Words Actually Can Kill

Perhaps some friends and fellow Christians wonder why, as a pastor, I came out  not fully supporting Phil Robertson’s statements.

As a female pastor – I know how harmful quoting scripture to further your personal viewpoint that targets a particular group of people can be at times. It gets dangerous. It gets violent.

Lately, I’ve been coming to terms with the fact that even here in America, to be a woman pastor is not just frowned upon by some Christians, but it can be life-threatening. The extremes some Christians have gone to against some of my fellow female friends and colleagues in the ministry is more than disturbing. It’s downright frightening.

Female colleagues and friends of mine have had their mailboxes bombed, both at church and at home, had their pets poisoned and purposely run over by those who disagree with their calling and interpretation of scripture. They’ve received numerous death threats and dealt with open hostility day in and day out from other Christians and pastors. They have suffered enormous mental and emotional, if not physical, abuse. Even here in Kearney, terms like “whore of Babylon” and “abomination” get directed at female clergy who would dare to take on a leadership role that involves spreading the hope of Jesus Christ to others.

All because of a few verses of scripture that get taken out of context, and when applied to the whole church in all times and places, directly contradict other parts of the Bible.

But you can find those anti-women passages in scripture. No doubt about it. They can be quoted.

So whether I agree or disagree with Mr. Robertson’s interpretation and stance regarding scripture’s view on homosexuality is frankly irrelevant. Because I find myself feeling a bit of the LGBT pain and their struggle. Of what it’s like being a target and on the receiving end of harmful comments and controversial scriptural quotes.

The arguments and scriptural evidence may not be a direct correlation between homosexuality and female clergy, but people’s responses to them definitely can be. And I certainly disagree with Robertson’s statements regarding how happy African Americans were prior to the Civil Rights movement. Movements like that don’t occur because people are content and happy with their situation or how they’re being treated.

It may have been what he witnessed, but most people who know me and witness how I act and behave would never know the horrible things that get said to me by other Christians. By other pastors. The pain and sorrow that comes with not just walking with people in their struggles, but navigating my own battles of faith. Thankfully – I’ve never been the recipient of death threats – but given many of those friends and colleagues who have been threatened come from a state I have lived in, my situation could have easily been vastly different.

I know many see Mr. Robertson as a stalwart defender of the faith, but I also see how his comments could be used to justify great harm against another human being. And Jesus never condoned that. For that reason , no, I can’t support, as a Christian, what he said. Whether A&E fires him or not is, well, up to them. I know if I were his boss, I would at the very least be having a very, very long conversation with him about ways to talk about these subjects that are less derogatory and inflammatory. Christianity teaches us that Christ stands for the opposite of oppression and tyranny. Thus we need to be careful that our own expressions of faith do not in turn cause oppression and harm to someone else or another group of people with whom we differ. For when that happens, we become just as guilty as those we condemn. So we need to be careful that in our fight against persecution, we do not, in turn,  become persecutors. African Americans, LGBT's, etc. are not upset by the fact that Mr. Robertson shared his faith or shared his opinions and experiences. It's the way in which he shared them and the danger his remarks pose potentially to their lives as a result.

For it is possible, as Satan proved when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, to quote scripture while at the same time distorting it. I’m not saying he did – many, many Christians will argue and uphold Mr. Robertson’s stance and can make sound theological arguments that agree with his overall viewpoint.

I’m just saying that the fact that you quote the Bible and state you believe what the Bible says doesn’t give you an automatic license or pass for how you witness to what scripture says. Because the Bible says a lot of things. And how you approach those topics can mean life or death for some people.

I applaud the fact that Mr. Robertson turned his life around, and did so on account of his faith in Jesus Christ, and that he stood up to the production company and insisted on praying at the end of each episode.

Those facts still don’t make what he said right. Or any less harmful.

He’s entitled to his beliefs. But when you are given a public platform, you also have a responsibility to think about what your words can do. The harm they can directly or indirectly cause.

