Every once in a while I have a deep thought and share it with my dad. He's my spiritual mentor. This latest e-mail traffic is fairly interesting and worth posting.
Enjoy.
Dad,
Have you ever done a study on the Prophet Daniel? I’m curious about his method of prayer. I’m taking a class on world religions right now and we went over the Muslim practice of set prayers at set times. I wonder if that stems back to any Hebrew traditions since much of Islam is adopted from Jewish and Christian practices. Any thoughts?
Shawn,
I can’t say that I have done a study on the prayer habits of Daniel but some thoughts do come to me immediately. The common thread in Islam and Judaism is the idea that it is possible to please god my means of works. A relatively small group of the Hebrew people of the Old Testament understood that our God is a God who is holy but is also a God of love who both loves and can be loved. When the law was given at Mt Sinai, only a few understood that its demands were unattainable and that the sacrificial system was a temporary illustration of a future work of God where a permanent substitutionary sacrifice would be made by a loving and merciful God. Those that understood it, gladly obeyed the external demands of the law out of love and appreciation for the law giver. Those who did not understand, developed the Judaism of works that Paul addressed in Galations 4:15-30. David understood (Ps. 119:97). Daniel’s prayer habits were rooted in his love for God. They were disciplined acts designed to provide a constant reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness and of Daniel’s dependence on Him. To the misguided founders of the religion of Hagar, these types of disciplined acts where attempts to attain God’s favor, not a response to God’s loving mercy. The god of Hagar’s Judaism is not one of love. The god of Islam is also not a god of love. Both religions are false and are attempts to attain righteousness by human effort. So, I would say that it is not just Islam and Judaism that have similar roots, but it is all world religions that require rituals of any kind to appease or please a deity.
Dad,
Right, but within any religious practice there must be elements of sincerity. Just like today there are likely devout Catholics who practice out of love for the Savior or Jews who sincerely look for Messiah or love the Lord the way David did. There may even be a handful of Muslims who have figured out that Allah isn’t all fire and damnation. The 99 names of Allah include names like, The Kind and Forgiving of His Own, The Beneficent, whose mercy appears in all creation, The loving one of His own. With names like these, someone, somewhere must have figured something out.
What’s driving this is the fact that I’m fed up with churchiness and I’m trying to get to the core of what this is really all about. The Evangelical answer always comes to mind but just doesn’t make sense anymore. I just don’t have it in me to follow it.
Lately, I’ve been deeply convicted by a number of things. One is Jesus’ statement that many will say Lord, Lord but He won’t know them. I’ve never really settled that one. Then there is “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from Matthew 25:21. A literal translation of this is that we’re supposed to make money for God – which is just silly. Evangelicals will say we’re supposed to be out witnessing and winning people for Christ – but that doesn’t hold up against Matthew 23:15, “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”
Most troubling to me is Isaiah 58 – the whole chapter. How much of my life have I spent trying to be “holy” and stressing over how much money I put in the offering plate or whether I’m taking my kids to the right church. Meanwhile children are starving, people are lonely and oppressed and sick, others are oppressed or punished without mercy, and I’m completely oblivious.
Then there is the issue of the men nailing Christ to the cross. Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” These words run through my head all day.
We spend a lot of time combing through other religions and pointing out where they are wrong and we are right. And this increases the tension. And while tension increases, the troubles of the world are unattended. I am inclined to believe that the God who is willing and able to forgive the men who nailed Jesus to the cross, is also able and eager to forgive those who never believed in the Christ but still fed the hungry and freed the oppressed and sought justice and loved mercy – Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists…everyone and anyone who acted. Remember the parable about the two sons whom the father asked to work for him: one said he would and then didn’t; the other said he wouldn’t and then did.
Weeding through all these thoughts has convinced me to boil the whole thing down to the bare bones basics. Lots of faiths have lots of good practices which are well worth adopting. But Islam gets most of my attention over here. It seems like the Muslims, regardless of their motivation, have a pretty good practice of praying three to five times per day and strictly observing their holidays. Isn’t that how Daniel lived his life – even though his motives were different? Then again, is it possible that the one led to the other – like the chicken and the egg? Did love lead to religion or religion lead to love? Regardless, this is how I want to learn to deepen my faith and walk. I intend to learn the religion of the patriarchs but with the added blessing of knowing that the Messiah has already come.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Eco Friendly Christians?
Today's post is from an e-mail chain between my uncle and me.
If you're at all familiar with Shawn's World, you should know that I tend to separate people into one of three categories: 1. My favorite people on the planet; 2. My fellow airline passengers; 3. People upon whom I wish no ill will but would not mind if they left earth in a peaceful and dignified manner.
My uncle is definitely one of my favorite people on the planet.
I recently sent out one of my mass e-mails on the great Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. He, a conservative Christian pastor in New England, asked, in a tounge in cheek sort way, whether I thought evolution would ever develop a creature which could eat all those plastics.
I could have laughed it off...but my brain doesn't work like that. Naturally, I overthought.
BTW, if you want a good, realistic look at the garbage patch problem, not a hyped up one, take a look at these guys, http://algalita.org/, who are doing some very good research.
Enjoy:
The photo could be staged. I suppose someone could have stuffed all that trash into a carcass. It's feasable that trash washed into the carcass after it decomposed. It's also possible that the bird ate a bunch of trash and died. I don't know.
The short answer to the evolution question is obviously no. Evolution, just like communism, started out as a really neat idea on paper. The ability to adapt to environmental changes is as obvious as the color of our skin. Communism souds reasonable because everyone is equal and entitled to same benefits. However, neither of them account for man's fallen nature. Once they got into the hands of humans they became destructive and nearly unstopable.
The long answer to the evolution question is also no. God has given every creature the ability, over generations, to adapt to its environment. A sparrow in Iraq isn't the same as a sparrow in Maine even though they're both still sparrows. A man from Africa isn't the same as a man from Alaska even though they're both still men. They've been exposed to different climates and diets and predators. All this took place over the last several thousand years since the flood. Both men and sparrows had generations to adapt as their climates got hotter or colder, or their food and water became more scarce or abundant.
Over the last hundred or so years, since the start of the industrial revolution, we've invented modern polution: milk bottles, diapers, cell phones, batteries and whatever else is in the average trash can which won't be decomposed by next summer. The Creator simply didn't design nature to adapt to that sort of thing in that sort of timeframe. Nor was nature ever intended to absorb the artificial leavings of modern man. No beetle will ever develop which will crave and collect candy wrappers. Only time, in some cases as much as a thousand years, will allow the earth to reabsorb all the plastics and artificial leavings of man.
A lot of conservatives and Christians out there seem to downplay the effect of man on the environment. Here's a quote from Jerry Falwell: "The Rev. Jerry Falwell...boast[ed] that not only did he drive a Suburban, but 'if I ever change, I might get a Hummer.'" (http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVol6No1/What%20Would%20Jesus.htm) I think this pretty much sums up a lot of conservative views on the issue. It seems a lot of Christians view environmentalism as a form of modern paganism and don't want to be associated with it. In fact, judging by the Rev. Falwell's comment, I would guess a lot of Christian conservatives want to be completely opposed to environmental issues. However, in my experience, there are only a few extreme cases of environmental paganism. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of environmentalists aren't pagan but simply want to live on a clean planet. This really isn't any different than wanting to have a clean house. Cleaning my house doesn't mean I'm worshiping my house. But if I let it stay dirty, and keep making it dirtier, there are health risks involved for me and my children. So is it paganism or sensible to be environmentally savvy?
Genesis 2:15 (KJV) says, "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." This was man's first job - to take care of the garden God had planted. Of course, Adam botched it pretty soon after and was booted out of the garden, but the task never went away. God didn't say, "OK, you messed up so now you're fired and I'll find someone else to take care of things." Instead, God simply made it harder for man to scrape a living from the earth. From this I think it's reasonable to surmise that taking care of the planet isn't a form of modern paganism but a true act of worship and obedience to the One who created it.
Personally, I think it's time for Christians to get out in front of environmental issues for three primary reasons. First is because of man's calling from the very start to take care of the planet. Second is because it's just a sensible thing to keep things clean to avoid making ourselves sick. Third, and far more important than the other two, is the opportunity to reach out to non-believers.
Rev. Falwell's comment disturbs me, not because he didn't care about belching toxic gasses into the air, but because of all the non-believers who said, "Aha, see! Christians don't care about the environment. And, by extension, don't care about us!"
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 8 where he talked about eating meat sacrificed to idols. To him it was only meat and he could eat it or not eat it because, since the idol is just a carved rock, the meat was just meat. But he also realized that not everyone saw it that way. He would rather starve to death than keep even one person from coming to Christ because they saw him eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols. But what is also in this passage is Paul's desire to have every believer grow to a point where they realize that meat is just meat whether sacrificed to idols or not. He wants them to see that none of these trivial things we worry about really matter. He wants believers to see that the only thing that really matters is Christ crucified, raised from the dead and ascended to Heaven.
And this is how modern Christians need to approach several modern issues, but the environment in this case. We need to be able walk this thin line of taking care of our planet, reaching out to non-believers, helping young believers grow, and teaching mature believers how to carry on. Can we do this by joining Green Peace or PETA? Probably not. But it wouldn't hurt us to be aware of what these people are fighting for and be sympathetic to it rather than critical. Or should we all become evolutionists and sacrifice our intilect? No. But it wouldn't hurt to see what some of these people are learning and be able to put our passions aside and discuss it inteligently from a creation point of view. Will recycling or planting a tree win anyone to Christ? Probably not by itself, but it's a great ministry tool. Remember, the farmer wasn't a particularly good seed spreader, he just let the seed fall and God took care of the rest. If someone sees a Christian on the forefront of environmental issues and asks why, it gives the believer a chance to share the purpose of man on this planet and to share our Savior's love with the lost.
Sorry to carry on so long but this is a subject that has pricked my heart. I also appologize if I seem disrespectful at all. I speak about putting passion aside but don't practice it well.
For our King.
Shawn.
The short answer to the evolution question is obviously no. Evolution, just like communism, started out as a really neat idea on paper. The ability to adapt to environmental changes is as obvious as the color of our skin. Communism souds reasonable because everyone is equal and entitled to same benefits. However, neither of them account for man's fallen nature. Once they got into the hands of humans they became destructive and nearly unstopable.
The long answer to the evolution question is also no. God has given every creature the ability, over generations, to adapt to its environment. A sparrow in Iraq isn't the same as a sparrow in Maine even though they're both still sparrows. A man from Africa isn't the same as a man from Alaska even though they're both still men. They've been exposed to different climates and diets and predators. All this took place over the last several thousand years since the flood. Both men and sparrows had generations to adapt as their climates got hotter or colder, or their food and water became more scarce or abundant.
Over the last hundred or so years, since the start of the industrial revolution, we've invented modern polution: milk bottles, diapers, cell phones, batteries and whatever else is in the average trash can which won't be decomposed by next summer. The Creator simply didn't design nature to adapt to that sort of thing in that sort of timeframe. Nor was nature ever intended to absorb the artificial leavings of modern man. No beetle will ever develop which will crave and collect candy wrappers. Only time, in some cases as much as a thousand years, will allow the earth to reabsorb all the plastics and artificial leavings of man.
A lot of conservatives and Christians out there seem to downplay the effect of man on the environment. Here's a quote from Jerry Falwell: "The Rev. Jerry Falwell...boast[ed] that not only did he drive a Suburban, but 'if I ever change, I might get a Hummer.'" (http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVol6No1/What%20Would%20Jesus.htm) I think this pretty much sums up a lot of conservative views on the issue. It seems a lot of Christians view environmentalism as a form of modern paganism and don't want to be associated with it. In fact, judging by the Rev. Falwell's comment, I would guess a lot of Christian conservatives want to be completely opposed to environmental issues. However, in my experience, there are only a few extreme cases of environmental paganism. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of environmentalists aren't pagan but simply want to live on a clean planet. This really isn't any different than wanting to have a clean house. Cleaning my house doesn't mean I'm worshiping my house. But if I let it stay dirty, and keep making it dirtier, there are health risks involved for me and my children. So is it paganism or sensible to be environmentally savvy?
Genesis 2:15 (KJV) says, "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." This was man's first job - to take care of the garden God had planted. Of course, Adam botched it pretty soon after and was booted out of the garden, but the task never went away. God didn't say, "OK, you messed up so now you're fired and I'll find someone else to take care of things." Instead, God simply made it harder for man to scrape a living from the earth. From this I think it's reasonable to surmise that taking care of the planet isn't a form of modern paganism but a true act of worship and obedience to the One who created it.
