Being Good Samaritans

There are quite a few Bible stories that are extremely applicable to our state of affairs these days, but sadly too many seem to either be forgetting or ignoring them.

One of the obvious choices is the parable of the good Samaritan. We Areall know the story from Luke 10. Man tries to get Jesus to define who is neighbor is, and Jesus responds with one of those simple stories that aren’t really that simple. Jesus tells him about this guy who gets beaten up and left for dead, and three people – a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan – all walk by, but only the Samaritan helps. And does he ever help. Takes care of the guy, takes him somewhere safe, pays for his care. It’s the kind of story we seem to water down into a feel-good Hallmark moment, but I’m not convinced that’s exactly what Jesus was going for.

I’ve been thinking about how Jesus could have told the story differently, from a slightly different point of view. He could have had three men beaten on the side of the road, and asked which of the beaten men was his neighbor. That would lead to the “they’re all my neighbor” little happy Kum-Ba-Yah moment of truth.

But Jesus didn’t tell the story that way. He had one beaten man, and three well people – three people capable of helping, three people with the resources to provide assistance.

Jesus doesn’t ask the questioning man or us as modern-day readers to choose our neighbor from among all those who are hurting. And sometimes that seems to be how we retell the story – if someone’s beaten up, they need help, and if we’re good neighbors, we’ll help. Everyone is our neighbor. And that’s a very good message, I would argue a theologically sound one, one we seem to be forgetting these days.

But Jesus framed the story in such a way as to show who the neighbor was not by highlighting who should be helped, but by highlighting who did the helping. And that makes a couple of things stick out at me:

1.) The priorities of the religious and the righteous are not always the same

Do we really let it sink in that those two guys who were religious leaders were the ones who turned their backs? I’m sure they had perfectly logical explanations. They may have feared for their safety. They may have been busy. Perhaps they were saving all their money for some important church project and therefore couldn’t spare to waste resources on that one lowly person, who might not even make it anyway. Perfectly logical, perfectly reasonable – and yet surprisingly, those two religious guys were not the ones who earned the Good Neighbor Award.

In our current times, we need to recognize within our own lives and within our church cultures the ways in which we may be prioritizing religion over righteousness. And we also should not be shocked when we see religious leaders make perfectly logical, reasonable arguments why someone is not our neighbor, and therefore not our problem. Jesus saw it coming, and so should we.

2.) Our resources – or lack thereof – do not dictate our qualifications

We are all qualified to be helpers. Some people on this planet have the financial capabilities do a lot of helping. Some of those people do. Some don’t. But regardless of our resources, we are all qualified, and we are all called to be neighbors.

The Samaritan guy probably didn’t have “inn stay for random stranger” in his monthly budget. His CPR training may have been lapsed. And he certainly didn’t have the religious qualifications of the other two guys. But God put someone is his path, and he stepped up. God is going to put a lot of people in our paths, and He isn’t going to do that to create some feeling of hopelessness and despair. He’s doing it because He wants His people to go to work, trusting He will provide, and acknowledging that all we have is His. As Bruce Larson puts it in a commentary on Luke: “Whatever is mine is God’s and whatever is God’s belongs to my neighbor because my neighbor belongs to Him.”

3.) Categorizing people never works out well

The Samaritan is not supposed to be the good guy. But he is. The religious leaders are supposed to be the good guys. But they’re not.

And how often do we – consciously or not – take it a step further? This is the position “Christians” take, so it’s the good position. This is the position “those other guys” take. It’s the bad position. Not because of Scripture or Jesus, but because we’re the good guys. Right? And the other guys cannot offer anything worthwhile, because they’re them.

Just as something good actually came out of Nazareth, and a good man came out of Samaria, people we’ve labeled and written off may actually be the ones God turns into heroes while the religious people walk blindly past the broken and hurting and into their own irrelevancy.

 

Politician should not be a dirty word

As we’ve watched the political scenario unfold over the past few months, with a surprising conclusion last week, one thing has become apparent to me: Language matters.

When we use terms like marginalized, uneducated, liberal, conservative – terms matter, or more precisely, what someone is trying to say by using the term matters.

And there are terms that we have, to put it nicely, bastardized in ways that are harmful to our political process, and I think it’s time we started watching our language.

Today’s word of choice: politicians. It’s a dirty word in society, associated with self-serving and even crooked behavior. Politicians are lazy. Politicians are criminals (although to be fair, some are). Politicians are the butt of as many jokes as lawyers and used-car salesman.

This connotation sends a powerful message: Politicians are not to be respected. They are not to be trusted. It’s a career no one should aspire to, because it’s only for the crooked and corrupt.

I’m the first to argue that many politicians do engage in behavior worthy of censure. But we need to recognize the office, the ideal of a politician is a lofty one. These are the people who write our laws, make collective decisions. They should be skilled negotiators, listeners and planners. They should be people grounded in ideals but pragmatic enough to recognize that democracy works when we work together, make compromises, and do the best we can with what we have. That should be the standard we hold up, and we shouldn’t denigrate the profession because some are unprofessional.

If we start treating politicians as important public figures, instead of just running to “outsiders”, perhaps we could attract the type of people who belong in political offices in the first place. Maybe if we treat the political profession as respectable, we would help create a culture where politicians act in respectable ways. Because when we imply that politicians are a bunch of scumbags, we shouldn’t be surprised when that’s who we have on the ballot and in our positions of political power.

Wait a second…

I live in Kansas. You know, the state that was supposed to be the laboratory for Republican fiscal policy. The state where Brownback and the Republican legislature slashed business taxes to spur growth.

The state the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia recently touted as the worst state economy in the nation. The state where income projections are off millions. Every. Single. Month.

Yup. That state.

And now it appears we’re going to get the super-sized version of this obviously successful approach. Trump is going to slash business taxes. And slash taxes on the wealthy. Raise taxes on the poor. Lower the income tax deductions on anyone with at least five people in their family. Cut $6.2 trillion dollars in taxes over 10 years, with almost half of that going to the 1%.Lowering estate taxes.

Can’t wait to see how this works out…as if we all can’t see it coming.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Are we there yet?

If Trump wins the presidency, I am absolutely terrified about this country for the next four years.

But the truth is, if Trump wins, I’m also terrified about this country now, about who we are now, if this is who we are holding up as leader, a spokesperson, an example to represent this nation to the world.

Yes, every candidate has flaws. But in all honesty, most of these flaws have to do with them passing policies we don’t like or representing a different position than ours. (It’s funny how the definition of lying also changes based on who is in power, whether it is WMDs in Iraq or email servers.)

But on issues, even sensitive ones like abortion and gay marriage, I hope we can all acknowledge that there are some good, thoughtful people who hold a different view than us, whatever our view is. And thoughtful people can disagree on which policies will achieve desired results.

But can we really not all agree that publicly, repeatedly and unashamedly insulting and maligning people because they are female, or black, or Hispanic, or Muslim, isn’t a political difference but a fundamental problem? If we can’t agree on that, then forget where Trump will take us in the next four years, because we’re already some place pretty terrible.

You can’t fight sin with sin

I hate abortion. But these days, I’m not so crazy about the anti-abortion movement, either.

The recent debacle involving the Center for Medical Progress (ha!) and its video campaign against Planned Parenthood has exposed the depths to which the anti-abortion movement has sunk.

If it was just a matter of a few crazies out there going rogue against the “abortion establishment,” well, that would be one thing. But the recent decision to clear Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing and instead indict the ones making the video has got even the mainstream anti-abortion crowd crying foul.

My Facebook feed is full of articles and links about the poor “martyrs” from CMP. Yup, the ones that lied, obtained fake driver’s licenses, and heavily edited a video to show something was going on that wasn’t actually going on.

