The Everyday Hero

Tom Hanks is the kind of actor labeled as "everyman." He's the kind of actor who appeals to men and women, with whom anyone can identify in some way, similar to the way Jimmy Stewart was for a previous generation. What is heroic about the characters these men played is not their extraordinariness, but the way in which in mostly ordinary circumstances they seemed to survive and thrive. Among women actors, I think of Helen Hunt in her role as a mother/waitress in "As Good as it Gets." These characters make us think, "I hope I could be like that." Just ordinary, everyday heroes.

I acknowledge the everyday hero. The woman who gets up each day and stirs up her three sons and gets them all ready for school, making sure they get their breakfast eaten and their teeth brushed. There are enough stories told about negligent moms, so how about some kudos for the mom who perseveres through the never-ending loads of laundry, stacks of dishes, and refereeing constant sibling squabbles.

Let's hear it for the everyday hero. The father whose wife has decided her personal choices and freedom are more important than her children, leaving them to his care. I watch as he juggles the demands of working full-time while ferrying his children to daycare, or to grandma's, or to the doctor's office, or to piano lessons and dance and soccer . . . And cleaning up the house every night after the kids are in bed.

There is the grandmother who never anticipated raising her grandchildren, but when her own daughter dumps them on the doorstep and says, "I need you to take care of them for a while," and then disappears, what would you do? Well, the everyday heroic grandmother starts all over again, raising a new family, taking too much of the blame for her daughter's failures, and trying to do a better job this go 'round. She may be 65, or 75, with less energy than she once had, but these are children, after all, and they need love and care. So, she does the hard thing, the right thing, and takes up where she left off a generation before, God bless her.

Everyday heroes . . . they're sitting beside you in the pew, or at the restaurant. They don't seem extraordinary. The woman working a second job (which she hates more than her first job, which she also hates) so she can pay for her child's college education. The man who grinds his teeth through another awful day answering to a bully of a boss. Why does he put up with it? Because he has a family to support and that's more important to him than contentment in his work.

If you don't think these people I've described are heroic, then I think your perspective has been distorted by too many comic book or video game characters. Perhaps there is nothing more heroic than the person who you can count on, everyday, to do the right thing, to do the caring thing, to be there. Everyday heroes, who consistently put the needs of others ahead of their own, who love their neighbor as they love themselves. . . rather than just themselves.

I salute you everyday heroes. Tom Hanks or Helen Hunt would be fortunate to play your role.

The New Atheism

A new book was reviewed in the local paper this past weekend. It was an interview with five Protestant ministers who had lost their faith but were still leading their churches. The book was published by a group that is representative of a movement called "The New Atheism," which I understand to be a more assertive and organized effort by atheists to undermine the tenets of faith. The recent book achieves the goal that the authors wanted. It stirs the pot and gets people talking and wondering, "Gee, is my preacher faking it?"

I say, "Big deal." Five ministers who have lost their faith seems like a miniscule sampling compared to the tens of thousands who are out in the fields doing their work with integrity and perseverance. I have no hostility toward the "new atheists," nor am I threatened by them. I grieve for them that they feel compelled to undermine people of faith. I grieve for the five ministers and their congregations who are living a lie. But I celebrate the faithfulness of those churches and their leaders who keep true to their calling in word and deed in spite of the ridicule of culture.

In another century, a man of faith named Friedrich Schleiermacher wrote a book addressed to religion's "cultured despisers," in an attempt to win them over with the "reasonableness" of religion. It reminds me of the apostle Paul's address to the philosophers in Athens in Acts, Chapter 17. Paul met with little success there and you will note there are no letters from Paul to the church in Athens. Some folks, too sophisticated I suppose, are beyond convincing, but it didn't stop Paul from trying.

There was a time when I thought I was too sophisticated for religion. I had read Ayn Rand and a few others whose names, interestingly, I have forgotten, and became convinced by the "reasonableness" of their atheism. Then, some years later I re-read the Gospels and was so compelled by the life of Jesus and the "unreasonableness" of following him that I could not deny the call he made on me. Since then I have discovered scholars who are every bit as sophisticated as the most brilliant of atheists, and yet they see a life of faith as no contradiction to reason.