Personally, I think it's time for Christians to get out in front of environmental issues for three primary reasons. First is because of man's calling from the very start to take care of the planet. Second is because it's just a sensible thing to keep things clean to avoid making ourselves sick. Third, and far more important than the other two, is the opportunity to reach out to non-believers.
Rev. Falwell's comment disturbs me, not because he didn't care about belching toxic gasses into the air, but because of all the non-believers who said, "Aha, see! Christians don't care about the environment. And, by extension, don't care about us!"
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 8 where he talked about eating meat sacrificed to idols. To him it was only meat and he could eat it or not eat it because, since the idol is just a carved rock, the meat was just meat. But he also realized that not everyone saw it that way. He would rather starve to death than keep even one person from coming to Christ because they saw him eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols. But what is also in this passage is Paul's desire to have every believer grow to a point where they realize that meat is just meat whether sacrificed to idols or not. He wants them to see that none of these trivial things we worry about really matter. He wants believers to see that the only thing that really matters is Christ crucified, raised from the dead and ascended to Heaven.
And this is how modern Christians need to approach several modern issues, but the environment in this case. We need to be able walk this thin line of taking care of our planet, reaching out to non-believers, helping young believers grow, and teaching mature believers how to carry on. Can we do this by joining Green Peace or PETA? Probably not. But it wouldn't hurt us to be aware of what these people are fighting for and be sympathetic to it rather than critical. Or should we all become evolutionists and sacrifice our intilect? No. But it wouldn't hurt to see what some of these people are learning and be able to put our passions aside and discuss it inteligently from a creation point of view. Will recycling or planting a tree win anyone to Christ? Probably not by itself, but it's a great ministry tool. Remember, the farmer wasn't a particularly good seed spreader, he just let the seed fall and God took care of the rest. If someone sees a Christian on the forefront of environmental issues and asks why, it gives the believer a chance to share the purpose of man on this planet and to share our Savior's love with the lost.
Sorry to carry on so long but this is a subject that has pricked my heart. I also appologize if I seem disrespectful at all. I speak about putting passion aside but don't practice it well.
For our King.
Shawn.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sobering thoughts
It's difficult to stroll in someone else's shoes.
Nine and a half times out of ten, Esquire magazine is well worth ignoring. This isn't to say they market well toward their readership. If you happen to be a male looking to boost your worldly portrayal of masculinity via outdoor cookery, latest fashions, and ogling a few curvy damsels, it could be exactly what you're looking for.
Every once in a while an article rises to the top.
The September 09 issues contains an article titled The Last Abortion Doctor, which is about the last doctor in the U.S. who performs late term abortions, Dr. Warren Hern. He is the last one because his colleague, Dr. George Tiller, was murdered on May 31, 2009.
John Richardson, who wrote the article for Esquire, sucks the reader in from the first paragraph. He takes the unique approach of writing in the first person, present tense. To me, it felt as if I were waiting in the lobby, waiting for sporadic interview moments and listening to the commotion of a women's health clinic.
For most of my adult life I would have eagerly jumped on the pro-life band wagon. I'll even admit feeling a bit of self indulgent, grim satisfaction on hearing news of abortion clinic bombings or murders. One less baby killer, I could quietly say to myself, and clearly there was no blood on my hands.
As the years have passed, and I've learned to view both sides of an issue, my heart has softened. Today I stand firmly planted in the middle of the issue where, I believe, most sensible people, admittedly or not, would find themselves as well.
This is not the forum to try and sway opinion one way or the other. Frankly, my mind is not strong enough, or my will resolved enough to debate. Instead, I encourage you to read the article in Esquire, September 2009, with an open mind and open heart. I also encourage you to read Dr. Hern's essay titled What about us? Staff reactions to D&E (http://www.drhern.com/pdfs/staffrx.pdf). These two works give a quick and honest look into the life of abortion clinic workers.
Here is what I would like to see from Shawn's World:
No one will deny that D&E abortion is a frightening procedure. Doctor Hern would likely be the first to tell you, and he would be closely followed by those who assist him. Despite what extremists in groups like Operation Rescue (www.operationrescue.org) would present to you, clinic workers are people just like you and me. The things they see deeply trouble them but they see it as their duty to perform. They literally risk their lives to do their job.
