An Eastern Family in a Western World

The Bible is an Eastern book. It has Eastern culture, economics, social stigmas, literary style, etc., at its core. I believe that without this contextual “lens,” the ultimate meaning of the Bible at best is less impacting than in Jesus’ time.

However, some aspects of the Bible’s Eastern flavor seem to find their way into our lives without searching for it. Two of them are 1) the Eastern understanding of family roles and 2) the Oriental emphasis on shame and honor. It’s significant to me that there are technically two types of “shame” in Eastern societies. One is negative and the other is positive. The negative one condemns inappropriate behavior and the positive one helps individuals “save face” when confronted with a difficult situation. For example, with the persistent friend in Luke 11:5-8, Westerners assume that the friend banging on the door late at night has commited a cultural taboo. But actually, it’s the man who refuses to open the door and provide food for a town visitor that would have infuriated Jesus’ listeners. He violated basic Oriental cultural standards of hospitality.

Though these Eastern ideas don’t make it into our Bible interpretation very often (which means we usually miss the intended point), the Christian family can easily adopt these Eastern cultural norms for their own simply by reading the Bible together. My family did. We were different than other families I knew just based on emphasis of lifestyle. Though it certainly had to do with our Christianity, it also stemmed from living like an Eastern family in a Western world. Just by studying scripture, my brother and I absorbed Eastern understandings of right and wrong. We valued time, honor, authority, family rank, and so on without really understanding that the cultural emphasis for these concepts came straight outta scripture (not Compton). When I went out with friends or on a date at age 16, I fully understood that my family’s name and honor were on the line with each decision I made. I understood “losing face” without knowing what to call it. That was a greater deterrent than any punishment that may have followed an infraction. My other friends often saw themselves as individuals apart from their families – doing their own thing. I saw myself as part of a larger picture. Honestly, it made my decisions look weird to my friends.

Sometimes, those same cultural understandings, though appropriate for a family unit with children, become burdensome later in life if parents still enforce them on their adult children. But that doesn’t invalidate their usefulness during the parenting years. In fact, they may be vital to helping a child understand the impact his/her decisions have on others. Some of those “Eastern” family practices are still used with my two daughters now. Others aren’t. But I know this much: families with an Eastern understanding of honor are aware of one another. They respect each other more. And that makes them treat one another better, something all families could use a little more of.

Things to hate…

Happy Labor Day to all!

A follow up to this post:

1) Slamming cabinets and doors. I am amazed at people’s  propensity to slam cabinets and doors. What’s the point? Is the door or cabinet more closed when it slams? I guess we’ve gotten used to closing doors and cabinets quietly with sleeping/napping children around. I usually notice it most around single adults or older adults who haven’t had children in the house for a long time who are particularly unaware of the noise a slamming kitchen cabinet makes. But, holy cow, it’s loud…

2) Quoting Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov. I’ve seen this book quoted over and over recently in theology books – you know the passages about the character of God and theodicy. I agree with quotes completely. But man, I’m tired of reading them. Stop it. Just stop it already!!

3) The phrase: “With all due respect…” Americans love this phrase. Originally intended to show respect for superiors or soften a point of disagreement, this phrase has become a free pass to verbally slam anyone about anything. People use it like a magic formula to pardon bad behavior or overly-critical remarks. It’s now akin to “Excuse my French…” Tasteless, insurgent, over-bloated, opinionated rhetoric is not tamed with this phrase. The phrase itself is fine.  But the reason for which it is sloppily highjacked – to say something you might not otherwise get away with – makes people look like scholars of their own opinion.

4) Overly expensive books. Why are academic/theology books so expensive? Let me clue you in: I refuse to buy them. A used copy will surface eventually. Or better yet, use the library. Of course, the drawback to waiting is that you’ll feel less informed than the next guy.  I’ve been dying to read Schleiermacher and Whitehead: Open Systems in Dialogue since it came out. It’s something I’m incredibly interested in. Do I plan to buy that book anytime soon? Heck, no. Sometimes it’s cheaper to be a part if the illiterati.

