"If you want to have eternal life, give everything you have to the poor." This is one of Jesus' statements that people quickly reinterpret. Some point out that private property could not have been abolished since Jesus has rich followers (Martha, Mary, Lazarus), therefore Jesus could not have meant this literally. Some also point out that Jesus was just letting the rich young ruler know that he could not have eternal life without him.Those are valid points.

     However, could it be that in our reinterpretations, we may be guilty of assuaging our own souls or the souls of those who struggle with sin? Could we be inadvertently saying, "your lifestyte is OK, you don't have to worry about this passage (or other passages), and all you have do is believe in Jesus"? If those passages don't mean anything for those who believe, then what is the purpose of God sending his Spirit to indwell his people? Is it optional to walk in the Spirit? Or are there eternal ramifications for not walking in the Spirit? Does God's agenda only consist of making us right with him? Or is he concerned about transforming us and our communities? 

     As we approach the New Year, I would guess that some people's resolutions would be to follow the bible more. Although I commend the intent to follow God's word closely, the intent of God's word, through God's Spirit, is to convict people of sin. The word of God can do that only if we let the full force of its demands bring us into a point of fearing for our souls. 

      Jesus commended the tax collector who at the end of the day says "Forgive me for I am a sinner". The tax collector looks at himself and repents, putting himself at the hands of God. He is the one justified in God's sight. We condemn the pharisee for his self-righteousness, basically saying that he has followed God's commands, therefore he is righteous. However, aren't we guilty of righteousness through reinterpretation when we try to assuage our conciences, saying that our lack of generosity, for example, is OK? 

    This New Year, I challenge all of us to stop thinking of following the bible, but in developing a repentant heart, mindful that the bible does not just command proper actions but also proper emotions. If you focus on following the letter of the bible, you will reinterpret the commands of the bible to make it easier to follow, or just stop trying. A repentant heart will not just change our relationship with God, but also with other people. Instead of being defensive and feeling entitled to people's "respect", we would become thankful for the grace we receive every moment and approach others with humility.

    Only a repentant heart can look at the birth of Jesus as good news. The heart that tries to find loopholes by reinterpreting God's word so as not to disturb itself will not fully understand the full force of the good news that Jesus Christ is born. As the demands of God's standards threaten our souls, Jesus is the one who took the full force of that threat. If the soul does not feel the threat, then it would also not feel the relief that the gospel brings. A repentant soul is a blessed soul. 

     As I got home and greeted my daughter, she excitedly told me how she was commended by her teacher for paying attention in school. My heart was filled with joy knowing that my daughter cares about pleasing me. See, the day before we had a talk about paying attention to others.

     I imagine God is also joyful when we care about pleasing him. He does reward those who seek him. However, I can't help but think that God wants more from us than to please him, even if  the desire to please him is borne out of love. He commands his people to be holy as he is holy. He wants his people to share his holiness. He promises to write the law in his people's hearts. He wants his  law not just to be an external motivation but an internal drive for his people. He cares that we conform, not just out of desire for reward or fear of punishment, but because we share his heart.

     The search for reward or fear of punishment is not necessarily pure fear devoid of love. If we do what God says because we want good things in our lives and don't want bad things in our lives, that may be wise, but that is not love. However, if God's pleasure is a reward in itself for us, that is love. And if his displeasure in itself is displeasing to us, that is loving fear of the Lord.   

     I then got a glimpse of my task as a parent. I don't want my child doing the right things just because she wants a reward or is trying to avoid punishment. Reward and punishment could be tangible things (treats or timeouts), but could also be intangible things that communicate approval or rejection. Our children crave those too, and even as adults, we still crave those intangible rewards, whether we admit it or not. We will always desire appoval and shun rejection in our own ways. A parent's smile and loving look is an intangible reward that communicates pleasure. A parent's frown and demeaning talk is an intangible punishment that communicates rejection. Those intangible rewards and punishments stick to children's psyches even after adulthood and the death of their parents. Although its great that my daughter loves me enough to care about what I think, I want her to do the right things because she shares God's heart, and hopefully my heart as it reflects God's heart.

