America: the Movie

Today my wife and I went to the theater and watched America narrated and directed by Dinesh D'Souza.

It's about an hour and a half long - plus the trailers of course!

It's worth seeing.  The first part of the movie explores 5 or 6 common criticisms of America including the treatment of the Native Americans, slavery, imperialism, capitalism, and the Mexican-American War.  Most of the remainder of the movie responds to these accusations.

If you are well familiar with American history you will recognize that the gist of D'Souzas arguments are well done, although short.  They would probably not convince someone on the Left because they are short answers and  the accusations against America deserve  longer, more careful responses.  Furthermore, history is more complicated than that one view of America is right and the other view is wrong.

Nevertheless, the movie is a good introduction to the answers to those accusations and hopefully the beginning of helpful dialogue.

Some important things to consider.
First, all the indictments of America are actually indictments against all of humanity.  There isn't an empire in world history that isn't guilty of all or most of the accusations made against America (maybe couched in slightly different terms).  Most world empires are far worse than we have been.

Human beings, the world over, are nasty creatures - prone to treat their fellow humans with cruelty and evil.  This sad fact is true of every society that I have heard of.  And as we saw after World War II, evil runs through every human heart.  Part of the American genius was to recognize this human weakness and write into our Constitution and laws safeguards against evil and power hungry humans.  We are forgetting this at our peril today and allowing too much power in the hands of the President at the expense of Congress.  Too much power is in Washington compared to the states.  And too much is in the hands of large businesses who are accountable to few, and certainly not the voting public.

Second, America is guilty of many sins - including some of those described in the movie.  What those critics of America forget, and the movie reminds us, is that these are not uniquely American faults.  Those who would criticize America alone for these faults are ignorant or hypocritical.  Nor should we expect that America will be a perfect nation now or in the future.  Searching for such perfect has led many people down many terrible roads.  Communism and the Nazis come to mind.

The high point of the movie for me as an American and as a Christian was in the description of Saul Alinsky's methods.

One of Alinsky's methods to help refashion America was to polarize the country and to not allow for forgiveness or reconciliation.  Sound like where we are?  People are more and more nasty to each other, the two major parties are moving further and further apart.  Yet when I talk to ordinary people who claim to be Liberals or on the Left, or who don't like Conservatives, it's amazing that we have so many things in common and so many similar goals.

Yes, there are hard core people on the Right and the Left who won't move at all.  But can I hope that those more in the middle can at least talk to each other and not see each other as evil monsters?  Perhaps we can love each other in spite of our differences and find solutions to benefit the entire country?

As Christians reconciliation is our task.  (See NT Wright's book Surprised by Hope)  We are heralds for a God who has gone to and is going to great lengths to reconcile a nasty, sinful human race to himself and then to restore and transform this world for them.
  

As Americans let's reconcile and forgive each other -- or at least talk to each other!  As Christians, let's do the same.  For the future of our nation and for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Elections: Your side won, now what?

So, the election is just around the corner - mere days away.  In a week or less you will (we hope) go to bed knowing who won, or you will wake up the next day and find out.  (Unless it's really close.  I sure hope that doesn't happen!)

So  - your side won!  Congratulations!  (Maybe!)  Now what?

First, no gloating.  I'm writing this first draft about three weeks before the election, but I'm betting that at least 40% of the population will vote for the loser in the presidential election.  That means that four out of every ten people you might meet are delusional idiots - right?!  Hopefully not.  They may have different values than you, or be less informed, but their hopes are being dashed.  They are fellow Americans.  They are people you should care about.  Some of them even hold their views as a result of intelligent thought.  (Imagine that!)

Second, your candidate(s) won't solve all (or perhaps any) of the problems we're facing in this country.  Our problems are huge.  Support your candidate(s), but be aware that given the need to get laws through legislative bodies, special interests, changing circumstances and so on, that many of those hopes and promises will be modified or left unfulfilled.

