Igniting Change

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One of the most influential authors impacting my spiritual formation- for four decades- is Philip Yancey. This week I learned of his unfaithfulness to his wife of 55 years, and I have to say that I took it really hard. I know we are all broken and vulnerable to blowing up our lives. Yet his unique way of inviting the reader into a fresh and deeper understanding of God- and experience of God- shaped much of my thinking. One phrase in particular has never been too far from my conscious thoughts: We need to keep pressure on the oars.

Yancey wrote that life is never standing still. It is like a current always moving, always taking us somewhere, whether or not we are aware of it. To remain unaware is dangerous, as in time we may find ourselves in a dark place we never imagined. The response to this reality is to exert a constant resistance against that current. We have to keep pressure on the oars. From what I have read- from his own pen, at some point Yancey pulled the oars out of the water.

I've been asked this week by a few people who know of my fondness for Yancey's writing if I would no longer recommend his books. Here is how I would answer that question:

Solomon wrote: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Prov 4:23 (Oars in the water!)

Solomon also wrote a stern waring about sexual impropriety: "My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life." Prov 7:19-23.

At the end of his life, this was recorded about Solomon: "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God." 1 Kings 11

Solomon certainly, despite his wisdom and his waring to guard our hearts, pulled his oars out of the water and went with current- over Niagara Falls!

If I am going to stop recommending Philip Yancey's works, then to be consistent, I will tear the book of Proverbs out of my Bible. And while I'm at it, I will do the same with Psalms. David was guilty of rape and murder (Bathsheba and Uriah) but for having many wives and concubines. How can I learn from such men?!

I reject this all or nothing thinking because if I apply it to my own life, no one should every listen to anything I have to say. I have plenty of duplicity. Paul exhorts us to follow him as he follows Christ. And he did not do so perfectly. He acknowledged it. So to the point that Yancey followed and follows Jesus, I will learn from him and share his works with others. Jesus himself said of the teachers of his day: So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Matthew 23:3

With the help of God, and my community, I will keep my oars in the water. I ever meet Yancey, I will thank him for his influence in my life that continues to this day.

In the meantime, can we extend the grace and mercy that the Yanceys are looking expectantly to receive from God? This is the distinguishing factor of our faith. It is beautiful.

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Living Distracted

I first discovered this saying in an improv theatre in NYC. It’s a catchy phrase about mindfulness- that in reality the present is the only place we live. And yet, we find ways to live in times which do not belong to us. I wear this most days and still I manage to wander around in times that do not belong to me.

Yesterday I spent four hours commuting around NYC on crowded public transit. Not my favorite past time. I brought my kindle to make the best use of the time, but honestly spent most of my time on that other small handheld device which is my constant companion. On my way home from my dentist in Brooklyn I found myself on a very crowded bus. The digital map on my phone said I had 40 stops to go. Over an hour. I found a way to be "no where" as I jumped all around on my phone, totally unaware of my surroundings, until a loud voice repeating a phrase brought me back into the present moment.

“Happy holidays” someone was yelling. No one seemed to notice, care, and certainly not responding. Crickets. Not to be dissuaded, the man continued, taking on an angry tone. Things became even quieter. He was only about 5 feet away from me, and we made eye contact. I gave him smile. In return I got (all of us got) “What is wrong with you people? What has gone wrong with our world. I can’t get even one “Happy Holidays” in return?”

We were at stop 26 for me. I finally replied “happy Holidays”, but he was hopping off the bus as more people poured it. The ones not lucky enough to get a seat were now jammed shoulder to shoulder. As the doors closed, a man right next to me said quietly, to me I guess: “He’s not wrong.” (pause) “Look around.” (pause) “Every one has their face in their phone.” I looked around. It was mostly true. Listening, shopping, posting, blogging, tik toking. I noticed that he was not. And he wasn’t even wearing a “now here” wrist bracelet like I was.

While I see value of having the world at our finger tips, I have come to the “Houston, we have a problem” point in my personal life regarding my phone. and all things digital. I don't think it's because I'm a boomer who has to accept our Brave New World

The world began to change dramatically in 2007 when Steve Jobs gave us the iPhone. I moved to NYC in 2008, and it must have been about three years later I noticed, as I walked to my office, that about 20% of the people on the busy sidewalks had their heads down looking at their phones. I actually counted and did the math. I wrote a blog post about it, expressing my concern about safety and distraction. One out of five. Now it seems like it’s one out of one, with the occasional one-off, like the man next to me on the bus. I suppose this is Part 2 of that post. Years after the first one, I now serve as the president of the local “I’m nowhere, and missing a lot of what matters” club.

All joking aside, this has and is changing how we live. I started wearing the bracelet years ago because I recognized I had a problem… well perhaps family members helped me to recognize it. I actually went on Amazon on my phone, (shopping while I probably should have had my phone in my pocket- how ironic) and designed the bracelet and it magically showed up at my door a day later- my phone buzzed letting me know I had a package. Aren't our phones marvelous!? I’ve grown. I wear a bracelet with a pithy statement about being present as I wander around everywhere except where I actually am!

Why does this matter? For lots of reasons. Our phones, the internet, computers, social media, streaming have drawn our attention away from each other. Digital attachment is replacing human attachment. I think we miss so much.

One of the phrases I’ve noticed in the narrative accounts of the life of Jesus is this: “As he (Jesus) went along, he saw…”. And in seeing, he responded. Acted. Said. Loved. Real live happens as we go along, but if our heads our down, we miss it. It’s impossible to love when we are distracted- always in a hurry. Somewhere else.

This morning, as I sat down to capture these thoughts, I looked around my home office, noticing how terribly cluttered it was. It told the history of the last few days, or a week, of hurriedly going from one thing to another leaving a trail of clutter, too busy to fully finish a task. I couldn’t concentrate surrounded by the mess. I took about 30 minutes to put everything in its place. Only then could I focus. I opened my computer to write down these thoughts. More clutter. 20 open apps on my desktop!

When I finally had my fingers on the keyboard I realized that I had just experienced a powerful metaphor of what my mind looks like. Just like my office. Messy. Distracted. Hard to focus. Like my computer desktop.

As 2026 approaches, I am going to map out a strategy to be intentional about reversing the course of my addiction- that is what it is! It’s going to take more than a bracelet. A lot more. I experienced how difficult it is going to be 5 minutes after I got off the bus. It was about a 10 minute walk to my apartment. I put my phone in my back pocket vowing to leave it there and pay attention to what or who I might encounter on the way home. Christmas decorations. Pumpkins left over from Halloween. A couple of very large german shepherds chained to a fence. And then. I'm not making this up. I noticed something unexpected. I had my phone in my hand! I only made it halfway home. I don't even recall pulling it out, or what prompted it.

One of my favorite authors, Philip Yancey, wrote that life is like being in a boat in a moving stream. We are never just sitting still. We are always being carried by the current in some direction. Always. He said to take control of where we are going we have to keep “pressure on the oars.” That’s my new year’s resolution- pressure on the oars to reengage in the only time I have- the present moment.

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I missed it

From time to time I have posted blogs about being in the moment, seeing with the eyes of my heart, and stepping in to help. When I have written these it's not to boast. I usually state that for every one I see and respond to, I probably fail to notice, or worse, notice and hurry on by to get to what ever next important next thing I have to do a hundred times. I write to encourage others to pay attention, to be present and truly see, and to help, even as I struggle to do so.

I missed one a few days ago and it has tormented me. So this is perhaps a confession, for as the saying goes, confession is good for the soul. Maybe it will put a stake in the ground that I will do better the next time.

I had finished volunteering with City Relief, which focuses on our "unhoused neighbors" (as they call the homeless- much more dignifying) on the streets of NY and NJ. I was jet-lagged after nearly 3 weeks in Nepal and India- exhausted. I just wanted to get home (now I'm making excuses). I was waiting on the subway platform. I had my noise-cancelling ear buds- not listening to anything- just blocking out the noise- which included a young ragged looking man approaching me. He stopped about 8 feet from me- I pretended not to see him. I just wanted to get on the train and get home. He moved closer and I could see he was talking to me. I put my head down. He came closer, hand outstretched with a single nickel in his palm. He came right into my space where I could hear him, hand still stretched out. I wasn't afraid, I was annoyed. And then he said: "I'm hungry. Can you just give me some change?" I rarely give money. If I am going to help, I'll buy some food. But there is no food on the subway platforms, so I tried to ignore him. Then he said these words: "If you won't help me, I'm going to commit suicide. I'm going to jump in front of the train when it comes."

I immediately was very angry. I had a homeless friend who had taken his life by jumping on the tracks a few years back. The horror of that remains with me. His widow is now a part of our church family.

I ripped off my ear buds and said, out of anger, "How dare you!! How dare you manipulate and blackmail people with that threat..." and more words I do not remember. I did not expect the response I got.

I don't know what I expected. I was not thinking of him, but just about myself. He stepped back a few steps, and began to apologize profusely. He said that I was right, and it was a horrible thing to do. He was sorry. He had a calm demeanor, contrasted with my stern and angry posture. "I'm just desperate", he said Then he rattled off his story- 28 years old, alone in NYC, autistic, homeless, transgender. He told me his name.

I was brought into the present moment. Now I had a name, a painful story, and a broken human being in front of me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out some change and added it to the nickel still in his palm. He thanked me and then did something that haunts me days later. He stepped toward me, opened his arms and asked if he could have a hug. Having considered his clothes, the dirt, the smell the possibility of lice or fleas, I stepped back and offered a fist bump, which he accepted. The train approached and I got in, watching him go to the next person, hand out-stretched with a nickel and a bit more, but without that hug. I believe he needed that more than the few quarters I gave him.

He needed Compassion. An embrace of love from a stranger. Human touch. To not feel so alone for just one moment. Instead, it was another rejection. I chose hygiene and comfort over love. Ugh. As I continued toward my home, I wanted to go back, change my plans, give a hug, buy him lunch, hear his story. Too late.

I am far from perfect (obviously). For the last two years I have immersed myself in what we call Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I think often of Jesus' words in Matthew 25- that when we feed, clothe, and care for the "least" we are doing it to him (Mother Teresa's favorite passage of scripture). And yet, I had left Jesus standing on the subway platform alone.

I want to learn from this. And I want to encourage others. There is a world of need around us. Giving material help is critical. But the deeper need is to be seen, loved, and hugged.

[simplycurious-blog]

Imagine you were born in poverty. Each day was filled with the likelihood of going to bed with an empty stomach. Your parents did their best, but at wages of less than $2 a day, it was often about making difficult choices between food, a place to live, medicine, clothing for growing children, etc. It would be an understatement to say life was difficult.

