Meditations on the Cross

"See the hour is near, and the Son of Man, is betrayed into the hands of sinners." "Betrayed," says Jesus. It is not the world that gains power over him. Rather, Jesus is now delivered up, surrendered, abandoned by his own disciples. The protection they gave is now relinquished, they do not want to be burdened with him any longer: Let the others have him. And that is what happens. Jesus is discarded, his friends protective hands fall at their sides. Let the hands of the sinners do with him what they will. Let them seize him, those whose unholy hands were never permitted to touch him. Let them play with him, mock him, beat him. We can no longer do anything about it. That is what it means to destroy Jesus: one no longer intervenes for him, one delivers him over to the mockery and power of the public, one lets the world do with him what it wants, one no longer stands by him. Jesus own disciples deliver him over to the world. That is his death. Those are the reflections of the great Dietrich Bonhoeffer from a sermon given March 14, 1937, the fifth Sunday in Lent. Each year I read through "Meditations on the Cross," a series of Bonhoeffer's reflections on the cross, resurrection, suffering, and overcoming death. This year I am in Mexico for Easter. After almost twenty years serving in my adopted country, this is only the third or fourth time I will celebrate Jesus' resurrection here. As befits the dominant Catholic culture, there is a big emphasis on the suffering of Christ in Mexico. Something US theology sometimes leaves behind. I believe to our detriment. As I read the passage above, in light of the life and death of Jesus, I am struck by the following: "…they do not want to be burdened with him any longer…[and so] Jesus is discarded." Jesus, the Son of Man, is cast aside, much like an unwanted book or toy. One can only imagine the hurt that he must have felt at that moment. I ache thinking about it. Because there are times in my life when I do the same. I cast my friend Jesus aside. For my own selfish desires. For my own interests. For my own 30 pieces of silver. Because sometimes at the moment when I must make the decision to stand with Jesus, I don't want to be burdened with him. And he suffers anew. Just like that day over 2000 years ago. But there is hope. Because we know the resurrection to be true! Bonhoeffer says "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God's yes to us," ... death is defeated and forgiveness is ours. Gracias Dios, Amen.

The Mission

Last week I wrote about the problem when faith and politics collide. For me, the central question is about how we live out our lives, and if our lives line up with Jesus' teachings and the lessons that God has for us through out the Bible. I think it is a moving target, something you may hit today, but fail miserably at tomorrow. The next 10 days or so, I will be in Ensenada, Mexico helping pour a foundation for a growing church. It is where I believe God has called and gifted me to live out the majority of my Christian commitment. I trust you all can keep Barack, Billary, and our friend McCain in line until I get back. Also, I know it has been awhile, but if ya need a little sports fix, check out Bleacher Report. When I feel inspired, I contribute what I can. Blessings!

When Faith and Politics Collide

Something that has been rumbling around in my head the last few weeks, and more probably, years, is what happens when what the bible teaches does not seem to match up with your political views. Which takes precedent? Your faith and the bible, or your politics. The problem can be real evident in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. If you read the books carefully, you see clear teachings on how we, as children of God, are supposed to act and live out our lives. This is especially true when we are talking about poor people, immigrants, and outsiders. Many passages talk of us being unconditionally compassionate, generous, and loving. This is perhaps most evident, at least for me, in Isaiah 58. Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter... when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not turn away from your own flesh and blood? If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Now to the political part. Living the life that Isaiah is calling for flies in the face of everything most of us have learned since our childhood. Whether we attended Sunday school or not, the Protestant work ethic, a political construction, is pervasive in America. Our rugged individualism present in the settling of the American frontier and our nation's creation narrative makes it difficult for us to set aside certain beliefs and just serve, as I see God calling us to do. I confess, I feel the struggle. Just today I ignored a guy asking for money just because he looked perfectly healthy to me and seemed able to work. Was God happy? I think not. Was I true to His calling on my life, as expressed in Isaiah? Not at all. Was I true to some of my personal politics? Of course I was. I know, or at least I think I know, that if I was to give to every homeless person I encountered, I'd go broke. Or would I? Maybe that is where God wants me, and if lived in that place, he would always make sure my needs were met, just as he promises. When faith and politics collide. It is an interesting place to be, if you think about it.

Strange Bedfellows Indeed

There is an old saying that goes something like this... "An enemy of my friend is my enemy, a friend of my friend is my friend." I have thought a lot about that recently especially with regards to the full state visit to Iraq by the President of Iran. If Iraq truly is an ally of the United States, and a supporter of the US in the "war on terror" then why are they welcoming someone like this who shows nothing but open contempt for the United States? Noted columnist Robert Sheer says it best in an article for truthdig.com. Are the media dumb or just out to lunch? Sorry to be intemperate, but how else can one explain the meager attention paid to the truly historic visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Iraq? Not only is he the first Mideast head of state to visit the country since its alleged liberation, but the very warm official welcome offered by the Iraqi government to the most vociferous critic of the United States speaks volumes to the abject failure of the Bush doctrine. [read more] For me, this is proof enough that the leaders in Iraq are not really interested in doing the things necessary to have the type of government that will be a strong ally of the US in the region. While the "surge" has been a military success, those in power in Iraq have apparently used the downturn in violence to improve relationships with longtime US nemesis, Iran. It is time to get out. On a related note, Roy over at Thin Places has a good post on the costs of war with Iraq.