One thing about Baptists that I like a lot is their idea that each individual can and must come to their own decision about relationship with Jesus. One thing that has grown frustrating to me about Baptists is how an American flag is displayed in nearly every Baptist church in America. So let’s conduct a little thought experiment.
What if America was perfect? What if it was perfectly just, strong, safe, and free? Let’s call this perfect government the kingdom of God. Even with respect to this perfect government shouldn’t we expect Baptists to allow their children to come to their own decision about their allegiance?
If participation in the perfect kingdom of God described by Jesus is only to be accepted by the free choice of the individual, then allegiance to the far less perfect government of America should be voluntary as well. But I still have vivid memories of the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Vacation Bible School when children were told to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.
Interestingly, the original pledge (without “under God) was written by a socialist Baptist minister as part of an advertising campaign. Here’s the Wikipedia page.
“You will get a deep insight into the state of Christianity in each age by seeing how it treats Judas.” -Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
How did Jesus treat Judas? Was Judas lost forever? Wouldn’t some straightforwardness avoided the pain in Judas’ future? What are we to learn from Judas?
I don’t know. I’m in more of an asking mood than answering one.
“Master, Master of Light,
Whose eye dwells in the seeking fingers of the blind,
You are still despised and mocked,
A man too weak and infirm to be God,
A God too much man to call forth adoration.
Their mass and their hymn,
Their sacrament and their rosary, are for their imprisoned self.
You are their yet distant self, their far-off cry, and their passion.
But Master, Sky-heart, Knight of our fairer dream,
You do still tread this day;
Nor bows nor spears shall stay your steps.
You walk through all our arrows.
You smile down upon us,
And though you are the youngest of us all
You father us all.
Poet, Singer, Great Heart,
May our God bless your name,
And the womb that held you, and the breasts that gave you milk.
And may God forgive us all.”
-Kahlil Gibran
Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’”
Judges 9
Let me be clear from the outset that this is only a hypothesis.
What if, behind the scenes of politics, art, religion, psychology, and sociology, there is some fundamental struggle between two opposing forces? I wind up seeing things this way even when I’m not trying to. A favorite movie of mine, Donnie Darko, has a motivational speaker who preaches on the dichotomy of love and fear. He was one of the bad guys. I didn’t like him and don’t much like the real life people he represents, but I think I like his idea (minus the hypocrisy and arrogance).
It seems that in every area of life where people find meaning and get excited there are those who are trying to prove themselves and there are those who are already comfortable, the nervous and the confident. How that plays out in the world of politics or religion or art or relationships may vary, but it seems that most people are operating with one of two background stories. Either the one that begins in confusion and fear, builds with nervous activity, and ends in worry or the one that begins with strength, builds with love, and ends in confidence.
This comes as a surprise to me because I was brought up to believe that everyone started out with the bad story and then some switched over. I still believe that a person can change stories, but I’m pleasantly puzzled by those who somehow start off healthy.
