Pray for Afghanistan

Over the last few days as the Afghan government has fallen to the Taliban and American troops have withdrawn, there has been a great deal said about the politics of it all. Fortunately, there have also been many who have rightly recognized, at least to some degree, that what is truly needed at this moment is not politicizing, but prayer. Everywhere across social media and online I have seen calls to pray for Afghanistan, and I appreciate those reminders a great deal. Rather than merely add to the voices calling for prayer, I would like to briefly provide some biblical suggestions for the substance of those prayers so that we might avoid the rather useless “thoughts and prayers” attitude so prevalent today and truly seek God’s face together regarding this tragic situation. Here are some suggested topics for prayer that quote or summarize scripture in a way that focuses on what is currently happening in Afghanistan but can certainly be used in a variety of situations.

• Pray that God will rise up on behalf of the helpless and innocent as the poor are plundered and the needy groan and provide the safety for which they long. (Psalm 12:5)

• Pray that believers will not fear or be dismayed because their God is with them and will strengthen, help, and uphold them with His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

• Pray that since God is faithful, He will strengthen and protect believers with all power, according to his glorious might. 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Colossians 1:11

• Pray that God would make all grace abound to them, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, they might abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

• Pray that despite suffering, believers may be filled with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

• Pray that the Gospel would advance, that the Word of the Lord would speed ahead and be honored and that God would consider the threat against His servants and empower them to speak His Word with great boldness. (2 Thessalonians 3:1, Acts 4:29)

• Pray for the terrorists that they might find redemption and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus; that they would rid themselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language and become one of God’s holy and dearly loved children, clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; and that they would come to know and possess the ruling love and peace of Christ in their hearts. (Colossians 1:13-14, 3:8, 3:12-15)

• Pray that the name of the Lord Jesus will be glorified through believers and that through him the church will give glory to God throughout all generations. (2 Thessalonians 1:12, Ephesians 3:21)

What Kind of World Do We Live In?

As reports of this Sunday’s Texas Church Shooting continued to unfold into the evening and on into this morning, I have been compelled to consider the tragic state of our nation and world. It is far too soon to react to any of the specifics or to make judgments as to eventual outcomes or implications, but I have little interest in this sort of socio-political exercise and generally feel unqualified to do so anyway. However, before this tragic event is added to the list of topics to be politicized and argued about all over news networks and social media, it stands as a striking symbol of all that is sad and tragic and evil. The senseless loss of life has led many to ask, “What kind of world do we live in?” Considering yesterday’s tragedy alongside the act of terror in New York City earlier this week and the mass shooting in Las Vegas last month, it certainly seems like a valid question: just what kind of world do we live in? This is a question for which everyone ought to know the answer; however, I feel it is particularly important that every Jesus follower understand and consider the answers to this question in light of biblical truth.

We live in a fallen world.

Though most of us enjoy a life surrounded by goodness and kindness only occasionally touched by darkness and tragedy, we must remember that our world is fallen because of sin. No excuse should be made for these evil men who are filled with such hatred, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that the ultimate responsibility lies with the sinful, wicked condition that befell us when Adam and Eve chose to rebel in the garden. The only answer for this sinful condition is Jesus, so in this fallen world we must live holy lives that point people to the righteousness of Jesus that can lift us from our fallen state. Do not return evil for evil, thus nullifying the message of hope that Jesus should bring to these situations. Even when evil is all around you and the wickedness of this fallen world is on full display, choose to do what is right in the sight of God.

We live in a blinded world.

Satan has spiritually blinded the hearts of those in this world so that we cannot see good and evil for what they truly are. While we should certainly hold accountable those who commit such atrocities and the perpetrators of these violent crimes should be actively opposed, our hatred should be reserved for the Evil One who has blinded the hearts of so many in our world. These evil men are small pieces in Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s plan of redemption for mankind, thus the true enemy is supernatural and we must fight against him with spiritual warfare. We must lift up our blinded world in prayer that they may receive the light they need to see the truth. Instead of being blinded by hatred and anger, show grace and mercy by praying for those who have been so terribly affected. Additionally, pray for those enemies who have sinned so terribly against their brother. This is how we can bring light into a spiritually dark and blinded world.

