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Many have a deep nostalgia and strong emotion toward Christmas. As children, we laid wrestling in bed, eager to creep down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what beautifully wrapped bundles and boxes lay beneath that glorious tree. The overwhelming excitement and joy can scarcely be described, bubbling and pressing itself up through the chest and into the throat. Such excitement was felt in every inch of the body.

On that day, a young child awoke and—whose bed-head hair twisted and defied gravity in the most curious fashion and whose footy-pajama slippers with Ninja-turtle heads atop the toes bobbled as he walked—scuffled across the floor toward the tree. Underneath those twinkling lights and glowing pine needles lay mountains of gifts that seemed unending. Taking the first gift and excitingly checking the name tag, he found that this present—and every single glorious gift—was for him! Thousands and thousands of gifts lay there, ready for him to open. They are his—all he need do is open them and enjoy.

While no doubt few child actually received thousands of gifts, it is a common desire of most children (and who are we kidding, adults too) to receive such presents.

This is a metaphoric mystery.

The greatest gift of all is that we have been adopted into the trinity through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are his children—loved sons, not strangers. And God is the best gift-giver of them all (good thing for me since my “love-language” is gifts!).

As his children, he has completely and perfectly made us whole, clean, and perfect. The work was complete on the cross! Nothing more can be added to what Christ has done. No effort, duty, work, or obedience is placed upon us as the old law once had done. In its’ place, a new law has been applied to us—the law of the spirit which drives us into good living.

We are this child coming to the Christmas tree. Our Father has given us an infinite number of gifts—they are all ours already but we must open them to enjoy them. Many of us are blind to the gifts or open one and abandon the rest to play with it alone.

Just like the gifts, we already have everything. It is all ours and we are already perfectly complete in Christ. We must now open ourselves to the gifts and truly believe the promises and realities of who we are already in Christ.

The gifts are countless. From the removal of certain unwanted habits which once were sin in us to the untold and often shunned spiritual gifts.

They are already yours.

Realize today that you already sit at a loving Fathers feet who is goading you to grab another gift for you to open and enjoy!
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Check out the weekly vlog of John Crowder who constantly refreshes me in the grace gospel and from whose work this article was inspired. Blessings brothers and sisters!

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One Direction—What Makes You Beautiful

You don’t know you’re beautiful. Shyly masking your appearance behind makeup, you live your life within cloud of insecurity. Am I pretty enough? Am I attractive and could anyone possibly love me? My body, my face, and my fashion holds no candle to the supermodels and their sexy figures splashed across every magazine cover.

A resounding “no” echoes within her mind. And thus, she attempts to mask herself in a lie—a covering-up with generous portions of foundation and color. But the covering can not possibly be applied enough to cover the true flaw—her insecurity. No physical blemish is seen to the true heart of love so well captured by One Direction and their song What Makes You Beautiful. 

While certainly this pop hit has been incredibly popular among teens, as they fantasize these words being sung to them personally about their physical appearance, another deeper meaning can be seen.

This is a song that Christ sings over his bride—over you personally.

Lyrics to You Don't Know You're Beautiful

The scripture is filled with dozens of allusions to Christ’s relationship with those he has redeemed and saved. He died for his one and true love and bride. The creator of the universe has intentionally couched his relationship with us through the image of a relationship—a perfect husband finding his bride, declaring her holy, and through her husband, has become perfect. “The two become one flesh”—through the wedding of Christ and the sinner, the unclean is swept away. You are a beautiful bride!

In the words of One Direction, “If only you saw what I can see, You’ll understand why I want you so desperately, Right now I’m looking at you and I can’t believe, You don’t know, You don’t know you’re beautiful.” No exterior change needs to be made to make you more attractive to Christ. You are already perfect. Does this negate the fact that you might want to look “hot” for your man JC? By no means, we bush our teeth, wash our hair because we are loved—but not to gain his love!

Because of his love for you, he can truly say, “Baby you light up my world like nobody else, The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed.” He loves you like no one else—no other being in all creation was fashioned for this purpose but his bride—you above all beings in the cosmos. You are beautiful and loved.

Christ is singing this song over you and over your heart. No matter what you have done in the past, no matter how many times you have failed in whichever battle you are waging with yourself and sin, you are beautiful, loved, and perfect—and you need to know it.

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Image by LUIS VALTUEÑA

The United States of America reeks of sin. Evil and vice drip and ooze from every corner and crevice of this nation. Lurking in every business, home, and citizen is a furious torrent of evil.