The fact that my life, should I ever choose to move from the security of my current situation, could be in danger, in this country, on account of my fellow brother’s and sister’s in Christ does not just sadden me, but appalls me. You don’t have to agree with what I do. You don’t have to agree with my interpretation of scripture. You don’t have to come to my church. You don’t have to accept my life. Just like you don’t have to agree with or accept LGBT lifestyles.

But please, please, think about how voicing your opinions and beliefs that condemn a group of people with whom you disagree might cause harm to them. How those words and thoughts might fuel the fires of bigotry, racism and sexism.

Because persecution in this country is indeed alive and well - sadly, Christians are at times the ones doing the persecuting...against their fellow Christians with whom they disagree.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8

What Constitutes Faithful Christian Witness?

I've been debating whether to publicly comment on the whole Duck Dynasty thing or not. Mainly because, I know my comments will probably get me in trouble with my fellow Christians who are bound to disagree with me. Truthfully, the fact that this has become the forefront of American discussion at the moment in and of itself I find troubling, but perhaps there is a discussion in the middle of this that does need to happen among Christianity as a whole. It has highlighted at the very least some issues regarding what it means to be a faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Does simply quoting the Bible in order to back up a controversial stance constitute faithful witness? I have to wonder.

When I awoke Thursday morning and saw post after post expressing outrage regarding the firing of Phil Robertson, I admittedly was shocked and dismayed by the Christian community's rants, ranging from claims that his free speech had been violated to Obama should have been fired instead (because those leaps of logic are always fun). I think the free speech thing has been covered aptly at this point - the short version being unless you're being thrown in jail, your first amendment rights have not been violated.

Irony of ironies, however, was just a day earlier, I had a friend who had posted a rather controversial personal statement on Facebook that expressed his anger at a particular deity many of us worship. He used crass language that many found offensive. Christians began filling his wall with statements about how they were "offended" and he needed to "not blame God" for his problems. (Job's unhelpful friends in a time of crises jumped to mind). The next day, he posted that due to his Facebook comment, expressing a personal belief that was a result of some bad life situations, his job had summarily been threatened.

Ah, hypocrisy. We Christians thrive on it.

As my friend discovered - his public words and actions had a negative consequence in the community he lived and worked in, which was predominately Christian (and for the record, he is not an atheist. You have to believe in a deity to get mad at that deity). Unfortunately, his Facebook friends only number in the triple digits and he didn't have a twitter hashtag set up so his supporters (all, like, five of us) could demand we respect his right to rage against God if he so chose.

Phil Robertson and my friend are not the only people to discover this reality. Recent examples of people who have lost their jobs due to the public expression of opinion is hardly relegated to Holly-weird targeting religious folk. I didn't see a whole lot of Christians upset by the fact that Martin Bashir was forced to resign due to his statements against Sarah Palin. I mean, MSNBC knew that they had hired a leftist news commentator who was known for making tasteless comments (he had also been suspended from ABC), so why was it so shocking when he went beserk on a right-wing soccer mom from Alaska? It's not like they didn't know what they were getting when they hired him. He was just doing his job.

Same goes for Charlie Sheen. CBS knew full well when they contracted him for Two and a Half Men that there was the potential for some erratic public behavior. Yet he got fired, too, for public comments that CBS just finally decided were too "out there" and just wasn't worth the PR nightmare that went along with it. But they went into it knowing the possibility existed.

The all-mighty dollar and goldmine of getting what you can out of these drama-types by selling their antics to the American public is typically worth the possible future public blunder that will force the cash cow to come to an end. But in the meantime - cha-ching!

The public outrage regarding these firings was fairly minimal. Because, well, their comments, while offensive to someone, weren't religious in nature. In fact - the only Facebook postings I saw from any of my friends regarding Martin Bashir resigning was from a very liberal, non-Christian friend who lives in South Beach, Florida - and his only comment was he never cared much for Bashir's rantings anyway (even though I'm pretty sure he agreed with Bashir's opinion of Ms. Palin in general).

