Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A More Excellent Way


On September 10, 2012, I published a blog in which I listed positive accomplishments of every American president, beginning with Harry Truman.[1] I was determined to find something good and positive about each of the twelve men who have occupied the Oval Office since 1945. It wasn’t difficult at all.
While each president made positive contributions to history (some more, some less. Even the presidents whom I least respected had their share of positive contributions); nevertheless, those contributions were discounted universally and absolutely by the opposition party; indeed, opposition parties are rife with a virtually absolute absence of anything good to say about a public official or candidate in the “other” party.
Does anyone really—REALLY—believe that anybody is totally bad or totally good; always wrong or always right? Is there absolutely no common ground, no mutual values, no shared vision upon which we stand together as a nation? Does everything have to be all-or-nothing?
And, what about the supporters of those maligned public figures? One might expect them to come to the defense of their partisan heroes. But it occurred to me very recently that the more common response, rather than to defend one’s fellow partisan, is to counterattack the opposition! Does no one believe in one’s own cause anymore?
A case in point occurred yesterday morning on social media. It’s no secret that President Trump’s personal morality, ethics and character are under attack from Democrats and others to the left of center (in the same way President Obama’s character and integrity were attacked by Republicans and others to the right of center—and so forth and so on as far back as history is recorded—including Julius Caesar and Jesus of Nazareth.) The issue is compounded when so much vile is from conjecture and assumption, and/or simply wishful thinking, and when it is believed carte blanche without question by those who want it to be true.
The social media response to which I presently refer made no attempt to defend or justify the President. Instead, the responder published a list of Democrat sins that went back several years. Having been a child myself, and having helped rear three sons, eight grandchildren and dozens of surrogate sons and daughters through the church, it’s my memory and my ongoing observation that the most common childhood defense when one is without excuse or justification is to deflect: “But, he did it, too!”
Agreed! As a theologian and a student of the Judeo/Christian Scriptures, I affirm that there is none without sin. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As a theologian, it falls my duty to point out that our duty related to sin is to confess our own sins before (and perhaps even instead of) pointing out those of others. There’s that thing about the speck in our neighbor’s eye and the log in our own.
In the denomination I serve, we observe Communion (Eucharist, Lord’s Supper) every Sunday, and it is open to all who hunger and thirst for the presence of Christ in their lives. The Table unites us, because at The Table the one thing we all have in common is our need for God’s grace. It’s an act of humility to receive the loaf and cup, as we remember the humility of Christ.
While it won’t appeal to the general population, can we who claim to be people of faith begin in that common sense of humility? Can we come to any event in life, not in certitude, and certainly not in arrogance, but in humility—as one has said, as one beggar telling other beggars where bread has been found?
It’s true that Christians are called to confront sin; however, there are effective ways, ineffective ways, and counterproductive ways to approach any task. An entire generation has rejected Christianity (although most retain a belief in God and a desire to follow Jesus of Nazareth) because of the counterproductive approach that comes across as judgmental and condemning, when a more effective confrontation might be to offer a “still more excellent way” (I Corinthians 12:31-13:13).
That’s how it looks through the Flawed Glass that is my world view.
Together in the Walk,
Jim