We live in a broken world.

Because of the affects of sin and spiritual blindness in our world, it is broken. It does not function as God intended. There is evil and hatred and sickness and death, all things He never intended for our world. Knowing this, we must look for opportunities to bring healing. We must resist behaviors that further break us apart as a human society. We must resist the urge to divide and accuse and generalize. We must resist the temptation to politicize these evil acts. We must instead focus on providing healing through our words, our prayers, our grace and mercy and our forgiveness.

We live in a hurting world.

It is simply the reality of the sinful state that this world is filled with pain and suffering. We feel it quite pointedly when events such as yesterday occur, but it is always true. People everywhere are hurting and we should be actively pointing them to the true Comforter. Our God is the God of all comfort. Jesus offers peace and comfort and even gave us His Holy Spirit to fill us and comfort us further. Through our actions of compassion and mercy we can draw a hurting world toward a God that can give them the comfort they so desperately need.

We live in a lost world.

While this should go without saying given the conditions we have already considered, the unfortunate reality is that many believers live their lives as if they have forgotten that this world is lost and without hope, separated from God because of their sin. I say we live as if we have forgotten it because most believers focus on social, political, and legal solutions rather than spiritual ones. When we see evil on display, we must remember that the solution is Jesus and embrace the opportunity to lovingly point people to Jesus.

We live in a loved world.

As dark a picture as we have painted, it would do us well to recall one of the most popular and well known verses from the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This world may be fallen, blinded, broken, hurting and lost; but it is also loved by its Creator God. And if a completely holy and righteous God can love this world enough to let His own Son die to save it, then we can and must love it too. I think we are moved to loving compassion for the victims of these terrible crimes, but we must also have love toward the murderous villains themselves. We cannot reserve our love for those that we like and agree with who happen to look like us and believe as we do. We must love those who look, live and believe differently than we do. We must love those who are sinful and unlovable; even those who hate us and wish us harm. In our responses to these senseless acts of violence, we must do everything out of love.

As we mourn those lost and injured at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, I call on my fellow Christian believers at this time to consider the words of Paul in Romans 12:9-18, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection…Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep…If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” What kind of world do we live in? One that needs us to live the truth of those verses every second of every day!

 

 

 

photo By Sasha Wolff CC BY 2.0

Respectful Disagreement

Anyone who pays any attention at all knows the socio-political climate has been tense lately. In the days surrounding the presidential inauguration there have been protests and controversies and celebrity statements all over the media. On social media it looked like election season again as people battled each other over who supports who. But today, this headline wins over all the others I have seen: “Man bites ear off another man during argument about Trump!” I don’t even care about politics, but I had to click that headline. The article didn’t give much more detail than that – not even who supported Trump and who opposed. Honestly, I don’t think it matters. The fact is that we have gotten crazy enough over politics that people are biting each other’s ears off! Whatever happened to reasonable disagreement? What happened to civility and respect? Have we lost our collective American minds?

I think it is high time that we stop arguing like spoiled little children who name call and bite each other and start discussing issues like adults. Regardless of your political persuasion –or even if politics isn’t your thing at all- conflict and issues can only be resolved through profitable discussion. Disagreement is inevitable, so when it happens, stay respectful. Do not name call. Do not make personal attacks. Disagreement can always be done in a kind, loving, and respectful manner. When this happens, the door is often open for genuine dialogue about real issues – and this is what has to happen. Whether it is a social issue like racial injustice or more personal issues like who’s not replacing the toilet paper roll when they finish it – problems are only resolved when the real issues are discussed.