As horrifying as it may be to the workers, it is equally horrifying to the women and men who have to go see them. Most of them suffer a great deal over their decisions. Some have learned of an uncorrectable malformation in their fetus. Others have learned that their fetus died within the womb and must be removed. I have been blessed to witness the birth of all four of my children and shared in all the joys and anguish through the pregnancy process. I have also seen the intense suffering of women and men who have lost their children either in the womb or freshly out of it. It is not an experience I wish on anyone.
My obligation as a citizen of planet earth and a follower of Immanuel is to mitigate suffering wherever I can. I do not have the luxury of choosing whose suffering I will try to sooth or whose spirit I will try to lift.
In Shawn's World there seems to be only one, simple solution. Simple to see, difficult to do.
Both of these groups need to comforted and supported and covered with prayer. I have to resolve to offer the same understanding ear and loving heart to the woman leaving the clinic after an abortion, the man, if any, who is with her, and the workers in the clinic - particularly the one with the grimmest task of them all: the doctor. At the same time I need to be involved, in whatever part of my world I can influence, in sharing with people the real consequences of irresponsible sex.
The underlying responsibility of any follower of Christ is to share the love of God with others. Standing on one side of the aisle or the other and sending vitriolic words and deeds will not demonstrate any love at all. This will only make the opposing side escalate their vitriol. Standing in the middle and speaking words of love and kindness will do no good at all. People on one side or the other will only hate me for not being on their side and they will twist my words to fit their own meaning. I can only stand in the middle and help. If people see my heart through my deeds, then neither will be able to claim me for their own, or claim I am opposed to them. Instead, some will feel ashamed and offer to come help in the work. Others will still hate, but The Father will deal with their hearts.
I'm ready to roll up my sleeves.
Are you?
Nine and a half times out of ten, Esquire magazine is well worth ignoring. This isn't to say they market well toward their readership. If you happen to be a male looking to boost your worldly portrayal of masculinity via outdoor cookery, latest fashions, and ogling a few curvy damsels, it could be exactly what you're looking for.
Every once in a while an article rises to the top.
The September 09 issues contains an article titled The Last Abortion Doctor, which is about the last doctor in the U.S. who performs late term abortions, Dr. Warren Hern. He is the last one because his colleague, Dr. George Tiller, was murdered on May 31, 2009.
John Richardson, who wrote the article for Esquire, sucks the reader in from the first paragraph. He takes the unique approach of writing in the first person, present tense. To me, it felt as if I were waiting in the lobby, waiting for sporadic interview moments and listening to the commotion of a women's health clinic.
For most of my adult life I would have eagerly jumped on the pro-life band wagon. I'll even admit feeling a bit of self indulgent, grim satisfaction on hearing news of abortion clinic bombings or murders. One less baby killer, I could quietly say to myself, and clearly there was no blood on my hands.
As the years have passed, and I've learned to view both sides of an issue, my heart has softened. Today I stand firmly planted in the middle of the issue where, I believe, most sensible people, admittedly or not, would find themselves as well.
This is not the forum to try and sway opinion one way or the other. Frankly, my mind is not strong enough, or my will resolved enough to debate. Instead, I encourage you to read the article in Esquire, September 2009, with an open mind and open heart. I also encourage you to read Dr. Hern's essay titled What about us? Staff reactions to D&E (http://www.drhern.com/pdfs/staffrx.pdf). These two works give a quick and honest look into the life of abortion clinic workers.
Here is what I would like to see from Shawn's World:
No one will deny that D&E abortion is a frightening procedure. Doctor Hern would likely be the first to tell you, and he would be closely followed by those who assist him. Despite what extremists in groups like Operation Rescue (www.operationrescue.org) would present to you, clinic workers are people just like you and me. The things they see deeply trouble them but they see it as their duty to perform. They literally risk their lives to do their job.
As horrifying as it may be to the workers, it is equally horrifying to the women and men who have to go see them. Most of them suffer a great deal over their decisions. Some have learned of an uncorrectable malformation in their fetus. Others have learned that their fetus died within the womb and must be removed. I have been blessed to witness the birth of all four of my children and shared in all the joys and anguish through the pregnancy process. I have also seen the intense suffering of women and men who have lost their children either in the womb or freshly out of it. It is not an experience I wish on anyone.
My obligation as a citizen of planet earth and a follower of Immanuel is to mitigate suffering wherever I can. I do not have the luxury of choosing whose suffering I will try to sooth or whose spirit I will try to lift.
In Shawn's World there seems to be only one, simple solution. Simple to see, difficult to do.
Both of these groups need to comforted and supported and covered with prayer. I have to resolve to offer the same understanding ear and loving heart to the woman leaving the clinic after an abortion, the man, if any, who is with her, and the workers in the clinic - particularly the one with the grimmest task of them all: the doctor. At the same time I need to be involved, in whatever part of my world I can influence, in sharing with people the real consequences of irresponsible sex.
The underlying responsibility of any follower of Christ is to share the love of God with others. Standing on one side of the aisle or the other and sending vitriolic words and deeds will not demonstrate any love at all. This will only make the opposing side escalate their vitriol. Standing in the middle and speaking words of love and kindness will do no good at all. People on one side or the other will only hate me for not being on their side and they will twist my words to fit their own meaning. I can only stand in the middle and help. If people see my heart through my deeds, then neither will be able to claim me for their own, or claim I am opposed to them. Instead, some will feel ashamed and offer to come help in the work. Others will still hate, but The Father will deal with their hearts.
I'm ready to roll up my sleeves.
Are you?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A different look at animals.
The first animal killed, according to Genesis, was a lamb. And it was killed by God.
I have to say I disagree with how a lot of conservatives view animal life. I'm not a tree hugger, or animal worshiper, or anything silly like that, but I am practical, and I tend to think outside the box.
It's easy to off handedly regard animals as sub-human, but it's far more difficult to ignore their impact on our lives. Oliver, my childhood dog, was just as much a part of my family growing up as anyone else. When he passed away I mourned him and there is still a vacant spot in my heart he used to fill. Some of you may have grown up on farms, or with pets, or have a certain animal which strikes your fancy, so hopefully you can appreciate the emotion that comes when a beloved pet dies.
Imagine yourself in the Garden of Eden. Everything around you, everywhere you look, is paradise and wonderful. Every tree has fruit just ready for picking. The temperature is always perfect. Your partner (handcrafted by The Creator) never has bad breath or zits. All the animals come around to play and you can bury your face in a lion's mane and give him a huge hug. One little lamb loves to play in the dewey grass, and nuzzle against you and eats from your hand, and sleeps by your side. Eating one of these animals is a thought as foreign and unimaginable to you as trying to look at the inside of the back of your own head. It's just impossible.
One day, Eve is tempted, and Adam, who loves her, falls to the same temptation. They try to hide because they now understand what evil is, and they know they have done wrong.
God would have been justified in obliterating the first man and woman and starting over. But he didn't. Instead, He shed the blood of the little lamb and made clothes for the man and woman. In doing this, he gave them a constant reminder of their sin and it's consequences. Every day they had to wear the skin of the animal they had loved so dearly and who had done nothing wrong. He provided a picture of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
This thought humbles me every time I put on leather shoes, or eat a hamburger. It reminds me of my fallen nature and the sacrifice Christ made to pay the price for my sin. It also reminds me of one reason why man was put in the Garden: to care for it, to be responsible with it.
I have to say I disagree with how a lot of conservatives view animal life. I'm not a tree hugger, or animal worshiper, or anything silly like that, but I am practical, and I tend to think outside the box.
It's easy to off handedly regard animals as sub-human, but it's far more difficult to ignore their impact on our lives. Oliver, my childhood dog, was just as much a part of my family growing up as anyone else. When he passed away I mourned him and there is still a vacant spot in my heart he used to fill. Some of you may have grown up on farms, or with pets, or have a certain animal which strikes your fancy, so hopefully you can appreciate the emotion that comes when a beloved pet dies.
Imagine yourself in the Garden of Eden. Everything around you, everywhere you look, is paradise and wonderful. Every tree has fruit just ready for picking. The temperature is always perfect. Your partner (handcrafted by The Creator) never has bad breath or zits. All the animals come around to play and you can bury your face in a lion's mane and give him a huge hug. One little lamb loves to play in the dewey grass, and nuzzle against you and eats from your hand, and sleeps by your side. Eating one of these animals is a thought as foreign and unimaginable to you as trying to look at the inside of the back of your own head. It's just impossible.
One day, Eve is tempted, and Adam, who loves her, falls to the same temptation. They try to hide because they now understand what evil is, and they know they have done wrong.
