Bob's Blog

Yesterday afternoon I was on my way into Washington, DC, roughly 8 miles from where I live in Alexandria, VA, and the traffic was backed up as usual. Roadwork on 395 has been the norm since long before my wife and I moved here 18 months ago. But yesterday, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting it, I was infuriated. It was December 30th, at 2:30 in the afternoon, going into the city, and traffic was supposed to be nominal. So when I discovered two lanes were closed, and that the average speed was less than 25 mile per hour, I was disgusted. But when I was cut off by some rogue, woman in an SUV from Maryland, my heart began pounding so hard I thought I was going to have a heart-attack!It really shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was; and so I laid on my horn long enough to make my wife blush. And when I was finally able to pull up alongside the deviant to give her one of my ‘looks’, my daughter in the back seat spoke to me the way a parent speaks to an angry and disobedient 3-year old.

Now why do I allow you see into this side of my heart — the side that I usually reserve only for those who are closest to me? Because I want you to know that I know I am a sinner. I know that anger sometimes gets its hold on me and doesn’t want to let go until it pours out its wrath on whoever is around me. Bitterness, lust, and jealously too often raise their heads in my life, and I become more interested in “talking the talk” than “walking the walk!” I have people in my life who I do want to forgive, and people I don’t even know who I’m quick to judge and resent.

Further, when I look at the world around me, the sin that I see often overwhelms me. I agree with whoever it was who said that ‘sin is the one theological concept that really doesn’t need to be proved.’ One needs to only look at the condition of humanity throughout history in order to discover the reality of peoples’ brokenness. And this sin that does indeed abound, destroys individuals, families, communities, and nations. Its effects are psychological and sociological, relational and environmental, spiritual and theological.

But. . . is humanity totally depraved? Certainly not. Is there a sinful stain on our very nature that separates us from God from the moment we are born? I don’t think so! Is the Church’s doctrine of this thing called “Original Sin,” the supposed defining mark of those created in God’s image, so theologically damning that it can only be removed by appeasing an angry God, who ransoms our tarnished souls by some kind of blood sacrifice? Hell, no!

However one my read the creations stories of Genesis, when God looks at people we are proclaimed to be ‘very good!’ And that friends is our ‘original nature’. Do we stray from it? Of course we do. But that does not negate the original blessing the comes with our birth. And to anyone who is looking at the world and prone to want to only use the events of 9/11, the recently released report on torture in the US, or to the racism and sexism that continues to plague the cities of our world, as the defining markers of humanity’s nature — all I can say is look harder! Because there is so much more out there. There is so much more to be seen. And there are so many better and more accurate indicators of the condition of the human spirit.

Look at Malala Yousafzai, and her passion and commitment to the education of young women around the world. Look at the nurses and doctors who are putting their lives on the line to care for those with Ebola. Look at the police officers in America’s cities who are risking their futures in order to keep us safe and to maintain the rule of law in this country. And look at the countless prophets of our day, who are quietly and peacefully taking a stand for justice, righteousness, and freedom.

Closer to home . . . look at my brother-in-law, Kim Hartzner, who has given his life to brining aid to those parts of our world where people are suffering as a result of political oppression and institutional greed. Look at my sister and brother-in-law, Kelli and Dave Schaad, who are attempting to make a difference in the lives of the Ugandan people, one child at a time. Look at my friends Deb Hill and Camilla Buchanan who are seeking to meet the medical needs of Kenyan women who do not have the same access to the quality medical care that we Americans are so prone to take for granted.

Friends, if you are prone to look around you and see only the sinfulness of humanity, then all I can say is you need to look harder. Because the sin that you see is miniscule when compared to the compassionate kindness and overwhelming generosity that abounds in our world today. The spark of the Divine that exists in all people is burning brightly, in countless men and women who have given their lives to that which is right and good. And while we may occasionally curse the person who cuts us off in traffic, that is simply NOT the defining mark of our lives, nor the sole reflection of our original state of being.

As we move into a new year, perhaps we might all make a resolution to stop focusing on the sin in the world around us;and to instead recognize and lift up all the goodness that abounds. For it is everywhere . . . and it is what makes life such a great joy and blessing.

So Happy New Year! And to everyone who has allowed me to discover that original blessing trumps original sin all the time — thanks for your example. It reminds me each and every day, even when I’m behind the wheel driving, that God is not finished with me yet, and that in the end, the love and blessing, always win!

What if the church were more like Apple?

Can you imagine what that would be like?

Think of a Church, as attractive as Apple!

That’s what I thought this morning as I drove to my office and saw people lined up outside the local Verizon store to get the new iPhone 6. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen people lined up at a church . . . for anything! And that makes me sad.