     One day I and my wife will be gone from this world. Its possible that my daughter will still live her life seeking approval from us, even though it would not be as obvious. We will just be voices and images in her heart. I hope that she will go beyond those voices and images, and find herself sharing the godly values we inculcated in her. I hope also that she will reject those ungodly values we may have, in our weakness, inadvertently communicated to her. God is the one I ultimately want my daughter, not just to please, but be united with in her heart.

    While my wife and I are still alive, I pray that we are humble enough to remember that God is the one she is ultimately to be like, not us. I pray that we are humble enough to realize that, because of our remaining sinfulness, she may be ahead of us in discerning God's heart. We may have to see God's heart  in her heart. 

     I admit it. Driving through downtown Chicago is very irritating to me. The traffic is so tight, even when it is not even rush hour. I avoid driving there to protect myself from rage. I sometimes imagine that the tower of Babel was actually a huge condominium, and people were moving back into the city. You know what happened to that city and to that tower.

    Complaining aside, I believe there really is something not right about overcrowded cities. This election, people are focused on the economy. Although I believe that a moral revival  is ultimately what is going to provide peace for this nation and for the people, It seems to be that God did have an economic policy in mind. When God created man, he told human beings to multiply and subdue the earth.

     For some people, the term "subduing the earth" connotes the destruction of creation. If creation is a gift from God, it is not something to be treated with disrespect- polluting unnecessarily or just using it without thinking of consequences. Would you treat a gift with contempt? The rape of creation is caused by the desire of a person or a civilization to amass resources for its glory. It is a product of the idea that creation exists for my glory or the glory of my civilization. The Spanish empire, instead of contributing to another culture, took gold from the Americas to finance its conquests and its luxury. The spread of humanity may be blamed for the lack of rootedness and the deterioration of familial relations. Although valid, we must remember that we bring children into the world not ultimately to be our sources of security (I am not saying that parents should not be their children's concern), but so that the earth will be filled with the glory of God. Also, our real rootedness should ultimately be in the eternal God.

    Nevertheless, despite the abuse of creation, creation is still made for the benefit of humanity. It is not something to be just left alone, for the protection of other species, but is to be harnessed for the benefit of humanity. We must live in harmony with it for our sakes, and it is not an enemy to be eradicated. Although Marijuana and Coca may be made into addictive drugs, we must be open to the idea that we can harness its benefits. It could help some economies and could help in the alleviation of suffering. Shaping creation- Genetic engineering, harnessing the power of the elements for energy, producing works of art and architecture, making wilderness areas more productive and inhabitable, clearing farmlands, exploration- these are all God ordained endeavors that promote prosperity.  

     If human beings are to spread out and subdue the earth, there is something not right about our overcrowded cities. A city may be overcrowded because all the wealth is concentrated in one area. But that concentration of wealth in one area is poor economic policy, even though it may be convenient for a time for those who benefit from this concentration of wealth. I am not an economic expert but I believe there is something to be said about choosing expansion over consolidation of wealth in one person or in one area.

    What practical ways can the government choose expansion over consolidation? By policies that promote relocations of peoples and the building of new communities. Maybe federal support could be moved from Universities to trade programs that would purposely train workers who would create new communities. Companies will be encouraged to invest in this new communities, not in adding businesses in already overcrowded metropolitan areas. What then happens to our deteriorated inner cities? They would be treated as "wildernesses" that needs to become productive and inhabitable again. The goal is the spread of wealth, not by taxation, but by spreading investments and people.

     Sometimes we as Western Christians get caught in the middle of a crisis of values. I am talking about the uproar by Muslims over the showing of a film that disrespects the Prophet Mohammed. On one side of the divide is the Western value for Freedom of Speech. On the other side is the Islamic respect for the sacred.

     We have to admit that if Jesus was being denigrated, Christians would feel very much offended, even though we may not go to lengths of those that perpetrated violence to defend the honor of Jesus. There may be reasons for that like the Chrisitian expectation that Jesus and his followers will be hated by the world. Disrespect for the people of God is natural and not something to be beaten down with a sword.

     My purspose in this blog is to caution us to just looking at this as a Freedom of Speech issue. There are heart issues involved. The  extreme secularism that denigrates the sacred is going face to face with extemist Islam that legitimizes the use of the sword as an expression of spiritual zeal. Although we Christians do not consider Muhammad our prophet, we must symphatize with the feelings of those offended Muslims. This historical drama provides an opportunity to preach to the heart of both sides.

