Yes, I’ll be wearing my witch’s hat today!
Halloween is often the favorite holiday – ranking right up there with Christmas. With Christmas, however, there is common knowledge about the religious origins of the holiday. For too many, Halloween is just a dress-up-get-candy celebration.
So I am inviting us all to remember and reclaim the religious gift of Halloween. Halloween is the day before November 1, All Saints Day. And centuries before there were terrorists or suicide bombers or an economic downturn, Halloween was an acknowledgment that if the ghosts and goblins were going to be able to scare people, they had better turn loose in full force before the influence of the saints was lifted up. Because the powers of darkness knew that once the saints were remembered, the forces of darkness would be rendered powerless. The ghosts, gremlins and goblins would have to scare people while they had the opportunity: All Hallow’s Eve (All Saints Eve) was their best shot.
Isn’t it interesting that even the powers of darkness recognize the supreme superior power of God and God’s goodness when the people who follow God so often forget? In the Gospels, the demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God when the disciples weren’t so sure. (Mark’s gospel testifies to this dynamic repeatedly.)
From what I hear, I’d say that those who follow God are very much impressed by the powers of darkness. People are deeply fearful (apparently, we trusted in our prosperity more than we realized); anxious (apparently, we haven’t trusted God as much as we thought) and discouraged (apparently, we have seen the storm more than the Savior). No one has to explain to me the reasons for despair. The ministry of superintendency brings me face to face with harsh, discouraging realities daily. I understand completely the temptation for negativity to creep into shaping my attitudes and encounters. Our culture is drowning in negativity, fear and anxiety.
That’s why Halloween – All Hallow’s Eve—can be such a transformational day for us. And no, I don’t mean a costume. Halloween is the day when Christians laugh in confidence in the face of fear and evil. Halloween is the day when Christians affirm that the ghosts and goblins and gremlins had better fly around and do their worst because once All Saints Day dawns tomorrow – once we put our minds on the goodness and faith and encouragement and light we have received from the saints—the forces of evil have no power over us. Halloween is the day for us to say to the forces of evil: Give it your best shot. You will still fall short once the power of God is lifted up in the lives of godly people. Halloween is the day when we LIVE the words Martin Luther penned in his majestic hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:
“And tho’ this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim: we tremble not for him His rage we can endure. For lo! His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him!”
This fearful, negative world of ours needs us to give witness to the true meaning – the original meaning of Halloween: Christians need not be afraid of anything. We have an unshakable confidence—characterized, because it is a gift of God, by humility and peace. God has won a cosmic victory over evil in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and this victorious God dwells in us. We should gladly affirm today that God’s goodness is the ground of creation and that we are creatures made in the image of God.
I have just finished reading Bishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Mpho Tutu’s book: Made for Goodness and Why This Makes a Difference. I encourage you to read this deeply spiritual testimony. As you know, they have personally faced some of the world’s deepest powers of darkness in the brutal racism of South Africa. In this life-giving testimony, they write: “God does dwell in us. This is the essential truth of who we are. We are creatures made in the image of God. At the core of our being is goodness. That is not to deny the reality of sin. Sin is real. Depravity and cruelty are real. Evil exists. But sin, cruelty and evil are not our essential nature. They are aberrations. What is normative is goodness. Wrongness runs against the grain of creation. Evil is so contrary to our nature that we must construct justifications to allow ourselves to do what we know to be wrong and cruel…Cruelty and spite are not the essential qualities of human beings. They are departures from the human norm.”
Oh, that this Halloween could be the day when we face fears, anxieties, and the evil in this world with the light and victory of Christ who lives in us. What cause for celebration when we fix our mind firmly on the goodness of God and God’s triumph over every evil. To personalize the celebration, on Halloween, let us draw up a list of saints of our lives—those who have shown us God’s love and encouraged the best in us. We are not denying the harsh realities of life or the evil of this world – just celebrating the victory of God and putting evil in its rightful, secondary place. Restoring God’s goodness to its rightful center of our hearts can make all the difference. Happy Halloween, indeed!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Finally! The answer to a nagging question
Finally, I have figured it out!