These people are not martyrs, victims, or even whistleblowers. (Whistleblowers expose illegal activity that is being covered up. These people exposed activity that was neither illegal nor covert.)

They are hoaxsters, fraudsters, manipulators, and liars. And when the anti-abortion movement holds these people up as heroes, we have a problem.

Abortion is a complex issue, and one that people feel very passionate about, on both sides of the issue. Addressing those issues and further reducing abortion calls for constructive dialog, compassion, and creative solutions. We’re going to have to – gasp! – work with pro-choice people to come up with ways to reduce reliance on abortion and support women.

But if we’ve abandoned our integrity before we ever get to the table, those conversations can’t happen. If there’s no trust, there can’t be cooperation.

When we spend time passing bills to “protect women’s health” that are really just all-out efforts to shut down abortion clinics, nobody is fooled. When we fudge the truth and employ guerilla “gotcha” tactics, we get nowhere. Everybody knows what’s going on, and we look like people willing to lie to get what we want.

I can almost hear the protests. “They’re the ones killing babies. We have to do whatever it takes to stop this abomination.” I get the passion and the frustration, but Jesus never condones fighting sin with sin. Jesus spoke hard, unpopular truth – but it was always the pure and simple truth, not some carefully crafted manipulative version.

We are called to follow Christ in radical obedience, not obtain results no matter the cost. There are no caveats. We live as we are called to live, as people of integrity and truth, and we trust that God will work through our obedience.

 

 

 

 

Warning: labels

It’s all about the demographics these days.

With the election season, it’s easy to break people down into groups. Whites. Latinos. Blacks. Seniors. Millenials. Baby boomers. Those ages 18-21 support this. A majority of Republicans agree with this. Democrats are more likely to to be opposed to that.

Labels and categories are part of the human mind. We compartmentalize and sort and try to make sense of the world around us. It’s natural and normal and sometimes even useful.

But sometimes, sometimes when we ascribe labels, it’s because we have an image of people or a group of people, a stereotype that isn’t factual, and that certainly isn’t fair.

Muslims. Refugees. Welfare recipients. Gun owners. Activists. Democrats. Republicans.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, there are a number of lessons, and I think one of the important ones is this: until we abandon our earthly labels, we cannot see people as Christ sees them. The priest label meant he would surely help. But he didn’t. The Samaritan label meant he wouldn’t help. But he did. The Jew label meant the Samaritan should hate him. But he didn’t.

The point of the Good Samaritan isn’t necessarily that all Samaritans were good. There may have been some bad apples. Some low-lifes. Maybe even some Samaritan terrorists.

But there was a Good Samaritan. There was, among a group of people easily dismissed and marginalized, there was one who was not only good to his friends, but to his supposed enemies.

Just as good came from Nazareth and good came a from lowly manger and  a lowly babe, good comes from all sorts of places when we open our eyes and truly see.

Yes, labels are natural, and they are easy, but they can be dangerous. Dangerous, if we reduce people to these labels and fail to see the whole person. Dangerous, if they become excuses for indifference or contempt. Dangerous, if we dismiss entire groups of people as less than, less deserving, less worthy.

Because when we paint with broad strokes, we cover over and obscure those things Christ calls us to recognize in every person – dignity, humanity and the very image of Him.

Ten election reminders for God’s children

Now that we are actually in 2016 and not just talking about 2016, it’s all about the presidential election. As a Christian voter, I have decided there are a few basic reminders, parameters if you will, to keep in mind during the ensuing election season.

1. Jesus is not running for president. 

2. Neither is the Devil.

3. Jesus loves Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, agnostics, atheists, political activists, lobbyists, pollsters, hipsters, millenials, baby boomers, the head of Planned Parenthood, militiamen, and every single presidential candidate. All of them. 

 4. We have had forgettable presidents, memorable presidents, Democratic presidents, Republican presidents, even some crazy Whig presidents. The country has survived all of them. It’s going to be okay.

