Why I'm a Christian

I'll be on the road for a couple of days, so I decided before I put my pedal to the medal, I'd write a quick post on why I am a Christian. Sorry for the brevity, I know full well that a topic like this is not something that can be covered in a few short paragraphs.

First, let me give the reasons why I am not a Christian. I am not a Christian because I'm an American and I feel that it is my patriotic duty to be a Christian (more on that in another post..yes...there are people who actually hold to this ideology..I'm not making this one up). Furthermore, I am not a Christian because I understand everything in the Bible. I do not. In fact, there are many passages in the Bible that I find deeply disturbing. Neither am I a Christian because I can defend every passage in the Bible. I can not. I'm not even sure if I ever will. Apologetics has helped me a lot over the years, but the more I learn about life, the world, and people of other faiths and philosophies, I have come to realize that a person can be a genuinely intelligent and (at least by human standards) moral human being and not be a Christian.

So why am I a Christian? First and foremost, I can say that I am a Christian because I believe that the essentials of the Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles Creed are true. I believe that God, as revealed in the Old and New Testaments and, specifically in the person of Jesus Christ is the true God.

I have not come to this conclusion lightly. Perhaps one can say that I am a Christian by default because I have genuinely reviewed all the other major religions and philosophies and they have come up short. That, however, is not a reason to embrace the Christian faith.

If I can put all my reasons in a nutshell, then I would say that I am a Christian because of the cross. When I look at the cross and see the man of meekness bearing my sin, I am breathless. The more I consider backing out the more the image of Jesus haunts me. Jesus confronts me, challenges me, inspires me, and yes, even at times, He frustrates me, but most importantly, I know that He loves me.

I am a Christian because I believe that love is the most powerful force in the world and only Jesus can show me what love truly is. I follow the only book in the world that says, "God is love." In Jesus, love is not merely an impersonal force (as in eastern religions). In Jesus, love has a face, a name, a character. When I look at the moral life of Jesus, I see a man deeply connected with human suffering-and that is why I love Him so much.

Lastly, I am a Christian because of the resurrection. Because He lives, I know that I can live too, not only in the here and now, but in the there and then as well. Jesus holds my past, my present and my future safely in His hands and because nothing can separate me from His love, I know that He will never let me go. If I were Jesus, I probably would have given up on me a long time a go. But I am not and He has not and that, my friend is why I am a Christian.

What if?

Last November, I debated with a radical jihadist who believed that Christianity is a weak and immoral religion that deserves to be superseded by Islam using whatever force necessary. The man believed that 9-11, the London and Madrid subway bombings, as well as all the other means that terrorists use to assert their ideology are morally justifiable.

The man then asked me why our government does not negotiate with Bin Laden who "offered a peace treaty." When I asked him what would happen if the West did, in fact sign a treaty with Al Qaeda, he said that the treaty would last for five months, then they would offer Islam again, and, if it is refused, they would break the treaty and continue to use force. In this man's mind, if the entire world came under the rule of Islam, then that would be a validation that his religion is, indeed, the right one. I replied that it is not realistic to believe that 2 billion Christians are going to be persuaded to deny their faith and that Western governments will fight to defend themselves. I then told him that even if he was able to establish a world wide theocracy under Islam, that it isn't over until it is over.

What did I mean by that? It is hard for us to imagine our nation being overrun by foreigners of a different faith. We are the most powerful nation in the world and we also have one of the largest population of Christians in the world.

Not so fast. What I am describing has happened before. It must have seemed like the world was ending when the largely Christian Roman empire was overrun by the barbarians. The most powerful empire in the world with the largest Christian population in the world fell seemingly overnight. But did the gospel stop there? No! An amazing thing happened. The barbarians eventually embraced the faith of the people they conquered.

The same thing happened at the turn of the first millenium. Ireland at that time was one of the most Christian nations that the world has ever seen, but when the Vikings came and destroyed their villages and raped their women, it must have seemed like the world was ending to the Irish monks who were captured and enslaved by the Vikings. But, then, an incredible thing happened. The Vikings embraced the faith of the Irish. History credits this to the faithful witness of the Irish monks who lived out the values of Jesus before the eyes of their captors.

No matter what happens in this dark, cruel world. The cause of Christ will carry on as long as there are Christians who are radically faithful to the teachings of Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, "The Word of God is not chained."

Do I fear that the Western world may be overrun by Islam? You bet I do. But, as a Christian, I know that no matter what happens, God is in control and His purposes will prevail no matter how dark it seems. In the end, I know who wins.