Because of this, I want to ask all grown up Americans to stop bickering and arguing  and begin the process of healthy, respectful communication with those who hold opposing views. You can start today by offering kindness instead of cruelty and love instead of hate. With that change of perspective, go out and enter into genuine, respectful disagreements with people so that we can make this world a better place. And for heaven’s sake, don’t bite anybody!

Thoughts For My Fellow Christians on Election Day

Today is an exciting and potentially historic day for our great nation. It is a day in which we once again have the privilege of exercising our right to vote and it is a day that many on both sides of the political aisle feel will have monumental impact on the direction of our nation. It is also a day that many believers have been anticipating with great fear and anxiety. While I have absolutely no idea what the outcome of this election will be today, I do know that God cares far more about how His people treat each other and represent Him than He does about a particular political party winning or losing. With that in mind, I have a few brief thoughts for my fellow believers that I hope will be considered on this election day.

You Are a Christian First

If you a follower of Christ, that identity supersedes all others. Before you are an American; before you are a democrat or republican, conservative or liberal; you are a Christian. You are a child of God and as such you are His representative. You a citizen of His kingdom with temporary citizenship here in this world. Your obligations are to him before they are to any political party or social cause. Many Christians are approaching this election with the claim that they are voting based on their faith and their beliefs, all the while acting in a manner that is absolutely contrary to Christian behavior. I urge you to consider not only the rightness of your stance (because you just might be right), but also the manner in which you are taking it. Christians cannot be mean-spirited, nasty, dishonest, fear mongers. It is sad to see so much hatred, ignorance and divisiveness among the body of Christ. Remember, today and every day, that if you bear the name of Christ than you must live in a way that honors him.

We Are All Americans

Somehow this particular election seems to have gotten even more divisive than usual. Those of us who are Christians must remember that while it has been a great privilege to live in a country that has largely supported our Christian values and lifestyle God has nowhere promised that it should be so. Being American is not about faith or specific political positions. In fact, the beauty of America is that we are a diverse people unified under the belief that we are all free to believe, like and live however we want. Those who stand across the political divide from you are just as American as you and likely love their nation just as much. Wherever we end up after this election, I can promise you that our nation will be much better off if we get over the “us and them” mentality that has dominated this election cycle and get back to being a unified nation of diverse beliefs and preferences.

God Is Still In Control

Regardless of who is our president or what political party is in power, God is still sovereign over this nation and His world. I want to urge my fellow believers to stop acting in fear as if God cannot handle it if certain people or parties are in power. God is in control, and the simple truth is that He might not want what you expect Him to want. There is no guarantee that he wants you to have religious liberty. There is no guarantee that He wants you to live in a nation that makes it easy to worship Him. There is no guarantee that he wants you safe or wealthy. We just don’t know. What we know is that He is in control and we must accept that His ways are not our ways. Trust Him. Rest in Him.

Prayer Is Our Weapon of Choice

With many Christians taking to social media to fight it out over their political views, I think we need to be reminded that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places(Ephesians 6:12).” The way we fight that battle is not through clever arguments or nasty rants on the internet, but by “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication (Ephesians 6:18).” I urge you today to be in constant, persistent, selfless prayer. Pray for your brothers and sisters who are voting and pray for your brothers and sisters around the world who never get to vote and are living in persecution for their faith. Pray for your current president as well as for the next one. Pray for your nation, communities and neighborhoods. Pray for your church family. Perhaps most importantly, pray also that God will give you a spirit that is in line with His; pray for a heart that sees this world and the people in it the way He does. Pray! Pray! Pray!

You Have Been Given Peace

Too many Christians are walking around these days worried and in a panic. They are troubled over the state of our nation and all worked up over who will be the next president. I can tell you this: if you as a believer do not have peace now, you will not have it when you get your preferred president either. That is because genuine peace cannot be dependent upon circumstances. Peace is an untroubled heart because of faith in Christ regardless of circumstances. Jesus said to His disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).” Peace is a gift from God, but we have to choose to experience it by trusting Him, refusing to dwell on the circumstances, and by being grateful for the blessings He has given us.

