Rethinking Righteousness

Jesus talks a lot about righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). But what's he talking about? 

I have always thought that righteousness was pretty simple. It's me doing the right thing, keeping the rules, being obedient. The checklist includes things like Bible reading, prayer, helping people, keeping promises, being honest, staying in Christian fellowship. 

In short, righteousness is about me being good. For the most part, it feels like righteousness is just between me and God.

But thanks to the Bible Project's study of the Sermon, I have a clearer understanding of righteousness. It's not just about me being good. It is about me being in right relationship with others. As Tim Mackie says, righteousness is "doing right by you." 

This understanding better captures the meaning of the original words. And we can clearly see that emphasis in other parts of the Sermon. Jesus goes on to say that if there is a problem between you and someone else, you need to chase the person down and make it right. You need to repair the relationship before you even worship. Don't murder, but don't even be angry. Don't commit adultery, but don't even lust. It's all about relationship.

And this tracks well with the second part of the Great Commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. 

So, yes, be righteous. But know that it means making relationships right. It's not just between me and God. We are all in this together. It's the kingdom of heaven.

More Confessions

OK, so my Lent idea of confessing something every day sounded good. But here's my confession today. I haven't been confessing as much as I had planned or expected. 

I'm not quite sure what went wrong. Maybe it was not a great idea to start with. Maybe I just failed to make confession a priority. But God has still been at work. 

Even when we don't follow through, even when we have wrong priorities, even when we get distracted--even then, God is at work. He is at work behind the scenes. He is at work to reveal his love to us, as we discover our own imperfections.

And that's what Lent is about. 

Book review: Devout

Today I picked up Anna Gazmarian's new book Devout: A Memoir of Doubt. I began by reading the foreword, just to get a sense of the work. And it was good. It was so good that I read the whole book today. Learn more about the book here.

(Full disclosure: Anna is my daughter's sister-in-law. I have known her for years, and I knew a good bit of her story already. And I want to cheer her on.)

This book shows one young woman's struggle with church culture and her deep desire to honor God. For some, the Christian life at least appears to be easy, but for Anna it felt all but impossible. She notes how shallow some Christian communities can be, how she tried so hard to fit in. But her own experience did not fit the mold. 

Many churches and Christians could not grasp Anna's challenges with mental health. Well-meaning people urged her to try more prayer, more faith, more Bible reading. But easy answers were simplistic. 

As she tells her story, Anna shares insights from the scripture, showing struggles of faith in the heroes of the faith. Her depth of understanding inspires people like me to keep digging into the riches of relationship with God. 

As a gifted story-teller, Anna takes us with her on her journey. She leans on the Christian community as well as the world of psychiatry. In both spheres she finds those who can help and those who just don't get it. She shows how creativity can connect us with the work of the Spirit in us. She shows us the pain and the rewards of addressing mental health. 

I can think of dozens of people I want to give this book to. It's a real story about a real struggle. It calls out Christian cliches and calls us to take mental health seriously. 

Anna, your story gives us permission to live with doubt and to face our own struggles with mental health. For many, reading your story will be a game-changer.

Change your mind

About something. Change your mind. You "know" some things that are not true. 

So do I. 

So change your mind. I don't know where you are wrong, but I know it's somewhere. I am (cautiously) on the lookout for places where I'm wrong. I do not hold the same opinions at 61 that I held 31. I have learned. And I'm learning.

Just knowing that I have some wrong opinions helps me hold my opinions more loosely. When I encounter people who see the world differently from me, I remind myself that their experiences are far different from mine. I might (probably would) share their opinions if I had walked in their shoes.

Being willing to see things from another perspective softens my heart. It helps me not be so dogmatic or judgmental. I do agree that there are absolute truths. I think I have found some of them. But I try to give myself the freedom to rethink, to take into account new information, to consider another point of view. Even about those absolutes, I want to hold those perspectives graciously.

And that's the most important thing about dialing back the dogmatism: It allows for kindness. Even when we disagree, we can be kind. Maybe even when we are angry we can be kind.

So today I encourage you: Change your mind. About something. Maybe something small, like "People who drive Chevrolets are idiots." Just start changing your mind. It might open up a whole new world.

And yeah, this is my Chevy and my rooster.

Oscar tone

I have been cynical about the Oscars. A bunch of self-important people live out a popularity contest while the little people fawn all over them. At least that's how it has so often seemed to me. And obviously I have not gone out of my way to see every Oscar moment every year.

But this year's Academy Awards show has a different vibe to it. OK, it's only an hour into the show, but the attitudes of the actors has been so refreshing. They seem to be more humble, more interested in other people. They just seem more sincere to me.