Apparently, the outrage against people getting fired (or in this case suspended) for offensive comments only applies if they're quoting and interpreting the Bible. Never mind that those offensive comments are directed at the very people who sign your paychecks. (I used to work for Disney, which owns A&E, and believe me, the LGBT community pretty much runs that conglomerate. So if you're going to bite the hand that feeds you - prepare to get slapped). Not to mention the fact that anytime you suggest African Americans had an okay life prior to the civil rights movement, you're going to get in trouble. (Perhaps the reason African Americans didn't complain against the white establishment was because they were a bit terrified of being lynched if they did so. Just a thought.)

However I think the question Christians need to be engaging right now is what exactly constitutes a faithful, public, Christian witness? Just quoting the Bible? Because I can quote the Bible right now:

"Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." (1 Samuel 15:3)

Wait - isn't genocide a bad thing?

Or how about this: "Put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite." (Proverbs 23:2) Oh, except... isn't suicide a sin? And have you seen my Christmas dinner spread? Ugh.

Or my personal favorite: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21)

Uffdah. I guess I don't really want to be all that perfect, or have a lot of treasure in heaven because truthfully - I have no intention of selling off all my possessions. I like having a roof over my head and place to sleep at night, food on my table, and being able to have a television that could, if I chose, make it so I could watch Duck Dynasty. (My television has actually never had that show on it, but theoretically, it could)

But the point is: if we take Jesus at face value - if we take him literally - that is but one of our many challenges as faithful disciples that few of us follow. And we all fail pretty miserably whenever we try.

Whether we want to admit it or not, Christians live in an uncomfortable tension. There are disturbing, seemingly non-Christian type things in the Bible that don't quite jive with Jesus' message of peace, love and somewhat passive resistance against the governing authorities of his day. (The exception being, of course, getting out some whips and chasing out the money changers. Jesus had a spunky side.) There is a mystery that we still do not understand about the fact that Jesus affirms the validity and truth of the Old Testament scriptures, while simultaneously re-interpreting them and incorporating them in ways that baffle us to this day. Our recognition of sin and what God has done about sin through Christ finds itself lived out in a variety ways in many Christian communities. The reason so many different Christian denominations exist is because none of us know exactly how to reconcile everything we read in the Bible. It speaks to us, God's word is a living thing that creates faith in us - and there are definitely points that are non-negotiables - but we still live in the reality that we do not fully comprehend God's ways and as human hearers of this word - we mess it up.

So on the one hand, I can't really blame Phil Robertson for doing what we Christians have been struggling with for the past two thousand years. However, I also can't give him a pass when the statements he made, contrary to some people's perspectives - can, and do, hurt many people. One need only look at the suicide rates and violence against LGBT's to know such public statements only inflame these problems. Nor can one ignore the violence and struggles the African American community has suffered at the hands of the white, Christian, establishment for so long.

From my perspective, these were irresponsible statements to make, even the ones that were directly quoting the Bible. Because it's not just about quoting the Bible - it's about how you go about quoting the Bible. Wielding God's word inappropriately and irresponsibly can have devastating consequences. Wars get started because of that.

One of the disturbing parts in all of this is that apparently, for many, faithful witness about Jesus had better make sure it gets those quotes about homosexuality right. After all, such statements are the reason Jesus says we'll be hated... right? Because that's why Jesus was crucified - for denouncing gay people, just like scripture says we should.

Except... Jesus kind of never mentioned homosexuality. Like, ever.

Hmmmm.

Jesus does indeed warn that his disciples will be hated. But I really don't think it's because they stand up and quote Leviticus 18 faithfully or because they're making offensive comments directed to a particular group of people in His name.