God is a Big God Who Deserves to Be Honored

My biggest concern is not for the outcome of this election, but for God to be glorified by His church regardless of what happens in the election. My heart’s greatest desire in all of this is that the church would stand up for what is right, while also acting right; that we would represent our Lord in a way that will make Him happy and not ashamed. While many people will be discussing the election and its potential outcomes and problems and so on throughout the day today, it is my desire to simply remind you that you serve a big God who is in total control. Don’t worry; don’t be afraid. In the words of Paul, “May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way 2 Thessalonians 3:16).”

 

Photo By Harley Pebley (Flickr: Prayer for USA) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Game 7 by My Numbers

Even the most disinterested of individuals is probably aware by now of some of the numbers involved in last night’s World Series Game 7. Numbers like 108 years since the Cubs last won the World Series or 174 years combined since either team had won it all. 37 years since a team had come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win. First ever leadoff homerun in a World Series game 7. 2 curses that Theo Epstein has erased. It truly was a terrific game and all the talk of numbers made me think of the numbers involved in my own personal World Series experience. So here is game 7 of the 2016 World Series by my numbers:

0 – Baseball games prior to game 7 I had watched in their entirety this season. Also, the number of times any of my children had ever shown any interest in watching a baseball game with me.

3 – The generations watching the game together around my little laptop at the kitchen table. It was fun having my Dad here for the experience.

1 – Of my children who stayed up until 1:00am watching baseball. What an awesome experience for me and my 9 year old! (Also the number of children who whined incessantly until almost the same hour because she couldn’t stay up with her brother. Also the number of children who could care less that baseball or any sport was being played and just wanted to read his book.)

4 – Innings gone by when I chose to tell my son about the curse of the billy goat. With the Cubs up 3-1 it seemed as if they had a reasonable shot at breaking that curse and I wanted him to understand the enormity of what was about to happen.

2 – The number of times I told my son during the 5^th inning that he would probably have to go to bed when it was over.

5.5 – Innings passed when my son decided he felt sorry for the Indians who were down 5-1 and wanted them to win.

2 – The number of runs the Indians scored in the bottom of the 5^th that had my son mocking me with goat noises.

4ish – How many times I changed my mind about sending my son to bed before the game was over.

17 (give or take) – Warnings to my son that he had better be on his best behavior the next day or he and I would both be in big trouble for him staying up so late.

3 – The number of times that I have since explained to my wife the value of a 9 year old staying up all night to make once-in-a-lifetime memories with his dad and grandpa.

1 – Great big hug I received from my son along with expressions of gratitude for letting him stay up.

0 – Regrets for the late night of baseball watching with my family.

Though I watch far less sports than I used to and have hopefully matured a bit in the way I prioritize them, I still think that moments like last night can provide a unique opportunity to bond. As parents we have a massive responsibility in the raising of our children and if we aren’t careful we can become so focused on the seriousness of this responsibility that we miss out on moments to simply enjoy our kids and let them enjoy us. We should make sure to make time for constructive and meaningful fun together with our children. These opportunities can provide a foundation upon which future opportunities for instruction and character development can be built. If you don’t believe me, just consider the numbers!

Encouragement for the Election Anxious

With the presidential election less than a week away, many Christians and conservatives are frustrated by their options and are planning to either vote for a candidate they do not believe in or just stay home on election day. These decisions in themselves are very personal and really are of no concern to me. However, what does concern me is that the frustration involved in this decision seems to be fueling an ever increasing sense of despair and desperation from many Christians.

Do Not Be Afraid!