Third, be humble.  Your ideas and values may be wrong.  You may be able to learn from those on the other side of the political spectrum.

Fourth, be loving toward those who lost.  Your turn to lose will come; I can guarantee it.

Fifth, don't forget to continue to support those who are newly elected.  Let them know when you support them and disagree with them.  Let them know why.  They are our servants, not our bosses.  Pray for them.

Sixth, don't write off your side if your candidates have to go against what they said they would do when they ran for office.  Sometimes politicians change their points of view or actions because they want to get political favors.  But sometimes the necessities of governing mean that they must do things they didn't want to do at one point.

Lastly, we must decrease the amount of distrust we Americans have for people who hold other political views.  "We must all strive for unity, peace, and a re-examination of how we can learn to live with each other better at both a national and international level."  (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2012/10/us-presidential-elections-a-nation-divided/

As we pray for our leaders, let's also actively work toward being understanding and kind toward others.

Elections: Your side lost, now what?

So, the election is just around the corner - mere days away  (Won't you be glad when it's over!).  In a week or less you will (we hope) go to bed knowing who won, or you will wake up the next day and find out.  (Unless it's really close.  I sure hope that doesn't happen!)

So  - your side lost!  I'm sorry!  (Maybe!  Depends on whether I won, right?!)  Now what?

First, no nastiness toward the winners.  I'm writing the first draft of this about three weeks before the election, but I'm betting that at least 40% of the population will vote for the loser in the presidential election.  That means that four out of every ten people you might meet are delusional idiots - right?!  Hopefully not.  They may have different values than you, or be less informed, but they are fellow Americans.  They are people you should care about and treat with kindness and dignity.  Some of them even hold their views as a result of intelligent thought.  (Imagine that!)  Also, about four out of every ten people agree with you (more or less)!  Maybe next time your side will do better!

Second, your candidate(s) wouldn't have solved all (or perhaps any) of the problems we're facing in this country.  Our problems are huge.  Some, perhaps much, of what the winning side wants may not get done.

Third, be humble.  Your ideas and values may be wrong.  You may be able to learn from those on the other side of the political spectrum.

Fourth, be loving toward those who won.  Your turn to win will come; I can guarantee it, even if I don't like it.

Fifth, don't forget to continue to support those who are newly elected.  Let them know when you support them and disagree with them.  Let them know why.  They are our servants, not our bosses.  Pray for them.  Governing well is difficult.

Sixth, be glad that we live in a land where rulers and governors at all levels come and go and no one has to go into exile or is shot or imprisoned because they were on the losing side.

May that long continue.

God, The Bible, and Christianity

The Bible study group that I "lead" during the week has been studying a book by D. A. Carson, entitled The God Who is There. We're also watching the video. I can't recommend them highly enough. The audio and visual are available online as well.

I was privileged to take (I believe) three classes from Dr. Carson while I did my doctoral work at Trinity. We also were members at the same church for several years during that time and he helped me pursue a university teaching position (which didn't work out). He is a godly, gracious, and learned man. He also has a way of cutting through to the heart of the matter without losing sight of peripheral issues.

So what is the book about? Whether you have been in the church for a short time, a long time, or whether you are only interested in Christianity, you need to read the book or watch/listen to the audio-visual material. Do you want to see how theology leads to awe and worship and service?

I remember how when at seminary I came across the term "salvation-history." That is, the Bible is more than doctrine (although it certainly is that); it is the story of how God is working to redeem humanity, the world, and the entire universe through the person, sacrifice, and victory of Jesus Christ. Our understanding of the Bible and of the nature of Christianity, therefore, must flow from knowing the story first and our place in it. To use an analogy (and have it backwards, I know), "salvation-history" is the Christian equivalent of the history of Middle-Earth as told in the Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings.