Jesus the divider

If you ask the average person what words come to mind when you think of "Jesus", most people, regardless of their religious or philosophical persuasions will says words like "love, peace, humility." I find it very interesting that very few people think of Jesus as a man of war or as a divider of humanity. Either Jesus has a very good public relations network or there really is something about Jesus that lets us all know that His values are the standard by which the world is judged. As someone who longs for an end to violence and extremism, I am fascinated by Jesus' teachings of "turn the other cheek" and "love your enemies" and "all who take the sword will perish by the sword." If those were the only words that Jesus ever uttered, I'd still consider Him the greatest moral teacher in history because I can't think of a higher moral ethic to live by.

And then comes the bombshell. Here is a quote from the man of peace that has baffled peace loving hippie wannabees like me for centuries.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. for I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.

At first glance I want to throw my hands up in despair. The carnal mind in me says something like this, "Come on Jesus! I really thought you were better than that. I thought you were a man of peace and now you're telling me that you came to divide families? Isn't there a more tolerant moral teacher out there that isn't so divisive? No wonder there is so much war in the world. Perhaps religion is the problem."

And then I remember the courageous Christians around the world who are kicked out of their homes, thrown out on the streets, persecuted mercilessly by their families (and in many cases, their governments) and yet they can't seem to remove the glow on their faces and the warmth in their eyes. Those that make the ultimate sacrifice to follow Jesus may lose their fathers, their daughters, even their wives or their husbands, but their faces continue to shine because they haven't lost the one thing that matters the most-their dignity as human beings.

I think that Jesus understood something that much of the world still does not understand to this day. Jesus understood that an essential element of human dignity is the ability to follow one's conscience in regards to matters of faith. The ability to make a free and uncoerced decision in response to a religious truth claim is one of the primary elements of human dignity. This is why those who decide to follow Jesus despite the opposition are often some of the most joyful people in the world.

If everything that we see, touch, taste, smell, and hear will one day pass away (as the Bible and science tell us will happen) then what truly matters for the individual is not peace, safety, comfort, stability, or even procreation (after all, if there is no God eventually everything will cease to exist, including one's descendants). All that truly matters is connecting with ultimate reality. Connecting with God should be priority number one for every human being because without God, life is meaningless.

Even if life leaves us broken, frustrated, abused, humiliated, or confused, all of us as long as we have air in our lungs and blood pumping through our veins can choose to worship the one who gave us the greatest gift of all-our existence. When we connect with God despite the cost to our temporary human relationships, we affirm the value of what separates us from the rest of the primates-our conscience.

Some may call Jesus a hopeless idealist, an egomaniac, or even a mad man. And that's okay. People said the same thing while He was walking on earth. I, for one, choose to call Him Lord. And, because I've decided to follow His teachings, I'll stand up for the rights of all who disagree. Given the rest of Jesus's life and teachings, I think that is exactly what He would want me to do.

Why I'm glad I was born in America

I know that I may seem like a schizophrenic writing this post after what I wrote in my last post, but I believe one can honor and appreciate their country without equating that honor and devotion with following Christ.

Although our nation is not without flaws (even serious ones at that), I can honestly say that I, along with the vast majority of people in the world, would rather live in America than in any other country. In most places that I travel, I meet many people whose life's dream is to come to America. Why?

Although I can not answer this question for others, I can answer it for myself. For one thing, we are one of the most free people in the world. Living in America, I can choose whatever religion my conscience tells me to choose and I don't have to worry about imprisonment, death, or paying humiliating taxes (as is the case with minorities living in Islamic countries). Not only can I follow my religion, but if my religion demands that I share my faith with others, I can do so without fear.

Another aspect that makes America great is our culture. To be sure, there are many things about our culture that needs improvement (most people around the world think that we are arrogant and, I hate to say it, judging the way many Americans behave in foreign countries that is, to a large extent, true), but there is one thing about our culture that deserves special recognition, and that is our compassion for those who are suffering.

Let me give you a personal example. As some of you know, my wife has suffered multiple miscarriages in our five years of marriage and we still do not have biological children. As difficult as this is to handle, it would be far more difficult to handle if we lived in a country in the developing world. When my wife had her first miscarriage, we were living in Africa. One person told us that her miscarriage was God's judgment on us-and this was a pastor telling us this! In many places around the world, I have seen barren woman scorned because of the stigma placed on them by society. In America, all we've received is love and support. Knowing what I know, I should be getting down on my knees every morning and thanking God that my wife and I were not born in Pakistan or Senegal or Afghanistan.