     To those who disrespect the sacred, it must be proclaimed to them that there is a supernatural side of life that must be dealt with. Besides that, human sensibilities are to be respected. Although we may see political correctness as an overreaction, we have to admit that its concern for respecting human sensibilities is a worthy value. A father humiliating his child (at worse, yelling and hitting) to get him to do what he wants is not being a good father. A politician who insults his opponent's record as if his opponent is a bumbling fool or just evil, is not being a good person. We must not be quick to excuse insensitive behavior. Then to the zealous ones, violence is not the ultimate answer to evil. Although violence is sometimes necessary, it is not the ideal answer to injustice in the world. Violence begets more violence, which increases the suffering in the world. If we want peace, we need to contain our violent impulses.  

     I was listening to the radio a while ago and I heard this song that started out beautiful. It talked about a father holding his young daughter's hand as they walked on the street. It made me nostalgic about the times I spent walking with my young daughter. The song had a good melody to it too.

     Then the song moved to a point that made me increasingly uneasy. It talked about the father giving his daughter to her husband in marriage and instructing his son-in-law to hold her hand so she would be fine. Although the song could be seen as a celebration of the protective nature of the male-female relationship, I see the song as demeaning to women. In affirming the delicateness and preciousness of the woman, the song makes the woman somehow less capable in life. The woman in this song is an eternal child, whose hands need to be held.  

    As I make this observation, I don't want to go the way of radical feminism that sees the male-female relationship as an inherently oppressive one. The chip in the shoulder attitude of some women goes against the cultivation of a loving attitude. In Christian thought, the ruler is to be the servant of all. The trajectory of Christian life is towards equality. Men and women are to be submissive towards each other, giving up their interests for the sake of the other. Therefore, it is just as wrong for women to seek to dominate others and to succumb to selfish ambitions as it is for men.

     The bible does encourage to be considerate of the women, who are described as "weaker", probably in physical stature. It also does not explicitly subvert cultural partiarchy- it encouraged women to be submissive to their husbands just as the culture expects. However, women are not held back from roles of responsibility. There were women who helped build the wall of Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah. Women held property. Miriam, along with Moses and Aaron, was considered to be one of the leaders of Israel. She was punished for trying to usurp Moses' authority not because she is a woman but because Moses was the one appointed by God. Female prophets were consulted by the people, including the king, notably King Josiah. The businesswoman of Proverbs 31 was commended for her management skills. The woman of the Song of Songs was open about the pursuit of her man. God's Spirit is given equally to both men and women.

     A careful reading of the bible yields a dynamic picture of woman that is very much in conflict with the view of women's position in the song. That is why this song is problematic, and so is the insistence that male and female roles are static.    

     The dispute between Chick-fil-a and mayor Rahm Emanuel made me think of the catchy tune "Everybody wants to Rule the World" You may ask "why?"

     Listening to how people, including myself, react to those they disagree with makes me think that there is a part of us that wants the world to be "the way I want it." "The way I want it" may be agreeable to most people and therefore it is uncontroversial or it may be disagreeable to many people and therefore controversial.

     If a Mcdonald's have an employee who is developmentally disabled and some customers insult that employee, what should the manager do. The manager may kick those customers out based on the statement in the restaurant that says "McDonald's reserves the right to refuse service to anybody". This rule may be agreeable to most of us when it is applied to this situation. However, imagine if they use this rule against homosexuals, for example. McDonald's action would probably become controversial and disagreeable.

      Why am I writing about this? I am trying to say that our right to shape our world the way we want is a double edged sword- it can bring us "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". If we want to stand by that right, we need to let go of our passion to shape our world as we would like, and our intolerance for any "imperfections" in our world. The truth is, the same passion to shape our world militates against the passion to protect rights. I am writing as an appeal to take it easy on controlling others, if we want ourselves to be respected. It does not work well in the family and it does not work well in society.   

