Bob's Blog

The cries the privileged – we’ve all heard them; I, from where I sit, quite a lot over the past eight years.  I’ve heard them from pro-birth advocates in response to the SCOTUS reversal of Roe v Wade.  I’ve heard them from long-time ‘friends’ who couldn’t understand why I spent four years – four painful years! – condemning the presidency of Donald Trump; and why I’m beginning to become so vocal once again.  And I’ve heard them from White friends who don’t understand why the issues of race, White Supremacy, and Christian Nationalism continue to occupy so much of the brain and heart space of so many of us.

“Why can’t we all just get along?”  “Why can’t we dwell on what unites us, rather than on what divides us?”  And in the church, “Why can’t we focus on our unity in Jesus; and just accept the fact that we’re a ‘purple’ church so that we stop alienating people?”

They are great questions; and I confess to having asked some of them myself.  But if we’re honest, such questions are only the cries of the privileged.  

Author and activist James Baldwin taught us years ago that we can disagree on things and still be united and in community with one another . . . unless our disagreement is rooted in someone’s oppression.  That’s why today we’re not hearing cries for unity coming from women being denied to the right to control their own bodies.  We’re not hearing cries for unity from the Capitol police officers who were on duty on January 6, 2021. And we’re certainly not hearing cries for unity from the families of people who look like Tr​a​yvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, or George Floyd.

Not at all!  Because cries for unity almost always come from we privileged people who hold all the power, we advantaged White people who don’t have anything to lose as a result of this desired unity.  We don’t have to sacrifice our health, our bodies, or at times our very lives! We don’t have to give up on dreams for a better future for our children, or deal with systems and structures that continue to try and hold us back and hold us down. We don’t have to abandon the reality of our gender or our sexuality. We don’t have to give up any of these things; and because we are so blind to the injustice of the situations in which so many find themselves today, unity becomes that all-consuming priority . . . that over-arching objective that distracts us and everyone around us, from the oppressive foundation of this artificial harmony being sought.

So let’s consider a few responses to these pleas for unity!

“We can’t all get along because you don’t trust me to make my own decisions, especially if they disagree with your decisions.”

Or how about, “we can’t dwell on what unites us because what divides us is killing us, and our Black and Brown siblings, and you just don’t seem to care!”

And when it comes to our unity in Jesus . . . well . . . this is the easiest question of all to answer! “Our unity in Christ is born in our behavior, not our beliefs. And it comes from walking in HIS way; not OUR way, and certainly not the way of an off-the-rails political party!”  

Whether talking about a nation, a family, or a church: who doesn’t want unity? Unity is a worthy goal and a valuable aspiration. But when it comes at the expense of justice; when it involves my conforming to your standards, and negating what I believe; when it means ignoring sin, oppressing others, or failing to be the person I was created to be; when it means accepting the ways you seek to level power over me in an attempt to control my destiny . . . well, that’s not unity! That’s abuse. And while people may have a different ‘opinion’ about that – opinions not based in facts, are untruths! They are false proclamations, and will never become true regardless of how long and how loud one keeps shouting them from the halls of their power.

Privileged people: we hear your cries! And we understand your fears. But your cries are no more worthy of our attention than the cries of the poor, the marginalized, or the oppressed. And because your cries have been dictating the policies and practices of country and congregations long enough, it’s time we pay attention to the cries of others. So we will stand by you, and walk with you, as change comes. But change will come. And you just need to trust us. One day, your tears will turn to joy; and God’s kindom will make life better for everyone – for immigrants and refugees, for people of color and the differently abled, for Muslims and atheists, for Americans as well as for citizens of every other country on the face of this earth. That is the promise of God. And it is the promise made to ALL of us; not just to you!

It’s a story like no other!

George Bailey teaches us to appreciate all the imperfections of our ‘one wild and precious’ life. The Grinch reminds us that “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store; maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” And “The Family Stone”, one my favorites, makes me laugh and cry, often at the same time, as it reveals the beautiful messiness of family life.

But the Christmas story – as in the birth of Jesus – that story, is the story like no other! And whether or not one believes it actually happened the way Luke and the church have told us it happened, it is a story worth telling and retelling, again and again.

Just consider some of the themes: the stars announce the birth of a child-king; born to a peasant couple, in a dank and dirty barn; calling all people, beginning with local, lowly shepherds, and ending with wise rulers from distant lands, to discover the divine presence in the neighborhood; and all so that we might learn to live in ways that honor, respect, and care for all that is.

