A letter to The Current

I caught an interesting discussion on CBC Radio One's The Current last week and after hearing the comments of the guest I found myself thinking about a particular observation that he shared. Below is a letter that I wrote with regards to that particular comment:

This morning I was pleased to be able to hear your conversation with Reverend Kapya Kaoma. It was a fascinating discussion providing much food for thought. After hearing his thoughtful observations and opinions there was one comment to which I felt compelled to respond. In one of his comments, your guest made the suggestion that religion leads people to “look down their noses” at others in a judgmental and self righteous manner. If one follows this logic, then one can easily see that religion could be very divisive, confrontational and be a cause of conflict. Unfortunately, far too often this has been a reality and history bears evidence of Reverend Kaoma’s observation. It is here, however, that I felt compelled to add the thought that when this is or has been the case with those who would call themselves “Christian,” it represents a gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the Christian faith. At the heart of it, faith in Jesus begins with accepting the fact I am not perfect but sinful. It is followed by the recognition that I cannot fix the problem on my own but that I need a Saviour. Salvation in Jesus has nothing to do with what I can do for myself but rather what Jesus did for me and thus is no premise for self righteousness. When admitting that I am not perfect and cannot fix the problem on my own somehow leads me to be self righteous and judgmental then it can only be seen as a gross perversion of faith in Jesus. A true understanding of grace will lead to humility. This does not mean, of course, that followers of Jesus can never disagree with others or have convictions about what is right or wrong but it will be done so with respect and humility. There is no room for self righteousness if one is truly following Jesus.
Jesus offered this invitation: “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) We are invited to come and learn about who Jesus is, what he has done for us and offers us and what he wants to do through us. One might then live in imitation of him, who by his very own admission, was gentle and humble. When and if the actions and attitude of one who claims to follow Jesus are not similarly gentle and humble then they cannot truly claim to be following him well.
Of course those in the church are not perfect and thus we have and will continue to make mistakes and only represent Jesus imperfectly. But even so, as one strives for an honest faith in Jesus, it will not lead one to “look down their nose” at others and thus I would humbly suggest that the Reverend’s observation about religion in general could be qualified.

Well, those were my thoughts. I would love to hear some of your thoughts.

A Day with Children's Miracle Network and ReMax

Yesterday we spent the day with some great people from the Children's Miracle Network. They raise money for children's hospitals across the country. We were invited, with our son, to attend an event with 6 other amazing children who have been helped by these hospitals. Remax is one big supporter of the Children's Miracle Network, and these seven children were invited to participate the annual ReMax Kick Start convention. The ReMax team invited them to be a part of a parade of heroes in which they were led through the convention by two time Olympic gold medalist Sammy Joe Small (goalie for women's hockey), they were taken on stage to receive a gold medal and then were paraded to the exhibition hall were they had a booth and could sign autographs in a pre-printed glossy booklet that told each of their amazing stories. This part of the event was to try to bring a human element - a story, a face, and a name - to the charity that many of the real estate agents support. As you read the stories of the kids, even we the parents who have walked with our child through one of the stories, cannot help but be amazed and in awe of what others have faced.
There was one agent who came by to have his book signed by each of the children who most caught my attention. He took time with each of the kids, kneeling down to speak with them, taking notes beside their picture in the booklet as they shared about themselves. Liam would thank everyone who came by for supporting the cause, but this man thanked Liam. He expressed his hope that Liam would be a reminder to everyone at the convention that what they do (as real estate agents) didn't really matter, that there was a world outside of their business and far more pressing concerns in the world around them. In his own words he expressed that these kids were a great reminder that our occupations and making money can be a useful means to an end, but there are far more important things in life. As this agent took notes in his booklet, he told Liam that he was taking the book home and that he would read one story a night to his children. What a great lesson.
After reflecting on all this agent had to share, it was the idea of teaching his children that had me thinking. It reminded me of the scripture which says "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)" Our aim should be to help our children see the world through a biblical world view and through the lens of faith. More than just going to Sunday school, learning bible stories or even how to read the bible we can aim to teach them to apply what they learn as they look at the world around them. It means taking a close hard look at the realities around them. When there is beauty, to recognize beauty, when there is brokenness to see the brokenness and in everything to respond in the way that our loving, compassionate, God would have us to respond.
I honestly don't know if the agent about whom I have been sharing is a man of faith. I don't know what he will discuss with his children, but it has got me thinking. I am thinking about what I can share with mine children, about how Jesus would have us respond to such things and how to help them see it and respond. In a week where I have had the opportunity to read incredible stories of struggle from the kids we met, and to also see such devastation from Haiti it has been a great reminder to me.

The Brain that Changes Itself - Norman Doidge, M.D.

I just finished reading a great book entitled The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D. It is a fascinating look at ongoing discoveries about brain plasticity, or how the structure and function of our brains can be changed by our thoughts. The person who gave it to me wrote in the cover that he "found this to be a really interesting, informative, and strangely entertaining book about the noggin" with which I wholeheartedly agree. The topic is fascinating and the writer does a masterful job of weaving both informed scientific analysis and fact with warm anecdotes of leading scientists and the patience whose lives have been transformed. So where does the devotional aspect come in? I found myself thinking about two different things.
Firstly, there is the obvious response if you believe in God as the creator, who, with love and intention created all things. One cannot help but respond with wonder at how truly amazing God is to have created such an astonishingly complex and fascinating thing as the human brain.
Secondly, I found myself fascinated by a chapter entitled Acquiring Tastes and Loves - what neuroplasticity teaches us about sexual attraction and love. In this chapter there is an incredible discussion about - of all things - pornography. It was enlightening to read, from a scientific point of view, how pornography actually changes the brain and why it can be so destructive. Keep in mind this is not a "Christian" book and so I was quite taken aback to see this section. Here is a sample of what it says:

"Pornography seems, at first glance, to be a purely instinctual matter: sexually explicit pictures trigger instinctual responses, which are the product of millions of years of evolution. But if that were true, pornography would be unchanging. The same triggers, body parts and their proportions, that appealed to our ancestors would excite us. That is what pornographers would have us believe, for they claim they are battling sexual repression, taboo, and fear and that their goal is to liberate the natural, pent-up sexual instincts."