I did watch the red carpet segment before the show, where they interview the stars, and that's where I first noticed a hint of humility. Maybe a hint is all they can risk, but I still find it refreshing.

There is still more time for pride and vanity, but thanks, Hollywood, for reminding us that you are real people.

Deep Lent

During the season of Lent, we are encouraged to contemplate Jesus's journey leading to the cross. It is 40 days long, helping us think about his time of temptation in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. We also recall his suffering as encountered all kinds of opposition. 

As Richard Rohr notes in Falling Upward, Jesus did seem to find the most pushback from the rich and the religious. The rich could not reach a place of actually needing God's help, and the religious believed that they were doing just fine, thank you, without Jesus's rocking the boat. 

Lent is a good time to look in the mirror and see if I am like the rich or religious. They were the ones for whom the system was working. They had all their material needs taken care of, and they had their spiritual needs covered with their religious practices. Yet they were the ones who often resented Jesus. 

Jesus reached out to the poor and the non-religious. Jesus found that they were more receptive to his message. They could see their need. The system was not working for them. They were desperate. They were poor in spirit and marginalized. 

So during this season, I need to recognize my own complacency, my own satisfaction with the status quo. I need to see that I am surely missing out on something deeper. I need to recognize my reluctance to enter the kingdom of God, my reluctance to love my enemies and restore relationships and make peace.  

This is a time to go deeper. I need it.

Lunar Bad Luck

On February 22, 2024 a spacecraft landed on the moon. This was the first moon landing of an American craft since Apollo 17 in 1972. There was lots of celebration for the mission. The craft Odysseus was sent to the moon in a cooperative effort of NASA and Intuitive Machines, a Texas-based company.

But unfortunately, one of the legs of the lander failed, and the machine toppled over. The craft's solar panels could not be turned to face the sun, and the batteries failed all too quickly. A few images were beamed back to earth, but that was all the mission could do. The lander had six legs, which seems like more than enough for the job, but alas, it was not.

The mission was a success in that it did land on the moon, but certainly a disappointment because of its short life on the lunar surface.

They say that you learn more through failure than success. I don't enjoy failure, but I do like to learn. Seems like I have had plenty of small successes, followed by significant failures. 

I should be learning a lot.

Prayers for Gaza

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the world felt the horror of what that nation suffered. In the weeks that followed, we learned about Israel's harsh treatment of the people of Gaza; Israel felt that they had to control Gaza as much as possible after Hamas was elected to power in about 2006. 

And in the months since Hamas's attack, we have seen the brutal response of Israel. They have determined to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, even if it means harming innocent civilians in the process. The relentless assault on this small region has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis.

While the U.S. may desire to support Israel, we cannot accept all their military action uncritically. The goal of eliminating Hamas cannot realistically be achieved. And even if it could, the brutality of the Israeli Defense Force will cause more opposition to rise.

It is time for a cease-fire. It is time for hostages to be released. It is time for a serious effort for meaningful peace, with Palestine and Israel on equal footing.

You Bet

Not too long ago professional sports shunned gambling on their games. But with the emergence of digital apps for sports betting, pro sports have a whole new world of sponsors. Fantasy football lured fans into the deep statistics, but sports betting hits at a whole other level.

It's one thing to beat your friends in a fantasy league, but when you put serious dollar signs on your picks, fans have a lot more at stake. And it looks so easy. Download an app, enter some personal information, and boom! You're all set.

I have pretty much tuned out all the FanDuel ads, but a news report got my attention tonight. A psychology professor noted that young men who are drawn into sports betting are highly likely to become gambling addicts. The brain's formation does not recognize certain dangers before age 25. Gambling can etch destructive thought patterns in young brains. And so we could be setting up society for a new wave of addicts.

Some people may actually make money with sports betting, but most will lose. Some will lose fortunes. Some will lose gas money. Some will lose jobs. Some will lose families. Some will borrow from everyone they can think of. I expect there will be lots more losers than winners.

But the gaming companies will certainly win. Therapists will have new clients. If pharmaceutical companies can create a pill to control gambling, then they will get rich too. 

But many children will be losers. And relationships will suffer. And many (most?) of the users of gambling apps will wish they had never downloaded.

New Home for LOT

At the polls today I ran into an old friend who always works the polls. As we talked, she asked me where LOT 2540 is moving. I don't have all the inside information, but here is what has been shared publicly.

LOT could not renew their lease on their current property.

LOT has made an offer to purchase a suitable property in Western Rockingham County, which would be the Madison/Mayodan/Stoneville area. I have not heard if the offer was accepted, and I don't know exactly where the property is.

