Bob's Blog

Written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene in 1991, “Mary did you know” was first made popular by the Gaither Vocal Band. But today we are more likely to hear it being sung by Mary J. Blige, Pentatonix, or a church choir . . . as was the case in my congregation on Christmas Eve. And while I love the song, it bothers me that it never answers the questions that it so boldly asks.

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy has come to make you new;
that this child that you delivered, will soon deliver you?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man;
that he will calm the storm with his hand?

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation;
that he would one day rule the nations?

Each of these questions DOES have an answer – the same answer in fact. And the answer is a critical part of Mary’s story, the Christmas story, and the Gospel story. And the answer is yes!

Mary did you know?

Of course she knew!

That’s the reason Mary is such an important figure in Jesus’ birth narratives. We remember and celebrate her life precisely BECAUSE she knew. And frankly, only a man would write a song asking such a question.

Regardless of which of the details of Mary’s story you subscribe to – the literal reading of Scripture that insists she was a virgin who immaculately conceived Jesus by the power of the Spirit, or the more metaphorical reading that simply used talk of her virginity to exalt the status of the Christ-child, or the version that says she was raped by a Roman guard – the whole purpose of Mary’s story is THAT she knew! And the most important parts of her story have nothing to do with HOW she got pregnant. All of the ‘man-made’ theories – and they were literally ‘man’made – are concerned about the sexual activity that brought about the conception But consider the real point of Mary’s story.

2000 years ago, somehow, and someway, a young woman, frightened, lowly and without means, not in a palace but in the most humble of circumstance, gave birth to a child that would change the course of human history. And somehow, someway, perhaps simply because she was like any other mother, she knew that her child was special. And so she raised him to be, special! She knew, like most mothers, that her child was a gift from God, and so she did whatever she needed to do to raise him to do great and mighty things. She raised him to model for the world the unconditional love of God. She raised him to care for the poor, and the downtrodden. She raised him to seek justice, and to show mercy, and to walk in humility. She raised him to give sight to those who had lost their way, and to calm the most tragic of life’s storms, and to be a ruler of nations. Isn’t that what most mothers do? . . . everything they can, to raise kind, compassionate, and strong children . . . so that one day they might become healthy and productive members of society?

That’s all Mary was doing! She was doing what all mothers want to do. And that’s why her story is so important.

Did she know?

Of course she knew.

She knew that her son would do great things because that was how she was going to raise him! That was how strong her faith was! That’s why her life remains such an important model for us, and why she is such an important figure in the Christmas story. It’s what her “Magnificat,” in Luke chapter 1, is all about. She knew that God could use even her . . . a . . . simple but selfless, fragile but faithful, broken but beautiful, lost but loved, confused but capable . . . young woman. And she knew that even she could . . . conceive hope . . . carry compassion . . . and give birth to salvation.

Mary did you know?

Of course she knew.

And here’s why this is so important for us to remember. Here’s why this may be the most important Christmas message you’ve read in a long time. Because Mary’s story helps us to see that just as she boldly, daringly, and confidently, bore God to the world, so too can we.

Mary was a theotokos! A God bearer! That how she is referred to in the Eastern Church. And one of the most important messages of Christmas is that just as God came to the world in Jesus, Mary’s son; so too can God be born again in the world even today, thru average, broken, and simple people like you and me. We too, in some small way, can also be a theotokos, a bearer of God to the world . . . by what we say, and what we do. Mary’s story helps us to see that just as she can bear the peace, hope, and love of God to the world, so to can we. Jesus can be born in us, today, just as he was born to Mary, 2000 years ago.

Mary did you know?

Of course SHE knew.

But how about us? Do we know? Do WE know that this Christmastide, Jesus can be born in us, and thru us, change the world?

Mary’s story should help us answer that question! For because she knew, so too can we. Just as she brought forth the light and love God, so too, can we! May that be our goal this week, and every week of the coming new year.

“Let me begin by telling you that in spite of what the schedule says, this is not ‘Christian’ yoga!” she said.  “There’s no such thing as ‘Christian’ yoga. Yoga, is yoga, period.  But it was the only way I could get it on the schedule!”

That’s how my first yoga class began.  It was poolside, in San Diego, at a pastors convention; and I remain grateful for that woman who was not afraid to push the evangelical envelope, and introduce my wife and me to a practice that continues to heighten our awareness of God’s presence in our lives even today, more than 10 years later.

Some would say that this practice, and others like it, have the capacity to move us into a “thin space”: that place where the human and the holy – earth and heaven – almost touch! It’s a sacred space, and people of every faith engage in disciplines that they believe make such experiences possible.  For the Buddhist it might bie the practice of yoga; and for the Jew, it might be lighting candles, eating sacred foods, or retelling ancient stories of God’s faithfulness. For the Muslim it might be kneeling on a prayer mat five times a day and reciting words that have been spoken by people for generations; and for Christ-followers it might be breaking bread in a homeless shelter or baptizing a child in a Sunday worship gathering.