It’s a story teaches us several things. First, all creation, even the stars, have the capacity to point humanity to the wonder and beauty of the universe: to that which one might even say is holy, and sacred. Second, divinity – and by that I mean the dynamic mystery of the universe – is both transcendent, and immanent, and can be known and experienced by all people and creation, and more often than not in the most simple and humble of circumstances. And third, it is a story that calls us to live in the pattern of one who rejects religious hypocrisy, who denounces the power of empire, and who models a life that pursues justice and loves extravagantly! It truly is a powerfully transforming story. And whether one takes it literally, or metaphorically, it is a story that needs to be told each and every time Christmas rolls around . . . regardless of what one ‘believes.’

So I’m not getting rid of my nativity sets anytime soon. I’m going to unwrap all of those delicate figurines, and I’m going surround my little clay family with sheep and shepherds, with camels and kings, and maybe even with an ass and an angel! I’m going to put lights and candles around it, and hang the biggest star I can find above it. And then I’m going to allow the power of its message to continue the process of transforming the world, by transforming me!

May we all do the same!

I found the ‘Letter to Chad’ in an old file, but have no idea where I got it! It was written by a Chad Holtz, but I can’t find much about him online; so this is the extent of the credit that I can give him. Apparently, his words resonated with me when I first read them, because I saved them. But rereading them today has me on my knees! I find myself wanting to echo his sentiments, but with my own words. So here goes:

Dear Bob,

Oh how you have changed! When I look at the man you are today, I can’t believe how far you’ve come: as a husband, father, and pastor, but most of all as a follower of Jesus! Because of that which can only be attributed to the work of what we call the Holy Spirit, you are no longer who you once were; and for that you should give great thanks. Not that you were a bad guy then, or that you still don’t have a long way to go now, but your growth is testimony to the transforming power of God.

Relationally, you have come to better understand the partnership that we call marriage; and the self-giving love that you’ve seen in your wife for 37 years has clearly rubbed off on you! “Head of the house” talk has given way to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” talk, and your arrogant patriarchy continues to be confessed, rejected, and avoided whenever possible.

While you are sadly, unable to raise your kids again, your interaction with your granddaughters reveals one who no longer equates respect with fear, and one who avoids displaying a love that in any way needs to be earned. In many ways your children became the beautiful people that they are today ‘in spite of your parenting’, and not ‘because of it!’ Fortunately, your interaction with them now, and your interaction with their children (and dogs!), continues to develop and mature.

And when it comes to your ministry, and your faith . . . well, where do I even begin? Open and affirming? Woke? Seeker of justice and lover of mercy? Community builder and peace maker? Who could have imagined your ever coming to the point where you would acknowledge that in the end, the Gospel is about loving God by loving neighbor. And all that ‘steeply climbing’ that was once so important to you, that whole measuring success by buildings, budgets, and butts (in the pew!): all of that seems to be gone! You’re not afraid of hell. You don’t believe that virgins give birth. And you don’t make an idol of the Bible. But you still love Jesus, and that’s what needs to remain central to our our faith!

As a result of this, and so much more, you’re emotionally and spiritually healthier than you’ve ever been. I know you continue to grieve all the ‘false teaching’ that you shared with so many people over the years, especially all the young people you ministered to in Young Life and in your first church, but fortunately you know that God is bigger than you! So today, you’re secure in who you are, and no longer interested in trying to impress anyone! (Sometimes I have to laugh because I can even see it in the way you dress: the way you’ve exchanged ties for t-shirts, and leather wing-tips for bamboo Allbirds!)

But here’s the thing Bob. There are still lots of people out there who look more like the person you were yesterday, than the person you are today! And those people – they’re not bad! And they’re certainly not all evil! Are they misguided? Perhaps. Have they been misled? No doubt. But many of them love Jesus as much as you do. And they’re just afraid. Most of their lives they’ve been taught to fear things . . . God, those who don’t look like them, and change . . . especially all the changes that are taking place in our world. And change is hard, for all of us. But they really don’t like it! So they’re going to resist it until their life experiences help them to discover a different way . . . a better way.

So until that time, remember to be kind. Resist the temptation to repay their vitriol, with words and attitudes that fail to reflect the growth you’re enjoying. And do everything you can to model for them the peace, trust, and security that are so central to your new way of being in this world. You can’t show them contempt, or they’ll dig in their heels in harder. And if you’re condescending when you speak with them, they’ll avoid you at all cost. So when they try to cut you out of the kindom and tell you that you’re backsliding . . . when they mishandle information and misrepresent your beliefs . . . and when they become violent and call you names . . . in all these situations, remember to somehow, try to show them the love of Jesus!

Bob, you cannot change this world. Yes, you CAN change your little corner of it, and you should never cease to be the prophet that you’re called to be. But in the end, you need to . . . as the saying goes . . . be the change you wish to see!

