The role of a modern pastor is difficult. Well, no more difficult than preachers and prophets of old, actually. So I guess the role of a modern, or not so modern, pastor/preacher/prophet has always been difficult.
On the one hand, we are called to speak the truth, to be prophetic in that sense. Prophets are, first and foremost, truth-tellers. The problem is - the truth at times is not what people want to hear; people that pay for you to have a roof over your head and food on your table. Telling them what they want to hear, or simply choosing to stay silent, is typically the more "prudent" thing to do.
Yet that would not make us preachers of God's Word. That would make us little more than inspirational speakers. God's Word is meant to "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." It is meant to challenge and it is meant to be a mirror that reflects back to us our own sinful behavior.
I tend to tread carefully when it comes to issues of politics because our congregations are made up of varying and diverse opinions on such matters. As many have said, "keep politics out of the pulpit." People leave churches because they don't like to hear about "political" issues. What I've come to realize that really means, however, is, "don't challenge what I believe, church needs to be a comfortable space for me."
Yet, politics is precisely where a prophet/preacher typically winds up. The prophets of old - Moses, Elijah, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. etc. all spent the bulk of their time challenging the political and power systems of their day by speaking out against injustices and corruption.
In particular I'm reminded of Jeremiah who did not want to speak out, but said that God's Word burned within his bones like a fire so that he could not remain silent. While I would never pretend that I am somehow on the same level as a prophet such as Jeremiah, I understand this mixture of desiring to not be controversial, but feeling as though to not speak is worse. I am called to speak God's Word as I understand it, and it is screaming at me right now.
As for Jesus... well, Jesus was killed on account of politics. Crucifixion was a form of Roman Imperialistic capital punishment typically reserved for... (wait for it)... political dissenters. Jesus promoted dangerous ideas that flew in the face of worldly economies and powers. He wanted to elevate the poor and oppressed and tear down the powerful. That was threatening to the powerful.
There's a reason Jesus pointed out that Israel tended to kill its prophets. They didn't like the truths that were being shoved in their faces. They didn't like being told they were racist when they held disdain for the Samaritans, who were fellow Israelites. They didn't like being told that the very foundations of their worship, the Temple, was built upon injustice - that it excluded the most vulnerable and marginalized of society whether they were "unclean" or too poor to afford the sacrifices and taxes that the Temple system required. Not to mention Solomon built the original Temple with slaves and by over-taxing his people to the point that they eventually rebelled when Solomon's son took over as king and the kingdom split and divided into two factions and kingdoms that would become bitter enemies.
Here in America, we don't like being told that many of our "sacred" institutions and traditions are founded on similar injustices. The moment one suggests such a thing through a simple act of humility such as taking a knee in silent protest, they are called ingrates, unpatriotic, and typically told to just get out of the country if they don't like it. They are accused of causing division rather than uniting.
The problem is... we are already divided. We are like the Israelites in that sense. Some of us built what we now enjoy off the backs of our fellow Americans, and shockingly those who were not the ones "in charge" see what has been built very differently. As someone recently pointed out, "Racism is so American, that when we protest racism, it is seen by the average American as protesting America." There's a shocking and stunning, yet very simple, truth in that statement.
While I am an American, born and raised, I find that identity secondary, for I am first and foremost a Christian. Christ knows no national, political, racial, or gender allegiances. "For in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female." (Galatians 3:28) Jesus speaks for the Puerto Rican, Mexican, African, Asian and yes, even Arab, as much as he speaks for the white Anglo-Saxon American. He points out our sins equally, and redeems equally.
Here in America, we have a great sin. We have many sins, don't get me wrong, but there's one in particular that runs deep through the roots and fabric of our founding: it's called racism.
From the very inception of this nation, we have been guilty of racism. Whether it was declaring the natives of this land inferior "heathens" that deserved to be subjugated or exterminated, to the African slaves our white European ancestors brought over in shackles. At the core of everything that is "American" this sin underlies that reality. White people have been and continue to be in power as a result of colonialist imperialism. Therefore, as the "ruling" race and power in this country, we have an obligation to address this issue. As Jesus stated, "To whom much has been given, much will be required." (Luke 12:48)
Whether we are aware of it or not, racism infiltrates the very fabric of Americanism, from our National Anthem (the third verse refers to how during the War of 1812, the British offered freedom to black slaves if they fought against Americans. These black slaves shockingly thought freedom sounded better than slavery. Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star Spangled Banner, wrote about the blood of these "hirelings and slaves" as being treasonous to America), to even our constitution that declared a black man/slave was only worth 3/5ths of a white man (even that was only granted after they instituted the 13th Amendment, which was originally for tax purposes). Racism is found embedded in the bedrock of our constitution, our songs, and hence even our flag.
Some may argue, "but that is the past. How can we be held responsible for what has happened in the past?"
We are held responsible because it is NOT in the past. We may no longer shackle non-whites with literal irons and chains anymore, but the systems of power that were at work then continue to be at work now. If you are white and you are able to say, "we just need to move on," that right there speaks of the privilege you experience as a white American. You can move on because it does not affect your daily life. This is not the case for millions of other non-white Americans.
I have heard arguments about how white people wish they could get the same certain "entitlements" that are afforded to black people in our society, such as scholarships that are given only to minorities. While it is true that being poor can be found within all racial types, the percentages of those who live in poverty in this nation are skewed heavily in the direction of minorities. 9% of white Americans live in poverty, compared to 22% of black Americans, 20% of Hispanic, and 13% of all other minority races. (The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation) That means nearly 1/4 of all black people in this country live below the poverty line. Think about that.
That is why certain "entitlements" exist. Despite all the accolades white people tout regarding the "American Dream," cycles of poverty are not so easily broken, especially when one is battling not only poverty, but racism as well. The "rags to riches" story is atypical, not the norm. It is therefore justice to help those who start out way behind the starting line. One look at the distribution of power along racial (and gender for that matter) within our governing bodies such as Congress reflects this reality.
Like most Americans, I was brought up to respect things like the flag. Though to be honest, the flag to me is a symbol that points to something else. It points to what this country is supposed to stand for: freedom and equality. This ideology was imbedded in me deeply growing up. My father flew the American flag outside our home daily. We have always been proud Americans.
However, what it is supposed to stand for and what it actually stands for might be very different depending on your experience in America (or outside America). Nationalism and patriotism serve a function and role in our society, and I understand that. My grandfather was awarded a purple heart for his sacrifices at the Battle of the Bulge. As an American, he fought against a competing ideology - a competing nation that also had great patriots for their country.
As a Christian, however, I am forced to look beyond patriotism and nationalism. I do not disrespect in any way the sacrifices hard-working Americans have made over the centuries for the sake of our nation, for the sake of promoting certain ideals regarding freedom and equality.
That does not mean I don't also see where these supposed American ideals do not actually get lived out in reality. That those freedoms we are so proud of are not actually being equally applied to all people in this country who are just as American as I am. In fact, when we call people who choose to exercise their freedom SOB's, "ingrates" or worse - call for their execution (which I've seen), we are ourselves violating the very tenets of what the flag symbolizes. When we blindly enforce certain "respect" or even dare I say "worship" of such a symbol, we have turned it into an idol of our own making.
Which makes it even more troublesome to me how we have wrapped Jesus in our flag. Jesus... the man who promoted the idea that people should give up all their possessions and follow him. (American capitalism shudders at the very notion.) That to be blessed means you are hungry, poor, meek and pretty much everything that is opposite of what we consider strength and power in America. (Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount if you don't know what I'm talking about.) The man who was offered worldly kingdoms and turned them down, because they were but poor reflections of the true Kingdom of God. This Jesus who told parables that challenged all notions of what power and strength actually look like in God's Kingdom. The man who called upon us to love our enemies, even when they continually seek to harm us. God's economics also don't play well in America. After all, what employer in America is going to pay the same wage to the guy or gal who shows up early in the morning for work as to the person who doesn't start until five in the afternoon?
I don't think Jesus wants to be wrapped in our flag. I think Jesus probably sees America much the same way he saw Rome: a worldly power that showed its strength by human force and uses worldly ways to determine value and worth, while Jesus showed his strength and power by dying at the hands of that force and elevated those the rest of society deems worthless and of no value.
The question that I ponder is would Jesus take a knee if he'd been an American? Would he have been one of those ingrates, or SOB's, who never served in the military and determined that the systemic racism and inequality in this country was worth protesting? Was worth...dare I say... dying for? I'll let you ponder that one on your own and come to whatever conclusions you want.
It was a sad day for me, however, when last weekend a friend of mine who is raising two children she adopted from Ethiopia stated that the NFL spoke the gospel more clearly to her children and their experience and reality than the church ever has. That something that is itself an idol (American football) spoke against another idol more effectively than the followers of Jesus Christ.
