--St. John of the Cross
Saturday, March 10, 2012
"There is so much concerning Christ..."
--St. John of the Cross
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Pat Robertson and John Piper: God sending tornadoes?
39...
39 lives were lost last weekend when tornadoes devastated areas of five states. Here in Indiana we are told that of those 39 lives, 13 were from southern Indiana. These tornadoes not only took lives but also took homes, business, and other buildings. Death, suffering, and broken dreams...as the years go by every March 2nd will be a day to remember for many people.
My dear reader, allow me now to tell you about two responses that I have seen from some of my Christian brothers and sisters in regards to this latest tragedy: Response #1, and Response #2.
Response #1: Christians like John Piper and Pat Robertson.
In his website, Evangelical theologian and pastor John Piper said the following regarding this tragedy:
When I read this opening paragraph I admit I almost lost control. But I kept reading. Here are the next paragraphs: "If God has a quarrel with America, wouldn’t Washington, D.C., or Las Vegas, or Minneapolis, or Hollywood be a more likely place to show his displeasure?
We do not ascribe such independent power to Mother Nature or to the devil. God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows. If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command."
"...God gave the command..."
After this Piper engages in biblical exegesis to justify and explain what he said in the the opening paragraphs. He then ends his blog entry with the following:"Therefore, God’s will for America under his mighty hand, is that every Christian, every Jew, every Muslim, every person of every religion or non-religion, turn from sin and come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus rules the wind. The tornadoes were his.
"...God's will for America..."
39 lives were lost last weekend when tornadoes devastated areas of five states. Here in Indiana we are told that of those 39 lives, 13 were from southern Indiana. These tornadoes not only took lives but also took homes, business, and other buildings. Death, suffering, and broken dreams...as the years go by every March 2nd will be a day to remember for many people.
My dear reader, allow me now to tell you about two responses that I have seen from some of my Christian brothers and sisters in regards to this latest tragedy: Response #1, and Response #2.
Response #1: Christians like John Piper and Pat Robertson.
In his website, Evangelical theologian and pastor John Piper said the following regarding this tragedy:
“Why would God reach down his hand and drag his fierce fingers across rural America killing at least 38 people with 90 tornadoes in 12 states, and leaving some small towns with scarcely a building standing, including churches?
(from Fierce Tornadoes and the Fingers of God)When I read this opening paragraph I admit I almost lost control. But I kept reading. Here are the next paragraphs: "If God has a quarrel with America, wouldn’t Washington, D.C., or Las Vegas, or Minneapolis, or Hollywood be a more likely place to show his displeasure?
We do not ascribe such independent power to Mother Nature or to the devil. God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows. If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command."
"...God gave the command..."
After this Piper engages in biblical exegesis to justify and explain what he said in the the opening paragraphs. He then ends his blog entry with the following:"Therefore, God’s will for America under his mighty hand, is that every Christian, every Jew, every Muslim, every person of every religion or non-religion, turn from sin and come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus rules the wind. The tornadoes were his.
But before Jesus took any life in rural America, he gave his own on the rugged cross. Come to me, he says, to America — to the devastated and to the smugly self-sufficient. Come to me, and I will give you hope and help now, and in the resurrection, more than you have ever lost. You can show your partnership in suffering, and help lift the load, at Samaritan’s Purse."
"...Jesus rules the wind..."
"...The tornadoes were his..."
The last line of the entry is the only place were he tells people to "show your partnership in suffering, and help lift the load" by donating to the group he recommended. So, the whole article could be summarized this way: God (and Jesus) sent the tornadoes, repent.
The TV evangelist (and an icon of the Christian Right) Pat Robertson has been known for making many controversial statements in the past. So when I heard that he said something about this latest tragedy I said "Oh no..." After all, this is the same Pat Robertson who said that Haiti suffered an earthquake in 2010 because of a pact with the devil. This is also the same Pat Robertson who back in September 13, 2001 had the late Jerry Fallwell in his show the "700 Club"(only TWO days after the tragedy of 9/11) and the infamous "you helped this happen":
JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way--all of them who have tried to secularize America--I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."
