Nick-Names

Did you ever notice that Jesus likes nick-names?  That God loves a good name change?

Simon gets to be Peter "the Rock".  James and John become the "Sons of Thunder."  Can you imagine how cool it would be like to have Jesus who is LORD God Almighty say "Dude, Sons of Thunder, how you doin'?"

Jesus loves nick-names.  

But actually God just knows our identity.  He knows who we are and who we have been created to be.

Peter and Andrew, James and John, Jesus finds both sets of brothers in Galilee learning the family business of fishing.  In Jewish culture this means that they were not the best or the brightest.  The best youths were asked to be followers of various rabbis.  The fact that these four guys were fishermen means they were not picked.  They were not good enough.  Until a different rabbi came along.

I love the verse John 1:42

"He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter)."

Jesus looks at Simon, sees him, knows who he is, and then calls him Cephas.  It's not that Jesus looked at Peter and said "I'm never going to remember a name like Simon so let's call you Peter instead."  Jesus looked at Peter, knew his identity, who the world saw him as, and then called him by the identity that Peter had been created for.  Jesus did not seem Simon the blue-collar fisherman, he saw a pillar upon which his church would be founded and so he called him Peter.  Jesus defined Peter not by his past, education, achievements, but by his God-given future and identity.  Jesus called Peter into true life.

We see this same idea play out in the Old Testament.  Jacob had grown up with the identity of "Deceiver", that was who he was.  Until he wrestled with God.  Then God changed his name to Israel.  Starting from his grandfather (whom God changed from Abram to Abraham) God was creating a people who would be a light to this dark world, a holy nation set apart, and Jacob now Israel was a part of that plan.  God radically changed Jacob's identity.  God also broke his hip because sometimes we have to hit bottom before we allow God to speak over us.  If He has to God will break our hip to change our identity.

What names and nick-names does God have for you?  Who has God declared you to be?

Are we the Empire? Part 3.

In Ancient Rome it was understood that a crucified messiah was a failed messiah.  When Jesus died the Empire thought it had won again.  Little did they know how wrong they were and how revolutionary Jesus was.

While on earth Jesus engaged His culture in profoundly creative and controversial ways.  Jesus rocked the boat of the "blessed".  He challenged the the status quo and opposed Empire everywhere He saw it.  He did all of it in a manner that was not condescending but agitating.  I have heard it aptly said that He "comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable."  Jesus is still agitating and benevolently afflicting today.

And then we have Jesus' death and resurrection, the most revolutionary action ever.  Eternity changed.  Nothing would ever be the same.  He rose again and conquered sin and death.  Jesus engaged the world in a way that was reviving to our souls individually, transforming us back to our true original selves, and inviting us to live in His Kingdom which is entirely alien and revolutionary from our old human ways of living.

We need to rethink everything.  I need to rethink everything.  I need to carefully (and painfully perhaps) allow Holy Spirit to dig through my mind and soul to root out the lies of Empire; I need to question everything I take for granted and compare it to Jesus, and His ways, not to society.  And as I am doing this I need to engage my culture in constructive ways.  We are called to create and reimagine how life is and should be.  And then we need to step out into these ideas, take the plunge into reality.  Naivety is wrong.  New ideas are not sufficient.  Actions must form and flow from these new ideas.

How, when, and where do I spend my money?

How am I called to view all that God has provided me?

How do I invest my money?  Do our investments fuel wars, slavery, and exploitation?

What can I do that will engage my culture and culture’s view of money, luxury, and pleasure?

How am I blessed?  How am I being a blessing?  Is how I am blessed in proportion to how I am a blessing?

As much as I want to fall into cynicism that is not what God has called me to; that is not what Jesus died and rose again for.  Jesus has not given up on humanity.  We are not to called condemn or reject society, but to fight for the people within society.  Jesus has already said we are all worth it by His death.  We are here to save both the oppressed from the brutality and injustice of Empire, and the oppressors from the greed and idolatry of Empire.

What are ways to agitate how we live?  What do we need to give up, give away, or give more of?  How does my spending change?  How do my expectations change?  How can I be more conscious of my place within humanity and God's creation?  Where can I live out the economic principles of the Kingdom and sacrifice?

May our steps be ever more in the ways of Kingdom, and may we never be too content to ask where the lies of Empire still cling to us as we continue walking from death into Life.

Are we the Empire? Part 2.

Is our american way of life worse than I think?  Are we the stronger, mightier, ruthless people who have spread across the world conquering and subjugating any people groups in our wake.  The top 10% of the world account for 85% of the global assests [1] and we are in that “blessed” boat.

