Knock it Off--Week 4

When you hear these 2 words "attractive people" what comes to mind? If you're like me right away their beautiful physical looks comes to mind. When I was asked to write a blog about attractive people I thought what!? But then I read a little more into the concept of what they were talking about. The word attractive means to
(of a thing) pleasing or appealing to the senses.

"an attractive home"

(of a person) appealing to look at; sexually alluring.
"an attractive, charismatic man"

Similar:, good-looking, nice-looking, beautiful, pretty, as pretty as a picture, handsome, lovely, gorgeous, captivating, irresistible, sexy, sexually attractive, alluring, desirable, sensual.

My avenue of thought is geared towards being attractive for Jesus' sake. People whose efforts present Jesus to the world through their lives.


Attract to make others want to be near you or around you because of your life. God designed in the animal Kingdom pheromones that attract the opposite sex. We mimic those with perfumes and body washes and fragrance and things that attract by smell. Hollywood attracts its audience with movie trailers and advertisements for what they created, teasers to make us want to see the movie. In health, does the person that is physically fit, seemingly happy, and tan, attract you to the gym or the diet table to become fit? Or is it the one who holds up the pants that used to be 10 sizes bigger than they are now, and they stand victorious over what once held them captive?

Which makes them more attractive? 

So let's turn this thought process towards christians. What do christians do to make themselves attractive to draw people to what they believe? It's odd that this subject came up for me at the time that it did, my friend and I were talking about who the most attractive people were in our lives and the lives of our friends when we were not Christ followers by action. We believed but were not living the life. I was really surprised to hear both of us answer the same thing. Ready, drumroll... 

It was the mormon church and its members who seemingly came to the rescue and were there to be the shoulder to cry on. It was them that paid the bills and put our friends up in a house, and then came to check on us or our friends. Or came to visit and nurture a battered wife whom they didn't know. It was them that offered to go buy my groceries when my back was out or when I was down. The Mormon visitors offered to do my laundry or mow the grass, and they were complete strangers off the street-very beautiful, very attractive I must say. They were amazing until it turned to conversations about faith and our differing views of who Jesus is. I must say though they changed my view of how to treat Mankind.


Clearly now in my life, the Christians I know do these things for people, they just never did them for me when I was unsettled about my faith. I've known a lot of people who went the opposite direction when I was in need, they didn't want to get involved in the things that were messy or painful, or unpleasant, or that would cost them something and that sent me a terrible message. I learned through applying the directions in the Word of God to my life that I loved mankind better and better. And it gained me an audience with them because of it.

Lets look at what Jesus did when he saw the unpleasant messy painful circumstances of peoples lives. Well He fed them, He presented to them hope, He told them the truth, he comforted them with words and with touch, He didn't turn the children away even when the disciples said to send them away. He didn't turn away the people that were crying out even when the disciple said tell them to be quiet.

He spent time with them like the woman at the well, you know the one that was there at noon so she didn't have to see the other women who were there early in the morning?He stayed three days in her city with her and her family as a guest. What do you suppose he did and said for those three days? We're not told. He took his entourage of men some 30 miles away from home, further than most of them had ever been, to visit a woman who was not a Jew (the dog) and listened to her cries and then healed her daughter from the demon that possessed her. What he also did  was acknowledge and upheld her faith by his listening to her outcry.

He called out to Zacheus an undesirable Jewish man who was a tax collector and was disliked by the populous, that he wanted to come spend time in his house with him despite the popular vote. And when he could not do it himself, he sent others in his name to accomplish the tasks and support the people.

Jesus was devoted to the temple. He went there to worship God and to teach and when he went to other cities he visited their synagogues while he was there. He devoted 3 years to 12 men and he was noted for having the practice of getting away to be with God and spend time alone with him. He gave instruction how to live life and not sin, how to please God and rely on him. He would tell them things like:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:7‭-‬12 NIV

So what do you consider to be attractive beautiful people? 

Are you yourself part of that group?

Or are you left wanting to be the receiver of beautiful attractive people who will come love on you?

So many questions, right? 