Americans believe, for the most part, that all people should have equal opportunity for advancement. We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe that the poor should be cared for, even if we do a shabby job at it, we know it should be done. Contrast this with those born in Hindu or Buddhist nations where the mindset is "If you're poor, then it's because you are paying for the sins of your past life." It is further believed that those who help the poor are actually doing more harm than good because helping the poor is hindering them from working off their bad karma and thus, hindering them from a chance at a better life in the next life.

Besides the obvious fact that we are the most wealthy nation on earth and that makes for better living conditions, what makes America great is our egalitarian spirit. Most Americans really do believe that all men (and women) are created equal. This egalitarian spirit is framed from a Biblical Christian ethic. Many people believe that cultures create religions. In fact, the opposite is true. Religions create cultures. I will not hesitate to say that the positive values of freedom, compassion, and human rights that Americans hold dear have been framed by the man who came to set the captives free. His name is Jesus Christ.

The pledge of two students

Imagine a grade school student from China who goes to a public school and is asked to swear an oath to the Chinese state every day along with the rest of his or her class at school. Imagine that the young boy or girl refuses to participate due to the fact that he or she is a Christian and does not want to declare allegiance to anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ. How do you think the average American Christian would view this scenario? I imagine that the millions of Christians in America would not only admire the grade school student, but would probably use him or her as an example in Sunday School on how to take a stand as a Christian.

Now let's imagine another scenario. Imagine a young boy or girl in America attending one of the thousands of Christian schools throughout the nation. Imagine that a young boy or girl decides one day to politely decline in saying the pledge of allegiance along with his or her classmates. How do you think the average American evangelical Christian would view this scenario? Given the political firestorm over taking "under God" out of the pledge, I imagine that the reaction of the same millions of Christians who thought the Chinese boy or girl was a hero would be decisively different than the Christian child refusing to participate in the American pledge of allegiance. I further imagine that many would even question if the student was a Christian at all. After all, so the thinking goes, we are a Christian nation.


Does anyone else see a problem with this? To many American Christians, a child who pledges allegiance to China is considered idolatrous, but a child who pledges allegiance to America is considered a patriot. What does this say about how we American Christians view ourselves? For many Christians, the idea that America is not a Christian nation is considered near blasphemous. The same people that would applaud a Chinese or a Russian for refusing to swear an oath to a secular state see no problem with wrapping an American flag around a cross in the front yards of their churches.

For those who think that I am undermining the great American tradition of saying the pledge, relax. I am not saying that it is wrong to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The Bible says, "Give custom to whom custom is due." What I am questioning, however, is American Christians' association of following Jesus with patriotism. The truth is that America is a mixture of good and bad, just like many other nations. We can not claim a special relationship with God more than any other nation can. Given the numerous Scriptures that warn against oaths, it is hard for me to imagine how those who would ridicule a Christian for refusing to say the pledge of allegiance could legitimately call themselves Christians. Although I would never say that those of such persuasion should not be considered Christians, I will say that often we read the Bible with cultural blinders on. Many Christians from around the world that I talk to are baffled about American Christian's tendency to associate Christianity with the American flag.

Our first and foremost loyalty should be to Jesus Christ. Although we need to honor and serve our country as good citizens, to equate love for Jesus with love for country is nothing short of idolatry.

If you want to get to know me-Come to my house

It has been 50 years (give or take) since the civil rights movement and, yes, our society has made much progress. We no longer have Jim Crow laws and most African Americans in the south do not have to fear being lynched for the crime of going into a white neighborhood.

And yet, racism and prejudice persist. Many black Americans have to endure racial profiling, fear, and intimidation when they try to make it in a white man's world. And, what is worse, most of us white Christians don't really give a damn. In fact, I bet that some of my readers who read this last sentence are more shocked that I wrote the word damn than that entire groups of people in this country suffer the dehumanizing effects of racial prejudice every day.

I'm not talking about silly issues (like suing Cracker Barrel because of one instance of being overlooked), I'm talking about real issues that us whites do not really understand because we would rather not make the effort to understand. I'm talking about issues like racial profiling, discrimination in housing and the workplace, and the humiliating welfare system that our government has created. We would rather believe that we are the ones that are being discriminated against because of the "unjust" system of affirmitave action that many scholars say did, in fact, help to create a black middle class. Please! Regardless of the position that one takes on affirmitave action,(I am not taking a position one way or the other) can we whites honestly say that we have it that bad? I don't think so.

