Columbus Day Redux

It's so nice to see kids out celebrating Columbus Day!

National holiday, today-- Columbus Day.  My kids don't get off school, so it just means that the banks are closed, which is an inconvenience more than anything.  Really, it's pretty pathetic for a holiday.  Kind of like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.  Makes you want to take it home and cuddle it.

But when something is pathetic, many people just want to beat it into the ground.  Like kids who beat up winos.  Gotta hit them when they're down.  Even so, poor Columbus Day is really getting it every year.

And I guess Columbus might deserve it.  After all, he came to a new land and enslaved the people, searching for gold. He was, like, the worst guest ever.  And to celebrate Columbus is, to a degree, to affirm the policy of land theft and slavery.  Kinda uncomfy position to take, to say the least.

But it seems to me that complaining about the holiday is pretty useless.  Columbus died in the early 16th century.  I don't think he's going to change his ways because he doesn't have any ways.  We can say that we shouldn't celebrate an oppressor, and that would make sense.  After all, we don't go around saying, "Happy Stalin Day!" or "Let's have a party to celebrate the onset of slavery!"  Of course, we don't do much at all for Columbus, either.  We close the banks.  And tell me, is that really a bad thing?  Isn't that just another way of saying, "Hey, maybe we ought to shut down the oppressors for one day."

It seems to me that if we were serious about celebrating an alternative Columbus Day, we ought to be reflective of how we us our power to oppress people and to figure out ways to stop it.  Maybe we can Google our use of Apple or Nike products and how we are perpetuating horrible labor practices.  Maybe we can have a rally in opposition to modern slavery.  Maybe we can think about how we treat our children, our employees, and our pets better, without yelling or violence, but serving them to support their needs.  Maybe we should think about how to better treat immigrants, illegal or otherwise, because our nation celebrates one of the worst illegal immigrants in history.

Or maybe we can consider how, like Columbus, our intentions may be right and honorable, that we want to glorify God and to do the right thing, but we still screw it up in the end for the people that really matter-- the poor, the weak.  Maybe we can think about who we think of or treat as less than human and realize that they are just as human, and just as important, as we are.  Maybe we can learn to love our enemies just a little bit more.

Maybe we can actually learn from the mistakes of others, and not just complain about them.

On the other hand, I have a deposit that I should really make today.  Dang that Columbus!

You Must Choose A Side...

The whole "liberal"/"conservative" name calling, bashing, narrow-mindedly-assuming-their-opinion posing is a load of BS. I just saw a blog my friend posted and it basically said that anyone who stood with Chic-fil-a is of Satan. That's insane.

Often I am labeled as "liberal" because I'm anti-war and I give my life to serve the homeless. Other people consider me conservative because I think the bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin and abortion is the killing of an innocent human being.

 I'm not though. I am trying my best to stand with Jesus. And standing with Jesus means that at times you will stand against the conservative position and sometimes against the liberal position.

 It doesn't have anything to do with using other people's money, because both political positions do that-- they just disagree about what to do with the money, what the purpose of government is. 

I don't care what the government does with its billions of dollars. I care about what God's people do with their billions of dollars.

It is a crime for any church to spend money on themselves and not on the poor, the helpless and the oppressed, whether it is war victims, the homeless, the unborn, or homosexual victims of hate crime.

So many people point at the Catholic church as hypocrites in this regard. They are only the biggest offenders because they they've been around longer than any of us. But any church that has a building that has a room empty five days a week and does not use that space for the poor and oppressed at least some of that time is doing the same thing.

Not every church is disobedient to Jesus, but almost. If Jesus were here, he would shut down almost all churches and use the buildings to house the homeless, feed the hungry, educate the ignorant and provide a house of love to all who are unloved.

We have no right to point at Chic-fil-a, or liberals, or another denomination or our neighbors or our internet friends. If we are not spending our time helping the needy, whichever needy we are called to help, using our resources to help them, then we need to look at ourselves and shut up about anyone else.

Revolution Coming

This country is filled with injustice. Corporations and the rich receive all the benefits, while the poor are thrown in jail for small offenses. Laws are unfair and you can’t get fair treatment in the courts. And the people don’t care. As long as they have their television, they are subdued and will do nothing to change what has existed since before they were born. The few who actually try to change things either get caught up in the same system themselves or they are rendered impotent by the locked system.

Nothing can be done.

But a revolution is coming.

This revolution is introducing a new government who listens to the cries of the oppressed and looks to make a real change for them. Not just changing those in power, but offering a whole new structure of government. A structure where the poor and just will rule. Where laws are given because they encourage love and justice—not the agenda of the rich. Where there will be enough food and shelter and warmth for everyone, even the poorest and the lowest. No one will have their power cut off, no one will be without light, no one will be without heat, no one will be without food. Those with mental health problems will be listened to, not just dictated to, and they will be healed. The elderly will be cared for as honored citizens, not as outcasts. This government is concerned with everyone—especially the poor and oppressed— not just in keeping their own power and authority.

This new government has already begun in this country. This revolution is an underground movement that has ties to movements in other countries around the world. This movement already has some small facilities that feed the poor, care for the elderly and assist those with mental health problems. This movement is teaching its doctrine to millions. And its time has come.

The movement has many names. Some call it Ekklesia. Some call it The Anawim. Some call it the Way. Some call it the Truth. Some speak of the Martyrs. It is all of this—and more.
When the Anawim take over this country, the rich and powerful will be put down and the corrupt will never take up power again. When Ekklesia rises to power, both the Republicans and the Democrats will be rejected as the greedy, corrupt groups they are. When the Way takes power, every nation in the world will be reshaped and the economic structures will be destroyed. When the Truth is raised, every corruption and hatred will be exposed. When the Martyrs come, the poor themselves will rule—and rule better than the wealthy and powerful ever did.

How can this be? How can a small, poor, movement take over the governments of the world? How can there be a sudden change from the powerful to the oppressed ruling? Who will begin this revolution? Who leads this underground movement? Who started it all in the first place?

All this can be explained by one word: Jesus.

Jesus began this movement 2000 years ago. He announced the coming of a new government that would cause the structures of humanity to falter. And when that new government came, it would establish the poor and merciful as the rulers of the world, while the rich and powerful would be destroyed, receiving nothing. Jesus spoke about the corruption of religion, of rulers and of the church. And all the corrupt would be thrown out of the new nation, and the meek would take over.

Jesus’ movement is not what is commonly called "the Church." From the early fourth century the establishment church has united themselves with the corrupt governments of the world and participated in partisan politics. Jesus rejected all earthly politics and instead established a community that assists the oppressed and needy and follows his new laws of non-reciprocity, care for those who hate you, equality for all in the community, and open sharing of all wealth.

The establishment Church has never followed this ideal—some of them even promoting war, greed, national partisanship, hatred and revenge. There have been smaller movements throughout history that have held these ideals—the early Waldensians, the early Franciscans, the Anabaptists, the early Pentecostals and others. However, these movements have always been a minority, and most of them were corrupted by the establishment Church.

In the end, the establishment Church structures will be destroyed by Jesus himself. All of those who call Jesus "Lord" will be tested, and many of them will be cast out of Jesus’ new government. Jesus said, "Why do you call me ‘Lord’ but do not do what I say? When I come, there will be many who say, ‘Lord, didn’t we do this, didn’t we do that? Didn’t we heal people? Didn’t we cast out demons?’ I will tell them ‘Get out of here. I never knew you.’ "

So forget about what the Church has done to you—Jesus will bring justice. Forget about what this or that "Christian" has done to you—Jesus will only allow those who truly followed his principles to rule. And those who want to see the world become just and loving will turn to Jesus.

Are you tired of your government? Trade it for a new one. Instead of having a corrupt leader guide you, make Jesus your leader. Make Jesus your president, your king, your Lord. Begin to follow his principles of enacting love to everyone—even those who hate you, of giving up your life of this age and begin living for the revolution.

We Need the Poor as Much as They Need Us

The poor give to the rich the opportunity to be Christlike.

The well-fed can feed the hungry
The healthy can care for the sick
The wise can give knowledge to the fool
The housed can give room to the homeless
The loved can give love to the despised

Thus are all fed, all well, all wise, all housed, all loved

Thus is Christ's body whole.

Motivation: Compassion

A recent study has found that religious people, in general, have less compassion than others who are not religious.  NPR article  This is odd, since it has already been shown that religious people tend to give more to charity than the non-religious. Study by Stanford

What does this mean?  First of all, that the religious give more out of duty rather than compassion.  It would be interesting to try to get the numbers that religious and secular people give to charities to the poor or give to political causes or one's own religious community.  It also means that duty is a more effective means of motivating giving rather than compassion.

For Christians, however, why should this be?  There is something terribly wrong with this.  Some Christians say, "The important thing is that we are giving, not the motivation for giving."  At least when I first posted the original study and concluded something was wrong, that was the response I got.  Obedience to the command of giving is what is important, not the motivation behind it.

I strongly disagree.  For a number of reasons.

First of all, to give out of duty means that giving is significant, not where we give.  Most Christians feel that it is sufficient to give to their church and their church primarily gives that money to staff salaries and property maintenance and growth.  Because there is little concern about compassion, little of the money actually goes where Jesus says it goes.  He never said, "Sell your possessions and give to the church."  The apostles didn't take the sacrifice of the people and give themselves good salaries, nor did they build any buildings.  Rather, they used the far majority of their funds creating programs for the poor.  (Acts 4-5)  The poor is where the majority of Christian funds should be given.  There is nothing wrong with salaries ("The worker is worth his hire") or buildings necessarily, but if the staff and buildings aren't used for the benefit of the poor, then we are disobeying Jesus command.  Thus, neglecting our true duty.

Secondly, we are supposed to have the character of God.  This isn't taught much in Christian churches, (sadly), but there is a strong theme in the NT about having the character of God. "Be imitators of God and walk in love" (Eph 5:1) "Love your enemies so you may be sons of your Father in heaven for he is kind to the ungrateful." (Matthew 5:42-43)

And most Christians do know that we are supposed to imitate Jesus.  And one of the main characteristics of Jesus is compassion for those in need.  "He had compassion on them." (Just in Matthew: 9:36; 14:14;  15:32; 20:34).  Jesus spent all of his time teaching and meeting people's needs.  He really had no other ministry.

If the church of Jesus has rejected compassion as their main motivation, but duty, they are no longer sons of God, who is "gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in merciful faithfulness."  Instead, we are slaves.  The slave does the duty of the Master because they must.  It is the son of the Master that sees his duty as being like the Master.

We all have a certain amount of empathy.  Without it, we cannot learn, we cannot live in societies or communities.  And we have the ability to exercise our compassion.  If we refuse to grow our compassion, we refuse to become like God, thus we are refusing to be children of God.   Yes, we can give out of duty, but then we remain slaves.

God deliver us from our limited moral vision.

Words Mean Things

"Islam" means "submission to God."

To submit to God is to submit to God's judgment.  To trust in God's will.  To not take judgment or vengeance into one's own hands.

Some Muslims-- "submitted ones"-- trust in God that much.  Some who claim the title of "submission" do not.

"Christian" means "devoted to Christ", namely Jesus, whom both the Qur'an and the New Testament names the Messiah.

One who is devoted to Christ will enact the words of Christ and will follow the example of Christ.  Jesus commanded those who are devoted to him to "Love your enemies."  You cannot kill your enemies and love them at the same time.

Jesus commanded all, "Don't judge by appearances, but judge with a right judgement."  He doesn't want us to look at those who claim to be Christians or who claim to be Muslims and to take their claims as accurate. Rather, he wants us to look at a person's actions and a person's words-- whether merciful or hateful-- and to see with accuracy whether they are truly submitted, truly devoted.

Let us not blame all "Christians" for what is done in the name of Christianity.  Let those truly devoted to Jesus represent Christians.

Let us not blame all "Muslims" for what is done in the name of Islam.  Let those truly submitted to God represent Islam.

And let God be the judge of the rest, who will judge all men according to their deeds.