The Church has been given more love and grace to share than any other Body in the world! We have a Gospel that is all about an affection that is unconditional, and a mercy that is new every morning — and our call is to share that with the world. And who doesn’t need more love and affection, more grace and mercy in their lives? We live in world where hate abounds — where violent division separates Blacks from Whites, Jews from Arabs, Christians from Muslims, Republicans from Democrats. Issues regarding sexuality leads us to quickly dam others to hell for all eternity, pro-choicers condemn pro-lifers, and class warfare continues to set parent against child, brother against sister, city dweller against suburbanite. Don’t we all need a greater measure of love and grace? And don’t we need it more than we need a new cell phone.

Christ’s body in the world today has also been given a cause that simply cannot be matched by any business, corporation, government, non-profit, or NGO! The prophet Micah has challenged all those who claim to know and follow God to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly! So why do we spend so much time pitting organ lovers against guitar lovers, debating which version of the Bible is most accurate, and arguing about whether or not Jesus is going to come back to life before some great world tribulation or after? While we continue to talk in coded language that means little to the next generation, they’ve gone off and discovered yoga as a spiritual practice. We continue to ‘do business’ like we did in 1950s, and then wonder why young families are simply not interested in what we have to say or engaged by the ways we say it!

Today’s faith communities are supposed to be about just that . . . being community. We are supposed to be places that are all about building relationships with one another: caring for those who are in need, comforting those who ares hurting, showing compassion to those whose burdens are too great for them to bear alone. While the world is vastly different today than it was 10, 100, 1000 years ago, one thing remains the same. People still need people. And if the church is about anything, it should be about people . . . people needing people. So why aren’t people lined up outside our doors to be cared for? Why aren’t people knocking down our doors to get themselves some of our comfort?

So much is being written today about the demise of the Church — article after article about why we’re declining, and book after book about what we can do to reverse the trend. But we’re really not talking brain surgery here. We’re simply talking about BEING the church. Perhaps if the Church just sought to be the Church, our future would take care of itself. Perhaps if we remembered our call to be dispensers of love and grace, and not law and judgment; perhaps if we focused on the mission of Jesus — doing God’s will “on earth as it is heaven” — and in ways that were culturally relevant and meaningful; perhaps if we sought to BUILD community, growing peoples’ relationships with one another and filling people’s lives with honesty, authenticity, vulnerability and trust; perhaps if we did just some of these things, people would be lining up to get in.

I doubt I’ll ever own an iPhone 6. And as much as I love Apple, I don’t think I’ll ever wait in line to purchase anything they might have to offer. But Church — you have something for which my soul will always long. You have given me more than I ever hoped, dreamed, or even dared to imagine. So help me share that with others. Help me to let the world know that more than a cell phone, they need a Church — the Body of Christ, with a love, a cause, and a sense of community that can do far more than an iPhone will ever be able to do.

Tonight, when I — when WE — watch the news, and hear all about the lines at Apple stores, God, help us to think of your church, and commit ourselves to making it a place as attractive as Apple.

“Why are you doing this?” I remember asking her. “Don’t you know how much God loves you?”

As far as I know, I’ve only had one conversation with a stripper in my lifetime; and I have my fraternity brothers to thank for that! It was my sophomore year of college and my Big Brother was getting married. I had never been to a ‘bachelor party’ before, so I was . . . curious? . . . to see what it was all about.

Watching my friends approach the stage in this filthy, seedy-looking bar, in order to slip a $20 bill in a gyrating G-string (actually, they were probably more like $5 bills, because we were always trying to save our money for more beer) was . . . well . . . will my masculinity be called into question if I say it was far from exciting? While I was 19 years old, my sheltered upbringing had never allowed me to see anything quite like this before; and as attractive as the young woman was, I simply couldn’t understand why she was doing what she was doing. As captivating as the whole scene was, I had this pit in my stomach, and couldn’t help but wonder about this woman’s past, and what on earth had led her to this point in her life!

When her portion of the show concluded, knowing of my naivete, my buddies approached her and told her it was MY bachelor party so that she would wander over my way and spend a little time with me. And she did.

The half-naked woman approached my table, sat down beside me on the red faux leather bench that ran the entire wall of the establishment, and introduced herself. I don’t remember her name, but I do remember thinking it was a name that no mother would ever give her child. Then, sitting way too close, and putting her hand on my thigh, she began asking me about myself. Where was I from? What was I studying?

But I didn’t want to talk about me. I wanted to talk about her. And that’s when it popped out – that ridiculous question . . . “Why on earth are you doing this?”

At first, she rightly looked at me like I was crazy! Who on earth goes to a strip club and asks such a question? But when I removed her hand from my lap, and didn’t give up with the questions, I very clearly remember her features softening, and her sheepishly lowering her eyes.

