Army of Priests

Today, Julia Gillard, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Australia, reconfirmed her atheism. On the back of two proudly religious national leaders, and with a keen concern for our country’s future, we Christians must be naturally concerned about Ms Gillard’s commission to rule. Will a non-Christian uphold the values that we care for?

In this post I will present three reasons why Julia Gillard’s religious beliefs should be of no concern for Christians – rather we should be grateful.

But before you worry that my recent escapades in Canberra have inspired me to start electioneering on behalf of the Australian Labour Party you should know that I am not interested in how Christians vote at the upcoming federal elections. However, I do think the reasons why we vote are supremely important.

1. Christianity is not about winning power

Despite our appalling history suggesting the opposite, Christianity is not birthed out of a quest for power. Quite the opposite: Christianity is a race to the bottom.

The early Christians new well what it was like to live in a society defined by an imbalance of power. In such a society it must have been tempting to seek the reigns of control. The Roman Empire could have used a good, Christian leader after all. But instead the apostles’ writings  continuously refocus our attention away from this temptation. From the gospel’s teaching that “the last shall be first” (Mark 10:31, Matt 19:30, Luke 13:30) and its parables, to Peter’s suggestion that we rejoice in persecution (1 Peter 4), to Revelation’s terrifying metaphors the New Testament consistently abhors power. Instead, Christians are to garner authority through the way that they serve.

We are encouraged to follow Jesus’ example in this (Phil 2:5-8). He is the personification of God and the only one with true power. Yet rather than flaunt this power He instead took on the lowliest form and made a mockery of our empires. Think about it – if the true King is so secure in His supremacy that He washed the feet of the disciples what does that say for all our “Kings” and their prestigious courts, fancy thrown, and prideful disposition? Jesus makes them look like they are compensating. They are pathetic by comparison! Jesus is the ultimate ‘unKing’.

We would do well to remember that Christianity will never positively change culture through wielding political power (quite the opposite actually, when you consider our crusades and inquisitions). Instead, we will gain a more powerful authority and make a lasting impact by positioning ourselves at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. We should be so lowly that even the rejects of society: the homeless, mentally disabled, and the poor; can consider us to be their servants.

2. We can can do more engaging politics in-between elections

It is tempting to believe that election day is our greatest chance to shape the policy of our nation’s government. Yet in reality the promises that politicians make each election is really just that party’s best attempt at reflecting their electorate’s wishes. How do they know what we, the people, want? We tell them.

We can engage with politicians, and influence policy, regardless of whoever happens to win the next election. We do not need a Christian prime minister in order to educate and hold our politicians to account on issues of poverty, climate change, and social decay. One thing I learned whilst visiting our MPs was that politicians are not inherently evil, but they are held captive to popular opinion. In fact, I got the distinct impression that whilst they would like to increase Australia’s overseas aid allocation they feel this would be too unpopular with the electorate.

Letting our vote be our sole input into the political process is a disservice to society. Instead, I would wager that voting should be the least significant act of advocacy that we make. Real engagement with government involves two arms: being a constant, nagging, prophetic voice in our leader’s ears (whatever side of the ideological spectrum they sit on) and educating the population to care about the same issues we do.

3. Christians should celebrate religious diversity

Whilst historians may debate it, I would like to think that human rights is a Christian idea. As followers of Jesus we should seek to exemplify the best of humanity. We should be the hopeless idealists. Democracy itself is a fanciful idea. In a society in which everyone only wants what is best for them, and no one has room for another person’s opinion, “commonwealth” can seem ever so difficult to obtain.

Christians should embrace democracy (it is, after all, better than the other types of government we have tried – Winston Churchill). This means that we need to show society how to dialog with people that don’t share our beliefs. It is not loving nor prudent to force people of non-faith or different faiths out of the political sphere. Julia Gillard is also a child of God, though she may not know it, and she can contribute in that capacity.

I do not think Jesus is threatened by an atheist Prime Minister. Rather, I think Australian Christians have a lot to gain by showing the nation that we are not scared; nor are we a cult. We can productively work with people outside our faith. Our willingness to not blindly discriminate should be our witness. I think our country would be all the better for it.