Are we the heirs of western imperialism?  How much does this affect my daily life?  If there are people across the globe whose daily existence has been affected by the imperialism of our forefathers does that mean that I am equally affected by it?  I am not oppressed by it, at least I do not feel oppressed, but does that mean I am free from it?  Or does it mean that imperialism’s affects upon me are more subtle and insidious?

Where am I too busy trying to meet frivolous wants and desires that american society tells me are "normal"?  Have I bought into the lies of comfort and entitlement fed to me?  What luxuries do I expect are really absurd in the global context? What "normal" things are not truly "normal" once I step out of my perfect little world?

Why do we outsource and buy foreign products?  Are we living comfortably off the backs of the exploited who are not protected by our laws?  Are we able to buy bigger and less fuel efficient cars, trucks, and suv's because the government subsidizes gasoline prices or because we are simply richer than other people around the world?  Is our abundance/overabundance fueling hedonism in our lives?  If necessity drives innovation does wealth drive complacency/apathy?

Many of the words of the early Church were political words.  Even the word "church" Gk: ekklesia, means assembly or town meeting [2].  The early Church was seen as the establishment of another kingdom, a different kingdom, one that exists parallel to the Empire but is nothing like Empire.

The economy of the Kingdom is not “what can I get”, but “what can I sacrifice.”  Capitalism has nothing to do with this Kingdom (or any other human system in case you are wondering).  “But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  (Mk 10:31) “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Rom 12:10) , etc.

Where am I participating in Empire?  Where are my actions leading to the oppression and exploitation of others both foreign and domestic.  We are blessed to be a blessing.  The question is in what ways am I blessed, in what ways am I a blessing, and is how I am blessed in proportion to how I am a blessing?

Cynicism is not a solution.  It is very tempting at times.  I want to point to all of suburbia around me and say "it's all going to rot and burn", but that is not what Jesus would do.  That is not what Jesus did, it is not what He has called me to do.  His ways are far more consuming and revolutionary than that.

(Part 3 is coming, and will come sooner than this post)

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[1] Davies, James et al.  “Pioneering Study Shows Richest Two Percent Own Half World Wealth”  World Institute for Development Economics Research.  http://www.wider.unu.edu/events/past-events/2006-events/en_GB/05-12-2006/

[2] Claiborne, Shane and Chris Haw. Jesus For President. pg 68.

Are we the Empire? Part 1.

Something that has been troubling me for months is the issue of Empire.  Empire: a political/economic entity or system that controls over a number of territories both "domestic" as well as subjugated "foreign" others (wikitionary).  The Romans were the empire in the Mediterranean in first century AD. Now in our 21^st century global community are we the Empire?

And are we the "Bread and Circus"?  Latin: panem et circenses.[1]  This term is used to describe how the massive population of Ancient Rome was kept content with government provided food and public entertainment.  Everything was fine as long as the system provided for peoples wants.  The system was made possible by oppressive taxation and tributes demanded from conquered regions of the Roman Empire.  The beaten down poor were exploited to provide for the conquering rich.

Back in the day Caesar had his gospel[1] (Gk: euangélion).  He actually had dibs on the word first.  The gospel or “Good news” of Caesar was Pax Romana.

Pax Romana,[1] “Roman Peace”, is a term to describe a period of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire.  No major wars, no major conquests, just the wealthy and entitled living lavishly off of the political and economic oppression of the various provinces.

Are we the new Rome?  Is the world being burdened by Pax Americana?

Does our wealth and our lifestyle as a culture drive us to protect it at all costs and to perpetrate actions in the name of the Empire that are not of the Lord?  Do children bleed in sweatshops so that I can buy nice clothes and drive an suv and be completely ignorant to their cries?

The Lord heard the cries of the Israelites when they were oppressed by Egypt.  Jesus repeatedly identifies with the marginalized and the oppressed.  The question we must ask ourselves is are our actions oppressive?  We are not oppressed.  But are our actions oppressive?  If so, and if the oppressed are crying out, then the Lord is against us and our oppressive Empire.

We say “God bless America” but what if He already has?  What if we have squandered it?  What if God, somehow in His goodness, continues to bless us and we continue to squander it?

To clarify, it's not just America that has this propensity, all of humanity does.  But I am concerned with my actions in my culture.  I will not be so America-centric as to think we are the only ones promoting Empire.

I know I have asked a lot of questions without giving much of a solution.  I'm very much still wrestling with this issue.  It makes me uncomfortable.  But comfortable is the last place I want to be right now.

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[1] Horsley, Richard A. Jesus and Empire pgs 20-34