You survive. A marriage is arranged for you when you are of age. Your greatest joy is when you are blessed with your own children- a girl and a boy. You and your husband do your best- but there is never enough. The cycle continues.

There are some close calls with illness threatening to take a life- something easily cured with medicine that is out of your reach. However, both children grow to young adulthood where they are also married to spouses you helped choose. Before long, grandchildren come. As is often the case, the small crowded home becomes multigenerational. There is simply not enough money for families to strike out on their own. Unemployment is part of the cycle. Jobs are lost due to sickness. Over time, the burden of taking care of grandma and grandpa and one's own children is too much to bear. Who gets to eat on any given day? Unimaginably hard choices have to be made. Your husband, aging- working still when he has no strength, passes away.

In some cases, the parents are forced into a hellish dilemma. They choose their children, and will take their elderly parent(s) to a remote place and leave them in the care of their gods. Abandoned. Alone. Homeless. Hopeless.

This narrative assaults our sensibilities. I did not believe this could be the case until I spoke with the elderly who had this experience. Hearing their words, seeing their tears, and imagining the deep ache in the hearts of their adult children as they walked away from their parents was brutally painful. How desperate they must be to make such a choice between their parents and their children? Their only hope and prayer was that, according to their religion, their parents would have a chance to come back, reincarnated into a better life.

Many, like this woman, have been that parent left behind.

In the New Testament we read these remarkable words:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

If you don't know what follows, use your imagination. What is it in all of our "religion"- what we believe, think, do, that God finds pure and faultless? What does he really care about? What is he looking for in me? Truth, correct doctrine, approriate worship, Bible study, church attendance come to mind. But whatever follows, it is critical that we get this right! Here it is:

to look after orphans and widows in their distress...

Really!?!?!?

About 25 years ago, I met a man who took this literally, and seriously. I was deeply convicted. Since then I have been a part of a community working in India (yes- the need is global- even in America) to care for orphans and widows in their distress- and many others living in the margins, suffering greatly. It was quite a realization that having been in vocational ministry for nearly 30 years, having led churches and worked with non-profits, I had never known, touched, served or loved a single orphan or widow. I knew this passage from James. I was quite disconnected from the heart of God.

The woman pictured above is living in Agape Home for the Aged in Dowlaiswarum, India. Not all of the residents there have such dramatic stories, but all would likely be dead were it not for Agape. Here they have a bed, food, medical care, and just as important, a community of love where they can live out their last days.

On the day this photo was taken, she had received the gift of a wheelchair- she is not able to walk. From her reaction, one would have thought she had won the mega-lottery. She grabbed my face and pulled me close and would not let go- a big smile and tears in her eyes. My heart was filled with joy, even as I looked around and realized how much more there was to do.

My deepest desire as I move into the later years of my life is to do what I can to serve the marginalized, and to inspire as many as I can to roll up their sleeves and do that which God is looking for- pure and faultless religion that gets into the pain and mess of our world.

www.impact360.org

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Embracing the Adventure

Almost 20 years ago it looked like God might be leading Chris and me to NYC to start a church. It was a difficult time for me as I loved my work and the people of Kensington. I dug in my heels a bit, and God was patient. I asked for a "burning bush" (think of God calling Moses to Egypt to confront Pharaoh- he needed to know it was God's idea and not his own). I got a journal and called it my "Burning Bush Black Book", secretly recording what may or may not be God's confirmation. God confirmed in little and big ways that this was the path for us, but I kept blowing out the fire- discounting them as coincidences. And then finally, he made it abundantly clear that NYC was our future- the 26th entry in my journal (I was out of breath by this time). I needed the confidence that it was God (going to NYC felt to this midwestern boy like standing before Pharaoh). The journey and sacrifices were difficult. The first couple of years in NYC were hard, but I kept going back to the burning bush. I knew we were here not of our own will. Sitting here now in a Starbucks in the Empire State Building as I write this blog post, I am so grateful that God lovingly and patiently guided me. I love our church of men and women experiencing homelessness. I know they are precious to God. This is our community.

At Communitas, we do not take an offering. We trust God to supply our needs through other means, and he has not let us down. It continues to be miraculous. At some point, I needed to find other means of income, what is sometimes called being a "tentmaker" (think Apostle Paul) and God provided through the opportunity to serve as the CEO of the NYC Rescue Mission and The Bowery Mission. The last 5 years, with joy I returned to Kensington Church to help out in a season of transition, commuting from NYC to Detroit. Chris assumed full leadership of Communitas as Pastor/Leader, and I found great joy in working with and under her leadership as a volunteer/pastor at Communitas, something I plan to continue to do. She's the best boss ever!

Now to the present, and future. I finished up at Kensington on June 30, and began to ask God, "What's next?" I believe I have at least 10 years left in me to serve as Jesus leads. Whatever I do, I want it to matter greatly. I don't have a lot of time left! I don't want to just work for a paycheck. But I also need to have income sufficient to remain in very expensive NYC and continue the ministry of Communitas.

Very quickly, I felt the nudge and the promptings in the still small voice I have come to recognize. Honestly, this new idea was and is more intimidating to me than the call to New York City. The idea seemed crazy... fear and trembling, but familiar territory. Couldn't it be easier this time? Yet the "voice" has been relentless. I shared it with a few close friends, and no one laughed at me, at least to my face. So I got a new "Burning Bush Black Book" and once again asked God to be patient and to bring confirmation, vowing that there would be no putting out the fire this time.