It is a shame that the most racially segregated day of the week is Sunday morning. Something has to be done about this. We can pray for unity and repent for the sins of our fathers until we are blue in the face, but not much of that will do us any good until we are willing to put action to our prayers. As one black American pastor said, "If you want to get to know me, come to my house." It's time we stop playing games and start intentionally pursuing friendships with those who are different than us. Why else would Jesus spend so much of His ministry eating and drinking with people? Because He knew that if the world is to change, it must be changed through friendships. Breaking down racial, gender, and class barriers. Isn't that what the Body of Christ is supposed to be all about?

Here is a ministry that has it right.

Let's build a better world, one friendship at a time.

Dreams and Visions

All over the Muslim world, people have been receiving dreams and visions of Jesus. I've been hearing about this for years on the mission field. I've talked to many people that have either experienced a dream or vision of Jesus or knows someone who did. This seems to be happening a lot in West Africa. Even my Muslim friends in Senegal know about the phenomenon. Although this site is dedicated to sharing stories about Muslims coming to faith in Christ in this way, I can tell you that the same is happening throughout the Buddhist world, especially among Buddhist monks. Jesus is alive and well on planet earth!

Conscience over faith?

Over the weekend, my wife and I watched one of the best films we have seen in a long time. The film is called Water and is directed by Deepa Mehta. Water is set in the 1930's against the backdrop of Ghandi's rise to power in India. The film tells the story of an 8 year old girl who is sent to live the rest of her life in a commune with other widows due to the death of her husband (whom she never met). In Hinduism, a woman is considered half of her husband, so, when a man dies, the widow has three options: Burn herself alive with her husband, marry his younger brother, or live an ascetic life of self denial with other widows for the rest of her life. The young girl befriends a beautiful young woman (who is also a widow) and by chance introduces her to an idealistic young man who despises his society's treatment of widows, but has to choose between his faith and his conscience.

The making of Water set off a firestorm in India. For four years, Hindu extremists did nearly everything to shut down the production of the film, including riots and death threats. Finally, the director decided to make the film in Sri Lanka when she realized it was not safe to make the movie in India. Although many Hindu extremists consider the movie anti-Hindu, the director denies that the film is anti-Hindu. Instead, she declares that the story is about the "universal" struggle between faith and conscience.

Forgive me, but I have to interject that I can not relate to the "universal" struggle between following the dictates of my faith and following the dictates of my conscience. If anything, watching Water helped to confirm what my conscience has been telling me my entire life, namely that following Jesus is the most moral path a person can take. The characters in Water had to choose between an obvious flaw in their religion and doing what their hearts told them what was right, especially regarding the fate of an 8-year old girl whose spirit was being crushed by the oppression. Interestingly, Ghandi is portrayed in the film as standing up for the rights of the widow and the outcast. One person in the film said, "Ghandi is one of the few people in the world who listens to the voice of his conscience." If this is true, then Ghandi was a far more remarkable man than I have previously realized. This would mean that Ghandi chose to give dignity to the poor and the outcast despite what his religion taught him. This does not surprise me because there is, in fact, a tradition of pagan saints in Scripture (see Romans 2).

Watching this film made me appreciate in a deeper way the moral life of the founder of my religion, Jesus of Nazareth, the man who came to set the captives free.

That's something to be proud of

I'm having internet connection problems at home so I had to go to the community college today to get online. I was planning on a theologically profound article, but, alas, I forgot my Bible and at the moment I am too lazy to search this enormous library to find one. So I'll have to settle for giving you the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. I like it so much I downloaded it from Itunes. Believe it or not, when I first heard this song, I actually got a little teary-eyed. For those of you who can't stand country music, I sincerely apologize. Actually, I don't. It's my blog and I'll write country lyrics if I want to (lame joke I know...hey..I tried)

That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
That's a chin held high, tear falls down
Gut sucked in, chest stuck out

Like a small town flag a flyin
Or a newborn baby cryin
In the arms of the woman that you love
That's something to be proud of

Why do I like this song? Because it has tapped in to an often- overlooked Biblical concept of simplicity. The Apostle Paul said, "Aspire to live a quiet and peacful life in all godliness and reverence." Our society too often measures success by status and achievement. Sometimes it's good to be reminded "You don't need to make a million. Just be thankful to be working" and "If all you ever really do is the best you can. You did it man. That's something to be proud of."

Being a minister (and an evangelist at that), it is very easy for me to get caught up in measuring my life by how good (or bad) I am at what I do. All too often my life is consumed not with enjoying God and His gracious gifts, but with the struggle to get ahead. Sometimes I need to be reminded that if I love God, love my wife, go to church, and do that best I can, that's something to be proud of.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one that needs to be reminded of this from time to time.