Christian Culture Tip #12: Always Be Happy

The bible encourages us to be loving, and joyful, and patient and a whole other load of “good” emotions and from the moment we become Christians we are pressured to do experience such. This is positive pressure, perhaps, but dangerous because it causes us to disengage from our emotions when they don’t meet the standard and become unauthentic.

I had a Christian friend post a status update today: “Is it ok to hate someone just a bit??”

It really ticked me off. Why does he care to ask for permission, and are they after the permission of us or God? Why can’t they acknowledge that a problem obviously exists even if they don’t “hate”? What make’s “hate” the point at which we decide a relationship is in a bad state? Why can’t we be honest enough to feel what we actually feel what we feel and find redemption from that broken, real place?

Someone pointed out that it sounds like my friend merely “dislikes” them. But “dislike” is just a Christian term that we hide behind to avoid loving someone in a permitable way. No non-Christian uses the term “dislike” in real life. It’s Christianise for I-don’t-like-you-and-will-give-my-attention-to-someone-else. I dislike mentally disabled people, smelly people, the elderly, annoying people, and people who are bad conversationalists. They don’t have anything to give me. So I ignore them, and contribute to society’s general rejection of them. That’s cruel.

Read more…

1. Sharing lunch with homeless people
2. Exploring rugged mountian ranges
3. Campaining for justice for the poor
4. Dancing on injustice
5. Listening to old people
6. Gazing at stars through a telescope
7. Placing your self between guns and their victums
8. Selling everything and giving it to the poor
9. Sending your enemies presents for christmas
10. Stashing money in love notes in downtown
11. Reconciling people who hate eachother
12. Working to understand another culture
13. Offering redemption and forgiveness to those who wrong us
14. Accepting forgiveness from those we wrong
15. Overcomming evil with love
16. Boldly going into dark places, just to put some light there
17. Being with the poor in spirit
18. Talking to strangers
19. Giving away free stuff
20. Eating a meal with people you’re not suppose to associate with
21. Enjoying life
22. Making a difference
23. Accepting people for who they are
24. Accepting yourself for who you are
25. Exposing Exploitation
26. Being Noisy
27. Being Quiet
28. Admitting you’re broken
29. Doing what’s right when it is hard
30. Being dangerous
31. …

He gifts us so many awesome opportunities to love and serve the people who need it most…

With the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther Kings death a number of news media printed reports and opinions on his work during the 60′s and 70′s. One such article, published by CNN on Monday, was a particularly interesting read as it contrasted the Prophetic Gospel of King with the Prosperity gospel of the modern church. Here is some of what the article had to say:

Forty years after his death, King remains a prophet without honor in the institution that nurtured him, some black preachers and scholars say.

They also say King’s “prophetic” model of ministry — one that confronted political and economic institutions of power — has been sidelined by the prosperity gospel.

“It’s dangerous to be prophetic,” said Wheeler, who is also president of the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I don’t know many prophetic preachers who are driving big cars and living very comfortably. You don’t generally build huge churches by making folks uncomfortable on Sunday morning,” he said.

The Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King preached, says that prosperity preaching is not just a distortion of Jesus’ message but a betrayal of the black church’s heritage. The black church was formed by slaves who saw Jesus’ message as a tool for social justice.

You can read the full article here or (if it is deleted) download a PDF version here.

Read more…

I am convinced that the Cross of Christ is the solution to all the decay in this world. I don’t think it is just the means by which we can escape the earth to the safety of heaven whilst it descends into hell. I think Jesus died to redeem us, to fix us, to cleanse us from sin, heal us from pain, fill us with love, and make us what we were made for – beings that glorify God. This is the “missio dei” or “the mission of God”.

As part of this I have moved beyond thinking of our role as Christians as being merely that of evangelism – to convert people from one idea to another; and have come rather to think of us as participating in what is known as “Kingdom Mission” – the transformation of our lives, our communities, and our worship in real, meaningful ways. This is what being missional is all about and why I have the “friend of missional” link on the side of my blog.

In thinking about Kingdom Mission I have found it helpful to split it into two parts: being in places where it is dark and then bringing light to these places. Contextual and Incarnational Living.

Contextual Living

I have written on this before. Contextual living is nothing more than “being there”. It’s the first rule of evangelism: show up.

