Grinchin Again…

"Just like the Grinch, some part of everyone hates Christmas." Chuck Jones - director of the original cartoon rendition of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - uttered these words as he spoke of the appeal of the Grinch in the children's classic. I have to admit, for an instant I shuttered at the statement.

I mean think about all the stuff that happens this time of year. Temperatures drop and snow falls. Holiday lights go up and Christmas music is on every radio station 24/7. Every two-year-olds favorite refrain is "that's mine!!!" People get trampled to death in Walmart or shot in Toys R Us. It's the most wonderful time of the year… OK, maybe I can't fault Jones for holding that perspective.

The fact is the older I have gotten the more I do see parts of Christmas I hate. Some people are enthralled with the gift giving thing, or may be more so the gift getting thing. Others love the symbols and the traditions. Even others love the time off with (or in some cases not with) family. All these are good, but the fact remains that with each and every Christmas that passes I’ve become more disenchanted with the way we celebrate this season.

So many things have tainted my perspective about this holiday. I feel more pressured during this time of year than any other. You know what I am talking about. It’s the pressure to buy presents for people because I don’t want to be rude, rather than because I want to. It’s the pressure to somehow fit all these guilt induced presents into my ever reduced budget. It’s the pressure to somehow have my house look as obnoxious as the other houses on the block because Christmas lights are the measure of a man. If I don’t stop listing things now I think I might crawl up into fetal position and suck my thumb.

Anyway, as I look at all the stuff that pressures me to hate the season and give up on it completely, something in my soul cries out. As a man who follows after Christ, I am humbled. In this moment I realize that this moment is the very reason that this pressure induced season disturbs the masses – myself included. So much of what Christians celebrate is that God the Son became a man to save humanity from the eternal consequence of our sin. And while it is true He came to save us from hell, He came for another reason all together.

If I am saved from something it means I have been saved for something. You see, the fact that I am saved from hell is a bonus; it’s not the greatest reward. I have been saved for Christ. He has saved me, but that isn’t even the most scandalous reality. He didn’t just save me this one time for keeps throughout eternity; He is progressively saving more of my soul each day to live His life to fulfill His purposes for His glory.

So in this moment I can’t help but whisper to the God who took on flesh, “Lord, in the midst of all my ‘grinchin’ I pray save me once again. Save me from myself and the darkness of hell - which I find by the way I do not choose You my every moment. Save me to Yourself by Your workings, past and present, for Your glory. In Your name...”

Just a Thought: An Election Reflection

I know it has been a while since the presidential election has taken place, but the fact is for many it is still a topic of discussion. (Actually, I think I have thought about it more now than I did prior, which I didn’t think was possible.) Talk-show pundits project/predict the ramifications the new regime will have on the economy. The public bickers and/or banters about how momentous a moment this is in our history because for the first time a non-white (ok, at least half non-white) male has been elected to be the leader of this country. I have even heard pastors/preachers proclaim from the pulpit that even though Obama is the “appointed” leader for the next season of our country’s history, he is not necessarily the “anointed” leader.

These are all interesting realities, but it is this last one that has caused me to reflect on this election. Because of this and similar perspectives I have noticed a chasm growing between people who call themselves followers of Christ. It seems that there has been a line drawn in the sand. I have seen notes posted on sites like Facebook entitled “to my Evangelical friends” or “to Christians”. Some of these writers seemed hurt and astonished by the attitudes displayed by those who follow Christ. Whereas others give off the vibe as though they were better than their readers; because they were too holy to vote for Obama or just “edgy” enough to vote for him. No matter which side of the line you choose to stand the fact is the line is still there.

I think this division haunts me and causes me to ask the question “where is a Christ follower supposed to stand?”

The more I look at the way I look at leaders I confess I am not sure I have the best perspective. I have enough baggage with past leaders to realize that my view has been tainted, sullied, and skewed. I do what is necessary to protect myself, and my interests, so that the least amount of damage is done to my situation as possible. But the fact is I don’t necessarily think that is the perspective I am supposed to have.

When I was trying to figure out what God expected of the kings of Israel in the Old Testament I was surprised to see how simple He made it. (I know that comparing the kings of Israel – including Judah – to the presidency doesn’t correlate perfectly, but the fact is this was the most suitable Biblical comparison I see. So, please keep this caveat in mind as I move forward.) Scholars much smarter than I have concluded that when God judged these kings He graded them based on two main criteria – the justice with which he ruled the people of the land and the righteousness with which he walked before God. (This “righteousness” included restoring the proper worship of Yahweh to the temple and destroying the “high places”). Even though this may seem like obvious criteria – this is very reminiscent of the love God/love people motif Jesus modeled - it seems the kings of Israel had issues making the grade. Only 8 kings after Solomon were deemed “good” in Judah and Israel when their lives were over. That’s 8 of 39 kings, and not all 8 of those were “fully” good kings. I’m not a math guy but I know enough to say that ratio doesn’t inspire any delusions of grandeur let alone much real hope.

With these basic criteria of justice for the people and righteousness with God established as the basis of my refined perspective, I have to say that I don’t know where Obama will rank in either. I know what he has said about a lot of things and how he has voted in the past. Actually, I dig some of his positions on social/economic issues; while some his of other positions I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. This is where conviction falls upon my head.

You see if this criteria is what matters, then it honestly doesn’t matter anymore whether I agree with him. It doesn’t matter whether I did or didn’t vote for him. It doesn’t matter that some may or may not like him solely because he’s not fully white. It doesn’t matter that you like or do not like him because you think he’s a closet socialist. It doesn’t matter whether we like or do not like him because of his stance on abortion. From this point on - for the sake of his own soul, the good of this nation, and the glory of God - what matters is that he leads in justice and with righteousness.

Don’t get me wrong, it mattered what we thought and felt about his leadership and track record during the season of voting. It mattered that we sought out and stood in accordance with God’s heart on the issues. But for us who are the Church to now stand on either side of this growing divide and ridicule each other and/or denigrate the president-elect is not an option that is beneficial.

So, in this moment my understanding of what matters deepens a bit more. The way God judged leadership is different than the way I have judged it in the past. The more I begin to see the weight of life, love, and leadership from the lens of justice for people and righteousness with God I stand undone. Who could stand?

In light of this I am seeing a response that I need to embrace for the sake of my soul, the good of this nation, and the glory of God. The only worthy response I see is prayer. I confess, I have not been one to pray for the president on a consistent basis. It was just never my bag. But now that I am accountable to what I see, I am compelled to commit to this response.

As I said the question before me is “where is a follower of Christ to stand?” Now the answer is clichéd but appropriate. I am to “stand on my knees.” So, this is my simple prayer for the president elect as he endeavors to lead this nation. “Lord have mercy on this man. Tutor his heart to walk in righteousness with You that Your justice may be known in our day. In our time make this known, in Jesus name…”