Here's the blurb from the site that has the a/v material I mentioned above:

In February 2009, Don Carson presented a 14-part seminar entitled “The God Who Is There” at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. This series will serve the church well because it simultaneously evangelizes non-Christians and edifies Christians by explaining the Bible’s storyline in a non-reductionistic way. The series is geared toward “seekers” and articulates Christianity in a way that causes hearers either to reject or embrace the gospel. It’s one thing to know the Bible’s storyline, but it’s another to know one’s role in God’s ongoing story of redemption. “The God Who Is There” engages people at the worldview-level.

Are you interested in learning about Christianity or the Bible? Do you lead a Bible study or Christian small group? Are you looking for something to read that will challenge the way that you look at the world? Are you curious about God? Read the book or listen/watch the a/v material.

And may your life be forever changed as you meet and surrender to the ultimate reality, the God Who is There.

Bodies and everlasting youth

Last week I was flipping through channels and stumbled across Oprah. Dr. Oz was talking about advances in medicine that would allow us to live to 120 or more. My wife would tell you that I take a lot of supplements and fish oil in the hopes of living long and healthy. So I watched the program, until I realized that it was a rereun that I had seen before.

So what do you think about living to be 120 or more? My hero, Gandalf, lived a long time. I used to fantasize about living long and doing many things. But I'm not sure anymore. Here's why.

• sin All of us have weaknesses, foibles, sins. I used to think that I would get over them as I got older. Ha! Too lazy, too sinful, too weak. I don't want to fight the same weaknesses and sins for another 70 or more years.
• bodies My knees aren't what they used to be, nor are my eyes. And I'm in fairly good shape for my age. I know of people my age who are dead, or in far worse shape than I am. Do I really want to live in this body another 70 or more years?
• relationships Do I want to be in the same relationships, sinful and weak as I am, with other people sinful and weak as well, for another 70 or more years? Do I want to outlive my friends and relatives? (Although if we all live that long, then we wouldn't outlive each other by too much.)
• retirement Could I retire at 70 and then live another 50 years? How would I support myself?

No thanks. I'm really beginning to think that limiting us to 70 to 90 or 100 years is a favor that God has done us.

So what's to think about Dr. Oz? I'm not planning on giving up my supplements or fish oil. I hope to be healthy while I'm here, and enjoy a long life, within the span that most people live now. There's nothing wrong with that. But my hope is in the resurrection. Not this body for 120 or more years, but a new, changed body for eternity.

The hope to live to 120 or more is firmly rooted in the belief that this life is all that there is. I've discussed that in past blogs. The Christian hope is resurrection.

So - why are Christian radio and TV full of medical broadcasts about supplements on the weekends? hmm.

Resurrection

Over the last few weeks I've been commenting on various answers to what happens after people die. And now, by sheer coincidence this weekend, we come to the Christian hope. A few weeks ago I wrote:

Resurrection. We receive new bodies, similar to, but better than our old ones. Life is lived in God's presence with others who are acceptable to him.

This is the hope of Christians in the New Testament and in the nearly two thousand years since. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 15, that great chapter on the importance of Jesus' resurrection. Tomorrow we celebrate Easter - Resurrection Sunday, if you prefer.

So why is resurrection the hope of Christians? As I have said in the last few posts, humans long for significance, and not to be forgotten. And yet death destroys both. All of us will die, and people will forget about us, and we will become insignificance.

Resurrection restores us to what we believe we should have been. No second chance at life to do it better (reincarnation), but the destruction of death and sin themselves. New bodies, that lack the shortcomings and difficulties of this life. Forgiveness of sins. No more death and decay. And best of all will be the company of like minded others in the presence of God himself.

Isn't this the option that we would choose if we could? (of the various ones I outlined earlier?) Doesn't this option ring the truest? Of course, that doesn't make it true. (Check out this for some good evidence to think about.)

It all hangs on the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus did not come back from the dead, then there is no resurrection for us. But he did come back from the dead, and promises victory over death for those who follow him.

So, consider the claims of Jesus and consider this: What happens to YOU after you die? (Check out the Sermon on death and dying)



Next time: I'll hope for the best.