PAT ROBERTSON: Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system.
"...Well, I totally concur..."
However, while Piper speaks of God dragging "his fierce fingers across rural America", Robertson said that God did not send the tornadoes; this in itself was different from what he said about Hurricane Katrina. This is what he said:
“God set up a world in which certain currents interfere and interact with other currents. If enough people were praying, He would intervene. You could pray. Jesus stilled the storm. You could still storms.”
"...If enough people were praying...
"...Jesus stilled the storm..."
"...You could still storms..."
There is a lot I could say about their "response". I could give my own theological counterarguments to their theological arguments. I could write 2 or 3 paragraphs and engage in some sort of exegetical battle regarding the use Piper's use of the Book of Job, or Robertson's use of the Gospel according to Matthew 8:23-26 regarding his comment
Yes, I could respond this way. But instead, to this response by John Piper and Pat Robertson I say:
How dare you?
How could you?
Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you should have kept all this to yourselves?
Did it ever occur to you that a better way to "show your partnership in suffering, and help lift the load" was NOT to say these things?
Did it ever occur to you that saying these things could cause MORE suffering and pain to the victims?
Did it ever occur to you that the victims of this tragedy do not want to listen to "Repent!", and instead want to hear you say "How can we help"?
People lost their lives, people lost their homes, people lost their business, people lost everything! And you both thought it was a good idea to say to the world, to the families of the 39, and the victims of this disaster:
1) That it was God who sent the tornado that killed your child?
2) That you didn't pray (or din't pray enough) so you didn't calm "the storm" and so your child's death is on you?
Quite frankly my dear reader I prefer to move on. Now please allow me to tell you about how other Christians have responded to this tragedy.
Response #2: Other Christians
As a campus ministry intern here at Purdue, I am happy to say that I know Christians that have responded to this not with words of theological doom, but with words AND actions of love. Last Tuesday night at the Wesley Foundation we heard an update from a student that is connected with a group (created by a Wesley student) that has been training for disaster relief operations. They were trying to see if the group was going to be part of the already massive relief effort going on in southern Indiana. My own church (the Episcopal Church) is using its Episcopal Relief & Development to help coordinate relief efforts in the areas affected by this tragedy. Many Christians (along with non-Christians) are working together as volunteers with multiple organizations to help.
I know many of these Christians personally. And none of them thought that their response should have been one of "God did this, who is left alive should repent" or "They didn't pray enough, it's their fault".
No. Their response has been love. Love with their words and their actions. To these Christians I want to say thank you.
The American Red Cross is also trying to do what they can. More than 500 trained Red Cross disaster workers have sheltered hundreds of people displaced by tornadoes across 11 states; served more than 42,000 meals and snacks; and handed out nearly 14,000 relief items. (for more details click here) Christians are donating money to the Red Cross and/or becoming volunteers.
And let us not forget the paramedics, nurses, doctors, firefighters, the men and women of the police and others who are helping, along with the members of many churches in the area and beyond who are helping.
My dear reader allow me to end this with the following words: to all Americans (Christian and non-Christians) who are RIGHT NOW helping, I want to say thank you.
Gracias.
Thank you.
peace,
--Mario
“God set up a world in which certain currents interfere and interact with other currents. If enough people were praying, He would intervene. You could pray. Jesus stilled the storm. You could still storms.”
"...If enough people were praying...
"...Jesus stilled the storm..."
"...You could still storms..."
There is a lot I could say about their "response". I could give my own theological counterarguments to their theological arguments. I could write 2 or 3 paragraphs and engage in some sort of exegetical battle regarding the use Piper's use of the Book of Job, or Robertson's use of the Gospel according to Matthew 8:23-26 regarding his comment
Yes, I could respond this way. But instead, to this response by John Piper and Pat Robertson I say:
How dare you?
How could you?
Did it ever occur to you that perhaps you should have kept all this to yourselves?
Did it ever occur to you that a better way to "show your partnership in suffering, and help lift the load" was NOT to say these things?
