The Hardness of Our Hearts

The documentary Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State shows various interviews with people who are associated with the death camps and with World War II.  Some of the interviews were with the Nazi SS guards who actually ran the camps.  I was particularly disturbed to hear some of the SS guards who, even as they acknowledged their part in the atrocities that took place at the camp, seemed to express no remorse.  Many of those interviewed spoke of what they did as just being part of the events that were going on.  It was much like listening to someone recount their days at college some 40 years ago.  Whatever "mischief" took place, well, that's just what happens in college.  It seemed to be a kind of "boys will be boys" mentality.  One guard even chuckled as he recounted stealing the valuables of the Jewish people who were being sent into the gas chambers.  

I wondered as these men talked, if there callous attitude even some 50 years later, was true to who these men are.  I wondered, had they really not learned anything in the 50 years since this war ended?  Had they not realized what an horrendous violation of human dignity the holocaust was?  Or perhaps their callousness was merely a coping mechanism?  Perhaps it had become easier to have a cavalier attitude about the whole thing then it was to honestly face what they had been a part of? 

I also wondered, to what degree do we become cold and indifferent to the suffering around us?  To what degree do we "cope" with the suffering by becoming as callous as these men appeared to be?  Even as I believe that most of us find it disgusting that a man would laugh about stealing from Jews going to a gas chamber, I also have to wonder if we  often harden our hearts to those who are suffering in our world because the reality of facing the truth is more then we can bear.  

But let us be clear, that what we cannot bear is not the truth of people suffering for we all live with the knowledge that people suffer.  We know (and if you didn't know this you do now) that nearly 30,000 children die each DAY from preventable causes. Yet what we, if we are honest, cannot bear is our unwillingness to do something about it.  You see, our hearts grow hard toward the suffering of others because we are protecting ourselves and what we our protecting ourselves from is the knowledge that we could do something.  And when we don't, we know it is wrong and it is selfish and no one what's to be thought of as being wrong and selfish.  So we dismiss the suffering.  We dismiss the idea that we can do something about it.  We say the problems are too big and perhaps too far away.  We put it aside and perhaps even promise that we will somehow get involved later.  

So let me say this: Don't let your heart be hardened.  You can do something.  Yes it may hurt.  You may have to sacrifice.  You may not be able to change the world for everyone, but you can change the world for at least someone. Open your heart.

Prayer without Work

To Be Human

I recently saw a documentary titled Kicking It about a soccer tournament in which all of the participants were homeless men.  The organizers of the tournament called the Homeless World Cup had an idea to use the game of soccer to change the lives of the men.  To be honest as I watched the film I kept thinking to myself, "Sure, the men seem to enjoy the game but come on, they are homeless.  What they need is what anyone in such a situation needs: food, shelter, clothing, etc."  I thought this because this is what one who is in poverty need.  Someone in the grips of poverty needs food, not a game.

As the film progress it followed several men who were playing in the tournament.  There were men from Ireland, Afghanistan, Kenya, America, Russian, and some 40 other countries.  One of the men from the Russia team would routinely say, "We must win."  His demeanor was of great determination.  His, "We must win" was always said not so much with a drive for the glory of victory but with the voice of a man in desperation to save his life.  It was as if his life literally depended upon his team winning a simple soccer tournament that most of the world knew nothing about.

So what exactly was it?  Why was it so important to win this soccer tournament?  In the words of the man, "If we win, then we will be human."  You see poverty isn't just about the lack of food, clothing, or shelter.  What poverty ultimately does is strip someone of their belief that they are human.  They are stripped of that because that is how they are most often treated by others.  They are treated, viewed, and often ignored as something less than worthy of our attention; something less than human.

    The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
        but the rich has many friends.
     Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
        but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
                                                 (Proverbs 14:20-21 ESV)

Auschwitz

I started watching this week a documentary titled Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State.  In the first two episodes the documentary looks at the beginnings of Auschwitz and for that matter how the "Final Solution" came to be the Nazi doctrine for the extermination of the Jews.  The film not only looks at the actually planning of the death camp through such things as architectural designs but it explores how people who are basic ordinary people, much like you and I, with families, hopes and dreams and even, dare I say, a sense of ethics and morality, how they become planners, perpetrators, and participants in one of the world's grandest atrocities of all of history. 

The answer seems to lie within the fact that the German people for years before the death camps began were taught that the Jews were less than human.  This seems to be the starting place for the death camps.  Genocide does not begin in the railroad cars going to the camp.  Genocide does not begin with segregating people into ghettos.  Genocide begins with the entertaining of the thought that a person and by association those who share a commonality with that person are less than me.