I can’t remember where I saw it but I once read a quote that goes: “You can’t change what you don’t see.” It’s terribly true. There is so much pain, loneliness, hopelessness and evil in this world. But it’s ‘out there’. It’s not sitting where it is comfortable for you to reach it. It’s very tempting to sit back and church and wait for God to dump an easy opportunity right in front of us that is nice and easy and doesn’t require any dear grace on our part. In fact, this is what charity does. Charity is great but it is dangerous – it allows us the ability to feel good about ourselves when really we have placed a proxy between us and the people who need us. We must invest with more than money, relationships are needed also.

I grew up in the religious ghetto. I was born into a Christian Cult called Revival Centres (aka Christian Assemblies). They were extremely wary about any contact with anyone outside the church. Fortunately, my parents moved on whilst I was still quite young and we started going to AOG churches. Now there is a very strange thing about growing up in Church – it separates you entirely from the culture around you.

See, when you get heavily involved in Church you end up devoting all your time to Christian activities. I would go to church on Sunday, Have prayer on Monday, Youth Leadership team meeting on Tuesday, Bible Study on Wednesday, might take Thursday and Friday off, and have Youth on Saturday. Many Christians never have contact with non-Christians, and if they do they rarely develop deep, meaningful relationships.

Church’s would do much better if rather than engaging their congregations in endless spiritual activity they cut back and encouraged them to spend one day a week spending time in a ’3rd place’ with non-Christians. 3rd places are where people play. A 1st place is somewhere like home, a 2nd place is work, a 3rd place is a bar or sports field. People relax and open up in 3rd places. It’s where relationships are formed.

We have to be very intentional about meeting darkness head on in this world. Weather that means going next door to confront the loneliness in our suburbs or heading to Africa to fight starvation amongst children. Do anything short of sin to get where it hurts in people’s lives. If that means swearing then swear. If it means disruption then disrupt. If it means giving then give. God came all the way across the universe to live in our gutters and our suffering and the result was our eternity.

Incarnational Living

Then once we are in dark places it is our duty to bring light to those places. To transform these places and drag them into the kingdom of God. Go into darkness and bring with you the light. Go and Do. Heal pain, show love, teach truth. This is where we get to be Jesus and introduce people to Him.

Incarnational Living looks differently in different situations. To the waiter’s union in inner-city Brisbane it means holding problem solving sessions for issues in the community and then revealing to people they chose and successfully implemented where following the principals of Christ. For Mother Teresa it meant serving the poorest and most helpless in the community. For Martin Luther King it meant confronting social injustice head on. For xxxchurch it means going into sex shows to tell porn stars that Jesus loves them. For Shane Caliborne it means holding a juggling act when the kids in the community start a fight. For someone else it may mean cooking a meal for a sick neighbour, taking in a young girl who chose to have a baby rather than an abortion, mentoring a high-risk kid, or daring to pray for a sick work mate.

All these actions shine light into dark situations. They deal with the real problems and effects of sin in practical ways. None of them are easy but this only serves to make them more significant. Whilst the ways God works are various can think of a few things we should all be doing: Praying, Sharing, Fasting, Teaching, and Celebrating God’s work.

Incarnational Living serves to introduce people to a concrete, present-day Christ, not an abstract, 2000 year-old, dead guy. As lives are transformed they’ll be swept up into the arms of God as well. Let’s “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12)

Reach into the Darkness

“Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.” – Norman B. Rice

We’ve been told to be in this world but not of it (John 17 – Contextual and Incarnational Living), but so often I feel like we Christians are of the world but not in it. Like we have wrapped the world’s addictions to safety, comfort, greed, pride, dishonesty, and loneliness in new religious garb whilst also retreating to safe spaces surrounded by holy walls. I’m as bad or worse than anyone.

Yet I believe that the Cross of Christ is the solution to all the decay in this world. I believed that God, the king of history, reached into our darkness – even surrendering himself to the disgrace of death by torture just to give a hand that pulls us into the light. I look at much of the darkness in this world – the hunger, the wars, the greed – both right in front of me and a million miles a way. But Christ died to give us hope of something more and it is our duty to share that hope with people who need it most.

God created this universe. He flung stars into space. He spins galaxies on His finger tips. There is nothing He cannot do, no life He cannot save. Our arguments and fears mean nothing in the light of His glory. He merely needs us to go. Go and be Truth and Love.