I only got to nine entries before I knew this idea was not born in my own imagination, but God's. It happened early this morning at a meeting in the Rockefeller Center area, and involved the man pictured below- PW Gupal. (check him out on Instagram).

I'm not ready to share the specifics yet. The story is crazy!!!! The adrenaline is pumping as I embrace the clarity and goodness of God, and accept the challenge ahead. I'll be ready to share Part 2 in November. In the meantime, pray for me, and I'll pray that God invites you into spaces that are beyond your abilities and self-confidence. Saying yes to Jesus' continued invitation "follow me" in spite of fears and anxiety has, in my life, revealed God's nature- especially his love, more than anything else. After-all, who wants to settle for what they can safely do on their own?

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Just Making Noise

“Love, and love is all we have left, you argue because you can’t accept, that love is all we have left…” Bono, U2

Where do we see genuine, deeply felt and expressed love for each other, the “other” being any human being whose path we cross, whose speech we hear, whose post we read? It seems largely absent.

There is such darkness enveloping all of us in this day and age. An angry tone, vitriol in our “conversations”, mistrust, name-calling, cancel culture, pride and arrogance, certainty that we are right and above reproach while “they” are ignorant, misleading, moronic, evil. We are enemies living in one nation, and not under God. Where is the love?

We were made for love.  I believe it is the center of what it means to be human. Psychiatrist Dr Curt Thomson writes that “we are born into the world looking for someone looking for us.” We want to be seen, valued, loved. Yet looking around, it would be hard to make a case for this. It seems more than anything we want to be right, respected, better that the “other”. We don’t truly listen to each other. We label each other. We’ve lost our curiosity to understand and know each other.  We seem to be on our toes, just waiting to be offended so we can be swift and lethal in our response.  We easily justify going into attack mode. In my opinion I don’t see or hear a lot of difference between what goes on inside and outside the walls of faith communities.

In light of this (my own) perspective of current culture, I want to offer a challenge to those who identify themselves as Christians, believers, the “saved”, but may not actually be following Jesus. Of course, none of us will ever do this perfectly. But is this what we are going hard after? Believing is about what you think to be true. Following Jesus refers to how we actually behave (and remember, in the gospels, Jesus’ invitation was to follow him).  We can believe and not follow. We can be a Christian and not follow. We can be “saved” and not follow. The late, brilliant Dallas Williard observed that most Christians don’t actually follow Jesus and his Way because they never intend to. Their faith is more about what happens when they die and less about what they do (follow) while they live.  What is our intention when it comes to actually, literally following Jesus?

There is a way to navigate through these times that is truly nonpartisan. The way is the Way of Jesus, revealed in his life and his teaching. Consider a few things found in what we call the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was teaching his disciples- getting them on mission to lead the charge after Jesus was no longer physically with them. Matthew tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountain side and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. This was the classroom. The 107 verses that fully illuminate how we are to live- especially in a diverse, divisive, and hostile time. Let’s remember that what happened to most of Jesus’ disciples was martyrdom, with many other followers being fed to the Lions in the arena. They didn't arm themselves and fight back. They didn't post stinging attacks.

Consider the words of Stephen, the first martyr. As his enemies were casting stones at him, skin being torn off, bones breaking, his concern was not for himself but for the hate-filled throwers of the stones. He prayed: “Father, please do not hold this against them” echoing the words of Jesus on the cross, “Father, forgive them.” That is the way of Jesus. We gauge the conditions of our heart and soul against this invitation to another way of living. I know I fall short!

Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you.” We are to be left-cheek turners, shirt and coat givers, extra mile walkers to those who hate us. At the beginning of his message, he said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Just as our children take on a good deal of our nature, and look and act like their parents, when we pursue peace, we look like our Father in heaven. This is his nature. What does my speech and my posts reveal about my spiritual parentage? Do I look like my Father?

As Americans, we are free to choose our political views. We are free to vote for whatever candidate we discern is the best. But we are not free to be defined by our politics. We are not free to be angry. We are not free to name-call, dismiss, cancel. We are called to love- even our enemies- those who hate us! A significant politician in Washington who consistently identifies himself as a Christian recently gave a call to arms, urging Christians to “fight back” against the secularization of our culture, and the growing discrimination against Christians. Instead of fighting, how about:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

In Washington, there is talk about the “aisle”- reaching across the aisle of political division to find common ground and work for the good of our country- not seeing much of that. For People of the Way of Jesus, we need to reach across every aisle, most of all in our churches, and pursue and embrace love. We are missing a critical opportunity to show an alternate way of living.

Back to the words of Jesus: You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Been angry lately? Called anybody  “raca”  (probably not- we have different words)? How about “fool”? Maybe not to their faces, but to others, or perhaps just in our thoughts? When we do this, we have strayed from the Way of Jesus.

I tend to agree with Bono. Paul wrote these words 2000 years ago at a time when Christians experienced real persecution:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

When we fail to live in love, we’re just making noise. The beauty of Jesus, his way, his love is lost in the glamour. Love is the most power force in the world, and it’s all we have left.

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Wake Up!