In any event, the life of Jesus continues to compell me, even beyond reason. There is something irrational about giving one's life for others, but there is a Truth to that way of living that goes beyond my ability to explain it, or to explain it away. I invite you to read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, whose names I have not forgotten, and see for yourself what is so compelling about the person named Jesus.

Psalms are for Psinging

The prayer book of God's people is the book of Psalms, located somewhere close to the middle of the Bible. Psalms are meant to be sung, but singing them meaningfully in modern melody can be a challenge. The meter and rhythm of Hebrew doesn’t always translate into tuneful contemporary songs in English. Still, there are some songs that have been made successfully out of many psalms. There are a number of wonderful hymns or songs based on the 23rd Psalm, for instance, and one of my new favorites is based on Psalm 63.

Someone has said, “the one who sings prays twice.” I don’t know if that rings true for you but it does for me. When the words of prayer and devotion are set to music in some creative or melodic way, my sense of connection to God seems deeper. Such a connection may simply be an emotional response to a tune that grabs me in some way, but then God did come in the flesh to be with us, so I don't discount emotions as an avenue for God to reach us. Some of the scripture I love best is that which I have sung in choirs or with congregations.

This Sunday I am struggling with Psalm 13 (and it is a psalm of struggle), a rather melancholy prayer lamenting God’s absence. Many of the psalms speak of a yearning for God, a longing that is often hard to satisfy. Popular Christian duo, Shane and Shane, have a wonderful interpretation of Psalm 13 which will keep it in my heart for the rest of my life. I recommend it as a resource for your own devotional life.

Another psalm which speaks of our longing for God, and which has been set to lovely melody is Psalm 42, “As a deer longs for the water, so my soul longs after you.” Praying the psalms can be a way of learning how to pray. Singing the psalms deepens prayer. I advise singing the psalms even if you can't carry a tune in a bucket. Give it a shot, and surround yourself with a singing community so they can make up for your lack of melodic confidence. Psalms are meant to be sung.

Church and State - Christ and Culture

Last week as I was preparing for this Sunday's sermon (The Fourth of July!), I was in tortured conversation with some of my preaching colleagues regarding the relationship between church and state. After an hour and a half of conversation, we were still unsettled, perhaps because it is an issue that can't be settled in this life.

I'm not speaking about "the establishment clause" in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. I'm thinking about the broader context, the relationship between Christianity and culture, a concept explored in greater detail, and with deeper insight, by H. Richard Niebuhr in 1951 in his book, Christ and Culture. In this book, Niebuhr described five different ways the church has responded to culture, and elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of each position, without making a value judgment on each one.

I'll try to give a nutshell description of each one, and forgive my oversimplification:

Christ against Culture: This view is one of separatism and can be seen in monastic and sectarian groups such as the Amish. These see the only valid witness of Christian people as one of separation from culture.

Christ of Culture: This view is perhaps the opposite extreme to the more sectarian view - sees the will of Christ in harmony with the highest aspirations of humanity. This view was in great ascendancy during the triumphalism of 19th century Protestantism.

Christ above Culture: This view sees both harmony and disharmony in the relationship between Christ and culture, that the good in culture can be harnessed and ordered in Christ. The Catholic tradition often reflects this view.

Christ and Culture in Paradox: This view sees less harmony and more tension between the desires of Christ and the desires of Culture. There is a rightful role for the culture, but it is distinct from the role of the Christian and the church, and the Christian must never confuse the two. The Lutheran tradition exemplifies this view.

Christ transforming Culture: This view sees culture as sinful but affirms the regenerating effect of the gospel, shaping culture to Christian purposes. The Puritans held such a view, and in more recent history, so did the proponents of the social gospel in the early 20th century.

I can’t say that one view is more “right” than the other view. Each has Biblical support. As a result you will often find respected Christian leaders and thinkers in vocal disagreement on the role of the church in relation to the State. I would argue that, historically, John Wesley would have been a proponent of the “Christ transforming Culture,” position and we Methodists have inherited that tradition.

However, recent voices in Methodism have sounded a more “Christ against Culture,” view, specifically, Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon. I have heard Bishop Willimon diminish the value of exercising the right to vote, for instance, as a Christian witness that we not be caught up in the things of this world. On the other hand, Bishop Peter Storey, who spent his life and ministry in the pre- and post-apartheid climate of South Africa, is a strong advocate for Christians being deeply engaged in the political life of their respective cultures, to bring about justice at any cost.

I have a friend who has been a pastor and seminary professor who also is a mayor. Obviously not Amish.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a voice for pacifism, yet he engaged in a plot to assassinate Hitler, so apparently even individuals can hold two contrary positions at once.

I see churches decorating their lawns with American flags on the Fourth of July (Christ of Culture). And as pleased as I am to be a citizen of the United States, I am not comfortable with that, which means I’m more influenced by some of the other models that Niebuhr described. Still, I humbly admit that I don’t know which view is right. But it helps me understand why we have such differences of opinion within the life of God’s people.

Maybe there are even more variations on the five types that Richard Niebuhr tried to define. I suspect there are. I wonder if we can discern, with any objectivity, the position of Jesus? “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar, and to God the things that are God’s.” That gets us started. I wonder if Jesus had had the right to vote, if he would have? And for whom? Or would he have simply ignored the political process and kept going about his mission of proclaiming good news for the poor, recovery of sight for the blind, setting free the oppressed, and declaring God’s kingdom? Hmmm, can you do all that and ignore the political process?

A modern parable describes a man pulling people out of a flooding river, saving their lives. But then he thinks, “Maybe I should go up the river and see why the river is flooding in the first place?” Saving the individuals, or fixing the cause of the flood, are both valid ways for a Christian to witness to the culture in which we live. Either way has merit. I wonder if we can avoid arguing who is right and each of us live out our calling, as we each discern what that calling is, and let Jesus be our conscience. One thing is sure, we live in the midst of our culture, as Christ did in his. Let me be a witness to the reign of God in the midst of it, as best I can.

Jesus, the Best Hope for the World

I still believe. I still believe Jesus is the best hope for the salvation of the world. Like you, I am often tempted by other “saviors.” Politicians make promises and offer us hope of a better world. And ever hopeful (and perhaps gullible), we believe that perhaps this one will make the difference. But after the glow of elections is past, we discover that all leaders have their flaws. They make compromises we wouldn’t make if we were in their shoes (right?). They let us down in some way. Truth is, the nature of bureaucracy is such that I wonder if any elected leader can overcome it.

We’re still waiting for science and technology to save us. Aren’t microwaves great, assuming those “waves” really don’t have any harmful effect? They can make bread last for weeks in our pantries without molding (I wonder what’s in those additives and what they do to our insides?). Aren’t cell phones awesome? Still, they are filled with toxic metals which if not properly disposed of become contaminants in our soil and water. Love those new spiral light bulbs? Same problem – better dispose of them properly. Every advance creates new problems.

How about the free market? Let’s turn all those entrepreneurs and corporations loose and there will be a marvelous trickle down effect. Oops! Sorry, that was before Enron, Quest, AIG, and . . . BP?

I still believe Jesus is the best hope for the world. He says, “Follow me,” and begins preaching good news for the poor, recovery of sight for the blind, liberty for the oppressed. He feeds the hungry, heals the lame, and casts demons out of the possessed. And he says the most important thing is for us to love one another, and he shows us what love is by giving his life for the life of the world.

I still believe Jesus is the best hope for the world. He carries no weapons to force his will on others. His military strategy is called “loving our enemies.” He offers no political agenda other than building relationships with the least and the lost. His economy is based on giving rather than keeping. Rather than keeping up with the Jones’ he wants us to check on the Jones’ to make sure they’re alright. His mode of communication is outdated, but there’s something undeniably authentic about one-on-one encounters with a person who cares. His health plan might be summed up in “caring for our neighbor.” And he’s so committed to his agenda that he is willing to give his life for it.

Someone once said that the problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting, but that it has never been tried. Well, I’m trying. Feebly, I know. But I’m trying. And I still believe Jesus is the best hope for the world. He’s the best solution for all the ills we face. Maybe I am naïve, but I still believe.

Holy Conferencing

There is something unique to those of us Christians of the Methodist persuasion and that is the notion of "holy conferencing." Beyond the notion of mere Christian fellowship, and more specific than the Biblical concept of koinonia, holy conferencing is the coming together of God's people to make important decisions for the good of God's people, with the expectation that we are visited by the Spirit of God in the midst of these decisions.

I just came home after just such a holy conference at a place called Lake Junaluska, a serene and beautiful place in the mountains of North Carolina. The setting is tranquil, with a placid lake providing a backdrop for our deliberations. The accommodations are basic, and our meeting place, Stuart Auditorium, is historic and uncomfortably warm by mid-afternoon. But oblivious to the heat and humidity, we did our duty, meeting long into the night, breaking for meals and for necessities.

My wife and I like to joke about the nature of church conferences. In contrast to my brother-in-law's medical conferences, where he attends a seminar for a few hours, and then goes skiing the rest of the day (winter time in Aspen), my typical church conferences are jam-packed with scheduled meetings. In true Wesleyan fashion, we waste no time in frivolity. However, after my clothes have become damp from my own perspiration, and we have wrangled over the conference budget one line item at a time for several hours, it sometimes becomes difficult to discern the "holy" part of "conferencing."

I admire the patience of our bishop as he oversees the proceedings, giving equal time to both sides of every question, making sure everybody has their say. Hmmm, there IS something holy about that, isn't there? I am amazed at the tolerance shown by the assembled delegates to those whose questions and comments display a clear naivete or elementary grasp of the issues. Such tolerance is a testimony to the presence of grace, and another sign of holiness. Then, of course, there are the many opportunities for worship - songs with Native American roots, music by a Christian rock band, traditional organ and/or piano accompanied hymns that touch the heart, and there we all are, appreciating the various ways people experience God, who comes to us in diverse ways.

So, even in the tedium of meeting there is a holiness to our assembly. The Spirit of God is present. We learn greater respect for each other in our differences, discerning the presence of God in new guises. In honoring each other, showing patience, demonstrating mercy, we are experiencing the "holy" in our "conference."

I come home tired after every yearly conference, but oddly satisfied. Maybe even happy that I am a part of a people who can sweat it out together without losing patience with each other. Makes me glad to be a part of a Christian people.

Pelicans

This photo from a kayak trip I took with my daughter on Oak Island last year captures a resting pelican in the boat in the background. Pelicans are fascinating birds and amazingly graceful in spite of their rather "ugly duckling" looks.

A curious image from early church art is that of a pelican with blood dripping from its breast on its chicks gathered around her. The art is based on a common myth, current in the early centuries A.D., that a mother pelican, when food could not be found, would pierce its own breast so that its blood would provide sustenance for its young. Turns out that pelicans don't actually do this. However, the belief that they did made selection of this image a fitting subject for Christian art - the sacrifice of the pelican as an analogy to Christ's sacrifice for humankind.

I had pelicans on my mind today after viewing the recent photos of pelicans flailing in oil sludge washing up on the Louisiana coast. Surely you have seen the pictures by now. They are enough to make one weep. I don't think this is what God had in mind when humankind was given dominion over creation. Matthew Scully, in his book Dominion, makes the case that at the very least, animals should be treated with mercy. His argument is a jab at the industrial food complex, but the basic theology certainly applies to the current ecological nightmare on the Gulf. There will unfortunately be no mercy for God's creatures, and we will all suffer for it.

Sacrifice - the word is used these days only to apply to those who join the military and fight our country's battles. In the everyday world of business as usual the word sacrifice rarely comes into play, unless it is a call for workers to make sacrifices for company profits. Aah, sorry, I just crossed the line and got on my soapbox didn't I? Still, we could use a little more sacrifice like that of the early church's pelican, like that of Jesus, the One we Christians supposedly follow, so that all God's creatures might flourish. If we could just learn to settle for enough, as the old saying goes, "enough is as good as a feast." I'm sure the pelicans would thank us if they could.