5. Our crystal balls are defective. We have no idea what natural disasters, wars, economic recessions or other game-changers are on the horizon during the 45th president’s tenure. What they say about one or two issues during the campaign may not matter so much a year from now, because issues and circumstances change. 

 6. The Republican vs. Democrat war is really a made-up construct. Fear and hate work great for candidates looking for donations and votes. They don’t work out so well for the rest of us. We’re not on polar opposites of some imaginary spectrum. We’re all humans, all Americans. Yes, we have differing ideas on how things should go and run and look, but at the end of the day, we have a lot in common. Let’s focus on that.

7. Jesus was pretty a-political. He worked within the existing framework – you know, that “give to Caesar” stuff. That’s not to say we can’t be active in politics as Christians. But no government, law or court is going to establish a Christian kingdom on earth. Jesus made it pretty clear that’s not the goal, anyway.

8. No matter who is in office, or what laws are on the books, our mission doesn’t change. Again, look to Jesus. He wasn’t trying to overthrow or impeach anybody, and He worried about changing lives, not laws. We can rewrite every law of the land to reflect “Christian values and morals” and still have absolutely no Kingdom impact. We can’t legislate people into heaven.

9. We are not a people of fear. We know how everything comes out in the end. We know this is all temporary, that the things that ultimately matter are not on the ballot. Faith, hope and love remain forever. There is no law that can stand against love, joy,peace, patience, kindness and other fruits of the Spirit. We don’t have to be excited about any presidential candidate, but we have every hope for the future.

10. God has a plan. He has used evil kings, just rulers, indecisive Pharoahs and yes, even women, in His plans for His glory. He’s got this.

What’s your solution?

  
I don’t like Obamacare. The problem with health insurance and health care costs is that they’ve spiraled out of control. You shouldn’t need insurance just to go to the doctor or have a test or two done. It should be for serious and catastrophic situations.

All Obamacare does is address the symptom – the fact that we can’t afford even basic health care without insurance. It doesn’t address the ridiculous costs of health care that are the root problem. 

BUT at least it addresses a symptom. At least it acknowledges that health care costs are a huge problems for lots of Americans. You want to gut it? Fine. What’s your solution?

I don’t like Planned Parenthood. I don’t like abortion. I believe it speaks well of a society when we are willing to discard our most vulnerable. And even though federal money doesn’t go to abortion, when federal dollars fund other services, it helps keep them in business.

BUT as abortion numbers decline, I think we can all admit that education and contraception access have played a role in that. And Planned Parenthood plays a role in education and contraception access. I believe that other entities (such as health departments) can effectively meet those needs, but let’s make sure those needs truly are met before we throw the baby out with the bath water. Let’s not just take away Planned Parenthood and leave a giant void that creates more demand for abortion and for unsafe abortions. You want to gut Planned Parenthood? What’s your solution?

Can’t we all just get along? Or at least make some progress?

Being a politician should be about finding solutions, working with those who have good ideas, brokering smart compromises, moving the country forward. 

Today, it seems as if we judge a politician’s success based on whether they hold fast to their ideology, not whether they actually accomplish anything. Anyone can have ideas. Anyone can loudly proclaim them. I’m looking for leaders with solutions, leaders who will move this country forward. 

And I’m looking for leaders who are willing to find solutions no matter which side of the aisle they come from. When one party does one thing, the other immediately decries it as the downfall of America. Then the other party comes to power, the pendulum swings, and the process repeats. 

Democrats and Republicans are only “opposites” because we’ve decided they are. Yes, there are fundamental differences between how the two parties approach government. But there are also fundamental agreements if both parties could actually have a civil conversation and do the hard work of finding middle ground. 

Compromise doesn’t tend to garner votes or donations. Willingness to acknowledge and embrace good ideas regardless of party affiliation isn’t a stellar campaign strategy. And that’s our fault. We get what we vote for. We have politicians with strong ideas who refuse to bend. We have platforms and party lines. What we don’t have is progress.