Today I received a text from a friend who is tailspinning into deeper distress about the condition of our current world: increased hatred, violence, deaths, angry rhetoric on all sides, grabbing for power, unabashed greed, discrimination and on and on. She is a person of faith, and is holding on to in for the time being, but like many, she is growing weary. Perhaps more than anything, she is tired of hearing, in the face of deep pain and suffering, Christians recite worn out mantras like "God is in control; Everything happens for a reason; In time we will see God's purposes for everything that happens." I am more than tired. This theology makes no room for human error, bad choices, indifference, etc. In can engender indifference and apathy. Everything does happen for a reason, and in most cases we only need to look in the mirror to find it. Humans create much of the carnage because God has endowed us with free choice. If everything is God's will, then my sin is his responsibility and it makes no sense to hold me accountable. Every time I am in error, and the ripple effect hurts others, I am proving that God is not controlling everything.

I have wrestled long and hard with "theodicy", which is our attempt to vindicate God from being responsible for evil and suffering in light of two of his attributes- his love and his power. Put simply (though it's not simple), with the world the way it is: 1. If God is all-loving but doesn't stop the suffering than he must not be all-powerful; or 2. If God is all-powerful and could, but does not stop the suffering, he must not be all-loving.

I first began to wrestle with this when I was in seminary decades ago, and it continues to take up a lot of space in my mind because I deem it to be one of the most important issues for us. We all suffer, and when it hits us, we turn to God with the need to believe he is good, loving faithful and that he cares. So what do we do when we don't get relief- after much prayer and soul searching? In many cases people turn from God, giving up on faith because if God does exist, they reason, he is not very good. Or- as is more often the case, we pick and choose passages in the Bible to support a view of God who is all controlling, and loving, and when the world or our lives don't look like that's the case, we attribute our confusion about this saying something like: "God's ways are not ways, and when all is said in done, we will see what he was up to, and see the true good in it." It may pacify us for a time, at a shallow level, but I have discovered that often beneath layers of suppression lurk doubt, depression and anger.

After more than 40 years as a therapist and a pastor, and as a friend, I have sat with so many dealing with this in great anguish- the death of the child being perhaps the most painful. They wrestle with holding on to a theology that acquits God on the basis of our ignorance and inability to understand him: "Who has known the mind of the Lord..." or "His ways are higher than our ways." I have witnessed time and again these words recited with a frown and clenched teeth- and the march toward stoicism commences. How can you love someone who purports to love you, and could easily stop the suffering, or could have prevented it and did not for some higher reason?

An analogy I often think of is this. Imagine I had a babysitter watching my kids, and I came home just in time to see my three year old step off the curb into traffic with the sitter just one foot away, who sees her step, sees the cars coming, could easily reach out and pull her to safety, but instead just stands there as my child is crushed under the weight of a car. What kind of person is that? How would I feel about her. Seeing her neglect in preventing the death of my child, could I possibly receive comfort from her? What kind of person is she to allow this? And that's the question: what kind of God just stands there while my child dies of cancer, a drunk driver barrels through the intersection at 100 miles an hour and kills my wife, and... insert your own story here.

It's not my intent to share here how I have come to grips with this. Most of the time I have some level of peace, but to explain fully how I have arrived at this would require a novel-length book, or two. What I want to share are a few thoughts about how to live in such a world- especially if you identity as a follower of Jesus.

I have come to believe that God's "normal" mode of operation in this chaotic and difficult world is non-intervention in terms of changing circumstances. To do so would almost always take away human freedom- and where then would he stop? He would indeed be all controlling, and the world would become heaven. I do believe he intervenes in our lives to be with us, support us, give us peace and rest in the midst of it. (Of course we won't receive any of this if we don't trust him). There is so much more to say about this, but before this does become a novel, I want to get to the reason I am sitting at my computer sharing these thoughts.

The centerpiece of the Christian faith is the claim that God took on human form in the person of Jesus. The incarnation! Here we encounter a co-suffering God, which is almost incomprehensible. He aligned himself with our misery, experienced it himself- and promises the eventual renewal of all things. God created a world in which human freedom matters, I would say is necessary. Without freedom there can be no true relationship or love. But he didn't just wait at a distance with promises of future relief- he came among us. Became one of us. Went hungry. Wept at funerals. Suffered from the worst form of violence. And he promised that one day it would all change as all tears would be wiped away. In the meantime, he promised to be always with us. Is that enough? It has to be. Yet I have learned that it is hard for me to always be with him... to live my life, the good and the bad, conscious of the reality that he is at my side. Too often I go it alone.

I’m living more now with the realization that the meaning and value of the incarnation is more than just about the cross. In the incarnation we are taught how to live with each other, to love each other, even our enemies. It’s up to us to embrace it, and teach it (make disciples in the Way of Jesus, not believers inJesus) and we have largely failed. We have embraced power, ignored justice, promoted hatred and violence... "but at least we have Jesus as our savior." We are hanging on best we can, telling ourselves that the bad in the world is some part of God's master plan- we just have to trust him and get through it until we are in heaven. We don't take responsibility.