Many people believe that there are a variety of spiritual practices have the capacity to thin the space between the human and the Holy.  But sadly, far too many of us look with suspect on one others’ practices simply because they are different from our own.  And we don’t just do this with people of other faiths.  We do this even within a given religion. Presbyterians believe that kneeling is for Lutherans, and Baptists believe that liturgy is for Episcopalians. Well over 3500 people were killed in Northern Ireland during a 30 year period of warring between Catholics and Protestants; and to this day, conflict between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims continues to ravage much of the Arab world.

Ironically, as a result, the very experiences that we regard as bringing us into unity with God, bring us into disunity with one another!  And so as meaningful as the idea of a ‘thin space’ has been for me in recent years, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps I need to rethink the whole concept.

You see, when we seek God . . . out there . . . and spend our time working to move closer to, or to connect with, this ‘holy other’, I wonder if we are minimizing and devaluing an understanding of God’s presence with us and in us, at all times and in all places.  It almost appears as though we are allowing the transcendence of God to negate the immanence of God, rather than allowing them both to coexist side by side.  When Luke writes in the Book of Acts that God is the one “in whom we live and move and have our being,” is he not implying that we are already close to God — that heaven and earth are actually already touching?  In this passage is he not attempting to convey the idea that more than God living in us, WE LIVE IN GOD?

If this is the case, then the space between us and God really does not need any thinning, because in fact there is no space!  God actually exists in us, and/or we exist IN God.  No thinning required!  Instead, we simply need to learn to become mindful of the very nature of the human-divine relationship, and more mindful of our oneness with all creation.  And at Christmas, this reality may be worthy of our reflection.

Christmas is about so much more than God ‘moving into the neighborhood,’ as Eugene Peterson puts it.  It’s about so much more than, as conservatives contend, God becoming incarnate in a human being; or than as liberals claim, the growing realization that there is a divine spark in all human beings.

Rather, Christmas is about humanity’s capacity to look into the face of the Christ, and see not just God, but all Creation!  Because we live and exist in God, when we look at Jesus – the fullest and most complete expression of God in human form – we see all that is.  His eyes hold the mysteries of the universe: all the planets and stars that make up the galaxies.  His hands hold the secrets of the cosmos.  His heart beats in rhythm with the waves. and his love extends from the heights of the highest mountain to the depths of the deepest valley.  This is what we see when we look into the manger.  We don’t just see a baby.  We see all creation, moving towards God’s deepest desire, where everything is whole, and complete, just as it was created to be.

Further, when we look into the eyes of the Christ-child, we see one another!  We see him in the homeless vet on the street corner holding up sign asking for food.  We see him in the woman on the boarder, fearful over the possibility of having her children taken away.  We see him in the angry Trump supporter, embracing a racist and misogynistic worldview, and living lives full of irrational fear and selfish ambition.

When we are able to see Christ in all creation, we take the first step in the transformation of all creation.  We do so much more than ‘thin the space between us and God’, but rather, we begin to see our oneness with all that is.  Both Advent and Christmas reaffirm this reality, and thus begin to make real our hope that one day justice will roll down water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.  The birth announcement of the angels reminds us that God is here, and that all creation is united simply by it’s existence!  And the message of Emmanuel that God is with us leads us to live in a manner that makes the reign of God a reality in all our lives.

Friends, light does indeed shine in the darkness, and darkness will never overcome it.  Love does indeed win.  And God, in whom we live and move and have our being, is in us, with us, and for us!  The birth of Jesus reveals that nothing shall separate us from the love of God, and that when it comes to the space between us and God, no thinning is required!

Yeah, I know, this is risky!  The last thing women need today is another white guy ‘mansplaining’ about all that’s going on in our culture — especially when it comes to issues involving the sexism and misogyny that is running rampant in our nation!

So I won’t go there. I have no desire to try and explain anything to anyone.  Rather, I simply want the women in my life to know what I, and what countless other men, think and feel about all that is going on in our country.

And why should you ‘care’ about what I think? Because I care for you: and because I want to be a friend and an ally as we together seek to bring about the changes that we all know are way overdue.

Last month my wife and I went to see “Battle of the Sexes”, starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell.  It’s the story of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs’ infamous 1973 tennis match, which became the most watched televised sporting event of all time.  America was still in the midst of it’s ‘sexual revolution’: traditional gender rolls were being challenged, women were demanding equal pay, and society was finally beginning to have open and honest conversations about homosexuality, premarital sex, and contraception.   It was also a time when movement towards the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment was picking up steam, and progress appeared to be on the horizon.

They were exciting days, and while I was not even a teenager back then, I have vivid memories of many of the conversations that were taking place.  While Jim Croce was singing about ‘Leroy Brown messin’ with the wife of jealous man,’ women in America were messin’ around around with causes that should have been resolved years before; causes that were first raised during the days of abolition, and then followed up by the suffrage movement of the early 1900s.  The 70s were years when our culture appeared to be ready to expand our understanding of civil rights, and to revisit the gender bias that can be traced all the way back to the days of our founders. And we did . . . for a while.

But then something happened.  I’m not sure what it was, but something changed; and for the past 40 years, things seem to have slowed down!

Until now!