I have never learned how to reconcile the difference between the very plain teaching of the Bible and the opposite behavior I see too often in church people. When church people are angry, their actions often don’t resemble the Golden Rule, the Great Commandment, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, admonitions to work for unity in the Body of Christ or anything else in the Bible. Forgiveness? Forget it. Kindness? You’ve got to be kidding. Mutual love? Not on your life. Telling the truth? Oh, please! Loving friends is formidable…loving enemies? Impossible. Don’t even mention it. When people get their feelings hurt, I have had the idea that the life, teaching and example of Jesus goes out the window.
For the longest time, this has upset me.
Now, I believe I have figured it out.
There is another ancient manuscript that people give allegiance to. That has to be the answer. It’s the only explanation I can think of. I have not seen the written manuscript, but I have seen the lives of those shaped by it vividly enough to reconstruct it. Like the book of James or I John, this is a powerful, but not a long text. From what I see, this is how the sacred text reads:
Chapter 1:
There is nothing more important than your opinion. When someone disagrees with your opinion, you should mow them down no matter who gets hurt in the crossfire. You need to be heard. When your feelings are hurt, that’s an injustice that demands attention. Do not hesitate to speak up, do not take time to choose your words carefully, do not worry about who will be affected by what you say. Remember: there is nothing more important than your opinion. Write that reality on your heart. Do not stop attacking and complaining until you have consumed the attention of everyone around (and I do mean EVERYONE).
Chapter 2:
Talk ABOUT people instead of talking TO them. You will find that your cause is stronger if you only talk about people instead of wasting your time talking TO them. Don’t worry about having your facts straight or acknowledging that there may be more to the story than you know. You know how you feel. And remember, there is nothing more important than your opinion. You have been hurt and if others get hurt in the crossfire, that’s just the price that has to be paid for the transgression. Maybe people will think twice before doing that again. Remember, if the others hadn’t hurt your feelings, all this would never have happened. So, if people get hurt, it’s not your fault.
Chapter 3:
Remember that blaming is a very effective way for people to see how deeply you have been wronged. People won’t be galvanized to support you unless they see you have been wronged. Tell your story with passion and tell it to as many people as possible. Don’t get sidetracked by the facts and don’t spend your time with people who dare to question your version. You must get attention to your cause. Remember, this is all about you.
Chapter 4:
And, in addition, it is all about your family. Family is important. So if anyone in your family gets their feelings hurt, that’s the same as hurting your feelings. It doesn’t matter whether the family member was right or wrong, if somebody hurts their feelings, they have hurt your feelings too. Remember: speak up, blame others, spread the word about the injustice, don’t feel the need to stick too closely to what actually important. Feelings got hurt. That’s what really matters. Family is important. Don’t let people get away with hurting your family’s feelings.
Chapter 5:
When the problem is about something at church, be sure you tell everyone how many years you and your family have been members of the church. That’s how people will know what a serious problem this is. And don’t stop complaining with the people directly involved. Register your complaint with every church official you can think of. Remember, what could be more important? Wrongs must be righted! This is especially true if your preacher has done something to hurt your feelings. Hurting your feelings is a terrible violation of the minister’s purpose to make sure everyone is happy. Such a transgression cannot be ignored—especially for someone who has been in this church as long as you have. There’s always hope that if you can be successful in stirring up enough dissatisfaction, you have a chance of getting your preacher moved. That will teach everyone the consequences of hurting your feelings.
Chapter 6:
Finally – and of great importance—remember that your allegiance to these sacred texts supercedes any other teaching! Some people will try to appeal to other sacred texts – don’t get sidetracked! This is the supreme sacred text and don’t you forget it. And don’t let anyone else forget it. Amen
So here it is: the manuscript of the ancient sacred text. I am pretty sure I have written it out accurately from what I see in the lives of its faithful followers.