I guess the bottom line is ...If we live by example as we are called to do, then I must say who we are using as our example matters greatly. We don't want to be fake but authentic in our outward appearance because of the work done on the inward parts of our lives.

The Saints of the Bible and those who used them as examples to test and approve their lives is a great place to start looking on how to become more attractive people for Jesus.

-Written by Wayne Clinton 

Knock It Off--Week 3

The following post to the social media platform "Next Door" is largely self explanatory. I have felt apprehensive about my participation from the beginning, but a series of recent posts surrounding alleged crimes in my neighborhood pushed me past apprehension and into action.

Having the principles of AC3's current series in my mind made my decision almost...inevitable. It was just so clearly the right thing for me to do.

(I deactivated the account after this post so I cannot report on what, if any, responses it generated)

Topic: "Goodbye, Nextdoor"

I have avoided social media from it's beginning. Mostly because I know my own negative proclivities, and I suspected social media would enflame them. But also because enduring the selfish, ignorant and shallow behaviors of others is heart-breaking and tends to push me toward those same behaviors.  Watching from the outside over the years, my suspicions have been proven out.

But because of the way it was presented to me and its hyper-local nature, I swallowed hard and took a risk with NextDoor a couple of months ago, thinking, "This will be my first "experiment" with it. Maybe the "worst" of social media will be limited!" Perhaps it had been...but it is not limited enough for me.

A simple cost/benefit analysis reveals that my exposure to the interchanges on Nextdoor are resulting in the longterm reduction in my connection to and caring for my neighbors.

I find myself heartsick at the willingness of people to talk past one another, to display bigotry, "reverse" bigotry, knee-jerk regurgitation of un-truth, gossip and childish name-calling.

Some really good stuff came out of my experiment too. I have met face to face with two neighbors because of this platform, and that has inspired me to redouble my efforts to be a good neighbor IRL. Some important, useful information was exchanged as well.But sadly, the chaff far outweighs the seed.

This experience has, in balance, pushed me toward anger, judgement, and isolation, and I do not believe those qualities enhance community, draw me closer to God or make me a better man, so I'm out. I admire people who have the internal resources to navigate this kind of environment. Maybe I'm weak...so be it...I'm weak then. But I choose to unplug.

Please, carefully consider what your interactions on this and other platforms are revealing. Yes, you read correctly: REVEALING. Social media is not bad. It doesn't create judgement, ignorance and fear. It doesn't create love, connection or hope either. It only uncovers what's already there.

What is being revealed in you?

I choose to withdraw after having some dark things exposed in myself. I need work. I need real connection with people, I need to slow down and commit to living the questions St. Francis of Assissi was famous for asking: "God, who are you? And who am I?"

I don't like what I've seen of myself since being here. The truth is, I don't like what I've seen from many of my neighbors either, but I choose to look at the plank in my own eye.

So I guess, I have to say "thank you" for helping to reveal those things in me that need to change. I'm going to go focus on that work now...

Good bye, Nextdoor.

-Written by Dan Hazen 

Knock it Off -- Week 2

Knock It Off! —Tolerance for the Intolerant

Week 2 Series Blog

Enduring with Forbearance, without Interference

When I was a kid in the 80s, I used to hear this phrase a lot.  “While I don’t agree with what you say, I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”   I laughed when it resurfaced in an episode of Family Guy in season 3’s Fish Out of Water episode.  For many men and women in my generation this is how we view tolerance (except with our siblings), and there are a few things embedded in the phrase that should be highlighted.  

1. Freedom of expression is good.

2. Disagreement is expected, and dialogue about those disagreements is healthy.

3. If we can’t agree, we don’t have to be enemies.

According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary: 
tolerate
■ verb

1    allow the existence or occurrence of (something that one dislikes or disagrees with) without interference.

2    endure (someone or something unpleasant) with forbearance.

Let’s face it, dealing with people that disagree with our world views is often very difficult.  Sometimes it’s downright grating. However, it’s well within our capabilities as rational human beings to accept that while we may not agree with everybody we can at least acknowledge and accept that other views do exist, and that their mere existence isn’t necessarily harmful.

At some point in the last couple of decades, the cultural definition of tolerance has had a major shift and is now in direct conflict with the first definition of what it means to tolerate, such that interference (even to the point of violence) is encouraged.    