LOT is also pursuing a lease on retail space which would house the Thrift Store part of the ministry. Again, I don't know if the lease worked out, or where it is. The location LOT is seeking to purchase is not large enough to house the Thrift Store.

Now, here's some information that is definite. During this season of transition, our lunches and classes will be held at First Baptist Church in Mayodan. We will begin serving there on March 13. 

We serve lunch Wednesday through Saturday. Our times will shift one hour later when we move to FBC. Lunch will be served 12:30 to 2 p.m. and classes will be 1 to 2 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Time to vote

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, and NC is part of the fun. 

I have had a hard time this year, figuring out who to vote for. It seems like the whole world of politics has gone crazy. 

And frankly, I don't feel like I belong anywhere politically. In many cases I just want to vote for "none of the above." So many candidates want to align themselves with national figures who are trouble. I prefer a candidate who can stand on his/her own. 

In so many races, no one has really impressed me as worthy of my vote.

I do plan to vote against all the incumbent Rockingham County commissioners. They truly betrayed their constituents when they cleared the way for a casino here. At least for now the NC legislature has not made casinos legal. But our commissioners unanimously sold out to the big gambling interests, offering to transform the whole culture of our community for dollars.

So, I'll go do my civic duty tomorrow. And for the most part, I'll be hoping all the candidates lose.

Crossing Myself

Some gestures mean a lot. A gesture can affirm or insult, welcome or frighten. The hand over the heart indicates reverence when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. A one-finger salute can tell another driver exactly how you feel.

Christian tradition includes the gesture of crossing oneself. It is a way to invoke God's grace and blessing. It's a way to acknowledge with your body that your body belongs to God. It reminds the faithful that God is with us in life's journey.

Actually, I know far too little about the significance of crossing yourself. I grew up as a Protestant, and we just don't do that thing. We know that the Catholic Church went off the rails way back centuries ago, and we know we are not Catholics. If only Catholics cross themselves, then we won't do that.  

I failed to realize that Christians used this gesture in the early centuries of the Church. This was a helpful, reverent practice, a physical way to surrender one's attitude to the Lord. 

I still feel really weird and awkward when I cross myself. In fact, I have never done it in public. I have only crossed myself while alone. It still feels too Catholic. And I'm not Catholic. But I am a believer in Jesus. I do want to remind myself that his death on the cross gives life to me. I want to use my body to indicate my surrender to him. I know that Jesus willingly received all the horror of humanity in himself on the cross. And by the cross he brings healing, restoration, reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, hope.

Maybe someday my appreciation for Jesus's death for me will outweigh my desire not to appear Catholic. 

Protecting my hens

My chickens are having a hard time. They apparently taste good to the predators. I have lost two of them in the past few days.

I'm not sure what kind of critter is getting my birds, but I need to find a solution. I have an electric mesh fence, which is not always on. Sigh. Clearly I need to make sure the fence stays on more. Sometimes the solar battery gets low and it needs to recharge. I could also close the henhouse door at night, and then open every morning. But that's a lot of effort.

We can try to trap the culprit, too. 

Oh, and maybe we need a farm dog.

I want my hens to be able to trust me to take care of them. That's a lot of responsibility.

Sick Politics

The American experiment has endured almost 250 years now. We began in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, and we put our current rules in place with the Constitution in 1787. Over the centuries we have amended the Constitution only 27 times, beginning with the first 10, known as the Bill of Rights. Only 17 measures have become formal amendments, and two of those cancel out each other. Amendment 18 introduced Prohibition of alcohol, and Amendment 21 repealed that ban. 

So we really have only added to the Constitution 15 times since the Bill of Rights. That's quite a record. But the world of United States government is showing some weaknesses, particularly with the two party system. In his Farewell Address, George Washington warned of the dangers of two parties battling with each other in government. He saw the strife in his own cabinet and anticipated the kinds of problems we see today.

Our system of selecting candidates for President seems particularly troubling today. We have two 80-year-old men as the likely nominees, both of whom seem unfit to serve as leaders of the free world. We are left to wonder about American politics: Is this the best we can do?

The two major parties are pulled so hard to the extremes that their candidates look like caricatures. The mainstream voter can't get behind either nominee. We are perpetually required to choose the-lesser-of-two-evils. 

I believe that the American people should not be doomed to such choices in every election.

Sadly the party leaders seem to lack common sense and common decency. The candidates are so clearly disqualified to serve, and no one has the courage to stand up and speak the truth. And those who do speak up are summarily canceled and silenced.

In this culture, good, respectable states-people cannot find political traction. Some are scared away by the vitriol that comes with campaigns. Some cannot stir up enough support because they will not play into voters' fears.

And so we are left with candidates who sow political and cultural division. The division works to put them in power. But division does not work to lead and inspire our nation.