Jesus said they were going to be hated for the opposite reason. That they were going to be hated because they were supposed to follow Leviticus 19: "love your neighbor as yourself." Which, for the Israelites - their neighbor meant their enemies and those whom they disagreed with. Jesus was crucified not because he made some radical statements that upset the secular world and gay community, but because he spoke of a radical love that upset the - get this now - religious leaders of his day... who quoted and followed scripture! <GASP!> He called them a brood of vipers. He challenged their views on purity and righteousness. He was crucified - by faithful, "Bible"-following people.

Let that sink in for a moment.

He even had the audacity to suggest that God's grace and mercy was for EVERYONE. That the religious leaders should be focusing more on mercy, love and justice than following the letter of the law. That forgiveness and healing was available to the outcasts and "sinners." And if you go back and really read the gospels - Jesus' threats about "hell" are never directed at the pagan world. They're directed at the religious leadership. The faithful. The people who have the inside track on this whole God thing. And he was crucified because he made a particular claim in a world that deified their Roman leader - who claimed to be the Son of God, Savior of the world, and the Prince of Peace. That trust and security wasn't going to be found in the Roman system.

Ultimately, the cross of Christ is offensive because it upends the way in which we tend to view the world. Notions of power and strength don't operate the same way in God's Kingdom. The gospel is offensive because it rails against human systems.

Not necessarily because it takes a stand against homosexuality.

I think Tony Compolo really got it right when he made the statement, "love the sinner, hate your own sin." Because believe me, I have a laundry list a mile long - and no, I don't repent of all of it. Because repenting means going completely down a new path and turning away from those sins. Honestly, there are behaviors I engage in, actions I commit, thoughts I have, that I'm not really and truly sorry about. I can be judgmental and figure out a way to justify it. Because - well - I'm a sinner. I'm a hypocrite at times. Because - well - like I said, we Christians are good at that. Many of the things scripture - and Jesus - has to say makes me uncomfortable. Because that's what it's designed to do. It's supposed to make you think about what you're doing in your life and I don't care who you are, you will find something that isn't quite up to par.

Which... is kind of the point of Jesus and why he came here in the first place. Because - we're broken, screwed up people who can't deal with God on his terms, so he came to deal with us on ours, in a form and way we MIGHT have some ability to begin to fathom.

The bottom line is, just because you can quote the Bible does not mean you are necessarily being an ambassador for Christ. Satan quoted the Bible when he tempted Jesus. Now don't take that to an extreme - I'm not suggesting Phil Robertson is Satan (because I know someone will try to suggest that's what I just said. It's not.) My point is - just because "the Bible says it" doesn't give us an automatic "pass" on quoting it and utilizing it to justify every viewpoint we might have. Rather, it requires some thoughtful reflection on how best to convey Jesus' message of salvation to people. How does this scripture fit with the overarching themes of the Bible - faith, love, justice, and mercy? "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24)

There is real persecution of Christians going on in this world - but firing Phil Robertson for making some questionable and charged comments is not one of them. Yes, he had a "right" to say them. But his heavily leaning LGBT employers also had a right to say, "you've crossed a line." (And keep in mind - he hasn't been fired. He was suspended.)

The issue continues to be a debatable one within Christian circles and is but another divisive issue within the church. However, even if Phil's faith and understanding of "proper sexual relationships" is not compatible with LGBT's, there are better ways to address the issue.

Personally, as a Christian, I did not see his statements as standing up for Christ. A good friend of mine put it this way: "When you think you are being persecuted, first ask yourself, "Am I being a jerk?"

Nelson Mandela & The Narrow Gate

On December 5th, the world lost one of its greatest statesmen, Nelson Mandela. As his death hit the Facebook and Twitter cyber-waves, over and over again I saw questions and statements like: “Will we ever see his equal again?” or “If we all could be a little more like Nelson Mandela, what a beautiful world…sigh.”

