Friday, March 2, 2007, 03:12 PM
I am very wary of salespeople. They have a clear agenda and 9 times out of 10 my best interest isn’t part of it—though my time and money usually are. In Newsweek someone referred to those who are currently making bold claims in regard to the bones of Jesus as “Pimping the Bible.” In other words, they’re selling the biblical witness to whomever for whatever they can get for it.I want to go on record right now: I am against it. Pimping the Bible is just another version of taking the Lord’s name in vain. Last time I checked it was on God’s Top Ten List as a ‘Don’t Do’.
But having made that clear here’s one perspective on the recent controversy regarding the supposed family burial tomb of Jesus’ family.
First off, we are people of the truth and therefore we’ve got nothing to fear from it when it shows up. The trick of course is to recognize truth from half-truth, speculative or tentative truth, or salesmanship disguised as truth. In this case it is helpful to know that archeology is open to even more interpretation than the most debated passages of scripture. Though it attempts to employ scientific method when it can, the same pot shards or bone bins can yield wildly divergent conclusions, depending on who is making them.
Secondly, I go to the Bible with a propensity to believe and embrace what I find there. I have to read carefully and think wisely, but all in all I have a long standing relationship based on trust. I go to the Discovery channel special with a propensity of skepticism. I understand that they are trying to make the biggest splash and make the most outrageous claim in order to bring in the most lucrative advertisers and sell the most books and DVDs. I’ve seen enough Discovery specials on Ancient Atlantis and the Secrets of the Knights Templar to take it all with a huge grain of salt.
The truth is that I love a good mystery--and especially a historical/archeological one. But I am not gullible enough to confuse Agatha Christie’s Murder in Mesopotamia with the prophet Isaiah’s words to his exiled countrymen in Babylon. I enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code but I took it for what it was, ‘fly-over’ fiction (a story ideally suited for a long plane trip).
I think this recent wrinkle is more telling about us and what it is we think we are looking for than it is about Jesus and his family. The same is true of Dan Brown’s book, or the gospel of Judas, or new investigations into the Shroud of Turin. The idea that DNA will somehow crack the mystery of the resurrection is both painfully funny and sadly indicative of our misplaced faith in the scientific method over and against the power of faith.
My ability to live fully, richly, and meaningfully here and now is not contingent on new evidence of any kind. It is contingent on the living, comforting, and challenging presence of Jesus as I encounter it today and tomorrow. Bone fragments in a warehoused ossuary somewhere outside of Jerusalem aren’t about to change that anytime soon.
I hope you don’t feel threatened or get defensive about all this. There is little likelihood that the current flock of “Pimps” have come up with much except how amazingly common the names Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in the century surrounding Christ’s ministry. If it bothers you, turn it off and tune it out. Me? I may tune in Sunday night—that is if The Simpsons is a rerun.
For more info check out a Morning News Debate with author Bruce Feiler (who is not a Christian) and the Director of the Discovery Channel Special:
http://www.brucefeiler.com/blog/2007/02 ... n-cbs.html
A nice brief, balanced account can also be found at:
http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1859195.htm
Or watch the special yourself Sunday March 4 at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel. By all means compare with the concluding chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. How do the two square or not square up with one another? Who do you believe?
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( 3 / 1037 )Monday, October 9, 2006, 01:52 PM
Blogging isn’t for dilettantes, I’ve learned. It’s also not for someone whose plate is as full as mine in trying to keep up with a dynamic congregation of folks who are looking for something a little more immediate in their pastoral interactions. Don’t get me wrong. I still love to read my own writing as much as I love to hear myself talk (why do you think I became a preacher?), but it’s a case of diminishing returns. My available energy to blog keeps diminishing and I find it harder and harder to return to that task when the phone rings, a friend drops into chat, or an email commands my attention.
For the six people who regularly read what I had to say, have no fear. You’ve made it the last six weeks and have proved that you can make it quite nicely without my electronic missives.
We are actually in the process of thinking through what kind of content and interaction we can offer as a congregation on our web page. There have been a variety of good ideas, but we are always open to new ones.
For instance, it’s been suggested that we have folks who are part of our faith community sound off on their favorite biblical passage. Why not expand the idea of “The Parts of the Bible We Do Understand” to include brief insights into the chapters and verses that mean the most to our church family? We might have a new ‘blog’ every few weeks, detailing why a particular passage continues to speak to the author, deepening their faith, and leading them to live richer, fuller lives.
I certainly think there is no need to compete with some amazing blogs already out there. When it comes to Faith meeting Life there are already some very insightful blogs being written, discussed, and shared out there on the web. We don’t have any need to reinvent the wheel here. I don’t have any problem using this space to recommend a particular web page or web log that has been useful to one of our number. We might simply offer a review each month of a faith oriented web column or blog for your consideration.
The front page of the newsletter (which I know everyone reads the second it hits their mailboxes) is already included with the newsletter in PDF format on this web page. We already have a regular emailed word from Pat, our CrossRoads pastor. There is only so much earth-shattering, deeply convicting inspiration you can digest in a given week anyway.