Even beyond frustration, there seems to be a significant amount of fear over the outcome of this election. This is a real problem! Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the election and regardless of the potential consequences, there is absolutely no reason for the Christian to fear. Fear is really nothing more than doubt that God can handle a situation and since that is never a possibility there is no legitimate reason to fear. After all, God is not surprised by world events nor does anything take place apart from His sovereign will. Furthermore, nothing can harm us unless God allows it and He promises to protect us from all that is not in our ultimate good. Even in regard to government, it is He who appoints kings and world leaders. We must rest in the knowledge that He is in full control. Consider His Words to Isaiah and know that they are as true now as they were then: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Hope in God Alone

One of the biggest reasons for all the fear and anxiety is that American Christians long ago began to place their hope in a nation and a government rather than in God alone. Instead of being Christian first, we identified as American. Instead of trusting God to care for us, we trusted a government to provide and protect. While it is absolutely appropriate and important to appreciate the great nation that God has gifted us with, we must never place our hope in that nation. As the psalmist said, “The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue (Psalm 33:16-17).” No nation can defend us; no government can deliver us; no political system can provide for our truest needs; and no human leader can save us. Rather, it is God that delivers us and protects us and “He is our help and shield (Psalm 33:19-20).” It is He that determines our future, not an election. We must hope in Him rather than in a political system that at its best is inferior to Him and at its worst is corrupt and failing.

Remember Your True Home

No nation, no matter how great, should have the sole allegiance of the Christian. Though that reality may strike a blow to the blind patriotism that many evangelicals have embraced, it is nonetheless true that Christians owe their allegiance to a heavenly kingdom; this world is not our home. While it is proper and just to be good citizens of this kingdom, it cannot become our primary focus – our home. Our freedoms, comforts, laws, preferences and finances, and even safety should be no more than minor considerations to the believer whose heart is firmly fixed on the heavenly kingdom. Our true home is in heaven and our purpose in life is not to make a nice comfortable home here. Our purpose is to spread the gospel to all people and advance the cause of the heavenly kingdom during our temporary residency in this earthly one. We must always be mindful of our true home. In the words of a song by Building 429, “All I know is I’m not home yet. This is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong.”

Stay Encouraged

For a genuine believer, there is plenty of reason to be encouraged despite all that is taking place in the world around us. We have nothing to fear with a sovereign God at the helm and a home in heaven waiting for us. Now is not the time to doubt, but to take heart and to be bold. No matter how the election turns out and regardless of the tremendous cultural shift in our nation, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” No need to worry or be anxious because God’s got this. You need only to stay faithful, stay focused and keep looking up.

Vote Biblically

While temperatures are cooling off around the country, political drama is steadily rising in anticipation of Election Day just around the corner. With another presidential debate in the books and less than 30 days until the big day, many voters still find themselves undecided if not outright conflicted over the choice that is facing them. Certainly there are some on both sides of the political aisle who are pleased with their party’s mainstream candidate and are excited to cast a vote in their favor. Likewise, there are some who don’t really care about the individual candidate, but are merely determined to cast their vote for the party of their preference. However, in this election perhaps more than any other, I sense that there are people with genuine interest in improving their world through the political system who feel absolutely confused and overwhelmed by the process of determining who to vote for.

It is to this group that I would like to offer a bit of guidance. I have no desire to tell you who specifically to vote for nor do I have any particular interest in changing the mind of a determined voter. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I am not even close to a political expert. In fact, I have very little interest in politics. What I do care about, however, is people; and right now I see many of my fellow believers in Jesus who love both their country and their God conflicted as to how to reconcile the two in regard to their vote. My desire is not to provide political council, but simply to provide some biblical perspective as it may apply to one’s decision in the voting booth.