The most recent vice which has taken ahold of the United States is the great and evil homosexual spread of illicit sex. This must be stopped!

The true Christian community cannot possibly be bothered with trying to change the hearts and minds of people personally—that would be to time-consuming and involved. Besides, we are far too busy doing really important things—like intense Greek word studies on Romans chapter 8 verse 4 and the nuanced implications of election and predestination. Indeed, church BBQs, daily Bible studies, and Christian mimicry-music would have to be cut back far too much to make way for such missions to the damned!

Since this is to time-consuming, the true Christian churches of the United States have collectively decided that we want the Federal and State governments to manage morality and Christian virtues for all people. Sin is evil and is destroying the God-given country of America. So all this evil must be cut out and killed at the root.

However, since Homosexuality (while chief among sins) is spreading, a great number of other vices have slithered their way into the US and must be stopped with great swiftness.

Pornography is corrupting the minds of the youth and has created a great addiction to sex among many. This must be made illegal.

Adultery and cheating is also a great vice in marriages across the nation. This must be made illegal. And of course, from this, divorce must be made illegal as well.

Sex-before-marriage destroys a moral society and is producing many single parents and also the spread of vile diseases. The government must intervene and stop this sin, making extra-marital sex illegal and punishable to the full extent of the law.

There are, of course, countless other sins that must be stopped as well. Christians must unite and pass legislation making liars and unrighteous anger—maybe road rage—punishable by fine or by time in jail.

Drunkenness should be made illegal as well—return to the good ol’ days of prohibition! We need a bigger government to micromanage all sins, behaviors, and thoughts—because if God isn’t willing to physically constrain evil and sin, then we should certainly intervene and create governments and laws to legislate an external conformity to the law.

….

(A disclaimer to the unwary reader: this has been an exercise in satire)

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Image by Less Lincoln

A man, trembling and afraid, running from heaven-knows-what, screamed for my help.  His cries pierced a cold, dark side-street in San Francisco’s Mission District, a seedy, industrial neighborhood in gentrification. His name was Quinn; and Quinn, in his pressed black slacks and dress shoes, shared something in common with the homeless man across the street, a friend of mine in need of a mentor, and the outreach director at church: they inconvenience me.

Sure, someone should help Quinn.  Someone should aid the homeless man. Someone should mentor my friend and help out at church.  Someone, just so long as it isn’t me; or, maybe I’d help—when convenient, of course. I value service, love, and courage—the whole shebang. I want someone to help the Syrian rebels. I want someone to capture Joseph Kony. Ask me my opinion on any need, and I tell you I want someone to help—just so long as it’s not me.

You see, I really do value service, love, and courage. More than any of those, I adhere to a value I seldom recognize and never admit. This deeply held conviction takes precedence over all else; I value most of all my own convenience.

Don’t point fingers. It’s not just me. Remember last weekend when you canceled on a friend last minute?  You never expected those concert tickets.  A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?  Or when you ignored that long-scheduled phone call from a distant friend to join an impromptu party? Just like me, your convenience trumps your word, your honor, and your love, all the time.

Our obsession with ourselves keeps men like me from helping Quinn. It also keeps men like me from keeping my commitments. The idolatry of convenience—the grotesque result of self-love unpaired with God-love or other-love—creates what many would call a good life. I pursue what I want, and I get what I want. I never miss out, never get hurt, never take detours, and never get shanked by strangers named Quinn. The idolatry of convenience, however, destroys my soul. The idolatry of convenience destroys my soul because, in its practice, I never truly love.

“Love is patient and kind… It does not insist on its own way… Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4-7).  ”Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). ”Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

Only he who places his beloved before himself truly loves. Only he who serves his friends before himself truly gives. Only he who serves his neighbor truly bears, believes, and hopes.

To dispel the lie of convenience and its preeminence, we only need turn to Jesus. He sacrificed himself for his friends, not for obligation but for joy. His sacrifice betrays that our primary need lay not in pursuit of selfish convenience, but rather in devotion to selfless sacrifice. It’s better to give than to receive, and our Lord’s gospel destroys our selfish virtue of convenience. Jesus saved us from the need to serve ourselves. He knows our every need and shepherds us. He leads us beside quiet waters. We find freedom to ditch our selfish virtue and convenience, knowing that we trust Jesus to meet our every need.