“Don’t you know how much God loves you?” I said!

She shrugged her shoulders and became very quiet. And that’s when I got to preaching! I don’t know exactly what I said, or how I said it; but I DO remember telling her over and over again how special she was to God, and how much God valued and cared for her.

I think back to that night every now and then, wondering what on earth led me to do what I did . . . to say what I said. And the only conclusion I can come to is that the Spirit of God was moving that night. Thinking about it recently, I realized that this is an important part of my theology. The more we grasp the depth of God’s love for us, the more likely we are to love ourselves and the more prone we are to treat ourselves with respect and to live lives that honor the one who made us.

One of my wife’s primary ‘love language’ is words of affirmation; and so she is always telling me how much she loves me. She is the most affirming and encouraging person I know; and for 29 years she has told me, and shown me, how much she cares for me. As a result, I think her words have prompted me to be a better husband. It’s as though when I consider the depth of her affection for me, I can’t help but want to honor and love her more. Her love for me makes me want to become worthy of that love – and so I’m motivated to be the best I can be, and to do with my life only that which will reciprocate her generous and life-changing affection.

And the same is true of God.

Thirty-four years “after the fact” I now know that I wasn’t too far off track in that strip club. For too long, the church has done a fine job of criticizing and condemning the prostitute. We’ve done a great job of “hating the sin” and been quick and bold to list those sins that we believe to be plaguing our world today. But when it comes to “loving the sinner,” we in the church have too often missed the mark, and . . . big time!

Could it be that ranting and raving about peoples’ sin is NOT the best way to introduce the Gospel? Could it be that Jesus’ response to the question about what is the greatest commandment really is the best model of evangelism – loving God and loving our neighbors? Could it be that if we’re going to strip down the Gospel to the basics, we need to remember that in the end . . . it’s all about the love?

Love is what changes us. God’s love is what transforms lives! And the more we realize how deep it really is, the more we are prone to reflect and share that love with the world around us. It is a love that leads us away from fear, hatred, and violence, and moves us to a place of peace, joy and holiness. It’s a love that keeps us from exploiting ourselves and others, and takes us to a place of self-respect, confidence, and beauty.

I haven’t forgotten that woman; and I hope she hasn’t forgotten me. I hope she continues to reflect on that night some naive college kid tried to convince her that she was deeply loved by God. I hope she remembers a night that she not only took off her clothes, but a night that she took off the label “sinner” – and began to see herself as the very good creation of God, precious, and beloved.

That’s the Gospel. And that’s the message that the world needs most today.

“For this reason I pray that you may have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and that you might know this love that surpasses knowledge.”

I spend a lot of time thinking –  too much time, some would say.  I’m constantly trying to anticipate the future, process what is, and naturally, evaluate the past.  And the past is where I spend a lot of time – remembering meaningful events, places and people, and recalling experiences had, and insights gained.  This is no doubt the case because my life has been touched by so much in its 53-year span.  I have a pretty good history when it comes to family, friendships, school, work and church; and for that history I am most grateful.

History is important to me not just because of what it was, but because of what it IS; for our history never remains in the past.  Often, perhaps always, history touches, informs, shapes, and in my case, blesses, the present!

As I write these words, I’m at the beach in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, with a small group from the very first church I served as Associate Pastor from 1986-1992.  And those were crazy years in my life!  My wife and I had been married just over a year when I arrived and we were still trying to figure out the whole ‘two shall become one’ thing; our two boys were born in ’87 and ’89 and I was extremely slow figuring out the ‘parenting thing’; and life in a large, inner city congregation often overwhelmed me.  People, personalities, and church politics took their toll, and it was a tough time.  I thought about leaving ministry on more than one occasion, and it was only due the people that God placed in my life that I kept going. 

Thank God for those people! 

Many of them were kids, because I was the Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministries and they were the ones with whom I spent most of my time.  But there were countless ‘adults’ as well – people I now know were really my peers — who touched me and my family, and whose friendship I still treasure 22 years later.  Somehow, these people got to know me, even though we really spent very little time together.  And so today, when I’m with them, I feel like our history blankets me with grace, and peace, and love.  They’ve seen me grow, and change, and age, and mature (a little bit?!), and they continue to embrace and accept me for who I am, and for who God is calling me to be.  So when I’m with them, I feel the presence of God. 

As I listen to them joke with one another, and make fun of each others little quirks, I know it is the Holy Spirit behind the smiles and the laughter.  When they share the struggles of their children, struggles that every parent knows hurt more than our own, I see the love of Jesus at work, bringing compassion and comfort.  And in moments of silence, when words need not be spoken, there is an ease that I can only attribute to a holy presence, and a profound experience of ‘thin space.’  

