Letter To Judas

Dear Judas,

It has come to my attention you are having second thoughts about your help. I know it is not necessary for me to remind you that we have been paying your “expenses” now for some time. I feel I must also remind you that you came to me, I did not seek you out. You were the one who came in fear of what could happen if this mans power continued to go unchecked. We both agree that the Romans must be maneuvered around not removed forcefully. You were there when 5000 men picked up their swords to drive out Rome. You were filled with fear that day, fear that he would not be able to control the mass, fear they would drive the Roman Footmen out. We both know what would happen if men rise too early. We both know that it is not “If” he will lose control of them but “when.”

Believe me your patriotism is well tempered by wisdom, you were right, this man could ruin everything. His speeches must be stopped if we are to hold to God's plan for our country.

I know that you care for him, and I assure you, he will be handled well. We all care for him he is one of our own, but we must save him from himself. I wish no Jew to fall to the hands of Rome, but you know as well as I, that is what will happen if he continues his spectacle, if he continues to rouse the masses. Rome will not be able to stay silent if he continues and many will die.

You must help us Judas. We want what is best for the people. Annas and Herod both send their encouragement, and hope you will help us. You are our only hope, we have no man closer and can not get one closer before Passover. I and many like me fear that if we cannot have him under control before then Israel will be steeped in bloodshed. The Zealots are massing outside of Jerusalem, and they will use Passover to have their way, but if we can bring him close to us, if we are given the opportunity to guide this carpenter we may be able to use him toward our advantage to pacify Rome. Annas and Herod both agree with this plan. We must have him in our care before Passover if we are to save him from himself.

Oh, and we have increased your reimbursement to 30, don't worry you will be well cared for. You will be an important patriot when we finally do rise against Rome.

Yours Truly

Caiaphas, High Priest

PS. It is important you destroy this letter by fire to protect your cover.  

From Pole to Shining Pole

The current landscape of religion is changing. 15 years ago a conservative and progressive could sit together on a pew (though I understand that 50 years ago they could not). They would disagree in Sunday School and agree to disagree during the worship service. The disagreements were not small either, but the faithful understood being faithful was more important than being right.

Since that time the Christian church has polarized from Conservative to Liberal. Conservatives talk as if Liberal is a curse and Liberal's as if Conservatives are all evil. Remember though this was also the time before the internet and before 24 hour news channels were popular. There has been a unification of the religious and political poles, and no one respects a moderate. The Christian Church has forgotten there are two sides to every story, and we are generally not the progenitors of the story, we are but hearers and opinion holders.

No one knows that many churches still do good work, work with the poor, and work toward peace. There are still many Christians who believe that, “We can agree to disagree, and still fellowship together.” It is a problem when the conservatives loose themselves of liberals and vice versa. Polarizing topics can create a moderate base or polarizing topics create different churches. The Christian church is separating Liberal and Conservative like we used to separate black and white. This time though the demonizing takes place on both sides.

It is possible for someone who believes that God Inspired means 100 percent accuracy to sit next to someone who believes God Inspired means that God was behind the writing. It is possible for two people who disagree on the governments role in our lives to sit next to each other and sing Amazing Grace. It is possible for someone who disagrees with gay marriage to sit next to someone who does. Why do I believe this?

The church service, Christian faith, and God, have little to do with individual. We love to talk about the polarized issues, then hate one another for them, and the poor still go hungry. We love to phrase questions to figure out if someone is Liberal or Conservative, but it doesn't change the fact church and community members are losing loved ones due to illness and crime. We love to demonize the other side as evil, but our children refuse to come back to church.

I believe that we focus on these topics because we are scared of doing the actual work of the church. Feeding and clothing the hungry is hard, complaining about the Liberal Agenda or the Tea Party is easy. We spend all this time getting “our house,” in order, and look up to see the neighborhood has fallen down around us. Do we forget that two like poles in magnetics can't touch? The north cannot touch north and south cannot touch south, they need their opposites. Why do we reject ours?

I would rather work with a church that bore fruit with imperfect doctrine than find a church with perfect doctrine surrounded by death. The American Christian church is like a whitewashed tomb. Pretty on the outside, and filled with bones. We hurt others because we can't get our shit together.

Uh oh did you just see that guy typed shit?

From the Letter of San Angelo to an incipient heretic

In Orson Scott Card's book, “The Speaker for the Dead,” a character named San Angelo records, an old Biblical story. He writes of a Rabbi who is confronted by religious leaders seeking to stone an adulterous He points out that everyone knows the traditional story so he offers two different options for the story.

In the first story the Rabbi looks out to the crowd and says, “Let anyone without sin throw the first stone.” The story plays out in the normal way, the men drop the stone and the crowd disperses because the teachers of the law and the villagers are confronted with their own imperfections and sin. It is their hope that should they individually be in the same situation. As Jesus and the adulterous woman walk away the story changes, Jesus says to her, “Tell the magistrate who defended his mistress so he knows I am his loyal servant.”

In the second story the Rabbi is confronted with the same situation. He yells to the crowd, “Let he who has no sin cast the first stone.” Confronted with their own guilt, the people began to drop their stones and rocks and as the last rock hits the ground the Rabbi kneels down to pick it up. Looking down at the woman he smashes in her head and kills her saying, “Nor am I without sin, but if we allow only perfect people to enforce the law, the law will soon be dead and our city with it.”

In the first story the woman survived because of the corrupt nature of the city, and in the second she dies because her community is too rigid to accept her defiance.

The writer describes the original version as “rare,” in regard to human experience. Pointing out that most communities move back and forth across the continuum between, “decay and rigor mortis” The letter closes saying, “Only one rabbi dared to expect of us such a perfect balance, that we could preserve the law and forgive the deviation. So, of course, we killed him.

(Speaker for the dead: 277-8)

Letter to God

Dear God,

I believe in you, I stake not only my reputation on your existence but I have chosen my life's path in regard to that belief bringing that very belief into the center. The core of what I do and who I am rests on your existence. I believe in you, partially because I was so conditioned, but it is deeper than that. I will argue until the day I die that I have experienced you, but it is even deeper than that. I believe because a world without you just isn't worth living in. People have told me that isn't a good enough reason but I agree to disagree and move on.

I live in Mississippi God, so I don't often run into people who are extremely vocal about not believing in you, but I know they are here, I actually feel good that many of them open up to me. I get frustrated about that God, not because I think they should believe but because people curse them in your name. I am so glad to live in a place where I am allowed to believe as I choose I like to offer that opportunity to everyone else. Yet they feel victimized and forced to hide here. Maybe they are victims. I get so frustrated with your people, because they hurt people in your name. They browbeat and do harm and call it love. I feel for those who don't believe in you, and struggle often not to hate those who do. You call us to love yet my brothers and sisters are so full of hate, it's frustrating.

You know what else is frustrating? Your silence. As I said God I believe I choose to believe and lately it feels like I have to make that choice anew daily. I have walked the line that so many of my friends and colleagues have in the past, many have crossed over and just given up on their belief. You know what I think it is that drives them over the line? It is easier to believe that you don't exist than that you could be a jerk. There I said it, I have been thinking it for a long time, but then the buck stops with you. I feel safe saying it because I know you aren't petty like many of the people around me. Your self worth does not hinge on whether or not I think you are being a jerk. What is really crazy is that, I don't really care if I am wrong, or if this situation is my fault.

Of course, I don't believe you get your rocks off on my pain. I never thought that. I never believed I am a joke to you, nor do I believe you stopped listening. I know you love me, I know that I matter to you, and I know that you listen. But lately I am having to choose to know that more frequently than I like.

Do you remember the days back when I was new at college, new with my little church in North Memphis? Those were great time, College, seminary, Residency in the hospital, God it was great to feel your presence every day, to know that what I was doing was right because it worked, and it helped others to come to know your love. I felt so much love in those days, and I believe as fully I believe you intended this current mess that you intended that joy. I blame that joy on you, which is why I am trying to make sense of this mess.

In his time of need, you showed Jacob a stairway to heaven, it would be nice to get a glimpse of that stairway, just for a moment. God I know better than anyone I am not innocent, but all I have left is a broken heart and heaps of regret. It's yours if you want it, for I am quickly running out of all else.

Justin

Recipe for a good birthday

It's simple

You wanted it, now you got it... pic's of me dancing. Enjoy.

Its about time

I have come to a very important decsion in my life and I think the blogging community needs to know about. It is theological, philisophical, and an all around good decsion. I have chosen a theme song.

I know, you have been waiting for years for me to make a final decision. I thought long and hard about this for years. I have gone over many different songs many different bands, but it took forever for that one to arise and beat out all the other songs. You ready for it?

You sure?

This gonna blow your mind. To me this song is not just a good description of me but also a ministry statement.

Well no sense in making you wait longer.

Justin Timberlake: Sexy Back