I recently read an article from a well-known Christian figure who was exploring the issue of gays in the military and announcing his views. While I think we should talk through issues, I do not understand why some feel like they must announce their “stand” on big issues to the world? For example, some denominations and pastors have made very public statements about their official belief about homosexuality, abortion, or political rights and lefts.

What does that accomplish?

Instead of bringing people together and creating an environment of authentic exchange, it polarizes people. If drawing a line in the sand is the most important priority, then we are in the business of deciding who is in and who is out of the club. While this creates a strong sense of security among those who make the cut, it also fosters an elitist ethic, or even hostility toward those who are considered outsiders.

Once we experience the comforts of elitism, it doesn’t take long to convince ourselves that our religious aristocracy is endorsed by God. Ironically, this weakens our ability to demonstrate the love of Christ. The thicker we draw our moral lines, the more difficult it is to cross over and share an amiable conversation with those on the other side.

The most damaging result of our moral proclamations to the world is the dangerous potential to distort the gospel from a balm for healing into a weapon for punishment. I don’t mean to say that every preacher who calls abortion a sin is doing this, but ask these questions next time you hear a sermon on any hot moral topic:

Did I walk away with a stronger love for people, no matter how far they’ve walked away from God?

If I compared this to the story of Jesus, the Pharisees, and the woman caught in adultery, who did it sound more like? The Pharisees, prepared to strike her with stones? Or Jesus’ way of protecting her and telling her that she could free of the things that enslaved her?

Perhaps we should rethink how we talk about these issues.

For example, would you talk the same way about homosexuality in a small group which included a young man who was gay but also said that he was a Christian? Would you speak with the same tone? Would you use the same figures of speech if he were sitting right in front of you?

If you sat in a small group which included a single mom who is going to have health insurance for the first rime due to the recent health care bill, would you talk about it in the same way? Would you villanize all those who wanted those bill to pass?

What if you sat in a small group which included a 19-year old who decided on an abortion after getting pregnant and has agonized over the decision she made for the last two years? Would you “make a stand” in that setting?

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, Paul tells those at the church in Corinth that when he came to them, he “decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” No lofty, moral argument would supplant the principal message of Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection.

Yes, there are major moral implications inherent in our faith in Christ, and we are to continually struggle through the difficult questions that come with no easy answers. However, our primary call as the community of Christ-followers is not to make public moral announcements about where we stand. The most important commandment is to love, and when we obey that call, we will begin “making disciples.”

Today is the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and The Pentagon. The frustration that a lot of people are expressing about the war in Iraq might cloud our ability for a personal remembrance today.

Respects are due to those 3018 who lost their lives that day, along with the families who were impacted.

Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, accepted the invitation to offer the closing prayer at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.  Some are upset that Donald Miller prayed.  No, wait…  I’m mean they are upset that he prayed in the presence of their enemies.  It will now become necessary for many to exclude Miller from their PLBLs (Portable Lamb’s Book of Life) because their paradigm cannot allow for a truly Christian prayer at an event where Democrats [shudder] are present.

Before throwing out any bathwater that still has a baby in it, read and listen first.  Then draw your conclusions (always the preferable order of things).

Here is the text of his prayer and a short interview with him from Christianity Today for your consideration:

Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen.

Your thoughts?  Your comments are welcome below…

I’m sitting near the magazine section at Border’s Bookstore right now and I’m noticing how important it is to be liked by a large numbers of people who don’t really know you. It’s not important in any real sense, but in the world of magazines, entertainment and politics it is very important.

I have a few friends who say that they have already decided on who they are voting for in November’s presidential election. When I dig a little deeper to find out why, I discover that they simply “like” one candidate more than another.

A survey I recently heard about asked which candidate would be more enjoyable to hang out with at a bar-b-que. What a ridiculous question! When voting for a person to be the new leader of the most powerful free country on Earth, it is important to have more reason than the question of who would be nicer to hang out with on July Fourth.

This won’t be the first time our country has turned the presidential election into a likeability contest and it won’t be the last. Perhaps we could begin to turn the tide by examining what we believe about how our country was founded and how it should run. Likeability contests are fine in high school, but for a presidential election they just won’t cut it.

(For the record, I’m not sure I “like” either of the two major candidates.)

whether it be Barack Obama or John McCain

The global average temperature is about 1° Fahrenheit higher than it was a century ago. This one degree has caused a lot of fuss, including one of my least favorite vice presidents, Al Gore, winning a share of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The fuss isn’t all bad. I may disagree with the way that Al Gore wants to turn around our pollution problems, but I am glad for the new awareness that has been born from all the hoopla he has created. Unfortunately, many Christians are unable to get past the politics to see the need to take responsibility in caring for creation.

I have lost count of the number of conversations where I thought the topic was our responsibility to care for creation, but within a couple of minutes, we are talking about politics and global warming. Is it possible to have good dialogue with a Christian about the environment without changing the subject to how bad Al Gore and the Democrats are? I don’t want to talk about how to clean up Al Gore, I want to talk about how to clean up our environment. I want to talk about the small steps that I can take to contribute to a larger community of effort. That discussion has nothing to do with politics.

When it comes to the politics of this discussion, I recognize that there are a lot of dollars at stake in the federal government. There is a lot to debate when it comes to the government’s role in keeping clean the air, water, and land of the brave. However, I think it would benefit us to separate the two issues, so that personal responsibility doesn’t get lost in a debate over where to draw political lines.

*This post is a part of Blog Action Day.