So how does one prevent genocide?  One would think remembering the holocaust would suffice but history has shown us that genocide continues today.  A panel discussion at the end of episode two of the documentary has a professor who teaches on genocide saying that there really is no way to end genocide.  I was particularly interested in the fact that he said religious morality could not even stop genocide.  I thought about that for a moment and realized that I had to agree.  Religious morality, especially that which is most pervasive in all religions of people trying to be "good" by whatever standard of good their religion requires will not stop genocide.  However, a people, a group of people, a sacred community that embodies Christ, yes, the true Church can and should, at the very least be prepared to lay down their lives to speak to the evil of regarding one group of people or many groups of people as less than themselves.

We must understand, that this is not simply about racial reconciliation or even the recognition of the sanctity of all human life.  This is about the community of believers acting in accordance with the renewing and the transformation of their minds and their hearts to be like that of their Lord and Savior.  This is not about, if the Church will be the Church, then genocide will end.  Truth be told, until the Lord returns, evil will continue to thrive on the face of the earth and evil men will continue to do evil things.  What is being said here is that in the midst of this evil and darkness, it is the Church, this sacred, set apart community, that is to be a light.  A light that reveals the evil, pushes away the darkness, and brings hope and life.

The Church must be the place where no one is considered less and yet everyone considers themselves a servant and not a master.  For in the Church, we count others more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).  These others who we count as more significant must not be just those that are our friends, our families, our neighbors who look like us, talk like us and act like us.  These others who we count as more significant must be those who do not look like us, who do not talk like us, dress like us, act like us, or even like us.  For this is the mind of Christ.  For while we were still sinners (rebellious ones, enemies of the Father, unholy), Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8)

Deliver the Message

A Prayer For Persecution

During a meeting this week with several pastors one pastor was asked to pray. As he prayed he began to pray for our country and for revival. He then said something that I have never heard before in prayer. He prayed that our nation receive persecution. You read that right. He didn't pray that we would be free of persecution but that we would experience persecution. I admit I was a bit shocked at first to hear someone actually pray for persecution. However, after a second to realize that I heard him correctly I found myself saying, "amen." I knew why he had prayed that. I had after all alluded to the truth of his prayer in many sermons. However, I have never been so bold as to actually pray for persecution.

Now you may ask, why would anyone want persecution? The answer is quite simple. History has shown, current status of the Church around the world shows, and the Bible makes clear that persecution refines the Church. For as often as we pray for revival are we also willing to pray for the persecution? Are we willing to pray that we live sacrificially? Are we willing to pray that we be willing to take up our cross? Are we willing to pray for revival if it also means that we pray to no longer live comfortable, safe lives?

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)"

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14 ESV)"

Little River Canyon National Preserve

Unity

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV)

I got an email today from a fellow pastor who stated that his board (I’m purposefully leaving the board generic as to not get tangled up in counsel, staff, trustee, deacon, elder, etc. debate) had recently received an anonymous letter stating that the board needed to “stop worshipping” the pastor and do what is right. Now, I don’t know what the pastor is doing that this cowardly (because he does not give his name) critic believes is wrong but he apparently believes that the board is complicit in this wrong doing.

Let us lay aside what it is that the cowardly critic believes is being done wrong and focus on his claim that the board worships the pastor. Why would he hold to this idea? What is it that causes this cowardly critic to believe that the board worships the pastor? Because we do not know who the cowardly critic is we cannot say for sure why he holds this conviction. Never the less, I’d like to make the following argument:

The cowardly critic believes that the board worships the pastor because the board and the pastor, when presenting to the church a decision that has been reached, do so as a unified body. Note, that this does not say that all the members of the board and the pastor agree on everything. It does say, that once the decision has been made, that they are then unified in presenting that decision to the larger body of the church. Unfortunately, for the cowardly critic, he is under the misguided notion that the board is to act not as a group who works in conjunction with the pastor to deliver a unified vision and direction for the church but rather they are to act as a check on the “power and authority” of the pastor. He believes that the board is there to serve as the “voice of the people” against the crazy, radical notions of the pastor. He expects there to be an adversarial relationship between the board and the pastor. Not only does he expect this, he nearly demands it and when it does not happen his only conclusion is that the board worships the pastor.

It is unfortunate that the cowardly critic cannot see the blessing in having the leadership of the church unified. It is unfortunate that he fails to recognize the Biblical teachings on authority and submission. It is unfortunate that he fails to understand the joy of a church that is unified in its mission and vision. It is sad that he cannot see the difference between a board being united with their pastor versus the board worshipping their pastor. It is sad that he does not see that a church that is unified is one that is most able to bring glory and not dishonor to God.

May we all be unified in bringing glory to God.