Today, living, working, and talking with women, as well observing, engaging, and listening to women, I am being reminded that you are not a monolith.  And I know that.  Each of you is an individual, and your approach to these issues varies. Some of you have clearly never given up the fight — and sadly, it is still a fight. You have taken up leadership roles in spite of the challenges, and you have never been afraid to call out the sexism that abounds in our culture. You work hard to break stereotypes and challenge ideas and norms that in no way reflect the justice and equality that should be the norm in the ‘kin’dom of God.

Others of you have decided to work outside of the power structures that exist in our nation; and because you are not willing to wait for change to come in order for you to be faithful your created identity, you do what you’ve been called to do in spite of the obstacles.  You’ve told me that you are more concerned with your influence being felt that your voice being heard; and I get that.

And still others of you have told me that you’re tired: tired of always feeling as though you need to prove yourself, and tired of always being perceived as the angry woman who sees every issue through the eyes of gender.  Never the less, you continue to strive to be the person God created you to be, but you do so quietly, calmly, faithfully, and without fanfare.

I’ve certainly met women who don’t fall in any of these categories; but by far, the women in my life who I most admire and respect are those who do.  And you are the ones to whom I write. And all I want to say, is that I’m with you. Because in light of the days in which we are living you need to know that.

In spite of the fact that this nation has sent to the Oval Office one of the most openly misogynistic presidents in our lifetime, if not ever; and even though sexual harassment and assault continue to lurk behind the scenes of Hollywood and in the back alleys of Wall Street; and although the Church, the institution in which I continue to serve and the community I continue to call ‘home’, is still full of people who refuse to move beyond antiquated beliefs and practices: I simply want you to know that you are not alone. I, and many other men I know, gave up ‘locker room’ talk back in high school. Cat Calls and groping are not how we operate, and we long for the wisdom and perspective that you bring to our Church and our world. And we know that our voices are often too loud, and so we are working on give you, and others, the opportunity to speak.

Further, because of most of you don’t fall into the category of white, Evangelical Christian: you need to know that people like me are especially longing to to hear from you.  We’ve heard from those other women long enough: women who do little more than amplify the traditional white, Christian, heterosexual, male voices that dominate their world.  But today, now, we need to hear from you!

And we need to hear from you, because the world needs you.  I need you!  YOU . . . NEED YOU!  We need to hear what you are saying.  We need your gifts and abilities.  We need your strength and leadership.  And we need your grace and compassion.

For too long, men like me have held you down and kept you from being all you were designed to be.  We’ve carefully and methodically built a culture where we call the shots, and where we are in control.  We’ve tried to keep you at home because we didn’t want to have to compete with you in the marketplace.  We’ve forced you to raise our children because we didn’t value the work of growing the next generation.  We’ve told you that your worth is determined by your appearance, devaluing your gifts and abilities, and minimizing the deeper and most beautiful aspects of your being.  We’ve thought you to be more emotional, than intellectual, and thus denied our society the benefits of your knowledge and wisdom.  And we’ve done it all under the guise of ‘family values’ and Biblical faithfulness.

But today, for many of us, things have changed.  We no longer want to perpetuate the patriarchy that has dominated American life for the past 400 plus years, and we want to reject the gender bias that continues to keep our nation from becoming all that we know it can be.  But most important, we are concerned for you.  We want more for you.  And we want to be the ally that we know we should be.  We don’t want to lead the charge: we’ve done that long enough.  We don’t want to set the course: we’re trusting you to do that.  But we WILL do whatever we can to stand with you, and to work to bring about the change that this so overdue in America.

So to this end, I will listen to you more, and I will talk less.  I will follow your leadership, and I will respect your opinions and decisions.  I will walk beside you when you need a friend, and behind you when you need support and encouragement.  I will name sexism and misogyny when I see it, and not be afraid to call out those who consciously or unconsciously perpetuate a chauvinistic view of the world in which we live.  I will monitor my own bias, and language; and I will work hard to change old thought patterns and ways of generalizing gender roles and stereotypes.  I will see your strength and determination as a sign of giftedness, not ‘bitchiness’; and I will carefully walk that line between respecting the rights of others, and your right to choose what you do with your body.  And I will not place value judgments on the differences between women and men, nor will I continue to interpret the Bible in ways that fail to acknowledge it’s damaging paternalism – a paternalism that has been used to oppress you for centuries.

If there’s anything that should be added to this list, feel free to let me know.  I want to hear from.  I want to do my part in changing this nation.  Perhaps, if we finally work on things like this together, side by side, as equals, we can be the partners we were created to be, and the world will move one step closer to the ‘kin’dom of God.

This Thanksgiving, please know how grateful I am for you.  And know that I will do my best to translate that gratitude into action . . . not for me, or even for the world.  But for you.

It’s really rather convenient, or should I say a privilege, for us to completely avoid the real issue confronting our nation today!  What on earth is wrong with us?

Colin Kaepernick’s taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem last year was no more an attack on veterans, than it was a denial of his love for this country.  It was simply his way, as a Black man, of protesting what he perceived to be a color bias in police departments around our country – a perception that is actually quite difficult to deny.  After the deaths of Trevon Martin, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling, and countless others, Colin had had enough.  And taking a knee was the least he could do.