Random thoughts and questions

Here are a few thoughts I've been working on lately.

1. There has been a move within evangelical Christianity to address called the Creation Care movement which seeks to correct apathetic attitudes within American Christianity over the issue of global warming. The question I have is: If the predictions of global warming are true and the human race is on the brink of annihilation, then what does that say about God's providence? Especially in light of God'covenant with Noah? On the other hand, God tells us that we are supposed to take care of the earth. My only conclusion is that a belief in God's providence along with a belief in man's responsibility to care for creation can not be mutually exclusive.

2. What is law without love and what is justice without mercy? We know that justice is good, but is justice the sole measurement of goodness?

3. Is America truly a Christian nation? The fact of the matter is that most of our founders were not what we would call Biblical Christians by today's evangelical standards. Notice I said most, not all. Practically all of them believed in God, but many of them were deists and unitarians. Furthermore, how can we say we are a Christian nation especially in light of what our fathers did to blacks and native Americans?

The other side

After writing yesterday's post I realized I should probably clarify a few things. I am definitely not saying that the sole aim of theology is to make one a better person. I believe that the aim of religion (and theology) is to connect the individual to ultimate reality. The problem is that our current generation does not believe in objective truth claims. Therefore the standard of belief for today is "will this religion make me a better person?" In one sense this is a positive development because it forces Christian thinkers to evaluate their beliefs with a moral criteria. Moral reasoning should be an integral part of theologizing. This is why groups such as the Quakers and the Methodists could read their Bibles and come to the conclusion that God wanted to deliver the oppressed even though there are passages in Scripture that seem to indicate a neutral position on slavery. I would argue that the idea of prevenient grace laid the moral foundation for them to consider the equality of every human being. In another sense, the moral criteria can be misleading if it is posited against the idea that objective truth is grounded in revelation. This is the dilemna that many apologists face today. How do you present objective truth to a culture that doesn't believe objective truths exist?

Secondly, I also do not mean to imply that only Methodists and Quakers were on the right side of history. I am certain that there were a few Calvinists who opposed slavery as well. The problem is that the entire belief system of 19th century Calvinism was hierarchical and lended itself to the conclusion that God ordains some to rule over others. If God selects certain individuals to be saved, then why wouldn't He select certain races to rule over others? A Calvinist today would decry such reasoning, but what is obvious to us today wasn't so obvious to people back then. The bottom line is that although certain theologies lend themselves to greater social consciousness than others, there are good and bad people within every belief system. It was a Calvinist named William Carey that launched the modern missionary movement and socially and economically transformed the country of India. If I were a Calvinist, I would be very proud of that...and rightly so.

New Year's resolution-be a better person

It's the time of the year where everyone is counting the calories to trim their wastelines (usually out of guilt for all the Christmas cookies consummed). This guilt is often displayed in what is called the New Year resolution. I don't have statistics to prove this, but I would bet that 90% of all New Year's resolutions have to do with diet and excercise. Given that we Americans are the fattest people on the planet, that might not be a bad thing.

Something we hear very little about are those who resolve not just to be better eaters, but better people. Please understand that I am writing this mostly for myself. I am giving you, my reader, a chance to listen in on Aaron's conversation with Aaron. I promise you will not be arrested for eavesdropping if you keep reading.

Here goes: Aaron, when was the last time that you resolved to become a better person? Well, to be honest, I can't remember? But don't you pray for guidance and wisdom on a daily basis? Well, almost daily. I miss a few every now and then. Do you pray for God to make you a more loving person? Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Do you pray the prayers written in the epistles? Yes, I pray those for myself and for others ocassionally. Then, in essence, becoming a better person is a consistent focus or prayer for you. I guess I never thought of it that way before. Thanks Aaron for your help. No problem. Oops, I almost forgot. The question I now have is this: How do I become a better person?

It is at this question that many sincere resolutions find the most frustration. How does one become a better person. For some, the question is never even asked. The idea is "I know that Jesus died for my sins, so why do I need to become a better person? Since I'm already going to heaven, what's in it for me?" I would like to believe that few Christians hold to this idea so I will not deal with it here. The question still becomes: How do I become a better person? I have a simple answer: To become a better person one must obtain better beliefs. For it is out of the heart that flows the issues of life.

Here is a question that all of us need to ask ourselves from time to time: If I believe such and such about God, the earth, my fellow man, those that are different from me, then what kind of a person does that make me? Is it good for myself. Is it good for my family. Is it good for society?

