Profiles and Timelines

I need to begin with a brief word of clarification. My use of the word, "profile," here is in it's less common form. I mean visibility, as in a higher or lower profile, rather than in reference to a pattern or characteristic of some kind.

I recently came across an interesting suggestion concerning the Christ event. The person suggested that what happened was only a partial victory. That Jesus' victory was not complete, or at least not immediately complete. And because of this, what we have is essentially two parallel timelines. This means that humans are essentially living in the nexus of two competing futures. One, in which the Christ event wins and restores humanity and one, in which, it does not. As we approach resolution, we will see more readily what is at stake as well as some of the people/forces involved.

While there are certainly problems with the suggestion, it also might shed some light on some questions. Specifically, it does appear that Jesus victory was at least partially incomplete. This, of course, is the argument of the Jewish tradition. Namely, if Jesus really was/is the Messiah why did he not establish his kingdom on earth and where are the signs of this victory? While Christians might argue that, in fact, Jesus did set up his kingdom (The Church) and that the signs are there for anyone to see, there are certainly other signs that the world remains unredeemed.

Herein lies the question. Does this point to the possibility that Jesus victory was incomplete or unfinished? Or, does it rather point to what God intended all along? Namely, that the nature of the Kingdom would be for believers to live side by side with others in a world where evil, injustice and slavery remained part of the landscape?

In either case, it appears, as yet, unresolved. But it seems logical that this will not go on forever. Or to put it another way, one of these timelines is going to win out. Either the full victory of Christ is going to be established or the full depravity (the complete fall) of humanity shall come to pass.

Of course, as Christians, we believe that Christ's victory will finally be complete. There will come a time when there is no longer a competing timeline. Or, as Saint John puts it in Revelation 21:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

The details of the end as well as the strangeness of the middle might be unclear but the resolution of the end is certain. There will come a time when all is accomplished.

So what should we do in the meantime? Do we keep a high or a low profile as we wait for all this to work itself out? Some say that it is our task as Christians to influence as many people as possible by all means necessary. But others say that this is a seduction--that there is no way to embrace the ways of the world and still remain true to Gospel and the Christ event.

I am by nature, a low-profile person, at least in this regard. I have met and listened to folks who approach this differently. It is hard to argue with them--especially if you believe that your efforts somehow impact the resolution of the timeline.

In either case, it seems correct to say that as we approach resolution, it will be easier to see what is truly at stake. It will also be easier to identify those who have a stake in the resolution.

Magicians

Just moments after I finished my sermon this morning, I had a nagging feeling that I hadn't quite said enough. I had spoken about the Kingdom and how it will not be based on the economic models that are so familiar to us. I stated that there will come a day when we will be delivered from our slavish existence to money. I even pointed to an example of what this might look like--referencing the Biblical story of manna in the wilderness and how quickly everything is now moving from the realm of ideas to the physical world in which we live.

Though what I said is helpful and, I think, faithful to both the Gospel and the world in which we are living, I failed to say one additional thing that is equally important. Just because we see the economic cycle broken or the appearance of manna in the wilderness does not necessarily mean that the Kingdom has come or that the man or woman who appears responsible is the Christ.

While this might be obvious to some, I do not want it to be lost on any of us. History has shown us time and again that saviors who swoop in to save the day in troubled times often turn out to be something else altogether.

Beware of magicians. Great entertainment... disappointing saviors.

Amazing Grace

For a while now, my daughter has been after to me to watch a film with her. The name of the film is "Amazing Grace," and it deals with the abolition of slavery in England. My daughter told me how powerful and inspirational the story is and I believed her but kept putting her off. This is because lately I've tried to restrict my movie-watching to fantasy, science fiction and comedy. I used to watch everything but it's harder now. I figure that I have enough reality in my real life. So movies have become for me mostly about escape.

My daughter, however, can be relentless. I knew that this was important to her, and I knew that she would not quit hounding me about it. So I decided to take a couple of hours to "do the right thing." And, of course, she was right. The film was very powerful. And even though it dealt with some very painful things, it was still very inspirational. I was very glad that I watched it. I was especially glad that I watched it with her.

After the film, it was time for her to go to bed. So I walked her up the stairs, waited for her to brush her teeth and then sat on the side of her bed as she asked the familiar questions that she asks whenever we watch a movie together.

"What was you favorite part?" She asked. "And who was your favorite character?"

I laughed because she literally asks these questions every time. But I also sensed that in this case, her inquiry was especially important. I answered her question with sincerity and to her satisfaction. I then asked her the question that I always ask when I put her to bed, "So who should pray tonight? Do you want to do it or should I." It was late and she would have to get up early for school, so I suspected that I would be praying. But to my surprise, she said, "I'll pray."

My daughter then offered a prayer. She prayed the kinds of things that she had heard me pray for on a number of occasions. But she did so with her own voice and with her own heart-felt petition. It was perhaps the most decent and sincere prayer that I have ever heard. After she finished, I told her that it was a beautiful prayer and that she was a beautiful person. Because she is.

In the film that we watched, a man is passionate about bringing an end to slavery. He loves his country but he believes strongly that it needs to change. Time and again, he brings a bill to Parliament to put an end to what he believes is a scourge upon the country that he loves so dearly. And time and time again, those bills are defeated. It is not that his countrymen are insensitive to his passion, it is rather that they cannot get past the fear of an inevitable economic shock-wave that would surely follow the end of slavery in the UK.