Did it ever occur to you that saying these things could cause MORE suffering and pain to the victims?
Did it ever occur to you that the victims of this tragedy do not want to listen to "Repent!", and instead want to hear you say "How can we help"?
People lost their lives, people lost their homes, people lost their business, people lost everything! And you both thought it was a good idea to say to the world, to the families of the 39, and the victims of this disaster:
1) That it was God who sent the tornado that killed your child?
2) That you didn't pray (or din't pray enough) so you didn't calm "the storm" and so your child's death is on you?
Quite frankly my dear reader I prefer to move on. Now please allow me to tell you about how other Christians have responded to this tragedy.
Response #2: Other Christians
As a campus ministry intern here at Purdue, I am happy to say that I know Christians that have responded to this not with words of theological doom, but with words AND actions of love. Last Tuesday night at the Wesley Foundation we heard an update from a student that is connected with a group (created by a Wesley student) that has been training for disaster relief operations. They were trying to see if the group was going to be part of the already massive relief effort going on in southern Indiana. My own church (the Episcopal Church) is using its Episcopal Relief & Development to help coordinate relief efforts in the areas affected by this tragedy. Many Christians (along with non-Christians) are working together as volunteers with multiple organizations to help.
I know many of these Christians personally. And none of them thought that their response should have been one of "God did this, who is left alive should repent" or "They didn't pray enough, it's their fault".
No. Their response has been love. Love with their words and their actions. To these Christians I want to say thank you.
The American Red Cross is also trying to do what they can. More than 500 trained Red Cross disaster workers have sheltered hundreds of people displaced by tornadoes across 11 states; served more than 42,000 meals and snacks; and handed out nearly 14,000 relief items. (for more details click here) Christians are donating money to the Red Cross and/or becoming volunteers.
And let us not forget the paramedics, nurses, doctors, firefighters, the men and women of the police and others who are helping, along with the members of many churches in the area and beyond who are helping.
My dear reader allow me to end this with the following words: to all Americans (Christian and non-Christians) who are RIGHT NOW helping, I want to say thank you.
Gracias.
Thank you.
peace,
--Mario
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thoughts from my sermon "Who is Christ?"
Hello my dear reader. The following is a short reflection, inspired by some of the thoughts from my sermon last weekend in Chicago, as part of the Province V (Episcopal Church) Campus Ministry Conference. I would like to dedicate this humble reflection to my old and new friends from Province V. :)
--
--
Who is Jesus? Quien es Jesús ? Quien es Cristo? Who is Christ?
If you my dear reader are a Christian, how would you answer this?
In both of these readings it appears that the answer to the questions of "who is Jesus" and/or "who is Christ" is this: he is the Son or more to the point the Son of God. But this "answer" is not the only one given in Scripture and in the 2,000 years of tradition in the Church.
...who is Christ...
In response to ideas about the humanity and/or divinity of Jesus (among other ideas about God and Christian faith) the Church eventually came up with the creeds. Two of these creeds are The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
The Apostle's creed states: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary....
Now, let us take a look at what the Nicene Creed tells us about Jesus: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father...
These creeds inspired by Scripture and a result of years of fights (some of them violent), debates, and struggles in the Church are recited by many Christians around the world every week. I myself have done this for many years. I can hear the echoes of the first verses of the Gospel according to John, along with other parts of Scripture and the ideas of Christian and Non-Christian thinkers coming together and sometimes colliding with one another. I see these creeds and I see a few more answers to my questions, including who he is, where did he come from and why, his humanity, his divinity, etc. Yet, these creeds speak in a language produced by a reality and a world that is not quite the reality (or the world) of today; this is not meant as an insult or to demean these creeds but rather to point out a fact.
History shows us that these creeds, along with how to interpret Scripture, and what the Church has said in the past and in the present about Christ reminds us that the 'right' or 'wrong' answer has been a serious business. While to some the 'right' or 'wrong' answer has been and continues to be a matter of 'salvation', many times the 'right' or 'wrong' answer can be a matter of life and death depending on where you live...and I do not mean this spiritually and/or metaphorically; I mean it in the physical sense.