 5) Tinted car windows. In the South, everybody likes to stop and let others into traffic. It’s a Southern thing. The problem is, with tinted windows, you can’t see someone waving you into their lane. If I can’t see you, I’m not budging.

“Change We Can Believe In,” Part 2

My question this morning is: how do we find worth in something greater than our circumstances? How can we live with a sense that we are a part of something greater than our individual agendas? Our culture doesn’t teach us that. Our culture teaches us to be self-occupied and egotistical – completely consumed with our circumstances. It’s the disease of our nation. And we thrive on it. I know a lot of people who aren’t happy. Or at least they aren’t happy for long. Most people ride a roller coaster of reactions to what happens to them in any given day. In America, this is compounded by our affluence. We really don’t know what real suffering is! When asked about work, we complain, “Oh today was horrible!” When asked why, we mention things like, “I couldn’t finish my Excel spreadsheet because my email inbox was overflowing and my Blackberry just wouldn’t stop ringing!” or “It took forever to get my special order latte this morning, someone just had to get in a car accident and that put me behind schedule all day!” Obviously, I’m being facetious, but we have to admit we generally only have “small” problems.

If I remember correctly, the etymology of the word “happiness” comes from “happenings” – events in life that produce a specific emotion. In other words, the emotions of “happy” people rise and fall according to what “happens” to them. We live lives of reaction. If, of course, you have to perfect life, then you’ll always be happy. But remember, we’re the same people that complain if our dry cleaning isn’t ready for pickup. Our lives suffer at the hand of our circumstances. Our treatment of others, our attitudes, and personal worth rises and falls on the praises or criticisms of acquaintances and co-workers – people that really have little bearing on who we truly are. Yet, we let the actions of others and the “grind” of life mold us into people we don’t want to be.

I like history a lot, so I like to study how we came to believe in the ideologies we value as a nation today. One of the more fascinating ones to date is the idea of “self-esteem.” Now, when I say self-esteem, I mean the general ability to evaluate ourselves and have that self-image affect our behaviors and moods. We live in a culture that values the idea of a healthy self-esteem, and rightfully so. We spend a tremendous amount of time securing the self-worth of children in our educational systems, our governmental programs, and through non-profit organizations.

So, where do people go when looking for worth? Well, since the rise of the Human Potential Movement in the 60s, we most often seek healthy self-esteem in our value as human beings. By developing our potential as humans, we can achieve the quality of life that we desire. We can be fulfilled and content and…well…happy. And though psychologists go into more complex forms of self-image, this is the idea that drives the popular movement towards happiness. In other words, this is the “Dr. Phil” version. So, we grow up with the idea that we should think well of ourselves and recognize our merit as individuals with valid hopes and dreams. Everything we need to live a happy and fulfilled life is already present in us.

But after 40 years, we’re beginning to see the reality of that paradigm. In 2004, the American Psychological Association put out a report that challenged that idea. After surveying 600 people from the ages of 50 to 90, they determined that many of the individuals had “high” self-esteem but said they were unhappy. They knew they were smart, talented, resourceful, and educated. But they felt they had missed something along the way – some set of goals they didn’t meet. In other words, though they felt comfortable with who they were, they recognized that all the things they had accomplished were of little significance outside of the praise and accolades they received at the time. Even those with “healthy” self-esteem are slaves to their circumstances.

And here’s what we can learn from that: the idea that we possess within ourselves those qualities that will ultimately make us happy is false. It’s a self-defeating model because it attempts to derive worth and value from a source that always fails. Society tells us to be happy with who we are and then barrages us with qualifiers to that self-worth: education, credentials, social connections and the like. You are only as good as your ability to out-perform the next guy. That’s why people ride the roller coaster of life reacting to the changes that come our way. And though none of those things are necessarily bad, we give far more value to them than they actual give back to us…and it creates a constant reminder that we will never measure up to the standard to which we are held. Reputation, status, financial stability, high levels of education, physical attractiveness, athletic prowess, even personal integrity leaves us empty. And because we’re empty, we grasp and claw and hold on to whatever circumstances validate who we are: a job, a community position, money, our children, our spouse, even the reputation of our church. But when change comes, we’re devastated – because the familiar is gone and our security is threatened. In the end, change is something we can’t believe in. If we do believe in it, we won’t for long.