• Do not make a decision out of fear. In recent days I have seen and heard so many good Christian people saying, doing, defending and supporting things that are unchristian because they are overcome with fear. I repeatedly hear the justification that “we have to vote for ‘candidate B’ because we just can’t let ‘candidate A’ become president. That would destroy our nation.” As a child of God and follower of Jesus, you should not be making any decision out of fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) and we must resist the urge to cast a vote based on fear of the consequence of not doing so. Set your mind to do what is right and let God worry about the consequences.
• Make your choice out of love. In 1 Cor 16:14 we are told to “do everything in love.” That doesn’t mean loving a particular candidate. It means that the love God has for us and the love we ought to have for him should always be a factor in every decision we make. Rather than disapproval and hatred guiding our choice, we must let God’s love lead us as we choose how to vote. That means considering whether a particular candidate loves and promotes the things that God loves: humility, honesty, justice for the innocent and less fortunate, good and righteous actions, peace, reverence and obedience (Malachi 2, Proverbs 6:16).
• Make a decision that is consistent with the pursuit and promotion of holiness. God’s desire for us as His children is that we mimic His holy character. This should be far more important to us than any political or social issues. When considering who to vote for, do not compromise personal morality or holiness for the sake of a desired outcome. It is deplorable that many Christians and even prominent evangelical leaders are rationalizing away despicable behavior and all manner of evil “for the sake of the greater good.” A candidate who flaunts immorality or unholy principles and beliefs is not an acceptable option for a follower of Christ.
• Make a decision that elevates justice and mercy. These are two issues that lie close to the heart of God and are central to our interpersonal relationships (Micah 6:8). Though there are a variety of issues and interests affected by a presidency, we must carefully consider how an individual’s election will impact justice and mercy in our world. We have reached a critical point in regard to race relations and poverty in our nation and we need to choose a leader who is willing to fight for justice for all. There is no room for the promotion of racism, bigotry and plutocracy.
• Make a choice that prioritizes kingdom values. As we evaluate a candidate’s qualifications and worthiness, we will inevitably have to prioritize these principles in some way. Jesus said to seek “first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)” and this is how we must approach every decision, but especially the decision of how to vote. We cannot prioritize our own desires, comforts and rights above God’s Kingdom and His standards. Many Christians have aggressively voiced a willingness to sacrifice Kingdom values such as holiness, decency , justice, mercy, love and peace for the sake of maintaining freedoms and rights such as fire arms and religious liberty. While there may be nothing wrong with some of these social issues, they cannot supersede kingdom values in your decision.
• Make a decision that manifests trust in God. This is ultimately the crux of the matter. It is not, after all, a vote that is going to decide our next election: it is God. “For there is no authority except that which God has established (Romans 13:1)” and it is “He who removes kings and establishes kings (Daniel 2:21).” Yet many evangelicals are prepared to walk into the voting booth and demonstrate a total lack of faith because they believe that God needs them to be ok with the “lesser evil”. We have rationalized away despicable character and behavior because we believe a certain outcome is best. This kind of compromise is nothing more than a lack of trust that God can and will accomplish his purposes. It is the logic of Sarah who told Abraham that God must need his help to fulfill his promise, thus promoting an adulterous relationship for the sake of producing a child. God does not work that way. He will not ask you to sin and violate your faith, conscience and morals to accomplish His plan. He will not ask you to vote against His principles and values to achieve His plan. Instead, we must cast a vote that reflects total trust in Him. That just might mean voting for a candidate who statistically cannot win or even not voting at all. We must obediently do what is right and trust Him for the outcome.

As you prepare to vote next month, I hope that you will take these biblical principles to heart. It is my sincerest desire that you will arrive at a decision that you can be at peace with and that is in harmony with your commitment to follow Christ. Additionally, I hope you will remember that your true citizenship as a child of God is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). You are merely passing through this earthly kingdom and should not let its cares drag you down. Keep looking up and live your life in a manner that will bring glory to God. In the words of Paul, “Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king (1 Peter 2:17).”

Colin Kaepernick, Peaceful Protest, and Racial Injustice

Throughout the history of professional sports in America athletes have used their fame and celebrity status as a platform to take a stand for various social and political views. Most recently, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers stirred up controversy by refusing to stand for the national anthem. His explanation after the fact was that he refuses “to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Many people have praised him for his boldness while many others have attacked him for disrespecting his own country (or the flag, the anthem, the military, etc.) If nothing else, his actions have added fuel to what seems to be an ongoing public conversation about race and social justice in our nation – and that is certainly a good thing. In the spirit of adding to this conversation, which I believe is critical, I would like to share some thoughts about Kaepernick’s protest.