...who is Christ...
During the weekend some in our group gladly gave their time to provide meals to the hungry (as part of the great work done by Church of Our Savior) and we had discussions and reflections on issues of social justice, from the problems of income inequality, poverty, discrimination, to many other related issues. As human beings we continue to be divided on how to find solutions to these problems (the private sector and/or the government, the individual and/or society, the Church, etc) but many of our brothers and sisters continue to be hungry and homeless, continue to be discriminated, continue to suffer, continue to cry. And it is this suffering and pain, along with a concern to try to do something about it that was true of the past and it is true now; on this, the reality of the past and of our present are not different.
...who is Christ...
In the book Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology for Our Time, Leonardo Boff tells us that to ask who is Christ and of course who are you, Jesus Christ, for us today means confronting our existence with his and being challenged by his person, message and the meaning we discover in his comportment. (Page 245). And I ask myself: if Christ asked me "My dear Mario, who do you say that I am", how would I answer?
What would I say? In what language?
What is the 'correct' answer?
Would I respond like St. Peter? (Mark 8:29)
Would I in accordance with the tradition of the Church (inspired by Scripture) think of the creeds?
As a "proper" Episcopalian what does "Scripture, Tradition, and Reason" tell me?
What do I, in the state of being found in the faith that grasps my core, finally say?
Would I instead of saying anything, simply remain in silence and in the power of silence let my heart respond?
...who is Christ...
Dorothee Sölle attempted to answer this question in her own personal way by using a format inspired by the ancients creeds of the Church:
...who is Christ...
I will continue asking myself this question. In the meantime, let us try to remember this: while the 'correct' question may be important, orthodoxy should never get on the way of orthopraxis and the love we must show to others and to ourselves. Sometimes when I say this I am told by some of my Christian brothers and sisters that all this talk about 'love' is not really what the Gospel is all about but instead it is faith in Christ that is important. My response is this: that faith in Christ must have love; a love beyond our own dichotomies; a love beyond our labels and categories for everything; a love beyond our fears of 'the other'; a love that transcends ourselves. A faith without this love (or the practice of this love) becomes futile and it alienate us from our fellow human beings and specially those human beings that need us the most.
Perhaps to be Christian and to try to answer the question of 'who is Christ' is to remember the words of St. James: If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them,“Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:15-17 (NRSV)
--
--
Who is Jesus? Quien es Jesús ? Quien es Cristo? Who is Christ?
If you my dear reader are a Christian, how would you answer this?
Why do I ask this? This was inspired by some of the excellent conversations that I had with my Province V comrades this weekend on issues of religion, spirituality, philosophy, Lord of the Rings, etc. This was also inspired by the readings of the RCL that were part of the First Sunday of Lent. One of those readings was the Gospel according to Mark 1:9-15, as it described the scene of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. It tells us that after the baptism there was a voice, a voice that came from heaven and it said You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. This voice made me think of the Gospel reading from the Last Sunday after the Epiphany when a cloud overshadowed Peter, James, and John (after seeing Jesus transfigured and having a conversation with Moses and Elijah) and there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"
In both of these readings it appears that the answer to the questions of "who is Jesus" and/or "who is Christ" is this: he is the Son or more to the point the Son of God. But this "answer" is not the only one given in Scripture and in the 2,000 years of tradition in the Church.
...who is Christ...
In response to ideas about the humanity and/or divinity of Jesus (among other ideas about God and Christian faith) the Church eventually came up with the creeds. Two of these creeds are The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
The Apostle's creed states: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary....
Now, let us take a look at what the Nicene Creed tells us about Jesus: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father...
