This Frightening Faith (A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL)

Considering the current economic crisis and the whispers of “CHANGE”, which is always a bit of a scary proposition, the chill in the air may have less to do with the changing of seasons and more to do with the current atmosphere of uncertainty, worry and fear surrounding many people these days.

In the “last days”, the Apostle Paul warns believers of “terrible times” characterized by people being lovers of themselves, proud, abusive, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, treacherous and conceited. Interestingly enough, Paul’s descriptive caution doesn’t immediately bring to my mind the “godless heathens”, with their “hidden-agendas”, as much as it does those within Christendom today that irresponsibly spew their “poison” over the airwaves of radio, through the intoxicating glow of the television and within the print of those best-selling books on our nightstands.

It seems an especially appropriate description as Paul speaks of them “worming their way into the homes of weak willed woman”, sounding eerily reminiscent of those televangelists who target the elderly.

I suggest we evaluate the happenings within the “four-walls” of Christendom, before we go pointing out the “speck in the eye” of the world around us, blaming them for all that ails this country.

Forgive me for sounding so harsh but I have a hard time equating some of the “religious elite” representing my faith, with the gracious, peacemaking, enemy loving people Jesus commanded us to be. There is no need to name those who irk me with their misrepresentations of Christ’s unfailing love, because as Jesus instructed “you will know them by their fruit”. Their character easily betrays them as the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that we have been forewarned about.

Some will counter that this is such a small minority of so-called Christians, but in my opinion it isn’t small enough. This little contingent of “religious fanatics” is stirring up a considerable amount of “grass roots” fervor, if not trouble, that perpetrates fear and worry in good people; perhaps someone has forwarded you one of their emails.

Perhaps even more shocking and distressing is that some of this “nonsense” is originating from Christian organizations of great respect, influence and power. It makes me wonder why such groups would involve themselves in the “mudslinging” and slandering of politics when they could use their incredible amount of influence to humbly represent Jesus to this culture.

The truth is that fear is an incredibly tempting tool that offers a considerable amount of power and control. Though we’d like to believe they are motivated by something a little more Godly, don’t think for a minute that Christian radio and television programs, magazines and publishing companies aren’t concerned with ratings and revenue. Such talk of conspiracies that conjures up fear and hysteria is all wrapped up in dollar signs too enticing for some to ignore. Not everything with the “Christian stamp” on it is Gospel or beneficial, we must be discerning like the ancient Bereans who critically examined everything preached to them to test whether it stood up to scripture.

Along with this “media barrage” of manipulation and fear comes talk of an impending persecution of Christians in America. Every disheartening news story of natural disaster and war, each passage of “liberal” legislation and every constitutional challenge to our Christen heritage in this country is spotlighted by “those in the know” as examples of our slowly eroding, “everything goes” culture which is ushering in a time of difficulty for the Christian.

Writer and radical Russ Belville’s “Christian Persecution Complex” is a hilarious, often irreverent and convicting article regarding portions of Christianity that see everything as a conspiracy in which the rest of non-Christian America is constantly declaring war with their way of life in attempts to subjugate them.

Along those lines is Susan E. Isaacs insightful and entertaining memoir Angry Conversations with God, which recounts a “pep-talk” given at her Christian school on last day of sixth grade that warned “next year you’re off to public school where they‘ll persecute you because you love Jesus”. To which she responded in alarm, “you mean they’ll try to kill us?” Such an innocent and yet astute observation from a child puts some of our outlandish claims of wrongdoing in perspective. Is the world really trying to kill us or are we being overly paranoid? Are we simply throwing fits because we didn’t get our way?

Given the current climate of Christianity and its often-hostile interactions with the world around, could it be that Paul’s warnings of “terrible times” will be set into motion by the “Pharisees” of our day and not the world around us, as we have always feared?

What I am referring to are those religious extremists within the militant Pro-Life groups that deliver a “black-eye” to not only the Pro-Life movement, but also Christianity with their anger, hatred, threats and deplorable acts of violence.

I am also alluding to those protesters forever seared into our consciousness carrying incomprehensible and frighteningly hateful anti-gay picket signs that read “Matthew Sheperd is in HELL!” and “God hates FAGS!” (My personal favorite however is one that reads “GOD HATES SIGNS!”).

