring this for all creation. So the pressure doesn’t need to be on Pete or any of us to do anything other than receive and share this peace. And if we do this, we are doing enough.