All of this is because history is being made manifest in the present.  The past is kissing our sunburned skin, and the cool waves of days gone by are refreshing our souls.  What would we do without times with people who know everything about us, and love us anyway?  What would we do without friends we only see only on occasion, but whenever we’re together we are able to pick up right where we left off?  What would we do without brothers and sisters who give us glimpses of God, and reveal the powerful and transforming love of Jesus?

For me, history is less about the past, and more about the present; for it is always shaping who I am becoming, and constantly teaching me more about God than any sermon, Sunday School class, or book ever could.  And while my past is far from perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing about anything that was!  

This week, may each of us take a moment to reflect on the people who touched us in the past, and who thus continue to mold and shape the people we are today.  Let’s be grateful for each of them — friends, family members, teachers, colleagues, neighbors, and pastors — and may we never fail to thank them for the rich and beautiful ways that they continue to be present in our lives today, through memories that have the powerful ability to transform us, again, and again, and again!       

In 2012, I served as a commissioner to the 220th meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), in Pittsburgh, PA. The most disheartening action taken, by a vote of 338 to 308, was the assembly’s refusal to redefine marriage — making it a covenant relationship between “two people” and not just “a man and a woman.” I voted in the minority, and yet for the past two years, have graciously accepted the assembly’s decision, and abided by the wisdom of the majority. I did this, even though I was told again and again that my position was unBiblical, that I was compromising my faith, and that I had caved in to my culture.

This year however, history was made! The Presbyterian portion of the American Church has declared that God’s gift of marriage is not just for those within the heterosexual community, but for all! This time around, after more passionate discussion and discernment, the vote was 429 to 175, and as a result, the PC(USA) is now in accord with what much of the rest of America already knows — that God’s love and acceptance is not withheld from the gay and lesbian community, and that committed same-sex relationships are no different in the eyes of the Divine than traditional marriage relationships.

In light of this action, I am now being called to show tolerance towards those who disagree with it. I’m being asked to move slowly, to display patience, and to recognize that that people of good faith always have and always will disagree on important matters of faith and practice. And being a strong “feeling” person, this is what I WANT to do.

I’ve been in the pastorate for 29 years, and listening to others is one of my greatest gifts. While I have strong opinions on many things, I have always been eager to listen to people who disagree with me, and only speak up on issues after much thought and prayer.

I’m also a people-pleaser! Like most pastors, I don’t want the church to be a place of rancor and division. I want people to be happy, and at peace. When I look at what is going on in the halls of Congress I cringe, wondering why people can’t . . . “just get along.” I preach regularly on Jesus’ call to display forbearance toward all, and seek to live according to the words of Micah by “seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.”

Most importantly, I embrace with my whole being the words of Jesus that we will be judged by our love for one another. I believe that to be created in the image of God means that the Spirit of God abides in all humanity; and thus as children of God, all people are deserving of my love.

Tolerance should come easy to me. Grace and acceptance should flow naturally from this heart that truly wants to seek after the things of God. And normally it does. But what does that look like in the face of this decision to redefine marriage?

Do I look at the racist with tolerance? When the Ku Klux Klan seeks to start a so-called “neighborhood watch” in a southern Pennsylvania township in order to deal with a rash of car break-ins, do I not speak up and name the hate for what it is?

Do we look at the extremists from Westboro Baptist Church with tolerance? When they protest at the funeral of Maya Angelou, one of our nation’s most most gifted and gracious proponents of human worth and dignity, do we not stand up and name ignorance for what it is?

And does the world look at radical terrorist organizations with tolerance? When Boco Haram kidnaps 200 young girls because they believe that women do not need an education, does the world not speak up and name injustice for what it is?

I certainly do NOT want to put all people who do not embrace my views of same-gender marriage in the same category as the Klu Klux Klan, religious extremists, or groups like Boco Haram — let me be clear about that! But where does one draw the line?

I can work with people who disagree with me on the authorship of the letter to the Ephesians; and the churches I’ve served over the years have had people who took all kinds of differing positions on membership requirements, capital punishment, and most recently, divestment from companies doing business in Israel. I know the difference between unity, and uniformity; and I can preach a great sermon on the diversity of the body, where there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit giving them to each. I know all this, and really believe it to be part of my DNA.

But sometimes, don’t we need to say enough is enough? Are there not some things that God does NOT tolerate? And if so, where is that line to be drawn, and when?

To my brothers and sisters who are so hurt over the changing nature of marriage, I’m so very sorry! But consider the hurt you have inflicted on those people you’ve labeled unforgiven sinners for the past . . . how many centuries? Your narrow and unbending view of the Bible has not allowed me room to disagree with you, nor to perform marriage services for those whose relationships I believe God has called me to bless. And while I’ve maintained union with you throughout this time, now that the tables are turning, many of you want to pick up your marbles and go home!

