Good Reasoning and Getting Along

Earlier today, I commented on a Facebook post regarding a Christian perspective on environmental concerns. It was a link to a blog post on the Nature Conservancy site and was a wonderful challenge to Christians to take responsibility for the stewardship of the earth.

In my comment, I affirmed the quality of the piece and the Nature Conservancy's willingness to post it. I added my own acknowledgement that many Christians are deeply concerned about the environment and believe that we are called to be good stewards of all creation. I even added a reference to John Wesley's Three Simple Rules, "Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God." It was not long before several other Christians "liked" my comment and went on to post similar concerns about Christian awareness of environmental issues.

I did not think much more about it throughout the day as I spent time with family on the last days of our vacation. When we stopped at the coffee shop a little while ago, I decided to read more of the 150 plus comments on the issue. I was shocked!

Rather than celebrating the awareness, passion and efforts of many in the Christian community, numerous posts were filled with anti-Christian and anti-religion rhetoric. It would seem that only atheists have anything to offer to the environment. One commentator even stated that atheism was thankfully free of the baggage of self-righteous, judgmental attitudes (even as he self-righteously judged all religions in a few short sentences).

I was indeed shocked, not by the anti-Christian attitude (I've become accustomed to that), but rather by the shoddy reasoning and self-negating comments of the people who stand in judgement of the faith. There is no doubt that great evil has been done throughout history in the name of God and by people claiming to belong to God. However, there has also been great good that came from faith in Christ and true followers of him.

People who celebrate their pure scientific understanding and education forget that a great majority of the institutions of higher learning that gave them such understanding were born from the Church's support. Forgotten are the great investments in the arts commissioned by the Church. Lost are the tremendous acts of charity done in the name of Jesus Christ by the religious institution and by countless individual Christians.

The choice to be Christian is just that, a choice, but the selective memory of the past is not, nor are false stereotypes, misinformed comments and poor reasoning. These errors must be avoided by atheists and Christians alike. Just because we want something to be true, does not make it so, no matter how much we wish it, tell it or believe it.

There is room at the human table for all of us and how beautiful it would be if we could all bring our distinctive perspectives to the discussion and our unique abilities to tasks at hand. The Scripture says, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Maybe it is time to focus on working toward the truth together instead of attacking one another.

Just some thoughts from the cafe on Saturday night.

Seeking Order

It seemed like a good day for poetry...

Maybe there are days when you feel like you get in your own way and complicate your journey. I know the feeling well...

I create too many rules
     dreaming of an ordered life
          It is fantasy

Like creations of sand by the ocean side,
     my ideals are fleeting
          carried away by the flow of life

Freedom and truth are two and one
     I am set free by truth, toward truth
          and its freedom.

It's All Easter

Easter Day is over, but the Easter season continues on. Not only are there another 49 days to this year's season, but our lives are shaped by Easter. In the hymn, Easter People Raise Your Voices, the songwriter declares, "Every day to us is Easter with it's resurrection song." Indeed, we are an Easter People with the power of the resurrection singing through us all the time.

It is easy to think of Easter as one day on the calendar, just as it is easy to think of the resurrection as an event that took place nearly two millennia ago. In both cases, such a belief only serves to hide the examples of God's resurrection power from our lives. New life is bursting forth all around us, and not just in the signs of spring. God is alive and the same power that raised Christ from the dead is setting people free from the chains of death that bind them. Jesus really did come to bring freedom to the oppressed and set the captives free.

As we continue our celebration of resurrection in our lives, our families, our communities and the world, we honor not only what God did, but what God is doing even now. We open our eyes to the miracles that surround us and we open ourselves to the possibilities of partnering with God to bring the Easter light to the darkest corners of the world.

Easter is a message the world needs to hear, but even more importantly, it is a reality the world needs to experience. We are greatly blessed by God for salvation has come to us, but our blessing, our salvation, is not ours to hide for ourselves. Like everything that comes from the infinite love of God is was given to be shared.
As Christians, it's all Easter! Receive it! Celebrate it! Live it, and share it! May we be living testimonies to the great things God has done!

Easter blessings, as we journey on the way.