If you like any of the ideas above or have another suggestion to make, don’t hesitate to respond in the comment section below.
In the meantime let me recommend an interesting site that was recommended to me a little while ago on Slate.com by David Plotz. It’s called Blogging the Bible and you can find it at: http://www.slate.com/id/2141050/
Plotz is a Jew, if not always an observant one, who has decided to go through the Bible as if he’d never read it before and document his questions, observations and insights. It is an interesting perspective and may well prove a regular destination on your web browser. It is definitely worth a close look. (It might even spur you on to do a little of the same yourself).
Tim
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( 3 / 1199 )Monday, August 28, 2006, 07:59 PM
I was reading an essay that was talking about the battle for ideas on the internet. Evidently it is a battle taking place between blognuts (which were identified with the political left) and wingnuts (right wing political supporters). What I thought notable was how many divisions and subdivisions there actually are within the blognut and wingnut camps. Of course each have their own web pages, blog sites, forums, t-shirts and coffee mugs.I got to asking the inevitable question for women and men of faith who breathe the rarified air of the blogosphere: Exactly how would Jesus blog?
Would he just put his Kingdom insights out there plain spoken with an occasional parable thrown in for good measure? Or would he spruce it up with clip art? Would he tackle multi-media, i.e. video clips, mp3’s, or power-point?
You just wonder what kind of comments would come back by way of response? You wonder how the Pharisees and Sadduces might have responded if they were guaranteed a certain amount of anonymity. They would be ruthless, I’m guessing. They would also surely launch a counter-blog to express their opposing views and get the word out to their constituency.
But that essay got me thinking, and of course since this is the only blog I am currently writing, my experience is limited. I wonder though, if the medium doesn’t handicap the message. In other words, how can any faith community that relies heavily on the blogosphere or the internet for its essential communication not become shaped—and here’s my fear—limited by the very nature of the media itself.
I’ll be honest, I find this blog thing exciting. The possibilities are enticing, but there are some short comings and restrictions that may well have a limiting and/or distorting effect. I’d be very interested in hearing what you might think about this.
My observations, limited as they are, lead me to believe that blogs, forums and the like are:
Mostly for introverts or at least for those who lean toward the reflective nature of writing. It’s for thinking, expressive folks.
It’s primarily a visual medium and not so much auditory one.
It is once removed from body language, inflection, & nuance. It’s easy to confuse open humor with sarcasm. It’s tempting to over emphasize emotional emphasis in writing what would be easily nuanced in person.
Here’s my biggest concern: It leans toward the self-important and the self-promoting as the by-product or reward for self-expression. You can become a blog-star. There are some Christian examples of this happening. People like the pastor behind RealLivePreacher.com—now of book and column fame.
Blogs can protect the critic even as it spurs on the fan. It is easier to be critical and short and dismissive when you do it via cyber space.
And I believe it is possible that blogging by its current practice throughout the internet may well fragment the public forum and deconstructs community even while at the same time creating what is ironically labeled a ‘community’ of like-minded bloggers & bloggees. If I break down my ‘community’ to right leaning male news junkies open to criticism of the current administration but intolerant of dissension regarding the inevitable triumph of our national interests as defined by corporate America – can I in any way call that community? Is it not simply a narcissistic reflection of the folks who are like me?
I hope as we continue this process—I hope as our church delves more deeply into the culture and its mediums of exchange—that we can find ways to interact and deal with one another that are authentic, helpful, and ultimately edifying. How would Jesus blog? may not be the right question. Would Jesus blog? How would Jesus use blogging as a way to supplement the primary ways he went about the ministry God called him to.
How then, can we do the same?
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( 2.9 / 828 )Friday, July 21, 2006, 12:07 PM
For a while now I've been reading authors who have emphasized the Jewish context of Jesus' ministry and teaching. I've recognized that when we Christians use the word Torah, we tend to mean something legalistic. We tend to simply mean law. And yet, the Torah was understood to be much more than that. Torah was a path to faithful living--a holy lifestyle.So lately I've been wondering if we could put our finger on the Torah Jesus saw himself as fulfilling. What would Torah be for we who follower Jesus Christ? What are the core commandments, admonitions, teachings, and attitudes Jesus uniquely brought forth from his Jewish heritage? And if you could identify them, could you reduce those things to a philosophy of life that was accessible, understandable, and applicable?
Obviously, these are hard questions to answer, and they'll certainly require a lot more of my time, attention, and prayer. But in the pursuit of those answers I came across a passage in Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus that seemed to be moving in that direction. McLaren is summarizing the Sermon on the Mount and its ethical imperatives, but I also think he's beginning to articulate what Jesus' Kingdom Torah might look like.
Take a look at what follows. See what you think. Could you live your life by these precepts and principles? And if you did, do you think you would make progress in your effort to become more like Jesus?
Be poor in spirit, mourn, be meek, hunger and thirst for true righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, be a peacemaker, be willing to joyfully suffer persecution and insult for doing what is right.
Be salt and light in the world – by doing good works.
