Here's what I am reading this week:

Heaven?

I went to the store to pharmacy to pick up a prescription for my wife recently when I overheard a conversation. One employee asking another "What do you believe about heaven?" The other employee proceeded to launch into a very fundamentalist interpretation of heaven- about the importance of "being saved," and that once someone is saved everything is okay and the promise of heaven is sure.

This conversation troubled me in a number of ways. While I also believe in some form of an afterlife as a Christian, my belief certainly does not include a once-and-done concept of being "saved."

Yes I believe in heaven, but I believe when we fixate on it, we can get distracted from the opportunities all around us.

It got me asking a few questions: 1) Why so much focus on the afterlife, when God is present with us in the here and now? 2) Does not fixating on heaven and eternity in a "me and Jesus" kind of way call away from a proper focus on social justice and the importance of Christian community? 3) Is it not arrogance and spiritual pride to assume that what is the answer for me is or should be the answer for everyone? 4) There is so much talk about hell for people who do not believe in the same way as these fundamentalist Christians, yet Jesus' example was clearly one of inclusion rather than exclusion and elitism- is this not hypocrisy on the part of conservative fundamentalists?

I have been wrestling with these questions a bit recently. Especially with hearing the news of Billy Graham's recent "crusade" in New York, that may well be his last. Graham is one of the most widely recognized religious figures in the world next to the pope. Yet, Graham preaches a very fundamentalist-literalist interpretation of scripture. He has also been known to make anti-semetic remarks, some of them infamously captured on the Nixon tapes (which, in all fairness, Graham later apologized about very contritely).

Still, despite all his charisma, communicating skills and winsome personality, Rev. Graham preaches a gospel of literalism and exclusivism- ie. accept a very literalistic, narrow, fundamentalist interpretation of scripture and be "saved" according to very conservative guidelines, or be damned to eternal punishment in hell.

The reason I mentioned Billy Graham, because he is a leading proponent of Christian fundamentalism that fixates on instantaneous experiences of "being saved" and on heaven while, at the same time, neglecting to adequately address important matters of social justice, and life in the here and now.

I believe that as people of faith we are called to focus on loving our neighbors compassionately in the here and now, and accepting the gifts of the Spirit in our lives. The other-worldly focus of heaven and "being saved" distracts from ministering to others in fulfillment of the great commandment, and wrongly places the focus back on the "me and Jesus" approach that lacks authenticity and accountability in Christian community.

Heaven is a real hope- don't get me wrong. I have visited dying friends and loved ones and they find great comfort in the hope of heaven. When our work here on earth is done and we are transitioning, then looking forward to heaven is a great source of inspiration.

So while I believe this fixation on the afterlife distracts from our calling to discipleship here in this life, allow me to offer a perceptual alternative: Let us focus on living in the Holy Spirit here in this life- through serving others, sharing compassion, and living lives that bring social justice to others and live out the essence of Christian community.

Sure, individual faith experience and personal journey are both important. However, may we never allow our focus to turn away from our calling to share God's love and compassion with the least and the lost in this world. This can be done in an inclusive and inviting way that accepts each person for who they are, and affirms them on their spiritual journey, wherever they may be on that journey. The temptation in focusing on the eternal hereafter is that we allow ourselves to become blind or desensitized to the needs and opportunities for ministry that are all around us.

Peace,


John

Remembrance and Renewal

Just this past weekend we commemorated Memorial Day, here in the United States. Memorial Day is traditionally the day that we remember those who have died either in military service or in other service of our nation. Remembering and honoring those who have given their lives serving our country is important, however soldiers are not the only people whom we should remember on such a day. This year I approached the holiday with a different perspective. I thought more about those whom have made great personal sacrifices pursuing peacemaking through nonviolence.

I realized that there are many, many people throughout human history who have given of themselves and made great personal sacrifices to help others through the ways of non-violence. A pastor friend of mine articulated this point very eloquently in a meditation at an evening service that I attended with my wife.

Many of the great leaders of social change movements in human history have made great personal sacrifices to advance the causes of nonviolence and social justice. Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and social justice advocate Bishop Oscar Romero come to mind. All three of these men ultimately gave their lives seeking to be faithful to their calling to speak up for justice for the oppressed.

King envisioned an America freed from the oppressive influence of racism, discrimination and hatred. Beginning in the heart of the deep south of Alabama with all of its racial hatred and discrimination in the Jim Crow era, King eloquently articulated a vision of non-violent resistance and organized protest of racial injustice.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as well as the lunch counter sit-ins, peace marches- first on the Alabama Statehouse, then ultimately the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered one of the most powerfully moving speeches on social justice and nonviolence ever given- "I Have a Dream." The world was forever changed.

Mahatma Gandhi started from humble beginnings in a middle class family from a small town in India in the 19th century, where he lived with his family under the oppressive colonial rule of the Brittish. He saw firsthand the injustices discrimination, and even violence that was committed against the people of India. His parents made great sacrifices to make it possible for him to travel to England to study and get a first-rate education.

Gandhi went on to earn a degree in law. One of his first cases took him to South Africa. While there, he was deeply disturbed by the way in which people of color were treated. He stayed and fought for the rights of people of color there.

Then, after studying the Bhagavad Gita and Christian scripture, he gave up a promising law career to help liberate his people from colonial oppression and racial discrimination. He lived out his beliefs. One of my favorite quotes from Gandhi is:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

This speaks powerfully to me even today. As Jim Wallis articulates the spirit of this statement so well in his book "God's Politics," where he writes: "Peacemaking is less a position than a path- the path Jesus has clearly instructed us to take."

Oscar Romero was a powerful voice for non-violence and social justice for the oppressed. During his several years as archbishop of San Salvador, in volatile Central America, he confronted injustice, and courageously spoke up against and faced the violent rebels who were viciously killing anyone who opposed their regime. He ultimately paid the price for his peacemaking by being struck by an assassin's bullet.

Romero, in many ways, exemplefied what peacemaking is all about- taking bold stands for justice for the oppressed, and being willing to make great personal sacrifices for these beliefs, even to the point of being ready to die for what one believes in.

The whole concept of remembrance calls us back to the metaphor of being part of a living body or organic movement. When we re-member, we call to mind that we are all members of this body working in concert with one another toward the goal of peace. May we each take bold stances for peace, social justice and non-violence- not just with our words, but with our whole selves- the way we live, the example we set, the goals we work toward.

May peace be more than just something we are "in favor of"- may it be a path we seek to walk and live.

Peace,

John