Boycotting U2…

I know this post is going to disappoint some of my more trendy readers out there. It’s certainly going to disappoint my wife.

I’m boycotting U2. I’m done with ‘em. As a postmodern Christian, I must confess (to my own shame) that I have not purchased their latest album. That may rend the hearts of some of my generation’s most “missional” leaders. I’m sorry. I just can’t listen to them anymore. Don’t despise me; just listen to my plea for reason.

U2 is great band. Their music is great and I own about seven albums myself. I remember at age thirteen, when some CCM music mag did an article on them. I was enchanted for years to come.  In U2, we find the subtle Christian overtones of “Where the Streets Have No Name” and the socially conscious lyrics of “Mothers of the Disappeared,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and “Love and Peace or Else.”  There’s the poetic beauty of “One” and the moral confidence of “Walk On.” And then, there’s “Grace.”

Ahhh….”Grace.” Rarely do you find such good theology in a song.

I started to get jaded about five years ago. Christian artists and worship leaders collectively released a “We Love U2″ tribute album. U2 became “trendy”…along with the other two members of the cultural Christian Trinity: coffee shops and drawing spiritual significance from The Matrix. Socially conscious and spiritually aware, Bono became Jesus. Or maybe Rauschenbusch came back as Bono…I can’t remember which…It could have been both. Besides, Bono is gonna single-handedly “make poverty history,” right? When not mingling with dignitaries, he evidently browses books on comparative religious studies and post-structuralist anthropology. All of this has allowed him to declare a new message to us (in 3-D, no less): we should  all “co-exist.” I know that’s been said before…but now Bono has said it. And we should do it.

I heard a lot of “timely messages from God” a decade ago about the coming wave of Christianity that would no longer cater to superstars of the church. You know…the megachurch leaders and the personalities of Christian TV. God was going to advance his kingdom with a “faceless” generation. That’s a great idea. But for many in the postmodern Christian milieu, it’s empty rhetoric. We’ve ridiculed the shallow Christians who give their money to televangelists. We’ve also laughed at those who followed the fashion trends of Sex and the City. We’ve dismissed the former generations who have declined to participate in the “emerging conversation.” We have even snickered behind the backs of ministers who still find solace in a lectionary. Some people think Paris Hilton has something important to say…

…and we’ve got U2.

The Demise of Evangelical Christianity

Everyone should read this article (and the imbedded links). I don’t agree with everything Boyd says, but he speaks of something that we should all be aware of.

http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/dont-weep-for-the-demise-of-american-christianity/

Are You a Christian Hipster?

Oh, people…this is funny. I think I’m in somewhat in this list, at least at a cognitive level. In other words, I don’t do tats…

http://stillsearching.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/are-you-a-christian-hipster/

What else do Christian hipsters do? They take themselves too seriously, often citing John Lennon’s “Imagine” as one of the greatest worship songs of all time.  Ridiculous…

Pentecostalism: A Postmodern Dream

Following up my controversial post the other day: “Are Christians and Occultists the Same?”, I want to write a little about where I think Pentecostalism fits into our present theological scene. That will require some brief background.

We live in a postmodern world. Oversimplified, we live in a time where the structured safety nets that once held our views of philosophy, religion, science, morality, etc. together have mostly evaporated in Western culture. Some blame the cynicism of world wars, some blame the introduction of eastern religions through Lyndon Johnson’s Immigration Act of 1965, some blame loss of collective national identity, while other point to the deconstructionists. I suppose any of those reasons will do. But what interests me as a pastor is where our present spiritual landscape is taking us.