Today, at least in the Presbyterian Church, we’ve all got the freedom to remain faithful to our own conscience when it comes to gay marriage. And it’s no easier for me to grant you the freedom to deny that gift to people whose lifestyle you believe to be an affront to God, than it is for you to allow me to read and interpret Scripture as I believe the Spirit leads me.

So this morning, as the people in my church come together for worship, I will not be apologizing for anything that happened in Detroit. I will offer a class in a couple of weeks to help people understand what happened, and why; and I will gently and pastorally listen to those who disagree with the decisions that were made. I will welcome anyone and everyone to worship with us, and to become part of the faith community that I call home. And where we disagree on the tough issues of faith and practice, I will show all respect and grace. But I cannot apologize or show remorse for the prophetic decisions made by the church I love, nor can I hide my passion for our continual movement toward the reign of God in this world.

This morning when we sing “Breathe on me breath of God,” I will give thanks for the winds of the Spirit that blew through Detroit this past week, and I will invite all to be refreshed and renewed by that Spirit.

This is the day that the Lord has made! So yes, let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Let’s never apologize for being boldly faithful to the God we love. And may we never regret being advocates for justice, even when it’s hard.

It’s been weeks since I’ve blogged. 

But sometimes, I’ve got nothing to say. 

Sometimes I just want to be quiet, and listen, and take in all that is going around me. 

In a world that loves to speak – full of bloggers, and texters, and tweeters like me, who always think we have something important and vital to say – practicing the art of listening can be a challenge.  Because speaking comes so naturally to one as vociferous as I, this is important.  I need to be still enough to listen to the whispers of children talking about their Easter Baskets, as they gather for the chapel service I’m about to lead at their pre-school.  I need to consciously work at quieting the voices of my world so I can listen to the Ethiopian women behind the counter at Starbucks chatting about their families.  I need to work hard at quieting all the voices in my head so I can listen to the frustrated conversation of man on the phone, in the bed next to gentleman I’m visiting with in the hospital.

I need to listen so I can hear all that is going on in the world around me.  If I want the word I speak to mean something, then I need to remember that communication always begins with listening . . . so I can hear the joy in the hearts of little ones experiencing the simple joy of bunnies, and chocolate eggs, and new life – so I can hear oneness I have with anyone trying to raise a child in this world, regardless of nationality, race, or gender – so I can hear the pain of one who has grown up to fast, aged too quickly, and who now just wants to die.

If I don’t learn to listen, I will never hear about all the joy, and struggle, and frustration in peoples’ lives, and thus never really be able to speak into their world.  I may have plenty to say, but it will it be relevant?  Will it offer any hope?  Will it bring any sort of comfort?  Will it ever offer any sort of wisdom?

Sometimes I think that every thought that enters my heads needs to pass through my lips.  Sometimes I think that if I fail to speak the prophetic word that I think I’ve been given (and I think I’ve been given a lot of prophetic words!) I’m not being faithful.  Sometimes I think if everyone just heard my logic, my rational, my wisdom – if they just heard all I had to say, the world would just be a better place.

But if I don’t learn to listen to others, why would they listen to me?  Listening to them is a way to show how important they are to me; it’s a way to show that I value them and that I am interested in their perspective.  Listening is a way of learning; hearing another perspective, and discovering an alternate way of seeing the world.  And listening is a way of spiritually saying, “God I know you’re working and moving in my life, so I’m going to stop and pay attention.”

Yes, it’s ok to sometimes have nothing to say.  For its only when I learn to listen, that I can hear the world around me.  And only when I hear the world around me, can I ever hope to say anything that really matters. 

It had the best of messages. It had the worst of messages.

But before I go any further, let me offer this ‘spoiler alert’ — if you’ve not yet seen the movie, do not read any further!  For my thoughts may ruin it for you, and the film is too good for me to allow that to happen.  So go see it, and then come back and continue reading. 

My wife and I left the theater five hours ago and I’m still reflecting on one of this year’s Best PIcture nominees.  I’ve seen four of the other eight as well, and American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club and Nebraska can’t even begin to compare with the story of Philomena Lee.

As I watched, my anti-Roman Catholic bias was quickly evident.  I am well aware that to this day, 32 years after leaving the Roman Church, I tend to be overly critical of the church of my childhood.  I need to regularly remind myself of the great good that has been accomplished by the oldest of Christian traditions.  Countless hospitals, orphanages, educational institutions, and nursing homes have been established by Roman Catholics, and often in places most in need of them.  My own spiritual journey began in St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Lewiston, NY, and while I no longer say the rosary, pray to Mary, or believe in the infallibility of the pope, Catholicism started me on this great pilgrimage and I am grateful for all I learned there.