These are tough questions to be asked, but they still should be asked. History is filled with examples of ideas misapplied leading to extraordinary human suffering. Some of the tragedies even come from "Christians" who had incorrect theologies that led them to do terrible things. In the 1800's there were sincere Christians living in America that believed that slavery was a God-ordained institution. Anybody want to guess what book they turned to to justify their beliefs? We know now that they were wrong largely because the Christians on the other side of the debate, the Methodists and the Quakers, won the debate in their day-and the world is a better place because of it. I would argue that the Methodists and the Quakers had a better understanding of the social issues of their day precisely because the basic theological concepts that produced Methodism and Quakerism lended themselves to producing better people. (If you would like to know what the theological concepts were, and still are, you will have to study early Methodism and Quakerism to find out. If you are one of my loyal readers,you may be able to figure some of this out right now if you think about the posts I have been writing over the past two months)

It doesn't hurt to begin the New Year asking yourself this question: What kind of a person does my theology make me?

Adding to the Gospel

Sorry my blogging has been sparse lately. I've been in Orlando with my inlaws. Here is a post I wrote on Aug. 20th 2006


I would like to give my readers a little pop quiz. What must a person believe to be a Christian? This is a multiple choice quiz.

A. The universe is less than 10,000 years old.
B. You must tithe off your gross income, not your net income.
C. Women are created to be subjugated to men.
D. Global warming is a left-wing conspiracy.
E. God wants the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights to be annexed to the State of Israel and all remaining peoples to be either driven out or in subjugation to the Jewish people.
F. Everyone in the Western Hemisphere who lived and died before 1492 will be in hell for eternity.
G. God tortures people endlessly in literal flames.
H. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.

Only one of these statements is the correct answer. Can you guess which one? Everything else, if made compulsory to become a Christian, is adding to the gospel. Is it any wonder why the world doesn't want to hear our "good news?"

Warning!

This is a public service announcement. Given the serious nature of what I am about to write, I ask that you devote your full attention to the words you are looking at right now on the screen. What you do not know may kill you...well...not exactly, but it will cause you unbearable pain and frustration of wasting an entire 45 minutes of your time at Disney's MGM theme park.

I am referring to the Narnia "tour" at MGM. When I go to a show or a ride or take a tour or do anything at Disney World, I expect high quality. After all, it is Disney World and everything that they do is top notch. Picture this, the park is so crowded you can barely put two feet in front of you when you walk. You know you will only be able to do maybe four or five rides during your 9 hour stay. Everyone in your group wants to do the Narnia attraction so you agree. You wait a full 35 minutes in a crowded line. You enter inside (of course, the place is packed like sardines) and you see a wardrobe. You think wow this is going to be awesome! You walk inside the wardrobe and their is a large screen, not large enough to fill the room, but perhaps twice the size of a very large screen TV. You look up and see an actress playing the white witch who warns you about entering her domain....and then the lights go out.

What happens next is perhaps the most anticlimactic moment of your life. You watch an extended preview of the film Narnia (which you've already seen) and then the lights go back on. You think that this can not possibly be the end of the ride, but then you see the door open and people filtering outside.

That was it. I stood in line for 35 minutes to watch a preview of a movie I had already seen. I wasn't the only one a bit miffed. One by one I watched and listened to the complaints of every single individual as they walked out the doors. I wanted to give a fair warning to all those who were waiting in line, but I chickened out. Therefore, I am writing this post to redeem myself.

I wonder if Jesus felt the same way when He cursed a fig tree for not producing any figs. What a tragedy if our lives give others the same feeling.

The wonderful world of Disney

For the past few days, I've been living in a fantasy world. A world of dwarfs, reigndeer, Mickey Mouse, Santa Claus, and everything in between. It was the world that a man named Walt Disney created to be enjoyed by children around the world-whether the children are 8, 28, or 68. And from around the world they come. To the surprise of myself and my family, we have found that the average visitor to this magical kingdom does not speak English. We have felt like a bit of a minority with our white skin throughout the week. Last night at Epcot center, they combined a lazer show with a fireworks display to the song "Peace on Earth". To listen to the music and to watch the fireworks explode over a pond surrounded by buildings representing numerous countries from around the world, I couldn't help but think about how wonderful heaven will be with so many different types of people from around the world.

I honestly feel like I've been reliving my childhood over the past few days. The last time I was in Disney World was when I was five and all I remember is the Dumbo ride and It's a Small World. Now that I am older, I can take all the sights in and log them in my memory.