     One morning as I was driving down a street, a railing that prevents cars from falling off the street into the highway below caught my eye. I suddenly thought about the men (construction workers are usually men) who put that railing- those who put it in place, one who screwed it onto the pavement, not to mention those who made the railing itself. This thought gave me a sense of gratitude for the human being. Despite the evils humans are capable of, humans are great creatures whose existence make this world a better place most of the time. There are some people in this world who get more excited about animals, protecting them from humans, focusing their lives on them, and worse, make humans the culprit against a world they imagine. They are more concerned about protecting nature, not for the benefit of humans, but to maintain an atmosphere of perfection in their eyes.

     This obsession with the protection of nature contradicts the biblical worldview. Humans are the crown of creation and every other creation is to be under his care (not to be abused) and used for his benefit collectively, not in a selfish way. The vision of the end of history is a city full of human beings from every nation, and God wiping away their tears. Humans are made in the image of God and are to be treated with utmost respect and concern. Sometimes we treat humans with contempt, from our close relations to those who are in the margins of our lives and that brings judgment upon us.

     What does this all have to do with shame? Whether we are ashamed of ourselves, or others are ashmed of us, or we are ashamed of others, we need to remember the greatness of human beings. Bullies magnify shame, attacking a person's image- looks, achievements, etc. Whether subtly or blatantly, we make judgments on who is inferior or superior, and sadly we even do this with our families. A healthy respect for the human being will give us a foundation as we teach our children to fight bullying. We need to remind our children of the greatness of every human being and the utter evil of demeaning them. We demean ourselves by being so focused on our lack, not having a thankful attitude towards the God who made us who we are.  

      One temptation I face is to counter my sense of inadequacy with the quest to achieve more, compare myself with others, and to protect my image. It is so ingrained in my nature that sometimes I do it unconsciously. One thing that helps me is to meditate on what really constitutes greatness. In my study of Christian tradition, the way to greatness is humility. Humility looks at the other with gratitude, knowing that others' contribution to our lives enables our world to work better. Humility looks to serve the other, not overpower them or dominate them or be better than them. Humility does not paint paint an image of perfection.  

     I mention that sometimes I can't approach my sense of inadequacy with humility. At that point, I hold on to the spiritual reality that Jesus has lived a life of humility for me. He lived his life in service of others and with the worth of the human soul in view- the ultimate weapon against shame. He gave his life for the human soul, not because of our looks or our achievements, but out of love. Jesus is ultimately the guiding light who destroys shame.       

     I heard on the radio a lady answering the question "What is the difference between the statue of David (A naked figure of a man) and pornography?" The lady's answer was that the author of the Statue of David is celebrating the beauty of the human body, whereas pornography only awakens the sexual impulses and treats the image as a sexual object.

     At first glance, this answer seems good. However, it also gives the impression of holding the author of a work of art solely responsible for the effects of his creation. There are three components to communication- the author, the "text", and the audience. The author is independent of his audience. Let me explain.  

     A photographer may take pictures of a naked woman only for the purpose of people admiring her beauty. However, another person may see this picture and look at the woman as a sexual object. Even if the photographer explains the picture, the one who looks at the picture can still choose to look at the picture however he wants. Without knowing the photographer, we can't know his intention for his picture.

     This short explanation shows us that pornography is not a black and white issue. The battle against pornography cannot stop at preventing x-rated websites and media to invade homes. That doesn't deal with the "softer" versions of porn in our billboards, grocery checkout lines, and malls. Many of these "softer" porn were probably not intended to awaken sexual desire. On the other hand, advertisers know that sex sells. We could not just address the "authors" but also the "audiences".

     There was a show on Dateline a while ago that exposes men who try to have sexual relations with underage girls or boys. I believed it was a shortsighted project and somehow hypocritical. Is is shortsighted in that it does not recognize the deeper issue that sexuality has lost its sacredness, thereby loosening the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate sexual desires. It is hypocritical because many of the same people who condemn those men also has problems with their view of sexuality. 

     Sex has become an activity engaged in to release desire or tension. It has ceased to serve God's intention for the oneness of the man and woman in the bonds of marriage. In some minds, the human body is ripped apart from the human soul and all that is left is an object to be possessed. Without God's help, minds that started on this road will continue on the path of devaluing humans and human relationship. This leads to the path of isolation and disconnectedness. A people that cheapens relational bonds, sexual bond being the strongest, will disintegrate, losing its ability to form faithful bonds.  

     I speak as a man who is affected by the sexualization of our society. I understand the power of sexual desire. To heal the disentegration of our society, we need to hold relationships, including the sexual relationship, as sacred again. Instead of looking at God's creation, including human bodies, as objects to be used and then discarded after fulfilling its purpose, let us treat all creation with honor. Let us fill our mind with respectful thoughts of ourselves and others. If we don't, we will become slaves to our bodily desires, unable to apprehend the value of God and his creation.   

     It has become commonplace to hear conversations that are peppered with words that are considered "bad" by general society (f---, s---, etc). It seems like the lingo has become commonplace. Working with kids who usually use that lingo, and hearing music that use that lingo, makes me think about what is behind this phenomenon. First, let us think about when this lingo is used. Usually it is used when somebody is upset (the way it has become used as "angry" language is probably someone thinking of that word to cast aspersions at somebody). Normal conversations are not peppered with those words. How have they become acceptable? 

     Could it be that the people who use these words have been considered cool? This shows then that we have to be careful around young people, especially those who consider us role models. Theypick up our language. If we slip, we need to remember that those words are exclamations, you suddenly got angry and say you are sorry, and remind them that those words are not to be used for regular conversation. We need to say that it is not acceptable, and we are working on it.

    It is not acceptable for various reasons. Constant use of those words make it look like we are angry all the time, which gives us a bad reputation, or we just don't consider limits in our conversation (we don't care about other people's sensibilities). It shows us to be disrespectful of others. Another reason is that we need to be understandable. Those swear words are usually not understandable as part of a conversation. Swear words are usually fighting words and fighting words have no place in a culture of gentleness. They serve to push people away.

     A culture of gentleness is one that does not resort to physical or verbal violence in dealing with others. In conflict, people in this culture would remember that the other person that bothers them is a valuable individual created in the image of God. It will not wallow in its disrespect and desire for vengeance. A culture of gentleness imitates the God who gives rain to the just and the unjust. Some may point out that Jesus was harsh to some but gentle to others. However, on closer inspection, Jesus did eat with sinners AND also with Pharisees, considered to be his enemies. He had some harsh words, but his goal is repentance. A culture of gentleness is one that makes its goal reconciliation, not domination (People who swear are considered the "tough" ones and use their toughness to dominate others). Swear words does not bring about reconciliation and therefore, we should make an effort to eliminate it. A start of eliminating it is to develop a gentle heart, a heart that seeks reconciliation and understanding. Help young people value gentleness in speech and manner.

     One of the songs that I find catchy is "I want to be a millionare". Not only is it catchy but it also resonates with what I wish sometimes, that I would have more money to buy things and to feel safe about the future. As a child or an adolescent, you may not wish so much for money, but you may wish so much to be as popular or as "beautiful" as some other peers in school. This wish may consume you so much that you would do anything to fit in, and be distraught when you don't fit in. I want to warn you about being consumed by these things.

     Those things you wish for- being as pretty or as popular, does not give you the things you need deep inside. You may think it does but it will just disappoint you. One day you will long for somebody to love you for who you are. You may have all the money or beauty in the world but it does not necessarily get you that unconditional love. People could be fickle, sometimes they hang out with you when things are going well, but when bad things happen- you don't satisfy them or you become deformed, they will leave you. Nothing in this world is guaranteed to last through the good times and the bad times. God blesses us with people and things and it is to him we should be thankful. However, they are not guaranteed to last. We should not be running around trying to fill those deep needs, but trust God to provide for those deep needs.

    Another danger of being obsessed with popularity or "beauty", is it disengages us with life. That obsession is like a drug, you could become fixated on one thing, obtaining that drug so you can get a certain feeling back, and abandoning other responsibilities towards friends and family. Let me explain. God made humans to take care of creation, to join God in making this world a better place. This is done through developing our minds and bodies (reading and exercise), cleaning your environment, helping others, etc. Laziness or sloth, as the church of old called it, is a sin against God and a breeding ground for more sin. Just as God is involved in his creation, holding it together, we shold also be involved in his creation. So my plea to you is to look at outside yourself, think of ways you could love God and people better, instead of being fixated on fitting in or being happy. I know it is hard, but know that living in a way that God desires- being just, merciful, and humble, is what will bring you real happiness in the long run. It is for your own good.