When I was young, I learned a song which I loved at the time, but have come to see as the "anti-gospel." It goes like this:

This world is not my home I'm just a-passing through My treasures are laid up Somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me From heaven's open door And I can't feel at home In this world anymore

This song is about our non-intervention into the world's pain and suffering. But this world is our home- for a lifetime. We are not invited to just pass through! We are invited to invest everything in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth now. Consider this phrase in the Lord's Prayer: "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We are to work, through what we learn in the incarnation story and how Jesus lived, and particularly in the masterful Sermon on the Mount, how to live in such a way that earth begins to look more and more like heaven. We must feel at home in this world. Make it our home. Be totally vested in our communities, country, the world. Like Jesus did. It's our own incarnation into the messiness of life, and rather attributing the mess to God's will, we roll up our sleeves and do all we can to address it. We also incarnate- going to the margins of life where the most human suffering exists.

I think the angels are beckoning us to stop gazing toward heaven, but are directing us to: "Look around. There is a lot to be done!"

Think about Jesus' first teaching recorded in Luke 4. It answers the question one may have asked him: "Why have you come?" His answer was not "I'm just passing through."

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Can you see it? His mission addressed the poor, those imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed. Was this the emphasis I learned in the early years of my faith? It was not even talked about. The real meaning of the good news was all about going to heaven when I died. It was a gospel for death, not for life, not for my time on this planet. Seems like Jesus started out defining the mission. Seems like we may have lost our way. James, Jesus' half brother wrote that the religion God is looking for will be marked by caring for orphans and widows in their distress.

I recall years ago when a mom who had lost a child in an accident caused by a drunk driver. She was a woman of great faith, but she didn't walk around singing "this world is not my home". She helped start MADD- Mother's Against Drunk Driving. And while she was grieving deeply, she actually wasn't mad. The movement also engaged in the process of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing. Through engaging in work addressing one this evil, which is a source of great suffering in our world, the movement has likely prevented thousands of deaths and freed many from living in bitterness. She didn't wait until the time all tears would be wiped away. She worked to prevent tears in the here and now- her home.

This is the Kingdom, the movement the incarnation of Jesus began, and I want to be a part of it. Imagine if every professing Christian actually followed Jesus. Suffering would still exist, but I think we could make a huge dent in it.

One final thing. As I have taught or written out my thoughts on this over the last few years, I have been accused of preaching a "social gospel" with a focus on caring for the poor and combating every form of injustice. That's true. Did you know that well over 90% of Jesus' teachings recorded in the four gospels address not what happens when we die, but how to live the life we have now. Jesus addressed the "social". It matters! I think I am learning more what it means to actually follow the Way of Jesus. People in the first century referred to Christians as "People of the Way." It was how they lived that drew their attention, more then their words. Jesus said this was to be our way in the Sermon on the Mount" You are the LIGHT of the world.

I've also been accused of being "woke". This term first appeared in the 1930s when African Americans spoke and sang the words "stay woke" in the face of horrible discrimination and violence. The idea was to stay vigilance in combating injustice. We must.

Paul wrote: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead..."

There is a lot to be done!

[simplycurious-blog]

Kingdoms

I have been a member/user of Facebook since 2004- its inaugural year,  and I have managed to accumulate 2563 “friends”. The frequency of my and postings has been very inconsistent. One thing though that has been consistent is how I have chosen to use Facebook. You will be hard pressed to review my postings and find cases where I started or joined a conversation about disputed matters, digital conversations which are controversial, argumentative and accusatory in nature. Other than posts about my work with the homeless in NYC and the poor in India, most of my posts are light, sharing adventures, family time, and a good sunset. Pretty boring stuff. My opinion is that social media is not the place to engage about such matters. As time has gone on, the vitriol and nastiness has increased exponentially, especially in the midst of the social and political climate in which we currently live. I often have read things that cause my blood pressure to rise and I have been tempted to jump in. I take a some deep breath and close my computer and walk away.

Today I’m going to get close to the edge of posting something that will “meddle” a bit. It will be mostly indirect as I simply share some words from a book just published that I am reading. I am writing this for the eyes those who identify as “Christian”, a term that I think has lost most of its meaning. The book is Jesus Changes Everything, by Stanley Hauerwas. The few sentences below in bold are those that seem pointed for those of us trying to follow Jesus in the current cultural climate. I am afraid we have lost our way, trying somehow and impossibly to link the Kingdom Jesus is about and is building with the competing kingdoms of our day. These are not new thoughts, but Hauerwas has a way with words that, at least for me, brings into clear focus the true invitation to live out, grow in, and expand a different kind of Kingdom.  If these words challenge or resonate, I strongly encourage you to get the book. It is a quick read. But a hard read. After the excerpts below, I will share briefly how Jesus’ sermon on the mount has been challenging me deeply, and changing me, I hope, the last few years.

"Jesus does not seek to morally improve nor violently overthrow Rome, not because he was outnumbered but because his kingdom is a radical alternative, both to the violence of Rome and to those who would overthrow Rome with violence, but also to those who uphold the status quo. The righteousness of Christ’s kingdom cannot avoid being subversive, so much so that it will result in his crucifixion. Jesus calls forth a people capable of living in accordance with God’s new order in the midst of the existing one. What kind of order was Jesus talking about? What kind of social alternative? What kind of subversive community? This was a voluntary society: you could not be a citizen of it simply by being born into it. You could come into it only by repenting and freely pledging allegiance to Jesus as its king. This was a society with no second-generation members.