So, in the words of 1 Peter 3: try to see the unity of spirit. Show sympathy and love for others. Always maintain a tender heart, and a humble mind. And repay no one with evil, but rather with a blessing. For it is this, to which we have been called.

With much love and grace, all because of Him, Bob

Shakespeare was right! “All the world’s a stage.” And that means that we’re all acting, all the time. And I hate it.

The older I get, the more I value authenticity. Perhaps its because sometimes it seems as though my job as a pastor forces me to constantly be in ‘performance’ mode. Perhaps its because I grew up in a family that was a little too concerned with ‘what other people think.’ Perhaps its because I tend to be a ‘people-pleaser.’ Whatever the reason, today, more and more, I’m attracted to people who are genuine – people who are comfortable in their own skin and not always trying to be something they’re not.

I went through high school always wondering if I was ‘normal’! Did other people think and feel all the things that I thought and felt? Why was I so serious? Why was I so passionate about so many things? Why was my heart so ‘soft’? Surely other people did not experience the same things I did. Something must be wrong with me.

Consequently, college was a time for me to reinvent myself. It was the perfect time for me to leave my past behind, and for the first time in my life become ‘normal’ . . . like everyone else. I began partying like there was no tomorrow. I joined a fraternity and went to my first (and only!) X-rated movie and strip club! And I started popping my polo shirt collar, wearing scrubs to my early morning classes, and dressing like some kind of preppy playboy. (I think one of my sons still has my navy blue pants with kelly green whales embroidered on them!)

But at some point during my junior year I began thinking, “This is not who I am!” I had all kinds of friends; but did they really know ME, or just some version of me that I was pretending to be? It was at this point in time when my faith was coming to life as well, and so it would be easy to assume that authenticity would become my new reality. But sadly, the faith community in which I found myself just forced me into another kind of mold – this one of purity and positivity, of saccharined-sweetness and syrupy-sentimentality, and most tragically, of cult-like passion and feigned courageous zeal. A theology of “confession is possession” ruled my heart and head, and as a result a different kind of performing became my norm. God had a plan. Just believe and stay faithful. Smile, praise God, and trust Jesus.

When I wasn’t speaking in tongues like others I knew and respected, I was told to just my move my lips and make whatever sounds came out; and when things I was told to believe things didn’t seem to make any make intellectual sense I was told ‘that’s why it’s called faith.’ Then I went to seminary where I was taught how to play the role of the professional religious elite; and after graduation, the institutional church taught me that the more and the better I ‘performed’, the higher the steeple I’d be able to attain. And so I continued to pretend.

We live in a performative culture: full of politicians willing to say whatever they think will get them reelected, and social media influencers willing to do whatever will gain them more followers. But am I really any different? Why do I so often feel so fake – like I’m not saying what I really want to say, or doing what I really want to do? Like artificial turf, plastic plants, and bulging Botoxed lips, I sometimes feel like I’m living my life in ways that are unreal, more concerned with how I’m being perceived, than whether or not I’m being genuine; more concerned with what other people want or expect from me, than what is healthy for me to be trying to give them.

Interestingly, the only place I’ve ever been able to really be me, is in the pulpit! Because I have way too many convictions, I’ve only ever been able to preach what I truly believe. I’m not very good at telling people what they want to hear, or professing a faith for which I lack conviction. Heck, I can’t even sing a hymn with words that I don’t believe! And this isn’t easy. I don’t like always being the prophet – saying the hard things, or that which I know is going to offend someone. But when it comes to the pulpit, I can’t go near it without being mindful that it is God’s. And so I don’t dare pretend or perform. I have not choice but to only speak what I believe to be of God, from the Spirit, and pointing us all to Jesus.

Now, if I could just bring that attitude to every other aspect of my life and ministry! Because if all the world’s a stage, I want to get off. I’m tired of pretending, and I don’t want to perform anymore. I just want to be me. And just as important I only want YOU, to be YOU! We ALL need to stop performing for one another. God created us to be exactly who we are, and it is nothing less than arrogant for us to think that we know better who we need to be. No offense, but I trust God a little more than I trust you . . . and most definitely more than I trust me! God knew what the world needed when each of us was created, and so why would we continue to think we know more than God – more about what the world needs from us, more about what the world needs to see in us, more about what the world needs us to be?

Performing is exhausting! Trust me. I know from experience. And if you’re honest, you know it too! So let’s just stop. Let’s all do it together. Let’s be real. Let’s be who we were created to be. Because the world has enough performers. What it needs is us . . . you and me . . . just as we are.

No! The events at last night’s Oscar ceremony do not need any more attention than they are already being given. It is likely that the media will be covering what happened for days, and so the last thing anyone needs is another White guy’s interpretation of what happened.

So I will try not to do that. But (and I realize that buts abound in my world!), I am compelled to write about what I am thinking and feeling this morning because my thoughts and feelings are not new. I’ve been thinking and feeling them for a while; and writing things down often helps me to better understand both myself, as well as my ever-changing role in the world around me. And this morning, I have come to two realizations!

First, life continually confronts us with competing values: with freedom comes responsibility; where there is no justice there can be no peace; and forgiveness does not mean acceptance. Sometimes these competing values can be summed up in a short, simple phrase: tough love, democratic socialism, or righteous anger. When it comes to our values, I don’t believe any of us can be singularly focused because life is too complex, and our choices are never merely black or white.

The second realization is that the events of last night, like so many events that have taken place in our country over the past few years, have forced me to boldly stand in the tension that results from these competing values. I can’t escape that, and this morning those competing values need to be both acknowledged, and celebrated!

In the Spirit of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus himself, my first commitment is to non-violence. (And while I say this is my ‘first’ commitment, it does not come before any of my other commitments, but rather is merely the first one I am choosing to mention here.) I believe we are all called to live in non-violent ways, and I think I have strived to do that most of my life. I DID have fights with my siblings when I was growing up, and I DID spank my children when they were little; but outside of throwing a rock at Edmund Sullivan when I was in middle school, I can’t think of a time when I’ve ever been violent. This is how I believe Christ-followers are called to behave. And as Easter approaches, one can’t help but be reminded of how non-violence is the only way we can find victory over the grave, and the sole way to find life in the face of death. Non-violence may never be the guiding principle of a nation-state’s foreign policy, and in certain situations people may believe it to be justifiable for them to take violent action in order to bring about something good; but for me, violence only promotes violence. And this is true both on the world stage, when evil dictators invade other countries and kill innocent people, as well as on a Hollywood stage, when a celebrity seeks to defend the honor of someone they love. While I am not putting the dictator and the celebrity in the same category, both give evidence to my belief that violence is never the answer; and at the very least, other options should always be considered first!

But having said that, my second commitment, which is equally important, is to doing whatever I can to confront and dismantle racism our land. And at this point in our history, what this means is that as a well-educated, economically advantaged, White, Christian, heterosexual man, who has been ‘running the show’ for centuries, I need to simply sit down and be quiet! I’ve been calling the shots, making the rules, and telling people what to do and how to live for far too long. And this is particularly true when it comes to the actions and behavior of marginalized groups of people both here in America, and around the world. At this point in time, my thoughts and opinions on a given situation are neither required nor needed! People don’t need me to hold them accountable, pass judgement on their actions, preach to them about forgiveness, or make it appear as though I have some kind of moral high ground from which to declare the solutions to all of the world’s problems. For when it comes to the ‘right thing to do’ — history has no choice but to give people like me a failing grade. Which is why it’s time for other voices to be heard. It’s time for other people to offer words of counsel and advice. It’s time for other people, people not like me, to chart the course forward in order to bring about the healing, wholeness, and health that is so desperately needed today. I have nothing to say that isn’t already being said, and the world will survive without my opining.

Can I hang on to both of these values and commitments in light of all that is happening today? I believe I can. And I believe I must!

So now, at the risk of a blog-post like this denying everything I’ve just said, I will take my own advice, sit down, and keep my mouth shut!

Working the polls on Tuesday, I came to yet one more tragic and disheartening realization about the church and us people of faith. Messed up theology, leads to messed up politics. And it is not only destroying our church, but it is also destroying our nation!

Standing in the rain, with a woman from a different political party, who embraced a very different understanding of what it means to be a Christian, I realized yet again that a distorted understanding of the Gospel, will distort everything else in a person’s life. And it will lead to a politics that stands in startling contrast to the way of Jesus. This is why for the past five years any responsible Church, and any faithful pastor, has had no choice but to address the deterioration of American political landscape. Because more and more, we are seeing that Church people are responsible for the state of American politics today. And for that reason, Church leaders have an important role to play in getting us out of the mess in which we find ourselves.

Whether talking about Evangelicals or “Mainliners”, no one seems to know or understand the Gospel! Evangelicals can quote Scripture as well as anyone, but there is little theological grounding and even less historical context to their interpretations of the Bible. Intellectual credibility is anathema to their understanding of faith and a walk with God; and discipleship involves little more than going to Church every Sunday morning, and spending 45 minutes singing to Jesus and telling him how much they love him! And while some are actively engaged in small groups, that can and often do provide the disipleship that is so needed today, most are not.