Here is a good question to ask: How likely is it that a place such as Disney World could have originated in a non-Western country? The answer is not very likely at all. It has not always been assumed by people throughout history that childhood is something to be valued. I can hardly imagine Disney World originating in a Muslim or a Buddhist country ( The reason why Disney world could not have originated in a Muslim country is because the painting of living forms is considered idolatrous. Buddhism isn't likely to produce Disney World either because of its emphasis on absence of desire). Neither could I imagine the society in which Jesus was born extolling the values of childlike wonder and imagination. As Westerners, we believe in art and inspiration and imagination as values largely because the founder of Western Civilization (at least the good parts of it) believed that the Kingdom of God had to be entered as a child- an idea that would have been considered preposterous in His day.

So whether the man Walt Disney was a Christian or not, his ideas could have only found their fullest expression in a society that values childlike faith and imagination. It may have taken 1,900 years for ideas such as this to develop, but develop they did. And the world is a better place because of it. It is in this sense that the gospel of Jesus is good news for everyone. Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu children enjoy Mickey Mouse just as much as Christian children do. The values that Jesus introduced to the world enrich all of our lives. Our Savior is so good that much of the world agrees with His teachings whether they realize it or not.

So the next time you see Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Goofey and you remember the wonders of your childhood, you can thank the man who made it possible. The man who inspired Walt Disney. His name is Jesus Christ.

Scary Statistics

Sorry I haven't been consistent these past couple of days. I've been very busy. I was watching the evening news the other night with Katie Couric and they gave a statistic that I thought was interesting. They said that in the 70's, the average college student stated that what they wanted to get out of their college experience was a meaningful philosophy of life. Today the average response is to train for a career to make lots of money.

Then I heard on Bill O Reilly's radio broadcast something even scarier. I'm not even sure if this is true, but the statistic is that approximately 95% of Americans adults have had pre-marital sex.

It seems like today's generation has traded philosophy and meaning for money and sex. I think it is time for a revival!

Do you believe in Santa Clause?

It's the most wonderful time of the year. A time of family, fun, and holiday cheer (hey that rhymes) and, I might add, a time when the world celebrates the existence of someone they know is not real but would love to believe he is real anyway. (Sorry, Pete. I really hate to be the one to break the news to you). Yes, I am sure you know by now who I am talking about. He is the man with a belly full of jelly and a heart full of cheer for all the good little boys and girls around the world (at least the ones born in Christian countries who have heard of his existence, believe it or not, they actually celebrate Christmas in some Muslim countries too).

Santa must have a full time publicist working overtime during the month of December because never does this jolly fat man get so much media attention than during this magical month that the world refers to as the "Christmas season" (or..should I say holiday season?). I'm referring specifically to what is now a permanent part of American culture...the Christmas movie. I've seen almost all of them. Well, at least the ones that have to do with Santa Clause- films like Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Every year my poor mother puts herself through watching the movie "Prancer." Why my mother cries every time when actor Sam Eliot ,who plays a gruff, macho, overworked father down on his luck, gets in touch with his inner child by actually believing that a reindeer can fly is quite beyond me.

Then again, maybe it's not so beyond me. For I myself after watching Polar Express wanted to write a letter to the director and say "I'll have you know that I am not one of those adults who has forgotten about Santa Clause. I still believe." Knowing that this would not look very good on a psychiatric evaluation, I declined.

Believe it or not. I actually have a point in all this. The question I have is this: Why does our popular culture exalt the value of child-like faith even when it is a faith in something known to be false? Perhaps the "believing is seeing" lines in these films are an attempt to pander to evangelical Christians. But if that is the case, then we are really being patronized and laughed at behind our backs. Although I think this can be a part of the explanation (hence the emphasis on faith in Polar Express), I would like to think there is something deeper going on here. After all, it is primarily non-Christians that make such a big deal about Santa Clause. Many Christians, at least the evangelical ones that I know, are rather miffed at S.C. overshadowing J.C. during the holiday season. Certainly we know that it is not only Christians that watch these movies and shed a few tears when an innocent child or a cynical adult discovers that there really is a Santa Clause.

Could the answer to this strange paradox be that there is something within all of us that wants to get in touch with our inner child? If this is true, then the question becomes why is this the case? Who or what put it there? For what purpose? There was a Jewish rabbi that lived 2,000 years ago that said a few crazy words about "entering the kingdom of God as a child." Could it be that Jesus, the real reason for the season, knew that as long as there were humans, then their would always be a need for child-like faith? If this is the case, then I suspect that this humble carpenter from Nazareth may have a few more things to say about reality that we need to know about. After all, truth is very difficult to escape no matter how hard you try.

