You shall be called… the restorer of paths to live in. – Isaiah 58:12
This time of year we are inundated with doctrines about Christmas and Jesus. Astoundingly, most of it is not coming from churches and pastors.
The largest source of doctrine and theology during this season comes from the media. Movie after movie and song after song lay claim to the “true” meaning of Christmas. Usually it has something to do with love, hope, family, discovering the real you, or finding joy in simple things.
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are healthy, happy and excited to spend time with loved ones as well as celebrate the greatest Gift ever given.
On Thursday, I plan to share some cool insights into some of the real reasons Jesus came, but right now I thought I would do something a little different.
I am currently working on the tracks for a brand new song that I plan to perform with my girls EVanna and Susan on Christmas Eve at our Candlelight Communion Service. I thought for today’s blog I would give you a sneak peek at the words. I hope you enjoy!
The man we often refer to as the “jolly old elf,” wasn’t always so jolly. There is a real historical moment where Saint Nicholas wasn’t only NOT laughing, he actually became rather belligerent. What could have upset this man known for great generosity and kindness so much, that he would snap?
The year was AD 323 when Constantine – at the height of his power – received a very disturbing letter concerning a dispute that had broken out in the Christian Church. After many years of great suffering and persecution at the hands of Nero, Diocletian and others, the Church had finally found peace and even favor, under the first Christian Emperor. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus would later write, “for us all was joy and gladness.” The historian Eusebius called the period, “a bright and most profound peace.”
As the smoke of a thousand fires ascend toward Heaven, the American Church struggles to find answers to its latest crisis of faith. What does the election of Donald Trump really mean to those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ?
Does this latest political upheaval portend disaster for the causes of justice and racial equality? Does it spark hope for slowing or ending anti-Christian bigotry, transgender bathrooms, and abortion? It would appear that it completely depends on the perspective of the person you ask.
While Democrats, Republicans, and also-rans work hard to dissect the implications of the recent elections, I hope that we as Christians do not spend so much time debating partisan politics that we miss the opportunity to evaluate our own recent behavior in the ever-penetrating light of Scripture.
In a pre-election blog, I wrote about my deep sadness over the political divides in the Church and the unchristian-like character that the election fights illuminated. My sadness continues in the post-election gloating and fear-mongering that I have seen from both our pulpits and our pews.
One of the most frustrating things for me as a speaker and author is the inexactness of my own verbal skills and the uncertainty by which the things I say may be received by the hearer. It is one of the primary reasons I try to give grace when I hear someone say something stupid.
These thoughts were stirred recently as I watched a documentary on American History that appeared completely antithetical to nearly everything I have read and learned on the subject. While sometimes such challenges are good and help to correct wrong perceptions, I couldn’t help but wonder if the presentation was overly selective in its research.
A great challenges in today’s world is that people want to reduce everything down to a sound bite – One magic and memorable line that “says it all.” In reality, things are rarely that simple.
Passive faith has invaded the American religious community. It is easily detected in the conversations that have grown in popularity over the past several years. This is never more true than election time and in times of crisis.
Some of the popular tell-tell phrases include, “America always rises to the challenge.”; “We will be better than ever.”; “We’ve been here before and survived.”; “We are still the greatest nation in the world.”
National pride and positive thinking not-withstanding, the idea that things will never change is deeply rooted in human psychology but not in human history. Studies reveal that we are prone to a condition known as “Normalcy Bias.” This condition causes us to believe that things will always be the same despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The election is finally over, but the conciliatory remarks from both sides have done little to alleviate the pain, distrust, frustration and feelings of powerlessness in our communities. The politicians minimize, and even trivialize, the eighteen-month vitriolic struggle with phrases like, “hard fought battle,” as they now call for national unity.
I wonder how many normal people believe that a year and a half of vicious accusations, innuendo and name calling can be simply wiped away by the wave of a hand and a few kind words.
While some celebrate, some mourn and others are conflicted, we the people continue to be divided along political, racial, economic, and philosophical lines. These will not easily go away by reaching across the aisle and saying, “you fought a good campaign.” They will not, and indeed cannot, be addressed with sound bites and partial truths. While we should continue to pray for our governmental authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-3), we should and must do much more.
This election cycle is certainly one for the history books. I don’t know if there has been a more contentious campaign since Lincoln and Douglas just prior to the Civil War – and the mudslinging then, pales in comparison with today. If we are not careful we can easily get caught up in Donald’s (or Bill’s) sexual misconduct or the accusations of high-level interference with federal investigations against Hillary. At the end of the day, however, we are left with disappointingly few choices. At this point it appears to me that the most basic question is, “Which of these candidates will most likely yield the better future for our Nation?”