Trayvon Martin... are we honoring Christ in how we respond?

I’m not even going to try and wade into the legal mumbo jumbo of the recently decided Trayvon Martin case.  Better, and in some cases, lesser minds than mine, have already said probably too much regarding this tragic situation. No matter which way the jury decided, a significant part of our country was going to be upset.  Sadly, it is where we are as a country that when there is a significant case that revolves, even tangentially around race, we will not agree. But it is not that disagreement that has me wishing there was another way. It is how we have decided to disagree. I have seen good friends call each other idiots, fools, racists, stupid and ignorant.  And this is just what I can print.  If you look across the blogosphere, from both liberals and conservatives, you will see an amount of vitriol that surpasses anything in recent memory. Not only does there not seem to be a way to disagree agreeably, there is a surprising lack of interest in either side to consider the point of view of the other. This would not be so unnerving to me were it not for the fact that a great majority of the people of whom I am speaking claim to either love God, follow in the steps of Jesus, or be Christians. If you know me, you know I’ve always struggled to connect the teachings of Jesus and Paul to where we live our daily lives.  Some days are better than others for me in this regard.  Like many, I too often lose my temper, especially when driving and will let lose with an indignant dry of “Throckmorton” or worse when someone cuts me off or is not driving as I think he or she should. It’s a bad habit and I know it, but I try to keep my indignation confined to my car and my unlucky companions at that moment. However with the Martin case, people have decided to publicly let loose with all sorts of venom.  Facebook, twitter and any other social sites are full of contempt for anyone who dares to have a different outlook on this case.  It seems as if both sides have dug in, decided the other is wrong, and have thrown caution to wind, confident in the strength of their position. This is no holds barred trench warfare and let the loudest voice win, regardless of the impact on friendships, or how it makes the family of God look.  Leonard Sweet once asked the question “Would we rather be right, or in relationship?”  Clearly it seems many have chosen to be right. Is it any wonder people look at Christians and ask why anyone would want to be part of such a loving bunch. I doubt the angels are rejoicing today in heaven at how we are conducting ourselves.

Believe It! I Agree With Glenn Beck and Rick Perry... sort of...

This may come as a shock to most of the six people who actually read my blog, but I agree with Rick Perry and Glenn Beck. As a people, we do need to return to God and fix our gaze on the author and perfecter of our faith. I just interpret that a little differently from the Perry’s and Beck’s of the world. Here’s what I mean. Many of our political leaders want to focus on the God of the Old Testament. The avenging God of Israel if you will. They posit a theology that says if we do not follow the will of God, as they interpret it, then like so many Old Testament people, we will be wiped off the face of the earth. Thus we see statements that equate earthquakes, hurricanes, and even wars, as punishment for our misdeeds and failure to live up to God’s Law. Rarely do we see, or hear from people like Glenn Beck and Rick Perry, the need to live the radical life of Jesus as seen in the New Testament. The life of unconditional love of others and denial of self. It is as if, in their attempts to claim the title of the Godliest person out there, they have cast aside the teachings of God’s own son. Why is it we seldom hear the clarion call to return to God’s teaching when that teaching tells us to “love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us?” How come we have yet to hear someone on the campaign trail bring up Paul’s admonition to “in humility consider others better than ourselves… and look to the interests of others?” What about serving others, as Christ served us that day on Calvary? When was the last time you heard a speech that said "give up everything for your brother?" Where is the cross of sacrifice, pain, and self denial in what many proclaim publicly to be the “Heart of God?” You see, the God I want us to return to is the one that calls us to have a drink of cold water with the person we most despise. Wasn’t that Jesus example when he sat alongside the Samaritan woman at the well and quenched His thirst? Do you think the Good Samaritan was thinking about what the poor man had done to deserve being robbed and beaten, or was his primary concern helping him? The God I want us to return to is the one that says when your fellow man needs your coat, you give him whatever you have, because it is not yours anyway. It belongs to God! What about the church community in Jerusalem? When was the last time you heard any of our political leaders speak of following her example and selling everything to give to the poor? Yes, I am 100% behind the efforts to see our country and society put a bigger focus on God. I am just not sure I recognize the God to whom many in the public arena are calling us to follow anew. What about you?

In March of 1979, I was selected along with three other men to come to move to Las Vegas and open the first restaurants outside of California for Carl's Jr. I was only 20 years old, it was an adventure, and I was excited. My new wife, Chelle, and I lived there for the next 11 years and fell in love with the area. After almost 18 years, we are returning to Las Vegas. It is still an adventure, I'm excited, but a little scared. When you are 20 and you make a big move, you have a lot of future in front of you. When you are almost 50, you have considerably less future to look at and as such, there is more worry. But God is good, and for me, in control. At least most of the time. If I let Him, which is always a struggle.