Something pretty interesting happened a while back in Christian culture. Theology began to shift toward a postmodern view as well. On the backs of philosophers like Alasdair MacIntyre and theologians like Bernard Ramm, postmodern faith began to take hold. I suppose that found its proper outworking in Frei and Lindbeck’s Postliberalism and its popularized (and shallow) knock-off, the emerging tradition, but describing it to you may be simpler. See, in evangelical circles, Christianity for many years was anchored on “propositions”: particular beliefs that guided the interpretation of scripture and formed the bedrock of the faith. Tried and true, these “fundamentals of the faith” guided evangelical theology for years. But slowly, with the encroachment of postmodern thought, those propositions began to be questioned. What meant one thing to one person may mean something totally different to someone else. So how can anyone really determine the true propositions of religion? This sent conservative Christians sounding the alarm, screaming big words like “antifoundationalism” (huh?) and the like. Postmodern thought had taken the Bible off its foundations plunging Christianity into relativism. Spirituality became a free-market with hundreds of choices – it became popular to be “spiritual but not religious.” In postmodern society, doctrine is not important compared to experience and personal belief.

Though conservative evangelicals have been wringing their hands over this scenario for years, trying to protect the “propositions” that were once so easily believed, I think there’s a better alternative. And one that isn’t mentioned very often. See, the rest of the global world went postmodern a long time ago. Some nations never even went “modern” so they could later become “postmodern.” And whether we believe that experience should be valued over dogma or not, there are some statistics that tell us something really important. There are 500 million Pentecostals worldwide – bigger than all other Protestant groupings combined. Only Catholicism is bigger. The rest of the world (while we chose scientific naturalism) went with experience over doctrine. And though we’ve always considered ourselves ahead of the curve,  we are now ”deconstructing” towards what the rest of the planet already knew: experience is (and always will be) the linchpin of faith. On a global scale, to be Pentecostal is to be Protestant. Experience-oriented Christianity is now the majority tradition. You don’t have to like it…but you better deal with it.

That means no one is really interested in hearing someone explain the case for “reasonable faith” or force a set of beliefs upon them. That approach to Christiantiy is now the minority. But people will happily adopt any set of beliefs if experience accompanies that belief system. Get it? So, for a minister interested in reaching people in this present spiritual climate, spiritual gifts are God’s way of making Christianity relevant from an experiential perspective, which is the majority view. Spiritual experience (through the charismata and other spiritual phenomena) was meant to be the anchor to the Christian faith in our pluralistic society. The last time a religious climate rivaled our present one? In the first century of the church. 

Sound doctrine is nurtured upon the foundation of experience, not the other way around. Now, that idea may anger you. That’s okay. Don’t run away from the idea…investigate it. You may find you end up agreeing with me. If you’re not into the whole “charismatic” thing, talk to someone about it…heck, you can talk to me if you want. God created us to experience our faith. That experience can make us relevant to the very people around us.

Sermon Snipets: Debt Free – Putting First Things First, Part 1

Preached January 4, 2009.

Today we are beginning a sermon series that “hits us where we live” in a lot of different ways. We’re going to talk about being “Debt Free.” Now, when I say that phrase, most people think of financial issues. But we incur “debt” in other ways, not just financial – we’re also going to talk about debt in relationships, the debt of sin, as well as finances.  So, as our first installment, this morning we’re going to talk about how to relieve our “debt to society” by putting first things first.

 ”Debt to society.” Strange phrase isn’t it? But it most accurately describes much of our lifestyle today. We make promises and commit to projects that ultimately rob us of our time with God and time with family. We become a slave to calendars, and deadlines, and the tyranny of the urgent. We are always paying the “debt” of time to our commitments, spending our time being busy but rarely being fruitful. There’s a big difference, you know. And being able to tell the difference between fruitfulness and busyness determines whether we live a peaceful or hectic life.