The chapter goes on to describe how pornographic content has had to change and become even more graphic and violent in order deal with the tolerances that develop in the audience. It discusses how pornography can lead to a very real addiction and the very real changes to the brain that can occur. Pornography can literally change our brains!
It was as I was reading this that I was again reminded that what we read in scripture is true and trustworthy. God does have our best in mind and thus gives us instruction accordingly. We can look at the words of Jesus where we see sexual immorality included in a list of evil things (Matthew 15:19). Interestingly the Greek word translated as "sexual immorality" is the root word from where we get our English "pornography." We can look back from Jesus into the Old Testament and look forward into the rest of the New Testament and see a consistent warning against such things. It is amazing to think that all these years latter, despite what numerous people have been saying for years, the bible continues to be proven correct. My first response to this chapter was "see, the bible is right" (read with an "I told you so" judgmental voice for which I repented.) That was followed by the more reflective and far more profound "wow, it really is true." I was astounded again, thankful and amazed. God is good, His word is good and we can count on it for trustworthy guidance and insights.
So that was a part of my experience reading "The Brain that Changes Itself". If you see it consider picking it up. It is a fascinating book that was interestingly, although unintentionally, spiritual for me.

Courageous - by Michael Healey

In daring to delve into the uncomfortable realities of what life looks like when, the rights and freedoms of different individuals collide, and doing so with a work that's structure itself dares to defy convention, Michael Healey's new play lives up to its own title - Courageous. He tackles the subject of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a refreshingly direct, sometimes serious, sometimes quirky but always challenging way. Of course I am not a theatre critic and since my brother has a leading role in the play I could hardly be unbiased, so this is not a review. But religious freedoms being one of the rights and freedoms thrown into the mix there were many things that got me thinking and one scene in particular that I thought I could share some thoughts about.
I have to say that I was expecting to see the stereotypical caricature of a person of faith that I have become so used to seeing. I was expecting the shallow underdeveloped representation that so many writers are not just willing to settle for, but seem happy to promote. I did not find that character in this play. Instead there was an attempt to show multifaceted characters from different angles, scratching below the surface to bring an honest presentation of complex people. This applied to the "christian" characters as well. There was one scene, however, that I was most fascinated by, one in which some amazing things were said but in the end revealed the extent to which Christianity is still misunderstood.
In a scene where a character is discussing and defending his faith, he makes the statement that there is a difference between his being "Catholic" and his being "Christian" and that you could summarize the content of what it means to be Christian on a cocktail napkin. As I was hearing this I was quite surprised and found my self thinking, "Wow, he might actually get it...I can't believe it." Unfortunately, what followed was some line about not killing each other, a vague reference to just living out the basic ethical imperatives of the Ten Commandments. It was the beginning of an important insight that just didn't quite get there. Of course the character in this scene was Catholic, and I recognize I am coming from a evangelical, protestant position which may be part of why the character and I would have a different response at this point. But I still honesty believe that there is a difference between just doing good and living ethically and what it means to be a christian at a foundational level.
There is a scene in Matthew 11 in which Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people who new what it was like to live under an oppressive religious system in which your spiritual state was dependent upon how well you lived out ethical imperatives including the Ten Commandments. To these people Jesus would offer this invitation: "Come to me all who a weary and burdened and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) Jesus himself suggests that just trying to live a good enough life is an exhausting burden, leading one to need rest, and thus offers something different.
In the gospel of John Jesus says that God "so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jesus), that whoever should believe in Him might not perish but have eternal life." At the heart of Christianity is the person of Jesus and belief in Him - who He is and what He did for us.
In a letter to a church in the city of Corinth, the apostle Paul wrote: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures...(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)." This is the heart of the gospel, the good news. This is what Jesus has done for us and is at the heart of faith in Jesus. If I were to write what it means to be a Christian on a cocktail napkin it might go something like this:

- admit I am not perfect and my relationship with God is affected. (Sin)
- admit I cannot fix it on my own. (need a Saviour)
- Jesus took the punishment that I deserved on the cross. (Substitute)
- I am forgiven and my relationship with God is restored. (Grace and Reconciliation)
- Jesus' resurrection demonstrated that he conquered sin and death and thus I have hope that I too am forgiven, will be resurrected, and have eternal life. (Hope)

Christianity is thus focused on the person of Jesus Christ and it is belief in what He did for me. It is not primarily about what I do, but what Jesus did for me. Everything else, including the way I live my life etc. is done in response to Jesus and what He has done for me. We may have rules or standards that we aim for, and that our faith calls for, but again they are in response to Jesus and Jesus then equips and empowers us to accomplish what he asks of us.

The play has got me thinking about how what it means to be a follower of Jesus is so misunderstood by the culture around me. I am also asking why is this the case? Are there things that we followers are not doing to better communicate? Are there things that we are doing to communicate the wrong ideas? I am asking and praying about what I should do with the insights that I have gained.

Courageous opens January 6th at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.
(And just as a warning - it has got some harsh subject matter and even harsher language so take that into consideration.)