Quinn, that dude screaming and running towards me on a cold San Francisco night, actually needed help. Thankfully for Quinn and for my soul, we stopped, called 911, and waited with the distraught restaurant server until the cops arrived.  Earlier, some punks jumped out of their car and chased Quinn until he tripped. They piled on top of him and took his tips from the night.  For once I actually inconvenienced myself for another. Let’s hope I keep it up.

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Homosexuality and the issue of same sex marriage has been a hot debate of late. And no, I am not talking about the pink parades of nearly nude men garbed in little more than pink boas and thongs.

With President Obama’s announcement that he supports same-sex marriage, a firestorm of condemnations have seethed out from the right. Many from the church have dusted off their twenty pound, hardcover bibles and have begun bashing and brow beating all with their scriptures and conservative republican dogma. I have, of course, shared my views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage before this controversy.

I am certainly not the only critic.

In short, I believe illicit sex is sin—in all forms. We don’t legislate this however. We cherry pick which sins we want to make illegal. If we want the government to enforce and control sin for us, why don’t we make pornography and adultery illegal as well.

Here is Stephen Colbert’s response.

What are your thoughts on this issue and Colbert’s ironic criticism?

Live for now—party-up and enjoy yourself. This is the message Pepsi invites you and I to embrace. Few, however, need this encouragement. Most already live for the “now.” The popular sentiment “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) seems relevant and timely. The present is all we need. Enjoy and have fun, for tomorrow we die.

In a very real way, the ancient error of Epicureanism has taken root—emphasizing pleasure now since there is no afterlife or final judgement. Most youth think only of the present and enjoying physical pleasures now.

However, if the agnostic or atheist believes and acts this way, is such a sentiment that surprising? Why should such a view of the universe change if they already reject a preeminent god, a moral good (other than pleasure and comfort), and a final judgement? This message from Pepsi might be more aptly applied to the churched and “seasoned” Christian.

For many generations, Christians have been taught that the “now” does not matter but rather the later.

“The poor will always be with us,” they claim. “Jesus said so.” War, death, disease—these things rule the world. Thank God Jesus is coming to kill all the evil people in his final judgement. Environmentally, why not use up every inch of this world—God’s going to destroy it all anyway! We are waiting for soul evacuation, being caught-up into heaven! So why not live in style, drive my SUVs, eat my fast-food, and watch my regularly scheduled programs on TV while I wait for Jesus to show-up.

Such future-exclusive sentiments drive Christians to unwittingly destroy creation and the lives of others to whom we should be presently be more devoted.

The Kingdom of God is not something yet future. It is here now among us, dwelling in each follower of Christ. The bliss of the present moment and working to create the Kingdom of Heaven here now is vital. Christians must, as Pepsi so aptly instructs, live for the now—but in light of the what later follows. We live for now, enjoying our sonship through Christ while we heal and improve the kingdom of Heaven. Let us labor, striving for the Kingdom of God to be made manifest in this present reality. Let us live for the now in light of the later.

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Kiev Jew Killed in Ivangorod (1942)

The muzzle of a Luger P08 pistol was pressed against the back of a defiant Jewish woman’s head. She had refused to succumb to the terror and fear which had seized those around her. Upon the barking and abrasive order of his superior officer, the young SS soldier pulled the trigger. She was but one victim of the Nazis in the early years of WWII leading to the mass extermination of Jews. This eradication is retold in gorish detail by Steven Spielberg in his famous film Schindler’s List.

While graphic, I showed this film to my sophomore students. The objective, of course, was to show the egregious crimes committed against the Jews. In an age where image and video are kings, words and descriptions do little for minds of many youth. Any image conjured up—even piles of dead, starving, and tortured people—is quickly brushed aside to make room for video games and television. Thus such films serve as a common medium and language for this generation.

As death squads first emerged in the film, clearing out the ghettos, killing women and children, and forcing Jews into labor camps, one particularly emotion scene emerged from the countless images of death. A Jewish woman was shot—her body contorted and fell to the ground, face-first into the snow and mud. The room was piercing silent as the atrocities took place—all except two young boys who could not control their laughter. With glee and entertainment, they made “ooooohhhh’s” and “ahhhh’s” as people were beat, herded into labor camps, and shot like game animals. The blight and suffering of these people was not something to be identified with, but rather, a source of entertainment.

Only days before, some students sat talking about a recent video game in which they shot police officers, visited strip clubs, and beat-up prostitutes to steal their money. While done for fun and swearing they would never do such a thing in “real life”, it is curious that they were entertained and found pleasure in such activities—regardless of the fact that it is an artificial reality.