He didn’t start a riot in downtown San Francisco.  He didn’t go on a shooting rampage and kill a cop or a veteran.  He didn’t storm the halls of Congress and demand that action be taken to stem the tide of unwarranted police killing of people of color.  All he did, was quietly, humbly, and respectfully, take a knee during the playing of the national anthem, at a football game, in attempt to raise our awareness of serious problem affecting America: racism!

But we white Americans don’t want to talk about racism, do we?  We don’t want to stop to analyze why police officers, in their own words, seem to “only shoot Black people.” We don’t want to consider the reasons behind the statistics that more Black and Brown people than white people, are not only stopped for traffic offenses, but then searched. Worse yet, we don’t want to talk about why, when we ARE aware of such statistics, we simply conclude that they only reveal what we already know – people of color commit more traffic offenses than white people!

No!  White America doesn’t want to talk about any of this.  We don’t want to have a conversation about why for every 1 dollar of wealth held by a Black household, White households hold 13 dollars.  We don’t want to have a conversation about the lasting effects of not just legalized slavery, that ended more than 100 years ago, but the institutional enslavement that continues today, in laws that subtly but effectively continue to hold back and hold down communities of color.  We don’t want to have a conversation about what it is inside of us, that causes us to cross to the other side of the street when we see a Black teenage boy walking towards us, or why we lock the doors of our cars when we drive thru certain parts of town.

Such issues are simply too hard for us to deal with.  So let’s talk about patriotism instead, shall we?  Let’s call those who are frustrated by police violence against Black men, son’s of bitches!  Let’s call them unAmerican, challenge their love of country, and question their respect for veterans.  Let’s conveniently shift the conversation, and follow the lead of the most repugnant president this country has ever known, and make this all about a flag and a song.   Let’s allow ourselves to be distracted by the method, so we don’t have to deal with the message!

As I sit in my living room watching Monday Night Football, listening to Jordan Sparks sing our National Anthem, with Psalm 31:8-9 tatooed on her hand (look it up!), my heart is kneeling in solidarity with my Black brothers and sisters.  And not because I don’t love my country, or because I want to disrespect those who have fought so valiantly for the freedoms that I enjoy; but because as an American, and as a follower of Jesus, I have a responsibility to remember that injustice anywhere, threatens justice everywhere, and that Jesus always – yes ALWAYS – stood on the side of the marginalized and oppressed.

America, we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from the real issue that is before this nation that we ALL love.  We cannot allow our President’s bully pulpit to conveniently move the conversation from the tough issues of our day, to the matters that only we privileged want to consider.  And we cannot allow his handlers to dismiss the blatant racism that is behind his inflammatory words and actions, so that this moment is lost and nothing changes . . . yet again.

Let’s stop the talking about patriotism; for this is not about patriotism.  It’s about that other ‘ism’: the one we white people don’t want to talk about; the one that if left unaddressed, will only continue to divide and destroy our country, from the inside out.

People of color have been bearing the burden of America’s original sin for decades. But today, White America is being given the opportunity to share that burden.  And we simply cannot afford to squander the opportunity by conveniently shifting the conversation from them message to the method, and make what is going on today about our white, privileged understanding of patriotism.

Singing about a star-spangled banner, waving over a ‘land of the free’, doesn’t make it so. That is something that only WE can do.  Together.  So let’s stop worry about a song.  For the problem in America today is not about other people kneeing down, but rather it’s about white people failing to stand up . . . to injustice, oppression, and racism . . . not in some place far away, but right here, in the America that we ALL, love!

I’m an inclusivist.  I’m an ecumenist.   I’m a universalist.  I’m a globalist.  I’m a panentheist.

But before anything else, I regard myself as a member of the great human family — created, loved, nurtured, and sustained by that which many of us call “God.”  My various labels give testimony to my desire to embrace all, and to strive to find unity even in the midst of the world’s diversity; and the Scriptures that guide my life tell me that because God is love, my call is to love everyone, just as Jesus did.  As “the fullest and most complete expression of God in human form,” I seek to model my life after the Christ: who taught me that everyone is my neighbor and that I am to love them as I love myself.  The holy book of my Muslim sisters and brothers pushes me further, challenging me to only want for others, what I want for myself.

Now over the years I’ve met countless other Americans who are seeking to live this same kind of life; but, I’ve also met countless Europeans (I actually live with one!) who are similarly seeking to live this way.  Their lives are just as reflective of the life of Jesus as my own.  I’ve met Mormons and Muslims who love God as much as I do, AND who follow God better than I do.  I have friends in the LGBTQ community who do a far better job than I when it comes to “seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly”; and I’ve met Black women who have not had any of the white privileges that have followed me all my life, and yet the love exhibited in their lives is making more of a difference in this world than mine ever will!

All of this is to say that I desire to do more that merely ‘tolerate’ those who are not like me; rather I long to embrace and enter into community with them.  We can learn from one another, and together work to make the world a better place to live.

This is the liberal mindset.  Liberals are, by very definition, liberal in our willingness to accept others, regardless of the nation we call home, the language we speak, the religion we practice, the worldview we adopt, the people we choose to love, or the color of our skin.  In the words of Mr. Webster, we have . . . “generous hearts; appropriate for a broad and enlightened mind; free from narrowness, bigotry, or bondage; and advocating liberty of thought, speech, and action.”  And while I know this makes us all sound way too saintly, overall it’s a pretty accurate description of who we seek to be and that for which most of us strive.

Thrity Umrigar, in her new book “Everybody’s Son”, writes that “even a broken clock is right two times a day!”  And I like that.  It reminds me that everyone has something to contribute to this world we call home, and it challenges me to see the good in everyone. Since I do not believe humanity’s primary identity is that of a sinner in the hands of an angry God, I believe people are called to see the image of God in everyone, and firmly believe that all people are worthy of my love.

However, and I think I speak for most of of the liberals I know when I say this, our acceptance and our tolerance DO have boundaries!

In spite of the many freedoms that we enjoy in this country, when your rights start to infringe upon mine, or upon the marginalized and oppressed, we WILL resist.  Your words will be rejected and your actions will be challenged; for while you may have the right to do or say anything and everything you want, your actions and words may not always be acceptable.  Freedom has restrictions.  Liberalism has boundaries.  And tolerance has limits!

This past spring, much was written about Milo Yioannopoulos, the British media personality associated with the political alt-right and a former senior editor for Breitbart News; as well as Ann Coulter, a conservative American social and political commentator, lawyer, and syndicated columnist.  Both were invited to speak at UC Berkeley; but student outrage over the invitations resulted in neither of them making a visit to the prestigious university.  An outspoken critic of what he calls ‘political correctness’, Milo is quick to condemn feminism, Islam, and has stated that “gay rights are detrimental to humanity.”   He believes that child abuse is “really not that big of deal,” and has made others statements that have led some to believe he condones pedophilia.  And Ann Coulter is little more than a media hound: a social and political conservative who will do and say almost anything as long as it will get peoples’ attention.

Last month, Harvard University graduate and Google employee James Damore became yet another hero of right wing extremists when he published a memo challenging the role of women in the tech industry.  He was eventually fired, and is now fighting back by claiming that the “left” is only concerned about free speech when it agrees with the liberal causes, and complaining that the Silicon Valley is intolerant of those with differing political perspectives.

And then there’s Richard Spencer, and the countless other racist, Nazi-sympathizing, White Supremacists who have made the spotlight in recent weeks.  They too argue that the first amendment gives them the right to say and do whatever they want, however they want — a freedom they believe is granted to them by the Constitution.

But freedom and tolerance do not mean that “anything goes!”  And there is nothing inconsistent about this position in the so-called ‘liberal agenda.’  Liberals weigh very carefully the responsibility to listen to others, AND TO PROTECT OTHERS.  We want to and will engage those with whom we disagree; but we will also resist people who say things that invite violence, incite fear, or in any way threaten other because of the color of their skin, their religious preference, their sexual preference, or any other aspect of their life that is different from the white, American perspective on what is ‘normal!’

Is this a “slippery slope?”  Of course it is.  And we don’t always get it right. But in the long run, liberals are committed to navigating this precarious slope.  We will listen to those with whom we disagree, and we will work to guarantee everyone’s right to speak their mind and to freely express themselves.  But when people claim the right to behave militantly, with guns and torches, we will draw a line.  When people seek to exercise their ‘rights’ with so much hate that people become fearful for their very lives, we will draw a line. When people express views and ideas that are void of truth and lacking in intellectual integrity we will draw a line.  And when people act in ways that violate that which is just, and right, and good, we will draw a line.  For as subjective as drawing lines might be, boundaries are sometimes necessary because yes, tolerance has limits.

Being tolerant does not mean tolerating intolerance.  It doesn’t mean accommodating hatred, accepting lies, condoning violence, or closing our eyes to injustice.  And while we all might have very different definitions of hatred, lies, violence, and injustice, in the end, it’s all about treating one another with love and respect.  The whole “I-may-disagree-with-what-you-say-but-will-defend-your-right-to-say-it” has it’s limits!  For when personal views, opinions, and perspectives, harm others, drawing lines is not being intolerant: it’s simply being civil.  It’s being courteous, and respectful, and considerate.

If you don’t believe in gay marriage, then don’t marry someone of the same gender.  If you believe God wants you to avoid Margaritas on Sunday, then stay away from your local Mexican restaurant on your Sabbath.  If you believe that God wants you to cover your body, head to toe, when you’re in public, then feel free to buy that burka and wear it with as much pride as your faith permits.  But don’t try and make me walk in your footsteps!  And when your footsteps start to trample on mine, or on those with no voice, know that we liberals will not stand by and be quiet.  And this is especially true of those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus.  For in my case, these position actually have little to do with any kind of liberal political agenda.  Rather, they are Gospel!  Plain and simple.

In America, we respect our diversity.  We liberals celebrate it, and we progressive Christ-followers even honor it.  I am well aware that we all see things differently, and that my perspective on things may not always be accurate.  But sometimes opinions are just wrong – scientifically, morally, ethically, and spiritually.  And when we liberals see that wrongness, we will carefully, discerningly, lovingly, and non- violently, draw a line.  We will protest and preach, write and resist, challenge and chastise.  We will publish blog after blog and Facebook post after Facebook post, that push, poke, and prod; and we will not be silenced because of some distorted idea so-called ‘liberal inconsistency’!

No!  Tolerance does NOT mean tolerating intolerance.  And these days, everyone of us eeds to get used to tolerating that!

Perhaps because our winters were so harsh, the months of July and August in Lewiston, NY we’re like heaven!  The small town of about 16,000 people, north of Buffalo, NY, was a great town in which to grow up.  When I think of our summers I think of sunny, blue skies; 80 degree days with low humidity; and refreshing breezes off the Niagara River. Memories of bike rides to Canada, swimming in our Redwood, “Fanta Sea” pool, and sailing on Lake Ontario still bring a smile to my face.  And thoughts of all the fruit stands that would pop up on our many country roads, with all kinds of fresh cherries, melons, and peaches, still make my mouth water.  Nothing can compare to summers in Western New York . . . except maybe summers in New England.

Several years ago my family was looking to escape the heat of July in Virginia, and so we decided to head to Maine.  Along the way we stopped in Mystic, CN, and Beverly, MA, and enjoyed all kinds of fresh seafood – lobster, mussels, and of course, New England Clam Chowder.  We took our kids White Water Rafting on the Kennebec River, and explored coastal harbors and the rocky beaches of the Northeast. Since then, my wife and I have enjoyed trips to Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Cape; and upon returning home, we always say that nothing can compare to vacations in New England . . . except maybe vacations in San Diego.

From the beaches, to the food, to the weather, Southern California has it all.  In fact the entire west coast, from Los Angeles all the way up to Seattle, offers vacationers the best America has to offer.  Disneyland and Knot’s Berry Farm, vineyards and national parks, the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf, Haystack Rock and Mount Rainier:  one could spend months on the west coast and never run out of things to do and see.  No place in the US has more to do than the west coast . . . except maybe Chicago.

When it comes to things to do, and see, and experience, Chicago is a city with an all kinds of things to entertain a family.  No city can compare to Chicago . . . except maybe Atlanta. That too was a wonderful place to spend a week with three young kids: with the highlight being Ebenezer Baptist Church.  Not many places have a lesson like the MLK National Historic site . . . except Washington DC.  Our nation’s capital is unlike any other historic city in America . . . except maybe Gettysburg, or Williamsburg.

The beauty of our nation is remarkable, and the only place better than where most of us are right now, is where we will be tomorrow!  From the Great Lakes in the north, to the Giant Redwoods of the west, to the historic towns that dot the entire east coast, America has it all.  But these days, my heart belongs to the south.  As the saying goes, “I wasn’t born here; but I got here as fact as I could.”  And if my wife and I have our way, we will never leave!

Now granted, we currently live in Alexandria and are well aware that many people don’t think of Northern Virginia as part of the south. But we lived in Williamsburg for 13 years, and we make frequent visits to a son and daughter-in-law in Fuquay, NC, and another son and daughter-in-law in Richmond. So as far as we’re concerned, we are Virginians, and there is southern blood flowing through our veins.  We love the south, and for all kinds of reasons.

We love the hospitality of people.  We love the scent of the honeysuckle and pine.  And we love the sweetness of the tea!  We love long, summers days, and mild, sunny winters. I love the sight of blooming Redbuds in March, announcing that that winter has passed; and the sight of an October cotton field always makes my wife smile.  Like every other part of the country, the south has its downsides: humidity, guns, country music, and big hair!  But the positives far outweigh the negatives. And if I never live anywhere else I will be a happy man.  The Appalachian, Shenandoah, and Smokey Mountains; the white sand of the Gulf; and especially the Atlantic coast beaches all make me feel at home.  And my home, has my heart.

So here’s my question:  considering all the south has to offer, why does anyone think that in order to treasure, value, or in any way show appreciation for southern culture, one has to talk about the Confederacy?  Why, in order to prove that one’s heart resides in Dixie, does one need to honor the likes of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson: men who led a treasonous war against our nation, and who did so in support of an institution that is nothing short of evil?  Why is it necessary to even speak of the glory of the Antebellum South, as if life ‘after the war’ has been some kind of burden?

It we want to celebrate Southern heritage, let’s talk about neighborhood conversations, on long wide porches, full of laughter, on warm summer nights. Let’s talk about Sunday Brunch, and tables overflowing with ham biscuits, fried chicken, cheesy grits, Beignets, and Mimosas. (Actually, I’m not sure Mimosas are all that southern, but what is brunch without a Mimosa!) And if we want to really lift up the contributions of the south, let’s celebrate the knowledge and passion of Sequoah, from what is today Knoxville, Tennessee; the strength and activism of Helen Keller, from Tuscumbia, Alabama; and the courage and determination of Jackie Robinson, from Cairo, Georgia. Let’s give thanks for Harriet Tubman and Harper Lee, James Brown and Jimmy Carter, Booker T. Washinton and Barbara Jordan, and countless other men and women whose memories are not laced with rebellion against America, and the defense of racism during the one time in our history when people were most aggressively seeking to change the trajectory of life for people of color in America.

If a person can only honor southern heritage by raising a Confederate flag and erecting monuments to leaders if the Confederacy; then we have no choice but to call into question both that person’s patriotism, as well as that person’s appreciation for the south’s heritage and history.  The south is so much more than an offensive piece of fabric, and racist pieces of stone.

And no one should no know that better than a real southerner.

Look at that picture!  Look at it.  And weep!

48 hours after evil marched into Charlottesville, VA, can we please clear up a few things?

1) If we can’t condemn white supremacy because we think there’s bigotry “on many sides,” then . . . we might be racist.

2) If we can call religious extremists, radical Islamic terrorists, but can’t call the KKK, Neo-Nazis, or White Nationalists homegrown terrorists, then . . . we might be racist.

3) If we believe that anti-white crime in America has become more of an issue than anti-Black crime, then . . . we might be racist.

4) If we continue to think that acknowledging ‘Black Lives Matter’ somehow means that other lives don’t matter, then . . . we might be racist.

5) If we have come to the conclusion that Affirmative Action is nothing more than ‘reverse racism,’ thereby failing to see that racism is about social and structural power, and Blacks have none of that, then . . . we might be racist.

6) If we don’t understand that ‘law and order’ and ‘voter fraud’, are less about law and order and voter fraud, and more about keeping minorities on the margins of our society, then . . . we might be racist.

7) If we think that slavery ended more than 100 years ago and it’s time to ‘get over it’, then . . . we might be racist.

8) If we believe that the election of Barack Obama proves that race is no longer an issue in America, or that much of the hatred of Barack Obama was not about the color of his skin, then . . . we might be racist.

9) If we believe that God ordained America to be a white, Christian nation, then . . . we might be racist.

And 10) if you think I’m correct in saying that all these things mean we MIGHT be racist, and not that we ARE racist, then . . . you ARE racist!

Actually, in the final analysis, most of us white Americans are racist! We are part of a system that favors us in all kinds of ways, simply because of the color of our skin. We continue to benefit from living in a nation that has normalized our privilege, and legitimized others’ oppression. The traditional, ‘white’ narrative about racism – that it is nothing more than prejudice against people who look different from us – does not take into account how the institutionalization of such a worldview will eventually blind us to its injustice. And it is that blindness that is threatening to destroy our country today. It is nothing new, but it’s normalization, which has come at the hands of Donald Trump, should disturb all of us; for he, as well as many in his administration, have allowed what has existed in the shadows of American life, to once again move out into the light of day.

In response, pastors and leaders of various faith communities have begun espousing all of their sacred Scriptures, in an attempt to justify their opposition to America’s growing Alt-Right . . . as if challenging this societal evil somehow needs to be sanctioned from ‘on high!’ Others have been quick to proclaim that they believe all people are created and loved by God . . . as if such a belief proves that they are ‘wok’ to issues of race and color bias. (Did not the slave owner also believe that his enslaved housekeeper was also created by God? . . . yet created to care for him and meet his every need?!) And still others have done little more than shake their heads at and close their eyes to such discussions . . . hoping they will just go away, believing that because they don’t fly the Confederate flag or read Breitbart News, the battle is not theirs to fight.

Well it’s time for us in white America to wake up: and not just for religious reasons, for Godly reasons, or for personal reasons. Some things need to be addressed simply because they affect the very soul of a society. Some things are just wrong! And evil that is left unchecked, and injustice that is allowed to reign free, will in the end destroy all of us.

This is why people like me are going to continue to resist current American trends. We’re not going to be quiet, and we’re not going to stop challenging the direction of the current administration. We’re not trying to annoy you. We’re not sore losers. And we’re not anti-white, anti-Christian socialists trying to destroy the heart of America.

Rather, we are simply human beings who love other human beings: who believe that none of us succeed unless we all succeed, and that there can be no peace in the world without justice. We recognize that the world is NOT made up of many races and families, but that there is only one race – the human race; and there is only one family – the human family.

Yes, most of us in white America are racist. But we can change, and we can do better. However change can only come when we’re willing to acknowledge our broken past, engage in the hard work of transforming the societal and institutional sin that is paralyzing the present, and participate in the creation a future where differences are embraced and not feared, where diversity is seen as a blessing and not a curse, and where color is seen as that which brings beauty to the palate of our lives.

Racists are taught to be racists – consciously and unconsciously, subtly and overtly, intentionally and unintentionally.  But we can change.  We MUST change that . . . for our sake, and the sake of all our children.

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.

Flying out of the city twice over the past few weeks I realized yet again how much I love where I live!  Even though my home is in Northern Virginia, I consider Washington, DC my home.  And it’s NOT . . .  a swamp.  Oh, it sometimes feels like that: in the middle of July, when it’s 100 degrees, with 200% humidity.  But it’s not a swamp.   