God would have been justified in obliterating the first man and woman and starting over. But he didn't. Instead, He shed the blood of the little lamb and made clothes for the man and woman. In doing this, he gave them a constant reminder of their sin and it's consequences. Every day they had to wear the skin of the animal they had loved so dearly and who had done nothing wrong. He provided a picture of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
This thought humbles me every time I put on leather shoes, or eat a hamburger. It reminds me of my fallen nature and the sacrifice Christ made to pay the price for my sin. It also reminds me of one reason why man was put in the Garden: to care for it, to be responsible with it.
The difference is...
Sometimes we have a tendency to brush off other religions' ideas simply because they are other religions' ideas. Sometimes, by doing this, we throw out the baby with the bathwater.
If you walk in to my house right this second, it will be a little bit of a mess. I have a little bit of dog hair on my couch. There is a stain on my carpet from where my son spilled chocolate milk. There is a little bit of a funny odor in the air from this morning's gym clothes. It's not a toxic environment and most of the house looks pretty good. So I'm going to leave it like it is, and just keep living my life. Besides, if I clean up my house some people might think I'm devoting too much time to my house and I'm making an idol out of it. Eventually the kitchen sink will fill up with dishes, the couch will be burried with dog fur, the trash will overtake the living room, the spot on the floor will mold, and the sanitation department will kick me out. But if I clean the place, someone might think I'm worshiping my house!
Of course I'm not serious.
But this illustrates my point about the common Christian attitude toward environmental issues. Lots of people around the world worship the created things but ignore The Creator. So, just so we're not associated with them, a lot of Christians (dare I say, a majority) ignore environmental issues or even try to make them worse.
Naturally, no sane person is going to live in a house like the one I described. But we do it to ourselves every day on a much larger scale.
A quick Google search for "floating island of trash" will spit back 84 results (not terribly impressive but it's a long phrase). Better yet do an image search for "garbage patch" and you'll get satellite images and maps showing the real impact. If you do an image search the results will likely turn your stomach. It turns out this trash is breaking down and releasing toxic chemicals (arsenic and other lethal chemicals) into the oceans. A lot of folks say, "So what? Why should I care? The ocean is huge, it can absorb it!" Well, those chemicals get into the food chain and we end up ingesting it. And one of these floating islands of trash in the Pacific is a little larger than Texas. And that's just one of them.
Or give a thought to all the plastic bags we go through every day. Take a look at this website to get a visual depiction: http://www.wendmag.com/blog/2009/04/13/an-american-self-portrait-artist-chris-jordan-looks-at-overconsumption/ . That's a lot of bags. 60,000 every second in the U.S. alone. It's a number so vast, my frail, human mind can't really comprehend it.
It is foolish to put off environmental issues simply because another religions does and they do not embrace The Christ. In fact, it borders on insanity. A lot of Christians argue that we don't have to take care of the earth because Christ is coming back soon (I hope He does). This may be true, but people have been looking to the heavens for two thousand years and He hasn't returned yet. No one can say He won't be another two thousand years (I hope He comes tonight). But at our current rate of cosumerism and environmental impact, life is going to become very miserable, very soon.
Think about this the next time you see or hear an unbelieving environmentalist. Try to stand in her shoes. Try to see the world through his eyes. Does Christianity become more or less appealing given our prevailing attitude toward environmental issues? Were I strictly an environmentalist, Christians would be probably be my favorite group of people to hate the most.
We should be on the front line, shoulder to shoulder fighting for the health of this planet. Does this mean we're worshiping the planet? No. It just means we're serious about cleaning the place up. Just like I'll have to do this weekend when I try to get out the chocolate milk stain out of my carpet.
If you walk in to my house right this second, it will be a little bit of a mess. I have a little bit of dog hair on my couch. There is a stain on my carpet from where my son spilled chocolate milk. There is a little bit of a funny odor in the air from this morning's gym clothes. It's not a toxic environment and most of the house looks pretty good. So I'm going to leave it like it is, and just keep living my life. Besides, if I clean up my house some people might think I'm devoting too much time to my house and I'm making an idol out of it. Eventually the kitchen sink will fill up with dishes, the couch will be burried with dog fur, the trash will overtake the living room, the spot on the floor will mold, and the sanitation department will kick me out. But if I clean the place, someone might think I'm worshiping my house!
Of course I'm not serious.