• Peaceful protest is a valued historic right that we should respect and defend. Regardless of what any one of us thinks about his motivation or form of protest, it is his right. He did nothing illegal, or even immoral for that matter, and we must allow room for people to make their own decisions as to how to exercise their rights.

• The method of protest can overshadow the message. I think that Kaepernick’s method of protest is unfortunate. I’ve already stated that I believe it to be his right, but to meet it seems unwise. I don’t think that sitting down during the national anthem is the best way to get his message out there. Making such a controversial decision has opened the door for a great deal of criticism in regard to his motives. There are some who see this as little more than a spoiled rich kid performing a publicity stunt before he gets cut from his team. Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt (which I do) that he is actually concerned with making a difference, it begs the question: “Does this actually make a difference?” Unfortunately, people aren’t talking about the racial and social issues. They’re talking about him and his “disrespect of the flag.” If anything, he seems to have distracted attention from the cause he claims to want to support.

• Disrespect rarely has positive results. This even applies to perceived disrespect. I don’t believe that Kaepernick meant to be disrespectful, but he certainly offended a great many people. Generally, when people feel they have been disrespected they quit listening. They don’t care if you have a good reason. They shut down and go on the defensive – or worse, they attack. When peaceful protest is necessary, we should try our best to do so with respect for others. I think this is particularly true in this case when many of those he offended have literally and physically fought for his right to protest.

• Racism is bigger than disagreeing with someone who happens to be a different color than you. One of the most frustrating things about this incident and others like it is that any and all disagreement gets shot down as racist. You don’t have to agree with Kaepernick and that doesn’t make either of you wrong or racist. In our country, we seem to have reduced racism to agreement or disagreement over issues and this trivializes the real problem of racism.

• We must acknowledge the racial and social problems we are facing. Whatever we think of Kaepernick’s methods, his message is a necessary one. I think we are well past the point where white conservatives can deny that there is a race and social justice problem in this country. That doesn’t mean every white person is to blame or that every person of color is oppressed, but there is definitely a problem and we need to be a part of the conversation and the solution.

Regardless of what you might think of Kaepernick and his protest, you should consider the issues that have led him to it. Particularly those within the church must rise up and consider the problems of racism and social injustice. The gospel is a message of freedom and equality. We are all equally sinful and we are all equally free to accept Christ. In Him, there are no divisions along racial and social grounds. We should be leading the charge for justice, not blindly turning from the problem and denying it exists. We must enter kindly with open-mind into the discussion. We must listen to those who have been oppressed. We must release our pride and humble ourselves to consider how we contribute to the problem. The solution will not be quick or easy and the journey may look different for each of us, but ultimately we must each heed God’s words from Micah 6:8, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Get Up, Get Up!

Earlier this week, the Olympics in Rio provided us with a tremendous example of sportsmanship and all that is good in the world. Runners Nikki Hamblin (NZ) and Abbey D’Agostino (USA) tripped and fell to the ground during their race. While Hamblin lay there, D’Agostino grabs her shoulder and urges her, “Get up, Get up! We have to finish. This is the Olympic Games. We have to finish this.” She did get up and eventually both runners finished the race in what many are calling the “ultimate display of the Olympic spirit.” (You can read the full story here.)

Moments like this really are what the Olympics are all about and this certainly is a touching example of true sportsmanship. However, I also see this as a wonderful illustration of what the church should be. When I first saw this story, I immediately thought of Hebrews 10:24 which says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” That is exactly what the American Olympian did for her fellow competitor. She spurred her on! She urged her toward a better finish. She compelled her to achieve what was good and pushed her to overcome her desire to give up. This is admirable in an athlete and even more so in a genuine Christ-follower.