But none of the good excuses or lessens the horrors of the bad!  And this film paints them painfully well, for all to see.  The teachings, the guilt, the rigidity, the harshness, the cruelty, the stubbornness, the abuse . . . all in the name of God, offend anyone who dares to truly consider the role of religion and faith in the human experience.  Again and again I found myself cynically laughing at the characters’ experiences and their responses to them, and I shed tears that were born as much in anger as in sadness. 

“No wonder people are walking away from the church!” I kept thinking.  Anyone with any intelligence can see the absurdity of all the baggage that comes with institutionalized religion, and anyone with a mind can see the irrationality that plagues so much religious . . . well . . . nonsense!  Steven Coogan’s character, Martin Sixsmith, accurately speaks truth to Judi Dench’s character; and his anger and outrage that boil over in the film’s final scene had me wanting to burst into applause.

But then something happened — something completely unexpected — and something that touched a place deep within me.  

If I’m honest, I have to say that there was a part of me that wanted people to see the worst of the church.  So many of my brothers and sisters today continue to close their eyes to our past, refuse to acknowledge the current need for change, and thus fail to grasp the precariousness of the church’s future if we continue to teach morality before love and put sin before grace.  Philomena puts the worst of the church for all the world to see (as if people today really need Hollywood to lift up our hypocrisy!) and there was a side of me that took great pleasure in that kind of a message.  And so was excited as she prepared to lash out, and embrace the anger, and outrage, and bitterness that she had every right to embrace. 

But, she didn’t!  And that’s when she reminded me why I still love the Church as much as I do.  That’s when the best of the church, and faith, and God, began to shine.

If anyone had the right to walk away from the church, Philomena did!  It had abused her in ways that are unconscionable and she had every reason to give up on God long ago!  But she didn’t.  If anyone had reason to leave faith behind, Philomena did!  But she didn’t!  Her walk with God had opened her to the miracle of living in communion with the Spirit, and the forgiveness that she extended to the very ones responsible for the great pain of her life, revealed why the Church remains the most important institution in our world today.

Are we perfect?  No way!  Have we made terrible mistakes in the past, and will there be times when we fail miserably in the future?  Of course!  But the Church is still the place that, by God’s grace and mercy, changes lives.  When we truly keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, human hearts are transformed, and infused with a perseverance that can move mountains and a joy that is unspeakable.  As we seek to walk in the steps of the carpenter from Nazareth, we are empowered to love the unlovable and to forgive the unforgiveable.  And in our attempts to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves, we take an important step in living into God’s kingdom here on earth.

Philomena accurately reveals the dark side of the Church.  But that darkness is overshadowed by the power of the Spirit — the Spirit of God — that makes forgiveness possible, and that frees us to live with joy, and love, and peace.

The Oscar will probably not go to Philomena!  But it should.  So go see it!  And discover again, or perhaps for the first time, the power of God, the beauty of faith, and the importance of the Church!           

Hard as it may be for some Arizonans to grasp, the wall of separation between Church and State, born in Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, is not about you; it’s about us! This founding principle, that remains critical for even the most liberal of liberals today, does so much more than give individual Americans the right to embrace whichever set of religious beliefs they want to embrace. Consider what our founders were fleeing – a religious system that had become elitist, oppressive and exclusive. They knew well the importance and power of religion, but they also knew its dark side. So they were careful in building a government that would, when appropriate, have the power and ability to protect people from religion.

So yes, in America, we are free to believe what we want to believe . . . within reason. I am free to go to worship whenever and wherever I want, but I am NOT free to stand on a street corner with a bullhorn and force others to listen to my rantings. I’m free to live my life in ways that are obedient to any holy book I choose, but I am not free to force others to live by the values of that same holy book.

This means that contrary to what some in Arizona may believe, my individual faith does NOT give me the right to refuse to serve gay people in my little pizza shop, just like it does not give the right to local car dealerships to refuse to sell cars to Black people, or the local emergency room the right to refuse to treat gluttonous, overweight people, or the local landlord the right not to rent to Italians.

The fact that we even need to have this conversation in America, in the 21st century, is appalling. Thirteen years after 9/11, do we really need to remind people of the dangers of religious extremism – even Christian extremism? Do we really still need to debate whether or not Chick-fil-A can refuse to sell chocolate chip shakes to people who are divorced just because the CEO may believe that divorce is sin; or whether Starbucks can choose not to serve people who carry guns just because the CEO thinks this nation needs stricter gun laws?