Indeed, it seems the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Lutheran King, Jr., Gandhi… greats among those who practiced non-violent resistance… are a rare breed indeed. And in Mr. Mandela’s case, he didn’t just arbitrarily claim Christianity (a life-long Methodist) as his faith – but lived it to the very best of his ability.

A man who, after being jailed the better part of 27 years for his work against apartheid in South Africa, rather than seeking revenge or retribution against those who incarcerated him – forgave his jailors. Forgave the injustices that had been done to him. And in turn, taught an entire continent – and the world for that matter – the beauty of forgiveness.

The sad part is, Nelson Mandela was not doing anything all that bizarre or strange from a Christian perspective. He was simply following the tenets of his faith. A faith that, according to population statistics, is adhered to by a third of the world.

Though you wouldn’t know it to look at us.

This reality made me begin to think of Jesus’ statement,

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

This passage in scripture many times gets quoted to talk about faith in general and how if you don’t believe in Jesus, then you’re headed down the path to destruction (aka hell in many interpretations). However, I don’t think “hell” – that fiery lake of sulfur and torment that many equate this statement to be referencing – is what Jesus is talking about at all.

In fact, I think Jesus’ statement here has a far more urgent and worldly connotation that is applicable in the here and now – not just the afterlife. Instead, this teaching, when put in context, has very  little to do with saying something like the sinner’s prayer or walking down to the front of the church to commit yourself to Christ either for the first time or the tenth time.

Rather, this statement is about taking that commitment and putting it into action. How does one follow and live out this faith they so passionately profess? This verse in scripture follows on the heels of Jesus’ teaching on the “golden rule,” (In everything do to others as you would have them do to you), judging others, bearing good fruit, self-deception and “hearers vs. doers.” Read all of Matthew 7 if you'd like to get a clearer picture of all these teachings put together.

The reason the gate and road that lead to life are so narrow is because it is, in fact, so difficult to follow. Its statement is so true. One path leads to life – one path leads to destruction. Simple as that. War, vengeance, violence, grudges, anger, greed, cruelty, hypocrisy, judging others… easier paths to be sure, but destructive paths in the end. Paths that send us into cycles of violence that we scarcely know how to begin to change. Paths that lead to anything but the kind of life God has envisioned for our world. The fruit that is produced from acts of love and forgiveness are very different kinds of fruit compared to those that are born of vengeance and violence. Few can argue that our world tends to bear the latter rather than the former.

And let’s face it – even many of us who claim to have faith in Christ are guilty of taking the wider road that leads to destruction… because how many of us are willing and able to follow much of what Jesus instructed and thus exemplified in his own life and ministry? Forgiveness, rather than revenge. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Don’t judge. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking you are somehow more “in” with God than another person or group of people because of your doctrinal stances.

When Jesus finishes this litany of teaching he follows it up with:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”

I think it is safe to say – Nelson Mandela heard Jesus’ words and acted upon them. In a world that has become ever-more fearful, where nations build walls and introduce intricate domestic spying networks on its citizens all in the name of “security,” Mandela serves as a stark reminder to us that the cause of peace and justice is not always found in military might, that our anger at how our governments work – even when they’re corrupt, unjust and greedy – is not always best dealt with in the form of armed resistance.

So when people ask, “Will we ever see his equal again,” my ardent hope is that the answer is YES! Given there are nearly 2 billion people that self-identify as followers of Christ, I would fervently pray and hope that among those 2 billion people, there are those who do indeed take the narrow, yet difficult, path.  I’m fairly certain I haven’t always been one of them, finding the ways of the world at times easier than the ways of Christ.

Nelson Mandela was not a perfect man by any means, nor was he a man that always, 100%, held fast and true to his non-violent mantra. And there were many who worked while he sat in jail to help end the apartheid that go unnamed and unmentioned. But for the most part, I think it is fair to say that he strove to take the narrow path, and that despite the flaws, and at times even failures to live these ideals out perfectly - he made the most impact on the world during those times when he exemplified Christ's teachings.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)