Are you religious?

What do you think of when you think of the word "religious?" If you're like me, you probably have a bit of a semantics crisis when a non-evangelical asks you if you are religious. Let me explain. Growing up in a charismatic church, the word "religious" had a very negative connotation. A person thought to be "religious" was a person thought to be "old-fashioned, legalistic, not open to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit." Growing up with this definition of the word, it was rather strange for me when I finally went to a public high school at the age of 15 and met people who did not grow up understanding my religious lingo. When people would ask me if I was religious, I had to stop and think about it. Given the fact that I was very outwardly religious in the beginning (yes, I was the one who carried a Bible around and wore Christian t-shirts, I did mellow out after a while though), I am certain that it probably never occured to those who asked if I was religious that in my own context, the word "religious" was an insult.

Having had 10 years to sort through my identity crisis, I now ask the question: Why should the word "religious" be an insult? After all, didn't the Apostle James say "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

If we take James' criteria seriously, it takes a significantly moral life to be able to claim that one is religious. Why should the word "religious" have to mean self-righteous and legalistic? I think objections to this term within American evangelicalsim are far more cultural than Biblical. If the word religious or religion means compassion for the poor and an upright life, I hope to God that I get more religious in the years to come. Shouldn't we all?

Tribute to Steve Irwin

The other night I was watching Barbara Walter's special on the 10 most fascinating people of 2006. One of the people that Barbara interviewed was Steve Irwin's wife. I have to say that I was deeply touched by the way that she talked about him. She described the way Steve appreciated the simple things of life and how he allowed his children to role around in the mud and get dirty. He didn't sweat the small stuff. In the midst of her tears she gave the most honest description of her late husband, "He was fun." Everything I saw in the interview showed me that this was no Hollywood marriage, nor was their love a fairy tale for the cameras. Everything that I could see was 100% genuine. In a culture with very few healthy celebrity role models, it was very refreshing to see a family where first came love, then came marriage, then came the babies in the baby carriage. Let's pray that God will raise up more role models to lift the standard in our sex crazed narcissistic culture.

Pakistani Christian hunted by Muslims

This article comes from Pastor Tim, a friend of mine who pastors a church in Missouri. Speaking from the viewpoint of someone who has been to Pakistan twice, I believe every word in this story.


My Friend Hunted by Muslims



Maliq (not his real name) was born and raised as a Muslim in Pakistan. This last weekend he visited my personal family and my church family. We learned a great deal from the story he shared with us.



Maliq was forced to study the Qur’an as a young boy. His instructor would repeatedly bruise him with a stick until he learned the Arabic verses correctly. He grew up believing in Islam but never had peace in his heart.



Eventually he became a military officer, a highly regarded position in Pakistan. Even with this success, including personal servants, he was full of anger and bitterness.



At age 25 everything changed for Maliq. He audibly heard the voice of Jesus speak to him. Soon afterwards he saw Jesus in a vision. He was later to discover that many Muslims have heard or seen Jesus.



After realizing that Jesus was much more than the Qur’an had to say, Maliq became a dedicated Christian. His life was threatened because Islam calls for the death of anyone leaving Islam.



He fled to a Christian village. According to Maliq, Christians in Pakistan must live in segregated communities and can only hold the most menial jobs. After two years, Maliq married a Christian woman and they had two children.



In the late 90’s, while the children were still very young, the local Muslim population rose up against the Christians. A rumor was spread that the Christians were tearing apart Qur’ans and speaking against Mohammed. The rumors were not true but they instigated a huge mob to attack his village.



Maliq remembers the day of the attack vividly. All 500 homes in his village were burned, men beaten, women raped and kidnapped, and everything destroyed. Incredibly, the very next Sunday, 20,000 Christians gathered in his village to worship Jesus.



The authorities turned a blind eye to the incident, but some Christians in another city went to the streets to protest. The government demanded from the protesters the names of the people they had found out about the incident from. Maliq’s name was one of the names given.



From then on Maliq has been under threat of death from his own government. He miraculously fled with his family from Pakistan and now lives in the U.S. He still receives death threats and his own parents in Pakistan are constantly being watched and threatened. I want to thank Maliq for his personal courage, his willingness to share his story, and the labor of love he still carries on for the persecuted church of Pakistan.



[Comment to this article at tnt5@jobe.net.]



By Pastor Tim O’Brien

Rock of Ages Church and Ministries

www.roaministries.org

For Daily Guide Publication, December 15, 2006