Since I first visited our nation’s capital on a family vacation back in 1976, I have been enthralled with the place: the beauty, the history, the people, the work, and of course, the food!  I lived here for four years while in college and even after moving away upon graduation I continued to return whenever possible.  For the past 30 plus years it has been one of my family’s favorite vacations spots; and so when my wife and I moved back to the DMV in 2013 we were delighted.

Needless to say, I’m offended by all the ‘swamp’ references!  Sure, there are government workers, institutional bureaucrats, and elected officials everywhere; but it is grossly unfair and demeaning to refer to them as “swamp-dwellers.” No doubt some, seduced by the lust for power, have forgotten what public service is all about; but the vast majority do what they do because they love this country, and because at the heart of their careers is the desire to . . . yes!  serve the public!  And this is especially true of our elected officials.  By far, most of them are committed to our national values and have given their very lives to the healthy functioning of our government.  They work tirelessly to live out the reality that all people have been created equal, that our nation is committed to the promotion of the general welfare of all Americans, and that few things are more important than “ensuring the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity!”

Sadly, some would like us to believe that the very word – politician – is a dirty one; and that people who have given their lives to public service are nothing more than “swamp-dwellers.”  Further, they would also have us believe that the solution to the many problems facing our nation is to ‘drain DC of the politicians’ and repopulate it with . . . businesspeople!  Yes, business people.  That is the solution to all our many problems.

Consider the current Cabinet: the CEOs of Exxon Mobile and Puzder Fast Foods, a former hedge fund CEO and Goldman Sachs partner, the former CEO of New York City’s Beth Israel Medical Center, a WL Ross & Co. exec who has amassed his billions by ‘betting’ on failing companies, a WWE business magnate, and now, a Wall Street executive and financier who will attempt to serve as the new White House Communcations Director.  These are the people that far too many believe will rid our government of the bureaucrats, do away with the gridlock in Congress, and set our country on a course toward greatness.

Now to be clear, generalizations about the business community are no better than generalization about politicians; but one thing does need to be said.  In their purest state, the ultimate and final goal of a politician is public service.  On the other hand, the final and ultimate goal of a CEO is profit.  So while both politicians and CEO’s can and do accomplish great good, and while neither has the corner of the market of behaving badly; when push comes to shove, the goal of the CEO is vastly different from that of a public servant.  And if the practices of so many in the current administration are even the least bit representative of the practices of the business community, then we are in serious trouble.

While seeing President Trump’s tax returns would be extremely worthwhile and informative, we all know that he has paid little if any taxes over the last 25 years. And even if he has done nothing illegal, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that his singular goal has been to make money.  He has as much as said this very thing! Serving the public has never been on his mind: and this is not to deny that at times he may have acted in the best interest of his employees, or been concerned about the quality of the products he offered.  But in the eyes of Trump, his family, and so many of his associates, we, the public, are nothing more than consumers.  And any ‘services’ they offer have one and only one purpose — personal profit.  His work over the years has been about nothing even close to public service!  

Further, Donald Trump’s philanthropic practices also reveal a great deal about his goals in life — and caring for others, or doing good for those in need, are clearly not on his radar!  Such behavior would only reduce his annual income and the growth of his assets, neither of which will help him to accomplish that central goal, which remains the maximization of profits.

Unlike so many of the small business owners I know, Donald Trump and Associates are only about the maximization of their own personal profits and individual wealth. They do not understand ‘recusals’ or conflicts of interest.  They avoid comprise, and regard everything in terms of gains and losses.  And they sue those who would challenge or obstruct their goals and objectives.  They will employ us; but never pay us what we’re worth and always seek to restrict our ability to organize and fight for more.  They will grow our economy; but not by increasing OUR wealth, only theirs.  And they will expand our interests around the world; but they will do so by sacraficing the common good on the altar of private consumption.  This is why today, it is estimated that 40% of America’s wealth, can be found in the portfolios of 1% of the population: a statistic that is only worsening with each passing day.

No!  DC isn’t a swamp.  It doesn’t need to be drained; and the vast majority of our politicians are not “swamp-dwellers.” I wouldn’t even put this new administration in that category!  However, the team that has been assembled to lead this country over the next four years is made up of business people; and while they would like us to believe that their goals are to create jobs and grow the economy, to make better trade deals and not allow concerns for the environment to put undue burdens on America’s middle class, and on and on and on . . . in the end, their primary goal is profit. And that profit goes into their pockets, not any of ours.

If the rich getting richer is what it means to make America great again, and if putting the Trump family first is the same thing as putting America first, then we’re well on our way.  Fortunately, some, perhaps many, are beginning to understand these conflicts.  So to all who somehow justified voting for him because they thought that someone new and different was going to be able to magically make their lives better, and who are now seeing the absurdity of such a belief; be patient.  He can’t possibly last long.  Eventually, we’ll get someone back in the White House to clean up his mess.

Until that time, if you’d like to join those of us who have known this all along, as we seek to make the changes that our nation needs, feel free to do so. You see, we know you’re hurting. And we’re willing to work with you, and for you.  But that can’t happen  until more and more people realize that Donald Trump is not the answer.  Donald Trump is the problem.   And I for one, love our nation, and this city, too much to let him stay here too long!