Those of us in the smaller, denominational churches are no better off. The average Presbyterian likely knows more about our “Book of Order” than the Bible. Worship is a place where people want to be inspired, not taught! And Sunday School is routinely given up upon confirmation, which usually occurs at some point in high school. People in denominational churches are more inclined to serve on a church committee than to ever darken the doors of a Bible Study; and so while we boast of an educated clergy, we’d prefer that their education not be forced upon our people!

So where is discipleship taking place in the Church today?

The answer, is “no where!” And that is why we find ourselves living in a country that claims to be Christian, full of people who claim to be following Jesus, but with a grossly immature and inaccurate understanding of what any of it means! We have churches with lots of ‘members’, but with very few disciples. And it’s killing us! It’s killing the church. And it’s killing our nation.

My poll-worker friend kindly offered to let me stand with her under her bright red tent, but then proceeded to tell me that when it comes to abortion, women lose their right to chose when they ‘spread their legs.’ She recently moved to Northern Virginia from Kansas, and so in her sweet mid-western style, she assured me we had more in common than we realized; and then went on to tell me that surely we both had faith in a Jesus came to save us from our sin, whose teachings were all about ‘law and order’, and whose ministry had nothing at all to do with challenging the Roman Empire. She willingly acknowledged that Jesus was concerned with the refugee and the immigrant, but then went on to say that they needed to be legal, and they needed to have some kind of skill that would be of value to their new homeland. And finally, as the rain continued to fall, in an attempt to display the compassion and empathy of Christ, she affirmed her personal desire to care for the poor and the marginalized, but then touted that age-old nonsense that such caring is the responsibility of people, not the government . . . apparently forgetting that in a democracy, the people ARE the government.

At some point in her preaching to me, she indicated that she was an active member in a local Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But I saw little fruit of one who is a disciple of Jesus. And as I graciously listened, biting my tongue and grinding my teeth, I saw no grace or mercy, a great deal of arrogance and fear, and nothing that even comes close to the humility or love that is central to the Gospel.

It is no wonder so many people have given up on the church. The witness of far too many is nothing that even comes close to the way of Jesus. And the understanding that far too many church people have of Scripture, God, faith, and discipleship, continues to lead to thinking that is so racist, sexist, homophobic, self-serving, and nationalistic, that is nothing that even remotely resembles the life of the one we call Savior.

So pastors, and churches: we have a great deal of work to do! Our people are destroying our witness in the world and tearing apart our our nation. And we bear a great deal of responsibility for this state of affairs. So we had better start doing a better job of teaching our people how to more carefully study what the Bible says; and then giving them the tools needed to interpret it, and to apply it to their lives. And we need stop being afraid to raise these issues in our preaching.

Our calling is to grow followers of the living God. Our responsibility is to cultivate ambassadors of the Gospel. And our mandate is make disciples, not members! And anything less, is anything but, ministry!

With the passing of the one year anniversary of the ‘closing down of America’ due to COVID-19, it would do us well consider all that we have learned over the past 13 months. Because sadly, much of it is not good!

First, in case anyone didn’t already know this, we Americans are a selfish people! Not everyone of course; but far too many. Whiners everywhere like to proclaim that they’re all about freedom, but the freedom they espouse is little more than the freedom to do what’s good for them. Everything from refusing to wear a mask, to demanding that schools open up sooner rather than later, and before appropriate safety protocols have been put in place . . . such attitudes are all about what’s best for them. And over time, their selfish rants have become tiring and offensive. No one enjoys physical distancing. We all want to be able to go out to dinner again. And no one is enjoys living in a society that has closed down. But we make the sacrifice because we care about one another, and people’s refusal to acknowledge this is nothing less than selfish!

A second thing we’ve learned is that we are far too opinionated. And even when our ‘opinions’ are proved wrong, we refuse to capitulate! Who would have thought that Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Forest Gump operated on the same wave length! “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice . . . (because) stupid is as stupid does!” We all have a right to think and believe whatever we chose. But facts are facts, regardless of our opinions! And so Carl Sagan adds his voice to the voices of all those who would remind us that our opinions must always be tempered by reality. “The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what’s true.”

Third, the pandemic has taught us that slowing down can allow us to take a more critical look at our world, so that we might see things that we’ve overlooked for way too long. The eyes of a growing number of White people have been opened to the White Supremacy and racism that have plagued our nation for generations. The economic disparities inherent in capitalism are suddenly glowing in the light of COVID-19, and the lack of opportunity for those living in poverty is being magnified for all to see. And American Exceptionalism and Christian Nationalism are exposing an arrogance to which far too many of us have closed our eyes for far too long. More and more, the label ‘ugly American’ is looking acutely accurate.