 There’s a humanities professor named Stephen Bertman who published an important book about ten years ago. It’s called Hyperculture: The Cost of Human Speed. Bertman believes that our fast-paced lifestyle is ultimately the cause of much of our stress and illness – it affects our bodies, our relationships, or emotions, and the like. Bertman says we are all “hard wired” to live a slower lifestyle…and our current pace causes more problems that it solves. Not sure if you suffer from “hyperculture?” Try these phrases on for size: “I’m totally lost without my calendar. If I get more productive, I’m gonna scream! Sometimes it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. My life is on fast forward. I don’t spend enough time with family and friends. I don’t feel like I accomplished anything today.” Listen to some of the symptoms of “hyperculture” Bertman describes.

 The technology explosion has changed our lives – over 25 million televisions are purchased a year – so many in fact that in America today, more people have television sets than indoor plumbing. With the rise of the internet and rapid access to information, Psychologists have noticed a trend they have dubbed “information anxiety” – a scenario where our mind literally cannot handle the deluge of information to which we expose it. In the process, the assimilation of knowledge among school age children is becoming thin and is producing an ever widening gap between what we think we know because we “googled it” and what we really know. We are becoming a mile wide and an inch deep. But an even more disturbing trend is occurring as well. Psychologists are beginning to see the emergence of a new type of personality among younger generations called the “saturated self,” where all stimuli are completely self-generated. In other words, a “self-saturated” person does not respond to anyone or anything outside of the world they create. They may be online, but they are personally isolated, remote, and detached. They alone create their own entertainment and they induce their own level of stress. What’s more, our stress levels are beginning to affect the national heart rate average. And it’s affecting our bodies as well. Recent studies estimate and average of 200 billion dollars is lost annually due to stress-related accidents, illnesses, and absenteeism. Over-stimulation and too many choices are making our nation physically sick. Houston, we have a problem! And a growing one at that. We’re so busy managing our time that we’ve forgotten to enjoy the time we’ve been given. The urgent has gotten in the way of the important. And church can be one of the greatest culprits in this struggle.

I remember the first time I really encountered this type of stress. Beth and I had been married for about two years. I worked for Flowers at the time and Beth worked for a health insurance company in Tallahassee. We were both actively involved in church…to the point where it took up most of our nights with meetings. We had also taken on several service projects and agreed to be the FCA leaders at Brookwood school. Though all were considered worthwhile Christian activities, we were totally covered in “busyness.” And something began to happen: whereas once we had a stable, though young, marriage, we became distanced and argumentative. We stopped connecting with each other because our “debts” to society took away our time to connect to each other. And that’s always the case: time spent doing one thing is time spent not doing something else. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. So, Beth and I started saying no…to everything. We finished our commitments and declined offers left and right until we had most of our weeknights back. And things got better. But it’s still difficult for us to “just say no.”

 Out text for today, Matthew 6:33, is the first scripture I ever memorized: “Seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well.” It’s one of the most important scriptures you can apply to your life. Now, most preachers I’ve heard over the years apply that scripture in the following way. They give you a list of priorities and the list usually goes something like this: 1) God 2) spouse 3) children 4) church 5) job – or something to that effect. And then they’ll tell you that what you spend your time on determines what your priorities really are. And that’s when everyone goes home feeling guilty for golfing or shopping or working long hours and promises to change for the better. They vow to spend more time with their children or their spouse. Or they vow to spend more time in daily devotions with God. But, to me, that’s as stressful a way of living as any. Those expectations are just as demanding. There’s got to be more than just learning to guard your time and say no to unnecessary commitments. And there is. Let me explain.

Part 2 tomorrow…

Time Can Change a Man…

I was up early this morning and was looking out the bay window of our kitchen. This was the view: sunrise over the lake. I went outside barefoot in the 40° weather and took this picture. I used to look at the sunrise and sunset all the time…

I’ve been think about something lately. Unfortunately, time determines my disposition much more than I would like for it to. When I was home for two years finishing my doctoral dissertation, I had plenty of time. Lots of time to reflect. Lots of time to take an extra ten minutes to accommodate my kids’ whims and join in on the folly. Lots of time to read. Lots of time to look at all the cotton fields around our neighborhood grow to harvest.