What had hardened these young men’s hearts into lumps of cold, dark clods? Was it video games of violence, films, violent music? Some people point to such “corruptions” as the culprit. However, this conclusion assumes that goodness is the core of humanity and are slowly corrupted by society.

Christ teaches a different ethic.

We are corrupt and evil to the core. Such hatred and evil bubbles up to the surface, mingling with the “good” actions and behaviors engrained in us from our society. But in the state of nature, tooth and claw, evil and suffering, prevail.

The human heart is evil.

Left apart from the transformation of Christ, the human heart is capable of great evils—such things become laughable and enjoyable. These entertainments and pleasures are neither unique nor surprising.

All need the grace of Christ, not condemnation as unforgivable sinners. There is nothing so egregious that it blocks the love and forgiveness of Christ Jesus. We are all sick and dying before Christ brought, brings, and will complete our healing.

A sick man needs healing, not the continual browbeating of a fact which he is already aware or his awareness of disease will not cure him. The sick need only Christ—without him, how can we expect anything other than puss, vomit, and the putrid infection of the soul.

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“We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer”

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Image by Dan Rybicky

A deep panting was breathed in the dank darkness, matched with the heavy breathing of a dozen more shadowy figures. A low snarl echoed off the cave walls as the bared teeth and mane of a fierce lion emerged into the light. While believing that he was safe in the center of the room where the only light penetrated from some unseen source in the ceiling, the danger became palpable. The teeth of this beast glistened from the coating and drops of saliva slipping out between its teeth and falling to the dust in long dangling strings. The snaring muzzle of the beast quaked up and down, a sign of rage and hunger mingled together. The other carnivores inched forward, eager to make a swift kill and a quick snack of my friend, who had fallen into this lions’ den.

At least this is the image he has given when describing the sexual urges he feels. Entrapped and ensnared, women were looking to destroy and devour him.

It is common and cliché to speak of men struggling with sex, pornography, and the “wandering eye.” The pervading cultural image of men is as carnivore, hunter, and one “hungary like the wolf” seeking out his prey and making the kill. However, this view is myopic at best.

Many men feel entrapped and surrounded by sexual desire and the scantily clad vixens of our day. It is within the cultural norm for women to bear more skin and to parade their previously confined bodies once the cold of winter has ended.

Not simply done because of the temperature, many women—for themselves, other women, or for men—want to dress desirably and hyper-sexualized. Short-shorts, short-skirts, and often even skimpier tops, many men feel hunted rather than hunting. They feel as if they are being stalked rather than doing the stalking.

Popular “self-help” books crop-up for men, giving advise on how to deal with such temptations and surroundings. “Every Man’s Battle” advises men to “bounce” their eyes whenever noticing a desirous women. As a culture hyper-saturated with sex, from billboards, television, magazines, and the general population, “bouncing” becomes impractical if not impossible.

Still others have turned to more drastic solutions. Some communities and friends isolate themselves from the wider culture; no television, no contemporary music, and not allowing themselves the pleasures of some locations—such as never visiting the beaches of California due to the abundance of flesh and desire on display (a difficult restraint for So. Cal. locals).

These methods of coping amount to the covering of one’s eyes and pretending that what lies just beyond their sight does not exist. The solution to such a hyper-sexualized culture is neither clear nor simple.

Some women hunt and entice. Some men prowl for women to devour. But collectively Western culture has become a hyper-sexualized society enticed, pushing, and controlled by its own erotomania.

Those who resist or wish to resist this cultural element often become artifacts of oddity. The backward people who don’t watch television or the women who dress “frumpily” modest are often looked down upon with disregard or scorn. How might one not be controlled by their sexual desires and the desires of others?

The goal might be to see women, men, and all people as God sees them—not as sexual objects but as those who bare the image of God himself. Easier said than done.

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Mark Driscoll’s public position has made him the face of Christianity for many. Whether he likes it or not, he is the image of Christ to millions. As leaders who stand in the tradition of Paul the Apostle and the scriptures, they charge their followers saying “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

Of course, this becomes problematic when what they say or do stirs controversy. Mark Driscoll has written, spoken, and tweeted many things which has chaffed both Christians and non-Christians alike. From gender issues to condemning yoga, I have found myself on the opposite side of Driscoll’s perspective.

Earlier today Driscoll tweeted another scathing remark which seemingly served no purpose other than to laugh and mock. “Met the Commander of the Salvation Army. I’m guessing they defeated the French too.”

The comment seems to serve as both a complement to the wildly successful Protestant Church and organization and as a backhanded insult of the French.

