The comedian then - to drive his point home about how hypocritical Christians can be - told a story about one night when he was performing and told that very same set of jokes about Christians. He said a man came up to him after the show and said this (please excuse the language):
"Hey buddy, I'm a Christian. Fuck you."
Barring the profanity, I think that is the attitude a lot of Christians have. It's the "This is who I am and you can't tell me I'm wrong" attitude. As I've been reading about in Romans, we should be trying our hardest to live in peace with one another. Not to stir up controversy, not to accuse or condemn one another (that's God's job) and not to tell comedians to F-off because they made a joke about your faith. We certainly have a right to take pride in what we believe, and even to be offended when someone defaces it - but imagine how that comedian's perspective on Christians would have radically changed if that same person said this:
"Hey man, great job tonight. I gotta say that as a Christian I was a little offended by some of the jokes you made about my faith, but I realize that we can come off as hypocritical sometimes. I am often guilty of it myself, but I'm trying to work on it. I'll continue to pray for you and hope that one day your opinion will change about us."
I know that's a little corny, but you know what I mean. Spread peace, brothers and sisters. Don't spread hate.
Reading for August 2
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
This section tells the second part of Hezekiah's story. It tells of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib (sen a cherub), and how he wanted to destroy the crap out of Judah and Israel. He had already begun attacking several cities within the region when he sent messengers to the people of Israel saying:
On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, 'The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,' he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 13 "Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand?Sennacherib was basically taunting all the people of Israel about their God. Saying what makes your God so great as to save you from me destroying you? Everyone else thought they would be saved by their gods and they weren't - so what makes you guys so special?
Well, Hezekiah prayed for Israel's salvation from the hands of Sennacherib's army, and God freaking delivered. While the Assyrians were camping, he sent an angel to wipe out their entire Assyrian camp. That was the God Sennacherib was dealing with. Boom.
Romans 15:23-16:9
Paul turns from very profound religious teachings to a very personal closing to his letter. In these final paragraphs he talks about his desire to visit the people to whom he is writing. Through this detail, it's clear that this book of the Bible, while applicable to the whole world, is addressed to a very specific group of people that Paul knows intimately. He expresses excitement and joy at the prospect of seeing his friends again, and shares his fears and trepidations about visiting Jerusalem again because the last time he went to Jerusalem, it didn't turn out so well. So he asks these people to pray for him.
He then talks about specific people, mentioning them by name, who will presumably be going to Rome and he asks the recipients of this letter to welcome these people into their community.
I think the point we should take away from this is a point that Paul had made early on in his letter. That point is that if you're going to offer corrective guidance to someone, you must first know the person. Paul wasn't nailing this letter to the door of a cathedral or protesting in the streets of Rome with signs that said how doomed they all were, he was writing to a group of his buddies. Like for you ORB folks, it would be as if Christian or Michelle or Jared or Andy or Matt A. moved away and wrote us this sweet letter (assuming you're close with one or more of those dudes/dudettes). Or for you non-ORB folks, it would be like someone you love and trust moving away and writing you a letter.
Paul is the man, living by pure example. Trying to emulate Jesus is an admirable, yet futile task. However, if we tried to emulate Paul, I think we would find that much more attainable. Admitting our flaws where flaws exist, teaching with love, living as an example, and above all, avoiding being a hypocrite. And also avoiding the act of telling comedians where they can stick it.
Psalm 25:16-22
The need for a savior:
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,It's clear in these two verses that the idea of a savior was formulating already. It was fairly obvious at this point that the relationship between God and man would never be repaired. Drastic action needed to be taken, and indeed it was.
from all their troubles!
Proverbs 20:16-18
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;Yup yup.
hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.
17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man,
but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.
18 Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance.
Actually, and I don't mean to contradict you, Paul wasn't writing to a community he intimately knew--the Church in Rome was founded by someone other than Paul. Paul, when he was writing his letter to the Roman church, had never been to Rome. He knew a few members of the congregation, yes, but in many ways he was writing to complete strangers. This is why he argues his case so passionately and puts forth his credentials over and over again. What he was trying to do was convince the church that his way was the correct way to interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, in light of his specific reading of the Hebrew scriptures. Brother Paul had to work it to convince a group of people (most) of whom he never met. That's why I think Romans is so ballsy-Paul puts it all on the table for people he has never met.
ReplyDeleteBut then that contradicts his advice on only giving corrective wisdom to those you know. I mean, I totally agree that the letter was read by many more people than the people he knew in Rome (for example, me) but from where I'm sitting, it reads like he is writing to his friends. Both the introduction and closing are profoundly personal, calling people by name and being excited about seeing people that he had met in the past.
ReplyDeleteI could be completely wrong though - and if I am - my bad. But if I am, it kinda kills the whole book for me, too...
I'd say Paul really loves the people he is writing to, even if he has never met (most of) them. Remember, Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, and Rome was the capital of the Gentile empire. His whole life is dedicated to preaching the gospel of reconciliation in Christ, trying to bring Jew and Gentile together as one in Christ. The Church in Rome was his ideal church in many ways--it was a place where Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians worshiped and broke bread together. He loves these people, and he is really looking forward to being among them. But he has to be careful in writing this letter--this isn't his Church, he did not found it, he is an outsider. He needs to get Rome on his side---he wants to go to Spain, and he needs the Church of Rome's money to help fund the trip. We know from Acts that he never made, but he did make it to Rome.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't let that ruin the letter for you. Romans is incredibly reach, and incredibly beautiful, it its love and in its theology.