If people embrace a theology of life beginning at conception, thereby giving an unborn fetus the same rights as the rest of us, they are free to embrace that belief and live accordingly. If people want to embrace a theology that holds homosexuality to be sin and gay marriage as an inappropriate redefinition of God’s intent for the marriage relationship, they are free embrace those ideas and live accordingly. And, if people want to embrace a theology rooted in the sinfulness of humanity being it’s defining nature, and thus the primary cause of poverty, crime, ignorance, and misfortune they are free to do so.

However in America, you simply cannot force me to believe those very same things. And you certainly cannot demand that I live by your values and morals. You see, I have my own! And just because they are different than yours, doesn’t mean that they are any less worthy of respect. I won’t force you to have an abortion or marry someone of the same gender; but neither can you tell me that I can NOT have an abortion or that I can NOT marry someone of the same gender. For the wall of separation is not just about your freedoms; it’s also about mine. And that balance is critical.

In this United States of America, we are free to believe whatever we choose to believe. And we American hold many, many beliefs in common. We all embrace freedom, liberty, and justice for everyone. We value education, the pursuit of happiness, and democratic principles of government. Contrary to what FOX ‘News’ would have us believe, we really do have a great deal in common. But when these general beliefs are infringed upon by individual religious beliefs, that’s when the wall becomes so important for us.

If I work for you, and you’re responsible for my medical insurance, then you need to take care of everything, not just those things that fall within your belief system. Not being responsible for my birth control pills because you think birth control violates the natural law of god, would be like your not covering the cost of treating my cancer because you may believe that my cancer is god’s punishment for some sin in my life.

Further, in a nation where marriage is a legal relationship, then not allowing me to marry someone of the same gender because you don’t think that is in accord with god’s desire, is like your saying that Blacks should not be permitted to marry Whites, because your holy book makes such a claim.

Do we want our government to decide what we can and can’t believe? Of course we do! Because as a nation, we have a set of larger values, written in our national laws, and upon which at least a majority of us agree. And since they are foundational to most of the world’s great religions, only extremists need to be frightened of them.

So by all means, believe what you want to believe. Worship where you want to worship and read which ever holy book you want to read. But in a day where people fly planes into buildings because they believe their god told them to do so; and in a day when people think natural disasters are the results of their god’s anger over certain life styles, be thankful for this wall of separation. For in addition to giving you the right to embrace the faith of your choice, it also protects you! It brings balance to our lives, order to our national conversations, and without it . . . well, without it, America just wouldn’t be America.

If my daughter was going to get a tattoo, there are far worse things she could have inked on her body for all eternity! Surely the world could use an extra dose of ‘Loving Kindness,’ so why shouldn’t she have the phrase emblazoned on her rib cage?  It’s certainly better than another piercing; one which this time would probably NOT have been in her ear!

Actually, it’s a perfect tattoo for my daughter – one of the kindest and most loving people I know.  And it’s also a great reminder of that to which we all should be giving our lives. For again I will say it, if the world needs anything today, it is loving kindness!

Every now and then I catch a glimpse of it, and when I do, I wonder why it is so elusive! It’s so wonderful to see, to encounter, and to receive, that you’d think everyone would be doing their best to make it more of a reality, in more of our lives. But for some reason, hatred, anger, and violence appear to rule the days in which we are living.

Never the less, it’s out there.  I saw it in the young college kid who waited on my wife, and my daughter, and me when we had lunch in Blacksburg, VA a while back. When I went to order a piece of the Almond cake for dessert, he smiled at me and said, “The Almond Cake is a few days old. I’d skip it if I were you!”

I saw it in the eyes of the woman who checked me into my hotel room last week, when she offered me a fresh, warm cookie as I left the registration desk . . . two even, if I wanted!

I saw it in the passing face of the guy who had to slam on the brakes of his car in order to keep from hitting me, when I made a wrong turn in an unfamiliar part of town, and wound up in the wrong lane. He graciously smiled in a way that said, ‘No problem. I’ve made that same mistake before too!’

I see it in my favorite baristas, who make my “English Breakfast tea latte with skim milk and three pumps of classic” in all three of my favorite Starbucks.   (And don’t judge me!)  I see it in the people I work with: who love what they do, and who do what they do with dedication, enthusiasm, and with a constant smile on their faces.  And I see it in my wife, all the time; as she graciously puts up with my many idiosyncrasies, and loves me unconditionally.

Loving kindness really is everywhere; but we doubt that, because we don’t see it.  And we don’t see it, because we’re not looking for it.  So this week, might I suggest that we all look for the loving kindness that is all around us.

You see, I believe in the words of that old hymn – “This is my Father’s world.”  I don’t really regard God as my father anymore, but I do believe that the world is God’s!  And as such, it radiates divinity.  Holiness is everywhere, and it is warming the hearts of people of every faith, transforming the minds of people of every nation, and moving in the souls of people of every generation.