And finally, the pandemic has forced all of us to accept what has been true for decades — and that is that the world has changed. Technology is here to stay; and rather than resisting it, we need to learn how to better harness it and employ it for the greater good. Institutions, particularly the Church, must redefine themselves in order to better meet the changing needs of our society. And businesses and organizations must refrain from providing services that are no longer wanted, and stop answering questions that are no longer being asked. It would do us well to carefully, and non-defensively, find ways to address the sins of our republic, but in ways that will rebuild it without completely destroying it.

As has been said in countless setting these days — the world will never return to the way things used to be. We will never go back to what was, and there will be no return to normal. Rather, we will create ‘new’ normal, guided not by a desire to recreate our memories of the world that was, but by a vision of the world as it should be. Let’s build a nation that is truly committed to the common good, where liberty and justice for ALL is not just a motto but a mandate, and where we all have the courage to unlearn all the wrongs that we have held onto for so long. Let’s learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic; and in the spirit of this Easter season, discover again that the old is finished and gone and now is the time to build something new.

During the terroristic attack on our nation’s Capitol back in January, at least one of the insurrectionists was seen carrying a sign that read “Jesus saves.” And for many of us who witnessed the attack on national tv, it was that distorted display of the Christian faith that led us to take a long hard look at this thing called “Christian Nationalism.”

Christian Nationalism is a form of patriotism that claims Christianity as it’s source! It is rooted in the belief that there is an inextricable link between an allegiance to Jesus, and an allegiance to America.  But as much as we all feel an allegiance to our country, and as much as we all love this land called America, we can never allow ourselves to be blindly led to believe that our, or any, nation has been Christened as the arm of God in this world! Because any and every form of this kind of religious nationalism – which will always view actions to defend a state as something blessed by God – will invariably lead people to a form of radicalization that is void of the characteristic that is central to all world’s religions: namely, love!

History has taught us nothing, if it has not taught us this. Consider the admirable evangelistic zeal of the Church in the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th centuries.  At first glance, we see signs of great spiritual devotion. But in the end, that zeal, which was just as much about seeking to expand a waning Roman Empire as sharing Jesus with those who did not know him, led to the evil known as the crusades.  People of other lands and of other faiths were tortured and killed unless they professed a faith in Jesus; and it was all because of a nationalism that distorted a peoples’ faith by vanquishing it of love. 

Similarly, we can celebrate the Christian faith of many of our nation’s founders, and their desire to practice that faith freely, in a new land.  But when they landed in Jamestown back in 1607, they brought more than just a desire to freely live out their individual beliefs. My family lived less than a mile from Jamestown Settlement before moving to Alexandria in 2013; and we celebrated the 400^th anniversary of that landing as much as anyone.  But the faith that those founders sought to practice had been warped by nationalistic ambitions which would eventually lead them to build a society that was void of the love that Jesus calls us to have for all people. Thus a nation was born that would oppress the land’s native people and that would enslaved of millions of black and brown bodies for generations. And all the while we would continue to think of our ourselves as a city set on a hill, and a beacon of Christ for all the world to see!

Further, some might go so far as to say that the Roman Church’s statement on gay marriage released this past week, is also so void of Christ’s love that is must be challenged and condemned. And while the motivation of Pope Francis may be less nationalistic than my first two examples, there is never the less an institutional commitment to Rome that continues to blind adherents to one of the major branches of the Christian Church, to Christ’s call to love those on the margins of our society.         

And how else does one understand the violence being perpetrated on the AAPI community today? . . . violence that has risen 149% since people began calling the COVID-19 pandemic the ‘China virus,’ or ‘Kung flu?’ Surely it is because of peoples’ twisted understanding of what it means to be an American, as well as a neglect of the Gospel value which calls us to let the world know that we are Christ’s disciples by our love for one another.

The love that we see in Jesus, as well as the love that Paul wrote about in the 13^th chapter of 1st Corinthians, point to one of the central disciplines of our faith: namely, Christ’s call to love one another! And when that discipline is absent, evil wins!  Which is why so many pastors have recently signed a statement rejecting Christian Nationalism. We sought to make it clear that . . . “just as Muslim leaders felt the need to denounce a distorted, violent version of their faith (after 9/11), we feel the urgent need to denounce this violent mutation of OUR faith (today)!”

Nowhere is there a clearer sign of ungodliness, than in the rise of Christian Nationalism in America. And it’s all because of the absence of Godly love!  So like any movement within a society or the Church that is void of love, it needs to be rejected, and denounced.