It's a sad day when people say, "Pay attention to REAL problems like what's happening in Puerto Rico," not realizing that the humanitarian crises that is unfolding due to American lack of compassion and action on the island's behalf is driven by the exact same racism that is being protested on American football fields. There is an attitude that Puerto Rico is not "worth" salvaging because it was hit by two hurricanes in rapid succession. It's a good thing Florida, New Orleans, Houston and the entire East Coast are not subject to that same criteria. Or California when it is repeatedly rocked by earthquakes. Or the midwest when tornadoes rip through wreaking destruction across the heartland. We have the resources and we have the means to get the supplies where they need to go. We just aren't willing to commit those ships and resources for that purpose. The problem is, the people in Puerto Rico tend to speak a language other than English and most aren't white. Our "American values" are showing...
That should be unconscionable if you are a Christian. Heck, if you are a human. This is not the same as being wary of supplying aid to a nation that has a government in place that will not ever let the supplies get to the people who need it. Puerto Rico is a US Territory. The ones who are blocking the aid: the United States. We have become the corrupt institution that denies aid to its own citizens, determining who is "worth" helping and who is not. I guarantee had Mar-A-Lago been destroyed, aid would have been supplied immediately.
As most know, I don't think it's possible for me to write a blog post and not mention the book of Revelation somewhere. So I would be remiss to not mention it here. What I see getting played out in our country right now, and among Christians in particular, is the timeless question Revelation asks: Who do you belong to? Do you belong to the beastly and oppressive systems of the world, or do you belong to the lamb who was slain in order to set people free? Which will have your allegiance? Which will you stand - or kneel - before in submission? This question was asked to a variety of different Christian congregations in the first century (seven, to be exact) - those who were being persecuted, and those who were living rather comfortably within Roman society. Each congregation heard, no doubt, a different message. Some were confronted and made to feel uncomfortable, while others were offered hope in the midst of despair.
Therefore if my willingness to say I do not idolize America makes me unpatriotic, then so be it. Nations rise and fall. What is here today is gone tomorrow, but the Kingdom of God, where my citizenship truly lies, is eternal.
All I can think of is what would have happened if more patriotic Germans had stood up and said, "Sorry, we cannot support the Fatherland if it is going to exterminate a large segment of its population, as we don't see that as upholding German values." What if more people had knelt in protest instead of feeling it was their duty to salute the Nazi flag? (There was a time I would have said this was an extreme example used for shock value, but with what is happening with the rise of Nazism and white supremacy in this country - this is no longer hyperbole in my opinion.)
With all of that said... now I will sharpen up my resume and start my job search... :)
On the one hand, we are called to speak the truth, to be prophetic in that sense. Prophets are, first and foremost, truth-tellers. The problem is - the truth at times is not what people want to hear; people that pay for you to have a roof over your head and food on your table. Telling them what they want to hear, or simply choosing to stay silent, is typically the more "prudent" thing to do.
Yet that would not make us preachers of God's Word. That would make us little more than inspirational speakers. God's Word is meant to "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." It is meant to challenge and it is meant to be a mirror that reflects back to us our own sinful behavior.
I tend to tread carefully when it comes to issues of politics because our congregations are made up of varying and diverse opinions on such matters. As many have said, "keep politics out of the pulpit." People leave churches because they don't like to hear about "political" issues. What I've come to realize that really means, however, is, "don't challenge what I believe, church needs to be a comfortable space for me."
Yet, politics is precisely where a prophet/preacher typically winds up. The prophets of old - Moses, Elijah, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. etc. all spent the bulk of their time challenging the political and power systems of their day by speaking out against injustices and corruption.
In particular I'm reminded of Jeremiah who did not want to speak out, but said that God's Word burned within his bones like a fire so that he could not remain silent. While I would never pretend that I am somehow on the same level as a prophet such as Jeremiah, I understand this mixture of desiring to not be controversial, but feeling as though to not speak is worse. I am called to speak God's Word as I understand it, and it is screaming at me right now.
As for Jesus... well, Jesus was killed on account of politics. Crucifixion was a form of Roman Imperialistic capital punishment typically reserved for... (wait for it)... political dissenters. Jesus promoted dangerous ideas that flew in the face of worldly economies and powers. He wanted to elevate the poor and oppressed and tear down the powerful. That was threatening to the powerful.
There's a reason Jesus pointed out that Israel tended to kill its prophets. They didn't like the truths that were being shoved in their faces. They didn't like being told they were racist when they held disdain for the Samaritans, who were fellow Israelites. They didn't like being told that the very foundations of their worship, the Temple, was built upon injustice - that it excluded the most vulnerable and marginalized of society whether they were "unclean" or too poor to afford the sacrifices and taxes that the Temple system required. Not to mention Solomon built the original Temple with slaves and by over-taxing his people to the point that they eventually rebelled when Solomon's son took over as king and the kingdom split and divided into two factions and kingdoms that would become bitter enemies.