Maltbie Davenport Babcock, the author of the hymn, grew up in Western New York, near where I did; and his walks along the Niagara Escarpment gave him inspiring views of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.  It is said that when he would leave the house and his wife asked him where he was going, he would respond “to see my Father’s world.”

This is indeed God’s world; but I’m convinced that often we fail to see it because we’re not looking for it.  We’re blinded by the corruption and selfishness of those in power. We’re distracted by the evil of those with hateful tongues and violent hands.  And so our days are fraught with everything but, loving kindness.

But we can change that.

And we can change that by looking for the signs of God’s commonwealth all around us. We can notice the smile of the stranger.  We can turn toward the grace of some, and away from the judgement of others.  We can choose to dwell not on our neighbor’s brokenness, but on their beauty.  And we can seek to surround ourselves with people who have a similar view of the world around us.

Today, this week, the rest of this month — let’s change what we’re looking for, and thereby change the narrative of our world.  Let’s notice the fingerprints of our Creator and Sustainer, and spot the loving kindness that lurks in every corner of creation.  For if our lives need anything, it is more loving kindness.

And it’s out there . . . and we will see it . . . if we look for it.

I was just a year old when my paternal grandmother moved to Southern California, and she lived in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles my entire childhood.  My siblings and I spent just about every summer visiting her.  While most of my friends were going to Fantasy Island, a small amusement park 10 miles from my home, I was going to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm.  My first trip to a beach was in Santa Monica; and day trips to San Diego, Long Beach, and Catalina Island allowed me to see and experience things that most kids raised in the 1970s only dreamed about.  On our ‘down days,’ when my grandmother was too tired to take us to play miniature golf, or to roam around Farmer’s Market, we’d simply go out for ice cream after dinner, and drive down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.  To my grandmother, it was no big deal; but to me, it was always an amazing experience.  The people, the excitement, the lights, the sights and sounds — they were not part of the life I knew in Lewiston, NY — a town of 6000, an hour north of Buffalo — and I loved it.  I was convinced that after graduation I would attend Pepperdine University, and never go back east again!    

Then, sometime in the late 70s, something happened to my impressions of Hollywood.  After a significant experience of spiritual conversion, Hollywood became something akin to a ‘sin city’!  Actors and musicians lived immoral lives, made movies and music that glamorized sin, and embraced an ‘agenda’ that sought to do nothing less that destroy the American family and rip apart the very fabric of those things that made our country great.  And, I have to say, that for many years, this was the view that I embraced.  

But last night, as I watched the Grammy Awards on CBS, I realized how much my picture of Hollywood has changed in recent years.  I don’t know much about Madonna or Queen Latifah.  I’ve heard their music and seen some of their movies; but am not sure that what I see in their lives is any more offensive than what I see in the lives of Kansas pastor Fred Phelps who protests at the funerals of service women and men, or North Carolina pastor Sean Harris who advises parents with boys who act like girls to just ‘give them a good punch.’  We’re all broken.  None of us are perfect.  And fortunately God’s grace covers all of us!  I also confess to not knowing much about Macklemore and Ryan Lewis; but I know enough to say that their song ‘Same Love’ speaks just as powerfully to me as Amy Grant’s “Better than a Hallelujah!” 

So last night, when Macklemore and Lewis took the stage with Madonna and Queen Latifah, my heart broke!  Not because of what they were doing.  But because they had the divine wisdom and the prophetic courage to do what the majority of the people in the Church of Jesus Christ are still afraid to do!   

While leaders of my own denomination remain afraid to take a stand for what the majority of us know to be consistent with the Living Word; afraid to offend the people in the pews, and unwilling to challenge the naivete and ignorance behind most — not all, but most — of the anti-gay bigotry in the church today, Hollywood has decided that the time has come to speak up and speak out.  While the Methodists defrock clergy who are willing to perform marriage ceremonies for their gay children, Hollywood has decided to license their own in order to allow ALL people the joy and blessing of a relationship that God has given to all humankind!  And while the vast majority of evangelical Christians in this country continue to challenge people to invite Jesus into their hearts, it takes someone like Madonna to challenge us all to OPEN our hearts, so that we might see that all love is from God, and that all people deserve the opportunity to enjoy the gifts of marriage and family.

So what can be said when actors and musicians take up the prophetic message of the Gospel?  What can be said when the stars of stage and screen do what the church continues to be afraid to do?  What can be said when the rich and famous take a stand for those who have been put on the margins of our society for too long, and those who have been shunned and shut out of the church of Jesus Christ? 

Well, there is only one thing that can be said.  Hooray for Hollywood!  (Sing it with me!)

You made me proud last night. Now, if you could pray that my church will catch up sometime soon, I’d be most grateful!