Voltaire once said that “those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”  I would add that faith without love is the height of absurdity, and when we fail to see that, and when we allow people in the Church to neglect the call to love as Jesus loved, atrocities will only continue.     

It is impossible to be a Christian, and a nationalist. Our allegiance is to one or the other. So we have a choice to make, and as for me and my house . . . well . . . you know the rest!

At our poetry discussion this past Sunday – where a group from Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA, joined with siblings at Faith Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, to discuss Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” – a great deal of time was spent considering the two different versions of Christianity that are being espoused in our nation today.  And there was almost unanimous agreement that they are not just different, but at times they appear to be diametrically opposed to one another. 

The version many of us are striving to embrace is the one with roots firmly planted in this season of Lent.  It proclaims a Gospel overflowing with sacrificial love: one that resists violence, one that is willing to surrender power in order to reclaim power; and one that is seeking to stand over and against the religious and political elites of the day, to instead side with the oppressed and the marginalized. It is a version of the Gospel that is most reflective of the life of Jesus, and it is one that has itself, been pushed to the sidelines of America’s Christian landscape.

The other version? . . . well, the other version is all about supremacy, nationalism, and a skewed understanding of greatness that can only stand in direct opposition to the way of Jesus.  It is a vacuous version of the Christian faith; and one that many are fleeing, in spite of the fact that it has become so viciously vocal. It’s leaders dominate the airwaves, and while they claim to speak on behalf of ‘real’ Christians, they speak for no one but themselves, their ‘golden calves’, and the idolatrous empires that they have sought to create.

In her poem, Angelou borrows the image of a caged bird from Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy”, and it is an image that would become central to her 1969 autobiography “I know why the caged bird sings.” Today, it continues to offer profound and powerful imagery for anyone seeking to explore the racism that continues to imprison people of color in America. Wings clipped, feet tied, and horrifically restrained behind bars of rage, people of color continue to sing, “with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still.” Their songs are songs of freedom and liberation; and while free birds spend time seeking to ‘claim the sky’ and ‘name it as our own’, the songs of the caged bird echo throughout our history.

Several of the Black participants in our discussion wondered if we White people have ever actually listened to the songs of America’s ‘caged birds.’ Because while many of us are quick to say ‘of course we have’; it doesn’t seem that way. And for people of color, it doesn’t feel that way. Which is likely why my thoughts immediately went to the movie “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” starring Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis. For there we see the incredible exploitation of the songs of our Black siblings. And we in the Church have been the most exploitive. For indeed, while we’ve heard the songs, we’ve never really listened.

How many of our congregations have just moved through Black History Month and enjoyed all the religious ‘spirituals’ that come with it? Choirs spent hours preparing “Precious Lord Take my Hand”, soloists crooned the haunting words of “Deep River”, and congregations enthusiastically belted out “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” But did we really listened to the words of these songs? Did we hear the messages being proclaimed? Or were they little more than dignified accoutrements to our religious forms of spiritual entertainment?

Frederick Douglas once said that slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. In other words, caged birds sing because that is all that they are free to do. Their songs are full of grief, pain, longing, anger, and even rage. And for generations, we White people have gathered in auditoriums and concert halls, and done nothing but be entertained by their songs. We wanted Marvin Gaye to sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” but not “What’s Going On?” We wanted Billie Holiday to sing “All of Me”, but not “Strange Fruit.”

So it was a fair question: have we White people ever really listened to the songs of the caged bird? Do we know that we live in a nation of cages? And are we willing to accept responsibility for changing things? Having built the cages, are we praying that God might forgive us. That we might open their doors, are we praying for God to empower us? And for the strength to destroy them, are we praying for God to embolden us? They are important questions for ALL White people, but especially for White people who claim to be following Jesus. And if these are not the questions being appropriate and accurately answered in the version of Christianity that we have embraced, then something is terribly wrong.

In his book “The Color of Compromise”, Jamar Tisby writes that in the early 20th century, as many as 40,000 American pastors were members of the KKK. He tells the story of the lynching of Luther and Mary Holbert in February 1904 . . . “on a Sunday afternoon, after worship, so a large crowd could gather.” Like the songs of the caged bird, lynching too, was a form of entertainment for supposed Christ-followers. After gathering in their solemn religious assemblies – where they remembered a man lynched on a cross . . . by a fearful and powerful mob . . . intent on seeking a flawed form of justice . . . and attempting to silence a message of love and grace for all people – after worshipping the One who created all people, in all of our glorious diversity, members of the Church of Jesus Christ gathered in the town square to lynch again. Men, women, and even children, were hung; and just as in Jesus’ day, it was all in an attempt to maintain a distorted sense of justice, and to silence any attempt to change the oppressive songs of the status quo.