But this illustrates my point about the common Christian attitude toward environmental issues. Lots of people around the world worship the created things but ignore The Creator. So, just so we're not associated with them, a lot of Christians (dare I say, a majority) ignore environmental issues or even try to make them worse.
Naturally, no sane person is going to live in a house like the one I described. But we do it to ourselves every day on a much larger scale.
A quick Google search for "floating island of trash" will spit back 84 results (not terribly impressive but it's a long phrase). Better yet do an image search for "garbage patch" and you'll get satellite images and maps showing the real impact. If you do an image search the results will likely turn your stomach. It turns out this trash is breaking down and releasing toxic chemicals (arsenic and other lethal chemicals) into the oceans. A lot of folks say, "So what? Why should I care? The ocean is huge, it can absorb it!" Well, those chemicals get into the food chain and we end up ingesting it. And one of these floating islands of trash in the Pacific is a little larger than Texas. And that's just one of them.
Or give a thought to all the plastic bags we go through every day. Take a look at this website to get a visual depiction: http://www.wendmag.com/blog/2009/04/13/an-american-self-portrait-artist-chris-jordan-looks-at-overconsumption/ . That's a lot of bags. 60,000 every second in the U.S. alone. It's a number so vast, my frail, human mind can't really comprehend it.
It is foolish to put off environmental issues simply because another religions does and they do not embrace The Christ. In fact, it borders on insanity. A lot of Christians argue that we don't have to take care of the earth because Christ is coming back soon (I hope He does). This may be true, but people have been looking to the heavens for two thousand years and He hasn't returned yet. No one can say He won't be another two thousand years (I hope He comes tonight). But at our current rate of cosumerism and environmental impact, life is going to become very miserable, very soon.
Think about this the next time you see or hear an unbelieving environmentalist. Try to stand in her shoes. Try to see the world through his eyes. Does Christianity become more or less appealing given our prevailing attitude toward environmental issues? Were I strictly an environmentalist, Christians would be probably be my favorite group of people to hate the most.
We should be on the front line, shoulder to shoulder fighting for the health of this planet. Does this mean we're worshiping the planet? No. It just means we're serious about cleaning the place up. Just like I'll have to do this weekend when I try to get out the chocolate milk stain out of my carpet.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
For my first official post I thought I'd start off with the right mood.
A friend of mine recently told me about Sinbad the salty sea dog. If you're a Coast Guardsman you likely know all about this character. Being a blue blooded Airman I hadn't heard of this mascot before - following mascots just isn't my thing. So I decided to learn more.
Each service has it's mascot. What dog lover can forget Chesty, the Marine Corps bulldog, who refused to sit at a parade honoring Defense Secretary Gates? The Air Force has its falcon, a great symbol of air superiority - the entire reason we have an Air Force. But, really, how much personality does a falcon have? A goat represents the Navy, which seems silly at first but makes sense after reading up on it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_the_goat). And, of course, I can't fail to mention the Army Mules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Mules), one of the many things in the Army which is rooted in tradition but just doesn't really make sense.
The Coast Guard takes the post of mascot to a different level. Still rooted in history and tradition, they seem to shirk away from latching on to an animal which seems to represent something about them, and instead bring along a critter who becomes part of the team. Also, they don't have one mascot for the whole service (not that I could find), but a team of mascots at a number of stations who serve a number of different jobs. Take a look at this website: http://www.uscg.mil/History/uscghist/Mascots.asp to see a sampling.
Standing out above the rest is Sinbad the salty sea dog. Most mascots were along because they represent a tradition of being food (Bill the Goat), or being conscripted (The Army Mules), or representing an ethos (Bulldogs and Falcons), but, according to legend, Sinbad the salty sea dog actually joined the Coast Guard on his own and served honorably. I won't go into it much more but check out this link: http://www.uscg.mil/History/faqs/Sinbad.asp to learn more about this honorable pup.
Welcome to Shawn's World
I've been thinking a lot lately about starting a blog to collect all the things I think are noteworthy. Some of it's for you, dear reader, some of it's for me. Mostly it seems like a great idea to store all these things in one place so I can go back and look at them later. With all the different places I go and computers I use, it's tough to consilidate everything and go back to work I've done, lessons I've learned, or things I've enjoyed. The cool thing about blogging is that I can take all these things and share them with you folks. Maybe your life can be enriched the same way mine has.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