Not to be outdone are those “talking heads” within Christendom that leave behind a wake of embarrassing and often offensive sound-bits that arrogantly explain God’s purposes for 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, which they later recant and apologize for.

We had a pastor make the news here in Arizona recently for preaching a sermon titled “Why I hate Barack Obama”. He stated in subsequent interviews that he prays every night for Obama’s death so that he will go to hell!”

Meanwhile, in Illinois a group of Christians are rallying together to smear and discredit the professionalism of Hemant Mehta, (author of I sold My Soul on E-Bay) in hopes he will lose his position as a schoolteacher, because he nightlife’s as an atheist blogger. (When this happens to us we call it persecution, when we “do unto others” it is called defending our religious freedoms).

Are we not partially responsible for contributing to the mindset of Christianities detractors? When you consider such “noise” from Christianity, who can blame the “outside” world for their suspicions, fears and defensiveness towards Christianity.

As often as we (Christians) get it wrong, I don’t want to overshadow the many who get it so beautifully right. It may matter little however, because “The world is using our most irate voices to define us” (Mark Steele Christianish).

And we are supposed to be the peacemakers. As the Apostle Paul admonishes, “bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse…be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Oh, how I long to see more of this put into action.

Yet, we often forget the sacredness and humanity of those around us, be it friend or foe, in the eyes of God. Scripture states, “we curse men, who are made in God’s likeness”. If we are indeed created in God’s image, than to curse another is akin to cursing God. Explaining why Jesus was so adamant in his warnings against calling another a “fool”. Which convicts me of my attitudes towards certain co-workers, politicians and evangelicals,

If it were possible to pinpoint the “enemies” of Christianity (which some inexplicably find it their calling to do) than in the very least, according to the teachings of Jesus, we would have identify those who we are to love, serve and extend grace too. Perhaps in that way we will “heap burning coals on their heads” instead of fuel their fires. We are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry after all.

To be honest times are a bit dark and scary, but as those who claim to have faith in Jesus we have “not been given a spirit of fear”. We shouldn’t recoil in panic or act out in anger at the “godlessness” around us; our response should be that of love and forgiveness. John the Evangelist beautifully writes, “let us not love with words or tongue but with action and truth”. The unfortunate reality is that no matter the sincerity of our words and testimony, they are being made irrelevant at the hands of these small factions of so-called “Christians”. The world around us will have to come to know whom we represent by our tangible acts of love.

No Guarantees or Promises

Already incredibly blessed by the birth of our daughter Grace, My wife and I “decided” shortly thereafter that it was time for a little brother or sister. However, as the pages on the calendar continued to turn months into years we had become that “heartbreaking story” of a young couple that couldn’t conceive. I reluctantly put on a brave face feebly masquerading as a strong pillar on which my heartbroken wife could lean upon. Meanwhile, she bravely bore the discouragement and despair whether she was fielding phone calls from friends who “just called to share their good news” or while simply opening those colorful baby shower invitations at the mailbox.

There is a feeling of helplessness being at the mercy of nature and God without having much input into the matter. It is especially frustrating when friends, family and even teenagers all around you are getting pregnant either incredibly easily or by accident, like “oops, we didn’t mean for that to happen?” Yeah, as if they didn’t know anything about how this whole thing happens. I worked with one guy who had three little girls in the time we were simply hoping for one (too much to ask?) who joked that he had to be careful how he looked at his wife. I felt little sympathy for him.

Finally, after tossing out our fair share of negative pregnancy tests into the wastebasket (obviously failing pregnancy tests isn’t very “Green”), we got a faint blue line. Of course my wife was pretty ecstatic, whereas I remained emotionally guarded, figuring there was a possibility that it could be a mistake and considering our continual heartbreak, I wasn’t going to allow what little hope I had remaining to be extinguished.

As each day followed that blue line that had remained “allusive” for so long became stronger and brighter. My wife literally danced around me while I sadly continued to give a half smile with fingers crossed in hopes of evading any “bad news”. I found it extremely difficult to simply let go and trust that this was for real without the fear that the rug might be pulled out from beneath us.

Fortunately for the sake of my sanity the pregnancy continues to progress normally (“we will have a boy in October). Through those first few weeks and months of the pregnancy the reoccurring spiritual theme for me was trust. In fact, I could hear the ghosts from churches past echoing in my ears the refrain, “trust God and everything will be okay”, or the more sinister, accusing and guilt infused “don’t you trust God?”

I do trust God, Yes, but I am aware of the realities of life. Good Christian people who trust in God suffer tragedy and lose at the same rate as the “heathens” all around us. As witness by my physical and emotional bruises, scabs and scars that I have endured throughout my lifetime, trust and faith in God is not a cure all, guarantee of protection against ever being hurt or let down. Yeah, I trust a good God, a God who nonetheless allows tragedy, death, sickness and sadness to befall his children.

It is easy for us to say we trust God when life is rolling along smoothly while we testify to Gods goodness and shout “hallelujahs” in church, but how about those times when we are harvesting nothing but lemons? Job, a man who suffered more than any of us can imagine, made one of the greatest statements on the subject, saying, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” So trusting in God for me means being willing and prepared to accept “trouble” with hope place firmly in His promises that He will see me through.

Sure, I could “trust” God more, exercising my “spiritual muscles” with extra time spent in prayer and perhaps fast from food for a period of time, but that won’t necessarily ensure anything or change the will of God for my life. It may simply strengthen my faith in preparation of enduring life’s disappointments and lose (Yippee!). Contrary to what many people believe and teach, the amount and strength of ones faith is not a gauge in which God delves out rewards and punishments.

Those who offer the suffering, doubting or hopeless soul a simple “you just have to trust God!” as encouragement must have forgotten the examples of those who throughout scripture wholeheartedly trusted in God like Job, Joseph, King David, The Apostle Paul and even Jesus. Each one surrendered their full trust to God and yet still experienced brutal trials and tribulation throughout their lifetimes. The silver lining on this particularly “depressing” example is that in the end all of them were blessed because they endured and remained true to their faith.

When we pray “thy will be done”, we are often in a way, naively releasing things into the hands and control of a God who never promised to protect us from all the difficulties of life but a God “who in all things works for the of those who love Him”. I have heard that quoted countless times after the passing of close friends and family as sort of a mantra of comfort. I cling to that promise tightly, in some cases still awaiting those promised results.

Scripture instructs us to “trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. The underlining current of this statement is that life, more often than not, will refuse our demands that it make any sort of sense. Which, upon pondering further simply says to me “This is going to hurt a bit”.

Can we trust God? Well, look at his track record for yourself. However, a better question may be do we trust that God has our best interests at heart? I trust in a God whose “ways are not my ways”, A God that asks us to trust Him as He calls us to step out of the boat and walk to Him, who waits two days too long before visiting a loved one on their death bed and who sleeps comfortably while we weather the torrential storms on the sea. Often times we need a graceful reminder that He does indeed have our best interests at heart especially when that conclusion is clouded by the lose of a job, the failing health of a loved one, a deteriorating relationship and seemingly unfulfilled and unattainable desires or dreams.

Although appearing to be a bit of a “sacrilegious” quote, I can understand the feelings behind author Samuel Butler saying, “to put one's trust in God is only a longer way of saying that one will chance it”. Sometimes it does feel that way doesn’t it? Most certainly the act of placing ones trust in God should be done with much consideration and weighting of the cost. It isn’t for the half-hearted of fair-weather soul. As Brennan Manning put it in his book Ruthless Trust, “Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic…it requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.” Although it may often seem as if we are “rolling the dice” when we place our complete trust in God, He will continually prove His trustworthiness as we courageously place our trust in Him.

The topic of trust brings to mind the chaotic Hollywood movie chase scenes in which the driver turns to his passenger who is cowering in his seat with white knuckles and says “trust me, I know what I am doing”, as he recklessly crashes through fruit stands and runs red lights while narrowly missing innocent pedestrians.

So with a wild-eyed expression on my face and white knuckles gripped tightly to my seat I continue to trust God as He navigates me through this life. I truly believe that He has my best interests at heart and that He is concerned with the smallest details of my life, however, as Mother Teresa was famous for saying “I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”