Years go by. The battle takes its toll on the man. Although he is passionate and his cause is just, change comes slow and may require more than this man has in him. You can see his resolve shaking--his physical body giving way before the wall of inertia that must be overcome. At times, the man feels that he is failing at the very work that God has given him to do. And he comes very close to giving up. But his friends will not allow him. They, in fact, are there with him almost constantly. They do everything they can to keep this man going, to keep him striving toward his vision. Though they cannot live his life or fulfill his work, his friends are nevertheless an essential part of it.

Amazing Grace is a somewhat unique story in this regard. In American film, heroes often seem invincible and far removed from the average folk around them. But this is false. Even the strongest among us are only as strong as the support that we receive. God works in us and God surrounds us with wonderful people--beautiful people--who allow us to be that which we would otherwise only hope to become.

As I listened to my daughter's prayer, I saw her great strength. It was, at least in that moment, strength far beyond my own. I marvel at this. And I marvel at the many people that I have known who are decent, and who have faith, and who are compassionate and hopeful and quietly courageous. I am humbled by them. I love them. And I tremble because my own life is so greatly dependent upon them.

[The image for this entry comes from the film "Stand By Me. Remember River Phoenix and his friends? And here is Nanci Griffith offering a word of encouragement to her friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OgNnPI_D3Q&feature=related ]

Not My Job

The title of the entry here is taken from the name of the jpeg above. I found it on the official website for Dr. Judy Wood. Judy Wood has written a book entitled, Where Did The Towers Go? I have not yet read the book but I spent a good bit of yesterday reading an extensive review of the book and Dr. Wood's methodology. I am using the image above for my blog this week because I think that it's an unique picture. I am writing about 911 because everybody else is.

I, like the four of five other people who might be reading this, remember what I was doing on September 11, 2001. I was at Appalachian State University. My wife, Diane, called me to tell that the television was saying that a plane had crashed into a building in New York. I remember telling her that it must have been a very small plane because it would be impossible for a large plane to hit a building in downtown New York. That was incorrect.

I then spent the rest of the morning doing what many (most?) Americans did that day. I watched the story unfold on television. I remember thinking that this was bad--that it would lead to many bad things in the world. That was correct.

I am going to quote a section from Eric Larsen's review of Wood's book. It is worth noting that Larsen wrote the forward to Where Did The Towers Go? and he openly admits that he looks favorably on Dr. Wood's effort. However, the quote that I want us to consider has nothing to do with 911 itself. It has to do with its aftermath. That is, what has become of our world since September 11, 2001.

9/11 has been “the justification and starting point” for all manner of destruction, loss, crime, and horror. Without 9/11, there would have been no “Patriot Act,” no abuse of FISA and stripping away of privacy rights, no Military Commissions Act of 2006 with its setting aside of Habeas Corpus, no implementation of Northcom and deployment of our own military forces on domestic American soil (for use against who, you might ask?), and no trashing of Bill of Rights and Constitutional guarantees, no programmatic and precedent-setting weakening and eliminating of right and guarantees so that the very concepts of “citizenship” and “freedom” have been emptied out to the point where setting up concentration camps inside the U.S. is now legal and not a one of us would have any recourse whatsoever if it were decided that we should be thrown into a cell in one of them and forgotten forever.[1]

Without 9/11, there would never have been any fake and opportunistic “Global War on Terror,” would never have been Guantanamo as we know it now, never have been official programs of torture or fake demonizing of Islam in order to justify wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia, or to justify overt plans for the murder of U.S. citizens living in places like, say, Yemen.

There’s more, much more. The complete list of atrocities, crimes, and inhumanities triggered by or justified by 9/11 could fill whole chapters, even books. By using 9/11 as propaganda—by using it as trigger, excuse, justification, or catalyst—the U.S. has betrayed itself, its principles, and its people, and has made itself the world’s most dangerous enemy of all mankind and also of Earth herself. [Eric Larsen, http://wheredidthetowersgo.com/review/]

I am not a scientist. I am not a political activist. And, at least, historically, I have had no urgent need to understand 911. My interest here is as a Christian and as a citizen of the world. And from that perspective, I find Eric Larsen's statement here very important. He is either wrong--and the details that he mentions here are simply not real. Or he is correct in saying that our society has taken a disturbing turn away from many of its foundational principles. And if that is the case, the question seems fair to ask, "what--if anything--does this have to do with whatever happened on September 11, 2001?"

People magazine is a weekly publication. It is known for its light and happy tone. And perhaps because of this, it is one of the most popular magazines in the world. In People, readers will find pictures and simple articles updating them on what is happening with movie stars and celebrities. For example, they have an annual issue identifying the 50 or 100 sexiest people in the world. This is generally the kind of material that one can expect to find in People magazine. Did you happen to see the cover of People last week? It had a picture of a young girl and the lead story was about "the children of 911." Even my wife, who actually likes to read the magazine, was bothered by the story. She couldn't quite name what it was that bothered her so when she came to talk to me about it, I helped her. The word that she was looking for was "exploitation."

It is understandable that a worthy nation would make it a point to remember an event like 911. It is understandable that such a nation would want to honor the people whose lives were lost on that day. And it seems equally important that the remembrance and the honoring would be done in such a way that does not sacrifice the values and moral decency that made that nation worthy in the first place. Whatever our time might make or not make of a ten-year-anniversary of a national disaster, I hope that it will be something other than exploitation.