When he called his society together, Jesus gave its members a new way of life to live. He gave them a new way to deal with offenders – by forgiving them. He gave them a new way to deal with violence – by suffering. He gave them a new way to deal with money – by sharing it. He gave them a new way to deal with problems of leadership – by drawing on the gift of every member, even the most humble. He gave them a new way to deal with a corrupt society – by building a new order, not smashing the old. He gave them a new pattern of relationship between man and woman, between parent and child, between master and slave, in which a radical new vision of what it means to be a human person was made concrete. He gave them a new attitude toward the state and toward the “enemy nation.”

Jesus offers us participation in a kingdom that is so demanding that we discover we have better things to do than concentrate on our lust, our “righteous” anger, our ways of compromising the truth. We discover better ways of being than to break promises or hide behind lies “just to get along” with one another. We need not retaliate against those who would seek to do us harm, thus perpetuating the cycle of violence. We can even show them deeds of love. We can even realize God’s kingdom and his righteousness."

Chapter 9

Jesus concludes his 106 verse Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 with these words- a metaphor for how we choose to live in His Kingdom even as we are incarnated within the opposing Kingdoms of this word. It begins with the word “therefore”, meaning he will now get to the point of the whole sermon. These are likely familiar words, so I suggest you read them slowly and thoughtfully.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

We are NOT to build our lives on Jesus (which is pretty abstract). We are NOT to build our lives on what we believe about Jesus. He is not the “rock” in this story. Look again. The rock refers his words, but only when we actually put them into practice! Which words? Those he has just taught- about loving enemies, about not judging, not being self-righteous, about not being greedy, about…”.  That is the rock. And when we hear his words and do not put them into practice, well, he says calamity will result.

When I look at the state of affairs in our country, when I hear the words and voices of many “Christians” and their posture in the face of so much agitation, I don’t see a great deal of Jesus’ words, not just heard, quoted, talked about, but actually put into practice. It’s that simple, and that difficult. As Dallas Williard famously wrote, we have found a way of being “Christian” without being “Christlike”.

A few years ago, I noticed that Matthew begins recounting Jesus’ sermon by pointing out that when Jesus saw the crowds around him, he went up on  a mountainside and sat down, and that his disciples came to him and he began to teach them. I think the crowds followed him as and heard his words, but Jesus’ intent was to train his disciples, his followers, in the way of a new kingdom he was establishing. My understanding of history suggests that his followers have often lost this message, this focus, and that today, we are repeating history. And the result has been calamity.

Once I saw this clearly, I committed to begin every day reading the sermon on the mount (something Mahatma Gandhi did most of his adult life- as a Hindu, following Jesus’ teaching which resulted in a peaceful revolution and their independence). The sermon on the mount  is God’s magnus opus for disclosing a new world order he came to commence. The sermon reveals the nature of God, and an invitation to become like him in how we talk and live: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

I think we could use fewer “believers in Jesus” who have the right doctrine, have prayed the right prayer, and more who “hear the words of Jesus” and “put them into practice”- in every area of life, even on social media.

[simplycurious-blog]

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is defined simply as: a journey, especially a long one..

A pilgrim is one who journeys, especially a long distance.

At this stage of life, I have come to believe that every human being begins life as a pilgrim, and I also believe that most of us, me included, are inclined to halt the journey and come to rest and remain in one place, and stay there, even though there is much more to explore and to know. We do this for comfort, familiarity, a sense of safety, and perhaps most powerfully, to be able to remain in our tribe, our community made up of shared beliefs and values. So while there is much more to be discovered, we settle for the "certainty" we believe we have found, and pitch our tent there. Actually, more than a tent- we construct a permanent dwelling place built on an unmovable foundation. We might even describe it as a fortress, to be defended at costs.

The price we pay for this is enormous. We stop learning and we stop growing. It is inevitable that when we do this, overtime, as I have done, we become defensive about our views and beliefs, we become argumentative, even arrogant. We stop listening to others. Humility and curiosity are absent. There are no more secrets to unlock, no mysteries to explore. It's black and white, open and shut.

I once heard someone say, "we open our minds only so we can close them on the truth". Really! We can reach a point free of doubt and know with certainty that all that we think and believe is the truth- nothing in error, nothing unknown? All knowledge perfectly residing in one person?

This human tendency is called out by Jesus when he encountered the Pharisees, the most religious and certain of all people in that day and age. They had all the answers and they sat in judgment over all the less "enlightened". This was especially true when it came to their understanding of God. Jesus once said to a group of Pharisees hurling insults and accusations against him, that while they had studied their Scriptures diligently, they had never heard the voice of God. Their diligence led them to premature certainty, and they stopped their pilgrimage, settling down. Living in a fortress. They missed God entirely. I remember reading this decades ago, and feeling nervous that I was on that path. I loved to debate, argue and judge others. I was a know it all. At some level I knew that I was not hearing God's voice at all.

We love our certainty. And it is so destructive to ourselves and to those around us.

Peter Enns puts it this way: "Our understanding always has a provisional dimension to it, and we should expect our views to change overtime, as we all change and grow as human beings... Pilgrimage is a metaphor for humility. Pilgrimage encourages us to let go of the final certainty on how we understand the Bible, and be less prone to put up walls of division, because we are more willing to discuss, explore, and change than to proclaim, conquer and defend".

I have come to believe in a God who will never be fully known or grasped. And He is ok with that. He delights in that. And he invites me to continue my Pilgrimage until my last breath. And I still will likely know and understand just a fraction of who He is. My hunger for pilgrimage is really a hunger for God.