To modify the words of the renown civil rights activist Fred Hampton, “you can cage revolutionaries, but you can’t cage a revolution!” And the version of American Christianity that is preached and promoted today must be revolutionary! We White people must be willing to hear the words of those crying out for justice and righteousness; and our faith must not only include the songs of those who have been ‘caged’ for way too long, but their songs must become our songs. There is no place in our assemblies for songs that in any way promote White supremacy, Christian nationalism, or any notion of greatness that in any way, figuratively or literally, ‘encages’ those who are not like us . . . ‘nasty’ birds, immigrant birds, Black or Brown birds. Any anyone promoting “America first” needs to hear Jesus’ reminder that in God’s coming kindom, “the first will be last and the last will be first!”

Regardless of what we may think we see today, there is only one accurate version of Christianity. And the other is just an imposter – wrapped in the American flag, holding a Bible that has never been read, and exalting a golden calf that should be an affront to anyone claiming to have invited Jesus into their heart.

We White Christ-followers need to listen to the songs of the caged bird. They are songs that have been sung for generations, but too many of us have not been listening. And when we finally hear them, we need to start singing along. We need to add our voices in harmony with theirs; and we need to get to work, so that God’s kindom might indeed come . . . not in a tomorrow understood to be some place in a distant heaven, but rather in this life . . . here . . . and now!

It was sitting in the “to read” section of my bookshelves for years, yet for some reason I never got around to picking it up. And while I donated it, unread, to a local used book store when I moved eight years ago, the title is one that remains stuck in my head still today. I might even say that it ‘haunts’ me; and I choose that word because the way I see so many people living today does, in fact, haunt me.

Evil is the only word to accurate;y describe the actions of White Christian Nationalists today: those who have been rightly labeled ‘homegrown terrorists,’ and who have been declared a greater threat to America’s national security than anyone or anything else. We should be haunted by such people! What kind of faith leads to the kind of behavior that was displayed on January 6th, when with “Jesus Saves” signs in hand, a seditious mob, full of professing Christians, rioted in and looted our nation’s Capitol? Surely, it is not too harsh to say ‘only an evil one!’ Racism is their unifying ideology, and their desire for this nation is nothing less than a return to what they consider to be White, Christian, heterosexual norms. And anyone who would dare stray from those norms is considered to be unAmerican.

And what about the misinformation that such people spread: completely incapable of even ‘speaking the truth,’ let alone doing so ‘in love’? While people always have and always will interpret data and science differently, rejecting and denying them for one’s own political power grab and personal gain, is nothing short of sinful. That too should haunt us. Because while exposure to a diversity of opinion is actually one of the things that makes us stronger, both individually and as a nation; facts are still facts! And when people lose their grasp of truth, and when large segments of the population knowingly perpetuate misinformation and disinformation, evil is left to reign.

But above all, nothing should haunt us more than a religion or a patriotism that is rooted and grounded in cruelty and coldness! It’s not just a lack of kindness and compassion that we see in Christian Nationalists today, but we continue to witness attitudes and actions that are blatantly hurtful and hateful, vindictive and violent. Such behavior has become an acceptable norm, rather than a condemnable exception; and it not only flies in the face of Jesus’ life, but it moves us and our society further and further from anything that might come close to resembling the kindom proclaimed by the Christ.

So . . . “how should we then live?”

Is that really a hard question to answer? Do we really need a book to tell us?

I certainly don’t want to be too simplistic, or in any way minimize the wisdom of Francis Schaeffer. But it seems to me that if we just look to Jesus, the answer to this question will be quite clear.

First, we should live in ways that are boldly and intentionally anti-racist: that resist and push back against ways of being that perpetuate systemic and institutionalized forms of harmful discrimination towards people based upon the color of their skin. Second, we should live in ways that are honest and truthful, and that promote authenticity in our relations with one another. And finally, we should live in ways that show kindness and compassion to everyone – even those we may not like or those who we think may think may not deserve it!

It’s really not all that complicated. ‘How should we then live’ is one of the easier questions that life poses. And frankly I think most of us know full well how we are to live. The bigger question is do we have the courage to do so! Do we have the wisdom and strength to be a people striving to live anti-racist lives; always seeking truth, and speaking it to power; and doing it all with the love of Jesus burning in our hearts? Do we have a faith that will allow us to put down our books, and to live the way Jesus did?

I hope so.

Schaeffer remains one of the intellectual giants of American Evangelicalism, and his books have become classic bestsellers. But if we have to make a choice between reading about the Christian life, or living the Christian life, dare I suggest we donate our books and start living. Because living like Jesus is the only thing that has the capacity to transform this world. And that, is how we should live!