Do not hate or indulge in anger, but instead seek to reconcile.
Do not lust or be sexually unfaithful in your heart.
Do not presume to make vows, but have simple speech, where yes means yes and no, no.
Do not get revenge, but find creative and nonviolent ways to overcome evil done to you.
Love your enemies, as God does, and be generous to everyone, as God is.
Give to the poor, pray, and fast secretly.
Don’t let greed cloud your outlook, but store up treasure in heaven through generosity.
Don’t worry about your own daily needs, but instead truest yourself to God’s care, and seek God’s kingdom first and foremost.
Go to God with all your needs, knowing that God is a caring Father.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Don’t be misled by religious talk; what counts is actually living by Jesus’ teaching.
McLaren, Brian D. The Secret Message of Jesus, pages 135-136.
If you're intrigued I heartily recommend McLaren's book. To get a sense of where he is coming from, you might also want to check out his web page at: http://www.brianmclaren.net/
In the meantime, I invite you to join me in trying to think about what it means to walk Jesus' path of faithful living. Whatever that looks like, I am confident that it is the path on which I would like make this journey. It is a journey that has plenty of room for one more.
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( 3.1 / 1451 )Wednesday, May 31, 2006, 01:33 PM
My wife and her friend Steve are always asking me to hold their bikes. They are avid cyclists. They have good bikes, designed to be lean and aerodynamic and so on. Neither of them can spare the extra six ounces for a kick stand. It would weigh them down. It would make going uphill a real chore. It would mean they could no longer have a pound of electronic-techno gadgets attached to their handlebars. In the greater world of cycling it would mean they are Sissies. So they are always asking me or Steve’s wife, Lisa, to hold their bikes.Personally I like a kickstand. It means I can park my bike just about anywhere I want to. Not only am I free of the obligation of asking someone to hold it for me, but I don’t have to look for a sign or tree or building to lean it against if no willing assistant can be found. I like the small feel of independence. I don’t need help holding my bike when I get off and I don’t need to lean it precariously up against the bikes of other family members in the garage when I’m done. I am also free from the burden of blaming someone or anyone if were to go out into the garage the next day and find my bike laying on the floor. My kickstand makes me a free agent in the world of leisure biking and that’s just the way I like it.
I don’t so much mind the extra six ounces since I ride for exercise and not for speed. I am a Sissy and I know it. I’ve grown comfortable with that designation over the years. Lycra biking shorts and tailored micro-fiber biking jerseys just remind me why I need to be on my bike more in the first place. I don’t so much look like Lance Armstrong in biking gear as I look like a middle-aged Pillsbury Dough boy wearing his high school track uniform. I’m comfortable with Sissy. I am well aware that there are worse names you could call me. At least I don’t go around asking other people to hold my bike for me.
You may have gotten the sense that I have a bit of chip on my shoulder about the whole “my-bike-is-too-cool-for-a-kickstand” issue. I may have even blown it just the tiniest bit out of proportion in the bigger scheme of things. It’s just that there’s that passage from Galatians 6:3 which says: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” And I think hot-shot cyclists ought to take note of the Word more often than they do. If I can admit that I’m a Sissy, then they should be able to admit that they think they are above us kickstand using Sissies. Confession is good for the soul, I am told. Sometimes prideful cyclists just need to come to grips with their Pharisaical kickstand judging hang ups. If I have to be God’ agent in the matter, then so be it.
Here’s the problem, though. It’s this one inconsequential sentence in Galatians 6:2—“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” In other words, “Hold the bike for your sister or brother if they need you to. If holding their bike makes their ride easier and keeps their Sissy-threshold low, then that’s what Jesus would want you to do.”
For the life of me, I don’t know what the apostle Paul was thinking by putting that second verse in there. He sucks all of the self-righteousness out of verse three by doing so. He makes it so hard to gripe and complain with a clean conscience. I find it to be one of his least attractive qualities as a biblical author.
I don’t how far you want to take the metaphor, but in a sense none of us who follow Jesus ought to aspire to kickstands. Self-sufficiency may be a virtue that the world holds up for us, but it certainly does not lead to reliance upon God, nor the inter-dependence that Jesus intended his followers to have with one another. There are far too many kickstands in our lives already: our relative wealth, our ‘pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps’ national character, the increasingly insulated, privatized way we go about our daily lives. We think we need one another less and less, but in reality we were created for communion and community with one another and with God. Authentic community can’t happen if don’t share our burdens, our joys, and hold one another’s bikes when the opportunity arises.
The beauty of it is this: sometimes you hold my bike for me and other times I hold your bike for you and instead of fulfilling some tit-for-tat contractual obligation, our bike holding can be a very small bridge over which the love of Christ can travel. And maybe we can exercise more than just our cardio-vascular systems when we ride together. Maybe we can also exercise the mutual kindness and consideration that builds up the body of Christ. Maybe if we can rely on each other in such a little thing, we can learn how to rely upon one another and God in bigger more important things. Maybe in the end our hearts will grow stronger either way.
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