I'm Talking About Love

I have a problem. I talk about my fiancée all the time. At least three conversations per day include a phrase such has "Well, my fiancée was telling me..." or "Elizabeth and I were talking, and..." or "Elizabeth said the other day..." or something similar. I mean, I do talk to her every night, for at least an hour, in addition to multiple texts and sometimes calls throughout the day. It also could be the distance: being 412 miles away from each other, I want to make her a part of my everyday life, and talking about her is just one way to do it.

I think the real culprit, though, is love. I love my fiancée (You say: "Well I'd hope so."), and as we are 151 days away from being joined in holy matrimony, she is becoming an ever increasing part of who I am. So in one sense, I am not talking about her more, but I am compensating for her growing influence in my life.

Now you may be wondering why this is a problem. Well, it kind of isn't. As I already mentioned, I love my fiancée, and highly enjoy talking to and about her. The problem is, because my love for her and the growing importance she has in my life constitutes more talking about her, that there is a noticeable absence of such talk about God.

People who regularly talk to me may notice I engage in theological conversation a fair amount, readily repeating the latest blog or thought from Piper, Driscoll, etc., or how I don't agree with ----'s theology, or ----'s interpretation of the Bible, but how often do you hear me say "Well, God was telling me..." or "I was praying, and..." or "I was reading God's Word the other day and it said..."? What this says to me is that God does not have a growing influence in my life--that I do not love him--at least not to what would be a good degree.

So talking about Elizabeth is not the problem, but not talking about God is. What's comforting, though, is that in both cases, the amount of talking I do about the other person does not affect how much they love me. Both Elizabeth and God, though I deserve neither, will love and pursue me no matter the quantity nor quality of what I say about them. That is a blessing.

Christians Know How to Hate

This is a long one, so strap in. I've been trying to keep 'em short but I think this one is worth the long read.

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Lauren Winner demonstrates so often what people think about Christians.

The article cleverly titled "Burnt Offerings" is about a church in North Carolina that took it upon themselves to rid the world of unholy literature. Some of the books "thrown into the flames included those by supposed heretics Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and emergent church guru Brian McLaren."

What?

"Most disturbing," Winner correctly states, "Scripture itself was burned—onto the pyre flew modern translations of the Bible."

What!?

Christians, burned books!? Well, we've been doing that for some time. Wait, they burned copies of The Bible, the inspired word of God!?!

"We believe that the King James Bible is the Word of God" declares the church's website, a perfect justification for their actions.

Since I have gotten into blogging, I've come to realize something that I've always known: Christians really know how to hate well. I mean some people are haters, but we have made it dang near professional.

I am hesitant even to write this, because I am in a sense doing the same thing, hating on Christians who I think am doing something wrong. It just tears me up inside

It reminds me of Relient K's old song "Down in Flames:"

Christians--we mourn, the thorn is stuck

In the side of the body watch it self-destruct.

The enemy is much ignored

While we fight this Christian civil war.

We're cannibals.

We watch our brothers fall.

We eat our own, the bones and all.

I used to subscribe to Matthew Turner's blog Jesus Needs New PR, but I had to leave after a long time of just hearing his, to put it plainly, whining about the Church. Granted, what he had to say about John Piper is what really set me off, but my departure was a long time coming.

I find it ironic that many people take huge issue with fundamentalist Christians, attempt to embrace a more "radical," love-based ministry and outlook toward those around them, and then proceed to demonstrate the most skilled, virulent hate toward those who are part of the same body!

How can someone justify this? I could see someone saying "Look at when Jesus and John and Paul criticized people--it was when they were spreading lies or untruth about God and His kingdom." But many of the issues here are not straight-up lies, but rather simple theological disputes. "Kitchen-table arguments" my campus minister says.

If we believe the Bible (a question who's answer could be the root of this whole deal to begin with) then we know that the Church is Christ's bride. [II Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2; Isaiah 54:5] Now, is there any married man you know who will be okay with you if you despise, hate, and ridicule his wife?

Likewise, we cannot expect Christ to be okay with us degrading, despising and hating our brothers and sisters, our own body. Yes, exhort one another, but on to good works, not on to universal theology.

We do have one theology: God, 3-in-1, Jesus, his son. Came, lived, loved, died, rose, ascended. Sin is gone, death is undone. Christ will come, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. Now go and love everyone, including the disagreeable siblings you have to live with.

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

--1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

--and--

"Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

--Hebrews 3:13

Serious Skubala

Today on 22 Words, Abraham Piper put up this post:

To believe that all swearing is wrong, you also have to believe that our culture is right.

Social customs define what’s taboo. Therefore, saying taboo language is uniformly sinful implies that our social customs uniformly align with God’s will.

Now I have heard plenty of people getting really ticked on both sides of this argument. There is the fact that Paul used the Greek for shit, skubala in Philippians 3:8. But does that mean God condones or advocates the use of foul language?

I think Abraham brings up a good point here. We cannot disavow all cursing just because it is socially wrong. That would mean that our society has precedence over God's Law, which it doesn't.

By the same merit, we would need to accept the sexual license our culture advocates, and while the church's members have seemingly done that anyway, no one is going to start saying it is an honest, good idea.

I like absolutes, a lot of people do (even though the good postmodernist in them will say they don't), but I do not think that cursing is one place where you can form an absolute. It is definitely a matter of the heart and personal conviction.

I know many times, I am cursing out of anger, with impure intent. Sometimes, I am not. Is one wrong, and the other right?

One person commented on the 22 Words post with this quote: “He who forbids what God allows will soon allow what God forbids.” – R.B. Kuiper. I am not sure how that is exactly applicable, because I know for a fact that God didn't say "Go say whatever f*cking word you want!" or something similar. I suppose he could be referring the passage by Paul I mentioned earlier? I'm not sure.

I think there needs to be some universal dialogue in the church on this matter. More on this topic later.

A Vast, Dark, Damp Cloud

From a letter to a dear friend, written this wee hour in the morning:

Alas, I feel like the last year of my life has had this vast, dark, damp cloud bearing over it, barring me from any sight of God's glory, and therefore depriving me of any heartfelt joy.

Consequently, I have turned to other sources of less than remedial light or "glory." Because I know better, I have become the very epitome of Paul in Romans 7: "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."

I feel like I sound like a broken record.

We're All In This Together

I'm not as big a fan of Hillsong as most, but this video and the movie it's previewing looks pretty daggum convicting, and therefore pretty daggum fantastic.

Down With Joel Osteen

While the title to this is very obviously pointing at someone else, one of the most moving things about it was that it slapped me in the face just as powerfully as I hope it would those that perpetuate the health and wealth 'gospel,' and as I hope it will you.

So check it out, John Piper powerfully contradicts the prosperity, "health and wealth" Gospel: