Ponderings from Kony 2012

I suppose now that I've opened the door to talking about current issues, I'll just keep at it. I finally watched the viral Kony 2012 video last night, and I have had such mixed feelings about it. I agree with many who argue that the video was rather over-emotional and over-simplified, etc. And yet, there's something about it that obviously tugs at the heartstrings of a lot of people. And I don't think that comes from sheer emotional suggestion.

I was having a really good discussion about this with my husband, and I was reminded of a passage of scripture that has always been a bit baffling to me.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. - Philippians 1:15-18

I remember being very bothered by this passage the first time I read it. Why don't motives matter? Isn't that what half the Bible is about, talking about how we can do all the good deeds in the world, but if we have not love, it is nothing? If our motives are impure, doesn't that negate the goodness of our actions? Doesn't the Bible constantly talk about appearances versus our heart?

As I've pondered this verse over time, I think I'm coming to a conclusion: truth is truth is truth. And whether truth is being shared from false motives or good motives or mixed motives, the truth is still good, and the truth still sets people free. In a sense, although it at first seemed to go against these verses, it actually fits perfectly with passages against judging:

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? - James 4:12
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. - Romans 14:4a

Paul saw the motives, but he realized that the fact of the truth of Christ getting out was more important than the motives of the person sharing the truth. In the end, that person will have to answer to God for their actions, and God will judge them. All that matters to us is that the name of Christ is made famous, and God's truth is shared with unbelievers. It is our place to battle for truth and justice--not truth and justice only from pure motives.

Now back to Kony 2012. In some ways, it is a bit of a stretch to apply this logic, because the Kony 2012 video in no way directly advocates or discusses Christ. So does the Philippians scripture apply? I would argue it does. Although done in an emotional and oversimplified fashion by a man who appears to have more than a small hero complex, the real message of the Kony 2012 video seems to be that each one of us matters. That we all have a voice. That there are issues that break down political barriers. And that we don't have to be someone rich and famous to effect change.

And is that really a terrible message? Should we really nitpick whether or not the problem is as bad as the video says, or whether or not his charity is as great as he says, if a viral video can change even a few people's minds about whether or not they have a voice in this world?

Opening Pandora's Box with the Answer (finally)

Sorry this is so late, everyone, but finally I have the answer for you. No one came close to guessing. If you haven't read the question, then please do so first, before reading the answer after the jump.

Can You Guess? (Answer to be posted Saturday)

I recently read an article defining a particular kind of Christian ministry. There were 8 defining characteristics according to the well-respected author. I'm going to remove the descriptor, the author, and change a few other words that would give it away, and I want you to read this and fill in the blank:

1. A _____________ ministry believes that it is more fitting that ministry leaders take the lash of criticism that must come in a public ministry, than to unnecessarily expose other Christians to this assault.
2. A _____________ ministry seizes on full-orbed, biblical doctrine with a view to teaching it to the church and pressing it with courage into the lives of the people.
3. A _____________ ministry brings out the more rugged aspects of the Christian life and presses them on the conscience of the church with a demeanor that accords with their proportion in Scripture.
4. A _____________ ministry takes up heavy and painful realities in the Bible, and puts them forward to those who may not want to hear them.
5. A _____________ ministry heralds the truth of Scripture, with urgency and forcefulness and penetrating conviction, to the world and in the regular worship services of the church.
6. A _____________ ministry welcomes the challenges and costs of strong, courageous leadership without complaint or self-pity with a view to putting in place principles and structures and plans and people to carry a whole church into joyful fruitfulness.
7. A _____________ ministry publicly and privately advocates for the vital and manifold ministries of other Christians in the life and mission of the church.
8. A _____________ ministry models for the church the protection, nourishing, and cherishing of a family as part of the high calling of leadership.

So, what do you have? What is the blank? Please comment. And if you know the actual answer, don't mention the author yet, please. I'm curious to see what other people come up with.

Mine? Mine would be "living."

The Deepest Cut

I am going to be teaching a lesson on judgmentalism to a large group of women on Wednesday. I've known about this for months now. I wrote the written part of the lesson nearly two months ago. But as I've pondered what to say, I have kept drawing a blank. I know I like to teach with stories, but no stories have been coming to mind. I don't want to simply reiterate what is already written in the book, so what more do I have to add?

It's funny, because not judging others has to be one of the top 5 topics in the Bible. I mean, I haven't done an official count or anything, but that would be my guess. It's everywhere, from the beginning to the end. Don't judge. Have mercy. Only God can see a person's heart. If you are a Christian at all, you have heard it over and over again.

Why? This is the question I have really been pondering through all of this. I know the basic premise: "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" But as I have gone deeper, I have wondered why judging is so harmful. Why is it that God repeats his instructions to us over and over in this area? What are we actually doing when we judge another person?

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and she said that she was realizing how deeply we all long to know and be known and accepted. She said she has always known that, but it really hasn't sunk in until more recently. And I suddenly realized: this is why. This is the answer. The deepest desire of the human soul is to be known and loved, by God and by others. To be accepted. To be delighted in. To have an answer to "Who am I?" and "Am I okay?".

The reason that judging another is so terrible, so grave, is because it tears into the deepest part of our soul. When we judge another, we look at them and say, "I see you and I am not accepting you." Oh, you do that? You are that kind of person? You believe what exactly? Even a calm, quiet statement can scream "You do not belong here!" to another person's heart. That is tragic. It is the complete opposite of the gospel. The gospel says, "You have crap. You are broken. And you are beautiful because you are covered in the blood of Christ. You are covered in love."

Christians are meant to be the light of the world. We should be the safe place where people can come and just be. We should be the people who bring light into dark places with love and mercy. How many people are longing for someone to look at them and say: "God loves you. He died for you. At the depth of your very soul, you are known and you are loved."

Don't get me wrong here. There are many times when we are supposed to call someone out on their sin. When we look at someone and say, "Friend, you are wrong here. In this area of your life, you are not okay." But we are to speak the truth in love. We are to see the person as someone for whom Christ shed his very blood. That is not judgment. Those words bring healing.

Judgment is so bad because it denies the value of a person. Because it tells someone, without love or mercy, "I see you, and you are not okay." And that is never Christ. That is not what God does. God looks at the heart of a person. He sees things we can never see. "Who are you to judge your neighbor?" Instead, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Learn who people are and love them for it.

Segregation in Church

I have no idea where this idea came from (props to anyone who finds it), but a friend of mine said she recently read a statement that startled her. "The church is still the most segregated place in America--but I don't mean racially." This is so true! Come to church and find a small group. Are you married? Single? Married with kids? Empty nesters? Divorced with kids? Man? Woman? What age? We segregate ourselves out into these tiny profiles of "similar" people. Because every age group "needs" something different, right? I think that when we do this, we actually create huge hindrances for people's growth.

I have talked about the need for intergenerational relationships before, as it is something that has come up again and again. But I am seeing increasingly we need even more integration in every area of church life. Now, I'm not denying that there are some things I'm going to be able to say to a group of women that I won't be able to say to a group of men. That's just the way life is. But here's the thing: I should have so many people of different backgrounds and ages in my life, that I don't need to worry about having a place to say anything.

It's funny because the world at large seems to understand the importance of diversity. How people from different backgrounds bring different perspectives that make the whole stronger than the sum of its parts. Why don't we get that in the church? Why don't we understand that older folks and younger folks need each other? That we get imbalanced when we only have male friends or only have female friends or only have married friends or only have single friends?

I remember reading a comment at some point about how an older single didn't like being with college singles because their concerns were different. 401(k)s vs. parties. And marrieds with kids have totally different concerns than singles, right? Or do we?

This is where the entire premise and underlying foundation of segregation breaks down. Let me guess: you have sin in your life and you struggle with it. Your relationships don't all look like you want. Sometimes you just DON'T GET why people act the way they do. You sometimes struggle with self-reproach. You sometimes struggle with judging others. You worry about money sometimes. You wonder whether or not someone would love you if he or she knew everything about you. Does any of this sound familiar? That's because, underneath it all, we are all fundamentally the same.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28

In the end, we don't all need different things. We all need the same thing. The same One. We all need Christ, and Him crucified. That's it. Our problems may look different on the surface, but they aren't. They all boil down to needing God. This is true no matter our age, no matter our marital status, no matter our race. We need to stop segregating ourselves and start remembering that Christ called us to unity, with Him and with the Father. These separations we have created are all artificial. We're not going to have segregated groups in Heaven! We will all worship together.