Here in America, we don't like being told that many of our "sacred" institutions and traditions are founded on similar injustices. The moment one suggests such a thing through a simple act of humility such as taking a knee in silent protest, they are called ingrates, unpatriotic, and typically told to just get out of the country if they don't like it. They are accused of causing division rather than uniting.
The problem is... we are already divided. We are like the Israelites in that sense. Some of us built what we now enjoy off the backs of our fellow Americans, and shockingly those who were not the ones "in charge" see what has been built very differently. As someone recently pointed out, "Racism is so American, that when we protest racism, it is seen by the average American as protesting America." There's a shocking and stunning, yet very simple, truth in that statement.
While I am an American, born and raised, I find that identity secondary, for I am first and foremost a Christian. Christ knows no national, political, racial, or gender allegiances. "For in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female." (Galatians 3:28) Jesus speaks for the Puerto Rican, Mexican, African, Asian and yes, even Arab, as much as he speaks for the white Anglo-Saxon American. He points out our sins equally, and redeems equally.
Here in America, we have a great sin. We have many sins, don't get me wrong, but there's one in particular that runs deep through the roots and fabric of our founding: it's called racism.
From the very inception of this nation, we have been guilty of racism. Whether it was declaring the natives of this land inferior "heathens" that deserved to be subjugated or exterminated, to the African slaves our white European ancestors brought over in shackles. At the core of everything that is "American" this sin underlies that reality. White people have been and continue to be in power as a result of colonialist imperialism. Therefore, as the "ruling" race and power in this country, we have an obligation to address this issue. As Jesus stated, "To whom much has been given, much will be required." (Luke 12:48)
Whether we are aware of it or not, racism infiltrates the very fabric of Americanism, from our National Anthem (the third verse refers to how during the War of 1812, the British offered freedom to black slaves if they fought against Americans. These black slaves shockingly thought freedom sounded better than slavery. Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star Spangled Banner, wrote about the blood of these "hirelings and slaves" as being treasonous to America), to even our constitution that declared a black man/slave was only worth 3/5ths of a white man (even that was only granted after they instituted the 13th Amendment, which was originally for tax purposes). Racism is found embedded in the bedrock of our constitution, our songs, and hence even our flag.
Some may argue, "but that is the past. How can we be held responsible for what has happened in the past?"
We are held responsible because it is NOT in the past. We may no longer shackle non-whites with literal irons and chains anymore, but the systems of power that were at work then continue to be at work now. If you are white and you are able to say, "we just need to move on," that right there speaks of the privilege you experience as a white American. You can move on because it does not affect your daily life. This is not the case for millions of other non-white Americans.
I have heard arguments about how white people wish they could get the same certain "entitlements" that are afforded to black people in our society, such as scholarships that are given only to minorities. While it is true that being poor can be found within all racial types, the percentages of those who live in poverty in this nation are skewed heavily in the direction of minorities. 9% of white Americans live in poverty, compared to 22% of black Americans, 20% of Hispanic, and 13% of all other minority races. (The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation) That means nearly 1/4 of all black people in this country live below the poverty line. Think about that.
That is why certain "entitlements" exist. Despite all the accolades white people tout regarding the "American Dream," cycles of poverty are not so easily broken, especially when one is battling not only poverty, but racism as well. The "rags to riches" story is atypical, not the norm. It is therefore justice to help those who start out way behind the starting line. One look at the distribution of power along racial (and gender for that matter) within our governing bodies such as Congress reflects this reality.
Like most Americans, I was brought up to respect things like the flag. Though to be honest, the flag to me is a symbol that points to something else. It points to what this country is supposed to stand for: freedom and equality. This ideology was imbedded in me deeply growing up. My father flew the American flag outside our home daily. We have always been proud Americans.
However, what it is supposed to stand for and what it actually stands for might be very different depending on your experience in America (or outside America). Nationalism and patriotism serve a function and role in our society, and I understand that. My grandfather was awarded a purple heart for his sacrifices at the Battle of the Bulge. As an American, he fought against a competing ideology - a competing nation that also had great patriots for their country.
As a Christian, however, I am forced to look beyond patriotism and nationalism. I do not disrespect in any way the sacrifices hard-working Americans have made over the centuries for the sake of our nation, for the sake of promoting certain ideals regarding freedom and equality.