Less proclaiming, conquering and defending, and more discussing (listening to others), exploring and changing. Pilgrimage is a long journey.

Craig

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Curious, Not Judgmental

There is a sentence that has been stuck in my mind for the last couple of years- just four words: “Be curious, not judgmental.” Perhaps you recognize the source- out of the mouth of Ted Lasso. He wrongly attributes it to Walt Whitman, but whatever the source, as I have mulled it over again and again, I have found it to be quite profound and challenging. I found a t-shirt with the statement. I love wearing it as a reminder to myself, and also to provoke conversations.  (To understand the significance of the bullseye, you will have to watch the TV series, Ted Lasso).

How are judgment and curiosity opposites?  To stand in judgment is to say, I know everything there is to know about this person, this situation, or this idea. I have nothing to learn, therefore my analysis and judgment is true.  Conversely, to be curious is to wonder, What am I missing, what don’t I know about this person, this situation or this idea. I better listen. I better find out. Perhaps my perspective needs some alteration.

It seems obvious that living in our current climate of contentiousness, dogma, and hostile debate, we could stand a lot more curiosity and a lot less judgment?

Recently I read a book highly recommended to me by a trusted friend: Think Again by Adam Grant. I have come to realize how much I have lived with a posture of pride and arrogance that gave way to judgment. For all those reading this who have encountered this version of myself (I know remnants still exist!), my deepest apology. I wish I had been more gracious, more open to your point of view, and a better listener. This brings to mind the wisdom of Solomon: To answer before listening— that is folly and shame. This seems to be an apt motto for today- answer, don’t listen. It has produced a lot of folly. In the words of Glen Campbell:

Everybody's talkin' at me I don't hear a word they're saying Only the echoes of my mind

Back to Adam Grant. There is much to consider in his book, but the one idea that has stuck with me is what he calls the Overconfidence Cycle versus the Rethinking Cycle, pictured below:

If the starting point is pride, resulting in conviction (I prefer to call it certainty) this leads us to only see and consider what we want to see (desirability bias) or that which lines up with our thinking (confirmation bias), resulting in the validation of our way of seeing things.

If the starting point is humility, this leads to appropriate doubt (maybe I don’t know everything, I might be wrong, I might have some things to learn), leading to curiosity (I’m going to listen, read, study, explore), with the outcome of discovering something new.

Judgment resides in the overconfidence cycle, curiosity in the rethinking cycle.  Which of the two produces growth as a person? Which produces a person who is interesting and whose company is desirable?  Pretty obvious.  Shouldn’t we take an honest look in the mirror and ask ourselves, which of the two cycles am I in? Which  do I want to be in?

Here are few questions which may help to identify if we reside in judgment or curiosity:

How do I feel, how do respond when I hear or read something contrary to my thinking, especially if it is an important issue?

How do I feel about the person representing a contrary view?

Am I listening? Am I asking questions to make sure I understand before I respond?

Do I explore and investigate views contrary to my own, or do I only pay attention to those with whom I agree?

All growth involves change. Overconfidence (certainty) inhibits growth, the willingness to rethink, grounded in humility, is the pathway to growth- and a lot more peace and harmony.

As I try to live out my faith, I believe that the Way of Jesus is to be a peacemaker. Jesus said that people of peace are behaving like their Father in heaven. Peace is the very nature of God.  We do not have to agree with everyone to be a person of peace. To listen to contrary views sincerely and with an open heart is to honor and love others. To love God is to love our neighbors, and to love our neighbors, according to Jesus, is to love our enemies.

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Curious and Humble

I read recently that doubt- having it, acknowledging it, embracing it is critical for all intellectual growth. There is always more to learn. Which means what we think and believe at any given moment is a mixture of truth and error. Certainty is one of the greatest barriers for growth. Certainty stops exploration, pushes away contrary ideas, and can't help but produce arrogance: "I have nothing to learn."

It is a fascinating reality for most human beings that having decided what is true and right, at any point in time, we go into a panic room of certainty, making sure nothing contrary has access. We feel safe. Protected. And we stop learning.

I grew up being indoctrinated about many things- from politics to religion. Our tribe had arrived at truth, and everyone else, every contrary idea or thought was wrong. We were so fortunate to be the one tribe that had figured it all out. For me, it has been a long journey out of this mindset- too long to see the absurdity of such claims of perfect knowledge.

A truly educated person (not talking about degrees here) is one who throughout life maintains a posture of humility and curiosity. "I don't know everything. I want to understand your point of view. I'm going to listen, read, watch, learn. I will set aside any of my dogma when I see the validity of an alternative."

This journey can be likened to a plant initially put into a small pot. It serves it well for a time, but eventually it will not thrive unless it is re-potted into something bigger, with more room to grow. As human beings, again and again we need to be "re-potted" , making room for new ideas, new ways of thinking.

Most of my life has been devoted to matters of faith. There may be no domain where dogma rules more, where doubt is seen as a threat, where lifelong learning is not encouraged, than that of religion. As if anyone has come to the final and definitive understanding of God! I was once told by a professor I had in college that we "...open our minds only so when can close it on truth." That produces a closed-minded person who is probably hard to be around.

This blog will mostly explore matters of faith, will celebrate the place of humility, doubt, curiosity necessary for ongoing spiritual growth. Questions will be more frequent than answers.