Simply stated, it goes something like this: If you don’t agree and accept my view as true, you’re intolerant.  

Or the even more extreme version: If you don’t agree and accept my view as true, you’re a bigot and I have the right to harm you in order to change your mind or remove your harmful presence from my space.

We’re facing two distinct views of what tolerance is, then.  The first that acknowledges the existence of other views and encourages a spirit of dialogue and truth seeking to resolve differences.  The second which says disagreements shouldn’t exist at all and we must accept all views as true, lest we be labeled as intolerant!  Yikes!  

What Does the Bible Teach?

How are Christians supposed to navigate this mess?  It’s impossible for all things to be true at the same time.  Based on the second definition of tolerance we’re all intolerant bigots!  How as a Christian can I tolerate Islam if that means I must now accept Islam as truth to avoid being labeled Islamophobic in the process?  Should I tell people they’re intolerant bigots for not accepting my Christian worldview? Somehow I think spreading the Gospel would be less effective if after sharing the message I add “and by the way, if you don’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, you’re an intolerant bigot” at the end.  

Navigating the balance of holding to objective Christian truths in a world that’s increasingly hostile to Christian faith is tough.  Let’s be honest, much of the intolerance floating around is directed at Christians, because from the outside looking in, we’re the very definition of intolerant bigotry.  Why? It’s because we pin what we hold as true, good, and right onto God, and not man.

Here’s the TL;DR answer:  Holding to the first view of tolerance will more and more bring with it a high cost, from those who think you hate them or even want to harm them if you disagree.   That said, the Bible has some things to say about all this and what to expect.

1. Persecution should be expected (John 15:18-25)  

It’s harder to get upset by something you were told in advance would happen.  I don’t mean you have to be happy about it. I’m just saying that if we remember this fact, it can take some of the personal edge off accusation of intolerance (and every colorful metaphor that goes with it) when they come.

2. The Bible’s high view on peace (Romans 12:8, Jeremiah 29:7)

We’re not doing the Gospel any favors if we’re fighting all the time.  Pick your battles. Let compassion and the Holy Spirit be at the center of all disagreement.  Some questions to ask yourself that might help with this one:

• If I don’t speak up, (in a compassionate way) is someone’s salvation at stake?
• Am I being pressured into accepting a view or action that would cause me to violate God’s Word?
•   Is my acceptance of a view or action impeding my willingness to carry out The Great Commission to spread the Gospel?

3. Be prepared to defend yourself (1 Peter 3:15)

If the answer is “yes” to any of those things, then by all means engage in winsome apologetics to draw someone into the beauty of the kingdom, remembering that Peter put a condition on this imperative.  

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Have you ever walked away from a discussion or debate knowing that you spoke Truth and yet known at the same time that not one word of it pierced the heart and mind of the listener for the Kingdom?  Yea, I’m guilty as charged on that one. It’s because my delivery of that truth was completely devoid of compassion, gentleness, and respect. These things must be part of our toolkit as we engage with a post-truth culture that’s desperate for truth but is deaf to it when presented harshly.  Makes sense, right? If people view the church as full of hate because we don’t affirm and agree with every whim and desire of humanity, then a harsh delivery of truth pretty much confirms that view to the person we’re sharing with.  

Conclusion

I’m fond of saying this: “The further this country gets away from God, the worse things are going to get.”  Things are going to get worse, and the worse it gets, the more the culture around us will need what we have to offer them.  The Gospel.  

As Christians we can be model citizens of the first brand of social tolerance (endurance without interference) without sacrificing the truth of the Gospel in the process.  Like anything else in the Bible that Christ followers are asked to do, it’s just not easy. Expect conflict as our placement of objective truth and morale values upon God flies in the face of the ongoing culture war that says such things don’t exist.  Be effective peacemakers within our neighborhoods and workplaces by choosing our battles wisely. Finally, when those battles do come, defend the faith winsomely, respectfully, and gently to the glory of the One who is eager to welcome all who will come to Him.   Given the stakes, I think that’s something we can all tolerate.

-Written by James Boerner