That does not mean I don't also see where these supposed American ideals do not actually get lived out in reality. That those freedoms we are so proud of are not actually being equally applied to all people in this country who are just as American as I am. In fact, when we call people who choose to exercise their freedom SOB's, "ingrates" or worse - call for their execution (which I've seen), we are ourselves violating the very tenets of what the flag symbolizes. When we blindly enforce certain "respect" or even dare I say "worship" of such a symbol, we have turned it into an idol of our own making.
Which makes it even more troublesome to me how we have wrapped Jesus in our flag. Jesus... the man who promoted the idea that people should give up all their possessions and follow him. (American capitalism shudders at the very notion.) That to be blessed means you are hungry, poor, meek and pretty much everything that is opposite of what we consider strength and power in America. (Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount if you don't know what I'm talking about.) The man who was offered worldly kingdoms and turned them down, because they were but poor reflections of the true Kingdom of God. This Jesus who told parables that challenged all notions of what power and strength actually look like in God's Kingdom. The man who called upon us to love our enemies, even when they continually seek to harm us. God's economics also don't play well in America. After all, what employer in America is going to pay the same wage to the guy or gal who shows up early in the morning for work as to the person who doesn't start until five in the afternoon?
I don't think Jesus wants to be wrapped in our flag. I think Jesus probably sees America much the same way he saw Rome: a worldly power that showed its strength by human force and uses worldly ways to determine value and worth, while Jesus showed his strength and power by dying at the hands of that force and elevated those the rest of society deems worthless and of no value.
The question that I ponder is would Jesus take a knee if he'd been an American? Would he have been one of those ingrates, or SOB's, who never served in the military and determined that the systemic racism and inequality in this country was worth protesting? Was worth...dare I say... dying for? I'll let you ponder that one on your own and come to whatever conclusions you want.
It was a sad day for me, however, when last weekend a friend of mine who is raising two children she adopted from Ethiopia stated that the NFL spoke the gospel more clearly to her children and their experience and reality than the church ever has. That something that is itself an idol (American football) spoke against another idol more effectively than the followers of Jesus Christ.
It's a sad day when people say, "Pay attention to REAL problems like what's happening in Puerto Rico," not realizing that the humanitarian crises that is unfolding due to American lack of compassion and action on the island's behalf is driven by the exact same racism that is being protested on American football fields. There is an attitude that Puerto Rico is not "worth" salvaging because it was hit by two hurricanes in rapid succession. It's a good thing Florida, New Orleans, Houston and the entire East Coast are not subject to that same criteria. Or California when it is repeatedly rocked by earthquakes. Or the midwest when tornadoes rip through wreaking destruction across the heartland. We have the resources and we have the means to get the supplies where they need to go. We just aren't willing to commit those ships and resources for that purpose. The problem is, the people in Puerto Rico tend to speak a language other than English and most aren't white. Our "American values" are showing...
That should be unconscionable if you are a Christian. Heck, if you are a human. This is not the same as being wary of supplying aid to a nation that has a government in place that will not ever let the supplies get to the people who need it. Puerto Rico is a US Territory. The ones who are blocking the aid: the United States. We have become the corrupt institution that denies aid to its own citizens, determining who is "worth" helping and who is not. I guarantee had Mar-A-Lago been destroyed, aid would have been supplied immediately.
As most know, I don't think it's possible for me to write a blog post and not mention the book of Revelation somewhere. So I would be remiss to not mention it here. What I see getting played out in our country right now, and among Christians in particular, is the timeless question Revelation asks: Who do you belong to? Do you belong to the beastly and oppressive systems of the world, or do you belong to the lamb who was slain in order to set people free? Which will have your allegiance? Which will you stand - or kneel - before in submission? This question was asked to a variety of different Christian congregations in the first century (seven, to be exact) - those who were being persecuted, and those who were living rather comfortably within Roman society. Each congregation heard, no doubt, a different message. Some were confronted and made to feel uncomfortable, while others were offered hope in the midst of despair.
Therefore if my willingness to say I do not idolize America makes me unpatriotic, then so be it. Nations rise and fall. What is here today is gone tomorrow, but the Kingdom of God, where my citizenship truly lies, is eternal.
All I can think of is what would have happened if more patriotic Germans had stood up and said, "Sorry, we cannot support the Fatherland if it is going to exterminate a large segment of its population, as we don't see that as upholding German values." What if more people had knelt in protest instead of feeling it was their duty to salute the Nazi flag? (There was a time I would have said this was an extreme example used for shock value, but with what is happening with the rise of Nazism and white supremacy in this country - this is no longer hyperbole in my opinion.)
With all of that said... now I will sharpen up my resume and start my job search... :)