Change the world.

36 million people starve to death each year. Meanwhile, 300 million adults are obese.

1 billion people are so poor that their lives are in danger. Meanwhile, the global economy is worth $46 trillion dollars.

There are 8.6 million refugees, and 21 million “people of concern”. Meanwhile, the UN has received only 4% of the money it needs for 15 world crisis.

28 million children die from easily curable diseases each year. Meanwhile, the church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator, and property owner in existence.

I wonder: would Jesus be ashamed of us? After 2000 years we have done little to change the world. Jesus said people would know we are his disciples if we love one another (John 13:35) yet people post bumper stickers begging “Jesus, save me from your followers”. We are called to be like Christ, yet Ghandi spoke: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”

I remember walking through the city one night around a great, impressive Church. Inside the choir was practising but what shocked me is that they had forgotten the homeless person left sleeping on their steps. I was moved to pen this:

Under the Steeple
Of the old, stone Cathedral
Lies man with no cradle
Bar the cold, hard, steel rail

And under that Steeple
Of the wise, holy People
The sound of the faithful
Rips the dark night’s new veil

Yet under this Steeple
Of the great, powerful Symbol
The hungry man will wail
For some food, love, or ladle

For under this Steeple
Of the old, stone Cathedral
The folk of the temple
Are too busy, yet idle

Cos’ no one is faithful
To the man with no cradle
Hoping peace will prevail
Laying under their Steeple

I latter tried to find this man and show him that Christians are more than good singers but was never able to.

I am a Christian because I believe God is guilty of scandalous and unfair grace. I believe he loved a broken world and a broken people so much he came and died for us. I believe ‘love’ is a verb – an action word. I believe God loves us so much, even though we were so wicked, that he moved heaven and earth to show just how much he cares. I believe that if God can love me, than he can love anyone.

In this world everyone is trying to do what is best for them. Three people feast on more than they can eat whilst another seven are permanently hungry. I believe there is enough food for all ten. I believe that God did not make the mistake of putting more people on this Earth than it can support but rather that there is enough for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed.

I believe greed is unsatisfying. No matter how much one acquires there is always more to acquire. I believe there must be a better way. Jesus showed us that way. He did not seek what is best for himself but rather placed other’s first. I believe that love is a choice to place other’s before you. In this way I believe that God’s kingdom is countercultural. I would rather a shack on the rock than a castle built on sand.

I believe that Christ did not die to get a rabble into heaven but rather to create a Church that would revolutionize society. I believe he came to plant a Church which the Gates of Hell will not prevail against (Mathew 16:18). Gates are defensive fortifications, thus I believe the Church is called to be offensive – to storm the gates of sin, pain, shame, anger, and greed in this world and to change it through contagious love.

God’s plan to save us from our sin is to teach us to love. I believe love hurts. I believe that love costs. I know that the only way to undo the damage done by a self-serving culture is to become part of an other-serving culture. I believe that God loves homosexuals, immigrants, criminals, porn stars, the hungry, orphans, widows, the handicapped, the lonely, the unloved, the depressed, and the abused. And I believe that God loves me. I wonder that if God, who is infinitely huge, can love them than who am I not to?

I am a fraud. I live in comfort whilst others are uncomfortable. I eat my fill whilst others starve. I walk past people in poverty with my pay check in my pocket. But love is an action word. And love is hard. And love is costly. But love will save the world. And love has saved me.

I long for a church that reminds the world what it is to live in community. I long for more than programs on Sunday morning. I long for us to see the pain around us and ask ourselves “what does it mean to be Christian?”

I believe another world is possible. If we humble ourselves and remember that whilst we were still wretched Christ died for us than maybe we could be motivated to show that same love for other wretches. I believe that as we place others before ourselves we will infect the world one person at a time and take it over with our love. I know we won’t get it right till after we are dead, but I believe it is worth the try.

I believe we are in this world, but not of it. I think we must somehow balance the requirements of living in a corrupt world with the values of our true home. I believe God has given us the Holy Sprit and each other to help guide us on this type rope walk. I believe Christianity is not a destination. We don’t simply become saved and then exist as the end point of the gospel. I believe Christianity is a journey of imaginative, deeply expressed, and aggressive love.

Another world is possible. Another world begins in each of us.