Now, I don’t feel I have that same amount of time. Things that my children did previously irritate me now because they make us late. I just don’t feel like I have as much time to watch the seasons change. I still read heavily by most people’s standards, but not nearly at the rate I would like to. I find myself “pushing back” against the things that take my time, whether it be a longer-than-normal red light or a child who believes being “high maintenance” is a worthy goal. I’m the same guy, believe the same things, love my children the same way. But now there’s a difference: time. In this way I’m still adjusting speeds of life. And at the moment, I see the biggest enemy in my life as the tyranny of the urgent. One of the things that angers me the most is realizing I had free time and that I squandered it on things that have no real value or permanence.

There’s a pretty good book out there – Stephen Bertman’s Hyperculture: The Cost of Human Speed. This should be required reading for all those who believe life should be driven in the “fast lane.” The problem is that we’re not created to live at our present cultural speed. Bertman dissects this very problem and the relational, physical, and emotional problems it creates.

I don’t need to fight a whiny kid or a task list or a reminder chime on an Outlook calendar. I just need to fight the feeling that I have to rush everywhere I go. My relationships suffer for it. And though I have heard the phrase I used for my title used in a different way, it’s in this present sense that I struggle with it. Time can change and man or woman when they respond to the threat of time loss at the expense of healthy life choices.

Obama, the Religious Right, and Our Present Cultural Landscape

Wow. How about Barack Obama? As the election results rolled in last night I thought about several different things…

1) The religious/evangelical right did not exist as a block vote in this election. In fact, a lot of Christians voted for Obama, in spite of many “conservative” Christians who believed his Senate voting record and stance on abortion were antithetical to family values. Maybe this had to do with McCain’s tendencies towards liberal policy as well, but in the past, McCain’s pro-life stance would’ve counted for more. This time, it didn’t. Will the evangelical right show up in four years? If the trend among my generation of Christians and the one beneath me continues, the answer is probably not.

2) With election results in, the media immediately shifted from national and international issues to racial dialogue. Obama was no longer the Democratic candidate for change this morning; headlines state he is the first African-American president. The majority of broadcasters highlighting this historic racial moment (and it certainly is one) were white. That tells us something very important that no one else has the gall to mention today: yesterday’s vote was more about the voters themselves than the candidates. Issues of qualification and policy, though important, went out the window in favor of a larger rallying cry. White people are proud of the fact that the world will now see them as culturally aware and globally enlightened. We’re tired of Europe making fun of us. I’m not taking anything away from Obama and his potential for greatness as a U.S. president when I say that. I hope he excels and helps our nation. But I also think that in the same way that people sometimes do good deeds for recognition, some people may have voted to be part of the Obama “movement” so they can internally pat themselves on the back.

3) How much money does it take to win an election? 640 million. McCain only raised about half that amount. Money makes a difference.

4) America is slowly moving towards a secularized society like Europe. Cultural liberalism is in vogue. I don’t mean that in some Rush Limbaugh way. I mean that pluralism has taken full root in every area of society. We live in an open society where specific ideologies no longer restrict individual choice. In other words, (other than media influence) there is no over-arching intellectual conformity in America. And that was just a matter of time. To me, Obama represented that trend as the ultimate “melting pot” candidate and proved it with his landslide victory. Of course, our interreligious landscape has already shown us this. Honestly, that doesn’t bother me. If anything, it will make Christianity among those who see it merely as a cultural concession willing to show their true colors. It will also make those who have an authentic faith treasure it more. That’s actually a good thing.

5) With a democratic house and senate, Obama will have the chance to enact change in a lot of areas if he wants. It will be interesting to see how he handles the next four years. Will he be the unifying force he’s promised to be, or will his past voting record (one of the most liberal) tell the true story? In a way, he’s already given us an answer. Obama had the chance to pick a more moderate/conservative choice to shield him from criticisms of being overly progressive. He didn’t. He chose someone with a voting record just like his. That tells me something, too. Obama just might believe that he stands on the cuff of idealism and progress with little regard for those who may feel he is unbalanced. His VP pick ignored those conservatives who took a risk in voting for him yesterday. And that’s actually does scare me. Check back in four years and we’ll have our answer.