Churches are filled with broken and hurting people who have fallen and are considering giving up in life. They are contemplating giving up on a relationship or giving up their faith or giving up their fight against an addiction or some other sin. Whatever it is specifically, they feel like they are down for the count. They have fallen for the last time. And far too often there is a multitude of people waiting to swarm and confirm their feelings of failure. We affirm their choice to give up with comments like, “You don’t have enough faith” or “They just aren’t serious enough about their faith.” We call them hypocrites, we call them unholy, we mock their failure and we avoid them so that their sinfulness doesn’t rub off on us. And this is precisely the worst, most unchristian response imaginable.

Indeed, the response of the church should be love and encouragement. We should be each other’s greatest cheerleaders. We should urge one another to get up! Genuine Christ-followers must spur one another on: “Don’t stay down! We can finish together. You can overcome!” This should be the anthem of the church. We must encourage one another to fight the good fight and to finish the race. Urge one another toward a better finish. We must compel our brothers and sisters to achieve what is good and holy and right. We must push them to overcome dangerous and sinful desires to give up. We must also run with them, showing them they are not alone.

I urge you to think right now about the broken people you know. How can you encourage them? You can pray for them, but better yet – pray with them. Call them up or seek them out and ask to pray with them. Send a card. Offer to help. Smile. Include them. Praise them for something that they’re getting right. Send them scripture in a text or an email. There are endless numbers of ways that we can encourage each other and I challenge you to pick even one and put it into practice in your church and community. Feel free to comment with your stories of encouraging or being encouraged. I’d love to hear how God is directing His followers to say “Get up, let’s finish strong together!”

Is God Really a Republican?

As we move ever closer to the upcoming presidential election, debate as to the best candidate is heating up. I, for one, think this debate is healthy. I think that everyone is entitled to their opinion and has the right to express it. Most of the time I find value in opinions I disagree with and can respect the person despite my disagreement. Even if an opinion happens to be offensive or inappropriate, I can usually ignore it and move on without another thought. However, a recent trend in political manipulation has caught my attention and it bothers me a great deal. This trend is the use of God to leverage people into voting republican. This maneuver takes various forms, but really caught my attention when a blogger recently wrote that you cannot be Christian and a democrat. You can also find this argument all over social media in different varieties. As a Christian, even a conservative one registered as a republican, I find this terribly offensive and I believe God does as well.

I know that faith has played a part in our nation’s government since the very beginning and I am fine with that. I know that every election one candidate or another claims to be a Christian and automatically gains voters simply by association. What troubles me is the claim that God somehow supports one political party over another. This type of claim or belief requires a tremendous amount of both arrogance and ignorance. It is arrogant to think that we can know the mind of God when it comes to something like government and politics and it is ignorant to believe that any aspect of our political system is untouched by corruption and immorality.

God’s primary concern is His kingdom, not any one earthly government or nation. His plan is to redeem men and women and move them from the kingdom of darkness into the light. He requires that His children obey His commandments and walk in justice, mercy and love. He honors morality of nations, but does not dictate their actions. His concern is with the actions of individuals within those nations.

Furthermore, He is sovereign over all leaders and places and removes kings (and I think we can say presidents) as he sees fit. Throughout history, God has allowed wicked men and women to rule for his purposes. He used pagan nations like Syria and Egypt to punish the nation of Israel and used men like Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh to preserve them. Jesus urged submission to Caesar and through the writings of the apostles God urged Christians to honor emperors like Nero. Do any of these facts indicate that God was “on their side” or in their political party? Of course not!

What scripture indicates and history bears out is that God is in control regardless of what individual or political party is in power at the moment. What he cares about far more than your vote or political persuasion is that you know Him and love Him; that you love others and treat them with respect and compassion. Being a Christian isn’t about being a republican, democrat or even American! Being a Christian is about a personal relationship with God through His son Jesus and a commitment to follow Him. We should make this our focus, and instead of fighting over political positions and opinions we should busy ourselves sharing the love of Christ with everyone – regardless of whether they are voting as we are.