These creeds inspired by Scripture and a result of years of fights (some of them violent), debates, and struggles in the Church are recited by many Christians around the world every week. I myself have done this for many years. I can hear the echoes of the first verses of the Gospel according to John, along with other parts of Scripture and the ideas of Christian and Non-Christian thinkers coming together and sometimes colliding with one another. I see these creeds and I see a few more answers to my questions, including who he is, where did he come from and why, his humanity, his divinity, etc. Yet, these creeds speak in a language produced by a reality and a world that is not quite the reality (or the world) of today; this is not meant as an insult or to demean these creeds but rather to point out a fact.
History shows us that these creeds, along with how to interpret Scripture, and what the Church has said in the past and in the present about Christ reminds us that the 'right' or 'wrong' answer has been a serious business. While to some the 'right' or 'wrong' answer has been and continues to be a matter of 'salvation', many times the 'right' or 'wrong' answer can be a matter of life and death depending on where you live...and I do not mean this spiritually and/or metaphorically; I mean it in the physical sense.
...who is Christ...
During the weekend some in our group gladly gave their time to provide meals to the hungry (as part of the great work done by Church of Our Savior) and we had discussions and reflections on issues of social justice, from the problems of income inequality, poverty, discrimination, to many other related issues. As human beings we continue to be divided on how to find solutions to these problems (the private sector and/or the government, the individual and/or society, the Church, etc) but many of our brothers and sisters continue to be hungry and homeless, continue to be discriminated, continue to suffer, continue to cry. And it is this suffering and pain, along with a concern to try to do something about it that was true of the past and it is true now; on this, the reality of the past and of our present are not different.
...who is Christ...
In the book Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology for Our Time, Leonardo Boff tells us that to ask who is Christ and of course who are you, Jesus Christ, for us today means confronting our existence with his and being challenged by his person, message and the meaning we discover in his comportment. (Page 245). And I ask myself: if Christ asked me "My dear Mario, who do you say that I am", how would I answer?
What would I say? In what language?
What is the 'correct' answer?
Would I respond like St. Peter? (Mark 8:29)
Would I in accordance with the tradition of the Church (inspired by Scripture) think of the creeds?
As a "proper" Episcopalian what does "Scripture, Tradition, and Reason" tell me?
What do I, in the state of being found in the faith that grasps my core, finally say?
Would I instead of saying anything, simply remain in silence and in the power of silence let my heart respond?
...who is Christ...
Dorothee Sölle attempted to answer this question in her own personal way by using a format inspired by the ancients creeds of the Church:
I believe in Jesus Christ
who was right when he
like each of us
just another individual who couldn't beat city hall
worked to change the status quo
and was destroyed
Looking at him I see
how our intelligence is crippled
our imagination stifled
our efforts wasted
because we do not live as he did
every day I am afraid
that he died in vain
because he is buried in our churches
because we have betrayed his revolution
in our obedience to authority
and our fear of it
I believe in Jesus Christ
who rises again and again in our lives
so that we will be free
from prejudice and arrogance
from fear and hate
and carry on his revolution
and make way for his kingdom
...who is Christ...
I will continue asking myself this question. In the meantime, let us try to remember this: while the 'correct' question may be important, orthodoxy should never get on the way of orthopraxis and the love we must show to others and to ourselves. Sometimes when I say this I am told by some of my Christian brothers and sisters that all this talk about 'love' is not really what the Gospel is all about but instead it is faith in Christ that is important. My response is this: that faith in Christ must have love; a love beyond our own dichotomies; a love beyond our labels and categories for everything; a love beyond our fears of 'the other'; a love that transcends ourselves. A faith without this love (or the practice of this love) becomes futile and it alienate us from our fellow human beings and specially those human beings that need us the most.
Perhaps to be Christian and to try to answer the question of 'who is Christ' is to remember the words of St. James: If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them,“Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:15-17 (NRSV)
...who is Jesus...
...quien es Jesús ...
...quien es Cristo...
...who is Christ...
May our answers, and our new questions to those answers continue to bring all of us closer to each other, away from prejudice, arrogance, fear, and hate, and closer to the way of wisdom, respect, compassion, and love.
Have a great weekend everyone. :)
peace,
--Mario
P.S. Special dedication to the amazing Sue. Thank you for your ministry :)
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