I have never learned how to reconcile the difference between the very plain teaching of the Bible and the opposite behavior I see too often in church people. When church people are angry, their actions often don’t resemble the Golden Rule, the Great Commandment, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, admonitions to work for unity in the Body of Christ or anything else in the Bible. Forgiveness? Forget it. Kindness? You’ve got to be kidding. Mutual love? Not on your life. Telling the truth? Oh, please! Loving friends is formidable…loving enemies? Impossible. Don’t even mention it. When people get their feelings hurt, I have had the idea that the life, teaching and example of Jesus goes out the window.
For the longest time, this has upset me.
Now, I believe I have figured it out.
There is another ancient manuscript that people give allegiance to. That has to be the answer. It’s the only explanation I can think of. I have not seen the written manuscript, but I have seen the lives of those shaped by it vividly enough to reconstruct it. Like the book of James or I John, this is a powerful, but not a long text. From what I see, this is how the sacred text reads:
Chapter 1:
There is nothing more important than your opinion. When someone disagrees with your opinion, you should mow them down no matter who gets hurt in the crossfire. You need to be heard. When your feelings are hurt, that’s an injustice that demands attention. Do not hesitate to speak up, do not take time to choose your words carefully, do not worry about who will be affected by what you say. Remember: there is nothing more important than your opinion. Write that reality on your heart. Do not stop attacking and complaining until you have consumed the attention of everyone around (and I do mean EVERYONE).
Chapter 2:
Talk ABOUT people instead of talking TO them. You will find that your cause is stronger if you only talk about people instead of wasting your time talking TO them. Don’t worry about having your facts straight or acknowledging that there may be more to the story than you know. You know how you feel. And remember, there is nothing more important than your opinion. You have been hurt and if others get hurt in the crossfire, that’s just the price that has to be paid for the transgression. Maybe people will think twice before doing that again. Remember, if the others hadn’t hurt your feelings, all this would never have happened. So, if people get hurt, it’s not your fault.
Chapter 3:
Remember that blaming is a very effective way for people to see how deeply you have been wronged. People won’t be galvanized to support you unless they see you have been wronged. Tell your story with passion and tell it to as many people as possible. Don’t get sidetracked by the facts and don’t spend your time with people who dare to question your version. You must get attention to your cause. Remember, this is all about you.
Chapter 4:
And, in addition, it is all about your family. Family is important. So if anyone in your family gets their feelings hurt, that’s the same as hurting your feelings. It doesn’t matter whether the family member was right or wrong, if somebody hurts their feelings, they have hurt your feelings too. Remember: speak up, blame others, spread the word about the injustice, don’t feel the need to stick too closely to what actually important. Feelings got hurt. That’s what really matters. Family is important. Don’t let people get away with hurting your family’s feelings.
Chapter 5:
When the problem is about something at church, be sure you tell everyone how many years you and your family have been members of the church. That’s how people will know what a serious problem this is. And don’t stop complaining with the people directly involved. Register your complaint with every church official you can think of. Remember, what could be more important? Wrongs must be righted! This is especially true if your preacher has done something to hurt your feelings. Hurting your feelings is a terrible violation of the minister’s purpose to make sure everyone is happy. Such a transgression cannot be ignored—especially for someone who has been in this church as long as you have. There’s always hope that if you can be successful in stirring up enough dissatisfaction, you have a chance of getting your preacher moved. That will teach everyone the consequences of hurting your feelings.
Chapter 6:
Finally – and of great importance—remember that your allegiance to these sacred texts supercedes any other teaching! Some people will try to appeal to other sacred texts – don’t get sidetracked! This is the supreme sacred text and don’t you forget it. And don’t let anyone else forget it. Amen
So here it is: the manuscript of the ancient sacred text. I am pretty sure I have written it out accurately from what I see in the lives of its faithful followers.
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