The Salvation Army is an international ministry minded organization which holds a quasi-military structure. Junior soldiers, commanders, and Generals lead the organization and its distribution. Billions of dollars in donations and goods are given to millions in need, making it one of the world’s largest providers of social aid.

The Salvation Army should be praised, as Mark Driscoll rightly does.

However, in an attempt to be comedic, Driscoll mocks the French by saying that a quasi/pseudo-military organization can swiftly defeat the French. One commenter continued the joke, stating “Is it true that the french flag is changing to all White? ”

As a History Teacher, nothing is further from the truth in the greater picture of French history. Ancient Germanic and Gallic warriors, the Carolingian rule under Charlemagne, and various medieval and early modern rulers demonstrate a rich political and military history.

But beyond the overly used and misapplied historical mockery that many (mostly Americans) use, a greater issue arises. Such “jokes” mock the French, French-Americans, and those sympathetic or sensitive to such coarse joking. We are missionaries and messengers of Christ to all people—not just the group of buddies with whom we surround ourselves.

And while I respect and admire Mark Driscoll very much, believing that he is a true prophet and teacher of our time, he is sorely mistaken in this situation. These comments were made publicly and so too should comments of apology and loving correction.

To any who were offended by the French comments and jokes, I would like to extend an apology as one member of the Christian community. The coarse comments spoken by some do not reflect the view of all. Christ loves France. He loves the French. And while you experienced terrible atrocities and loss of life during World War I and II, Americans are not better than French people.
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Do you believe Driscoll has gone too far?

Are people overreaching to simple joke?

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“Your glory outshines all—everything. All things. I am eclipsed by the greatness of your throne and who you are. My weak words do not paint the picture that should be brushed. Never-ending. An eternally bright light. A thousand blasts of Supernova light pale in comparison to your greatness and majesty.”

Such are the words I penned when first hearing The Black Keys’ popular ballad “Everlasting Light.” My words were not a reaction to this song but, oddly and perhaps coincidently, just before the song began playing on my well-tilled and refined Pandora playlist. Many songs play-by unnoticed, unless they are particularly egregious (like screeching wombats ready for a scuffle) or surprisingly unique (a rare thing indeed). Most songs float by unnoticed.
But when the phrase “Let me be your everlasting light” resounded over and over, I felt immediately a rush of joy and bliss—like being wrapped in a blanket of love.

And while many no doubt take offense to this source where the gospel is being preached, Christ nevertheless sings this song over you and I. He calls out to the masses through such pieces of art inspired in the minds and hearts of simple, lost sheep.

The lyrics, (which can be read here to the side), speak of one who wants to be our everlasting light, a shepherd to guide us, one whom we can confide in and whom comforts us in our loneliness. No one else but the Father can be the “train” taking us away from suffering and pain fueled by his love, the fuel and coal driving us away from the darkness of our lives.

These images and words can only be made true and full in the person of Jesus Christ. This perfect love, and the desire for it, is woven into our core. Like the billions of lives before us, throughout all time and space, humans have longed to be loved. Yet depths of this desired love has always lacked the luster of the fantasy. Aimlessly blind, we search for this kind of love in those we encounter—those looking for such similar affection. “Perhaps he is the one. Cute. Kind. Fun. And, oh, how he makes me feel! I am sooo in love.” Such phrases are furiously penned in journals and spoken with glee to close confidants the world over.

And while such affection is a blessing and a joy, human relationships are often put above and in the place of Christ and of our creator. Relationships become idols and antichrists. They are false gods to whom we worship and apply (and expect) divine characteristics and qualities from people and relationships which can never be made manifest. And when one’s husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend fails to meet the impossible standards to which we set and expect, the fuzzy feelings fade and the fantasy shatters.

Human affection and love is not perfect, omnipresent, omnipotent, and infinitely merciful. And while this is what we desire, looking for it in each other, a perfect love can only be found in a perfect person—Christ himself. Our relationships and love are mere shadows of this perfect love.

And while well-meaning, The Black Keys’ video for “Everlasting Light” chronicles the omnipresent nature of their love. The visages of the Black Keys Duo, Dan Aerbach and Patrick Carney, appear in all places throughout different environments—as paintings, birthday cakes, piñatas, and coffee mugs seemingly watching people even in their most intimate settings. They are ever present—a symbol of true and eternal love; an everlasting light.

In the absence of Christ, the desire for such love naturally is sought in human relationships and inevitably leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction.