May the Fourth Be With You….

….and also with you. Due to tomorrow (or today, depending on when you are reading this) being May the Fourth or International Star Wars Day, I am re-posting this blog entry I did on my previous blog. Please enjoy.

Christianity’s biggest threat: Christians

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve seen that there has been a surge of suicides in gay teens. It seems one can hardly turn on the news anymore without hearing a horrible tale of a young life snuffed out of it’s prime due to bullying and just general harassment. It’s a horrible trend and I whole-heartedly approve of the “It Gets Better” campaign to help these teens. It’s so sad that these kids feel they have no other alternative to life than to take it with their own hands. Absolutely soul crushing.

But then I found an article written by a man identifying himself as a Christian. I’m not going to link the article, nor name the author, because I honestly don’t want to give him any more attention, but I’m sure if you poke around on Google you could find it. Anyway, this gentleman goes on to say that the gay teen suicide spike isn’t such a big deal, as opposed to Christians who have killed themselves due to being “harassed by homosexual activists.” He then goes on to list eight cases where Christians were either bullied, harassed or just downright intimidated. I admit, as I read the article, I was starting to wonder if there was another side to this over-all story. But the tail end of the article caught my attention..

“These eight cases are all true except for one thing: The Christians who were bullied by gays and gay activists are all still alive. Not a single one has committed suicide.”

So yes, you read that right. His argument boils down to “Gay people tease and harass Christians to the point of suicide. Except they didn’t, and yet somehow my point still stands.”

Umm…what? Seriously, this confuses me, but it illustrates my point that the greatest threat to Christianity is actually Christians themselves.

If I may take a step back here, I’d also like to clarify that this blog entry isn’t so much a “everyone should be like me” deal but more of a “let’s take this journey together.” As a Christian, I’d grade myself a D-, at best. So please don’t think I’m trying to preach from some ivory altar and guide people to where I am. Now that we’ve established that, let’s get back to the show.

“But Mr. Zissman,” you might say “how can you possibly defend Christianity considering all the horrible things it has done in the past and present?” Well that’s easy, I can’t defend it. I can’t defend Fred Phelps, or abortion clinic bombings, other than to say they do not have Christ’s message in their hearts and minds.

Look at it this way…think of a Christianity as a lightsaber.

In the hands of a Jedi, the lightsaber represents truth, justice and peace. In the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker, it protects the weak and the poor and helps bring light to the galaxy. However, if a lightsaber is wielded by Darth Vader or Darth Maul, it represents misery, hate and pain. The lightsaber itself has not changed: it still hums, it still glows, it still looks wicked awesome. BUT what has changed is how it’s wielded and for what purpose. Christianity works the same way.

When lightsabers were first created in the Star Wars universe, their first intention was for good. However, when the Dark Jedi discovered lightsabers, they found a way to enforce their views through intimidation and fear. In essence, the original intention of the lightsabers had been corrupted. In fact, many people actually feared the Jedi due to the actions of the Sith, simply lumping the two together. Well, I’m here to say that not all Christians are Sith Lords.

I’d also like to think part of this poor public perception boils down to the media. Now again, let me make myself clear: I’m not going to say there is some sort of sinister liberal/progressive plan to overthrow Christianity because I simply don’t believe it. Rather, I blame the media because sensationalism sells. “If it bleeds, it leads” as the saying goes. Imagine you’re a producer of a prime-time news show. Which segment do you think would get the most ratings?

LOCAL CHRISTIAN STUDIES BIBLE, DONATES TO CHARITIES, VOLUNTEERS AT SOUP KITCHEN

or

REV. ARCHIBALD NOTGAY CONDEMNS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS FOR BEING PART OF ‘INSIDIOUS HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA’

Again, if the producer chose B it wouldn’t be out of trying to smear Christianity, but rather it’s got more pizzaz than Option A. Let’s be real, Option A is rather boring, at least news wise. But Christians aren’t the only ones getting this treatment, as I firmly believe Muslims are as well. Once more, let’s look at possible news headlines.

LOCAL MUSLIM PRAYS, FASTS AND READS KORAN. WORKS 9 TO 5, PAYS BILLS ON TIME, DRIVES A LEXUS.

or

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WARNS OF ANOTHER POSSIBLE-SORTOF-MAYBE-KINDOF-ALMOST-TERRORIST ATTACK. TERROR ALERT HAS BEEN RAISED TO LIGHT BEIGE

See what I mean?

This is a problem, and the only solution (I feel) is to keep on keeping on. You won’t win anyone over by street corner preaching, but instead following Christ’s example of humility, peace and charity. As Rob Bell (one of my favorite theologians) once said: “Why blame the dark for being dark? It’s far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be.” This is a good point.

Let’s go back to the Star Wars analogies. There will always be the Force, and there will always be two sides of it: Light and Dark. For every Luke Skywalker, you have a Darth Vader. For every Darth Bane, you have a Yoda. As much as it pains me, I do not see an earthly world where the light is the only source. So instead of complaining about the darkness, instead of blaming others for being in the darkness, why not simply be as bright as you can? Try simple acts of kindness, try listening to someone hurting or who is in pain, teach your kids not to bully or hate and focus on being the best Christian YOU can be, instead of expecting people to join you in lock step conformity to your own personal beliefs.

Christ’s message will never be spread via finger-pointing and name calling, but rather through faith, love and humility. Just like a Youngling trains to become a Padawan and then trains to be a Jedi (more Star Wars metaphors!) let’s train ourselves to be some sort of spiritual Jedi. We’re all in this together.

Jesus loves the little children…

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

I remember sitting in Sunday School as a young child, singing this exact song. It served as a musical foundation for my early faith. I remember sitting in brightly colored plastic chairs, sipping fruit “juice” (Seriously, was there ever actually any real juice in those large 3 gallon jugs?) and coloring Xeroxed pictures of a smiling, cartoony looking Jesus. We learned about Jesus, Mary, Moses, The Disciples and Heaven and Hell.

For Young Stephen, the stark contrast between Heaven and Hell made perfect sense to me. You either loved Jesus and went to Heaven or you didn’t and went to Hell where all the bad people go. There was nothing else, just one or the other.

This stayed with me till I grew older and some things began to linger in the back of my mind. The fact that a loving, just God would cast someone into a “lake of fire” because they didn’t believe the right thing bothered me. I never admitted it to anyone because I felt guilty about it, as if I had somehow blasphemed God by having this struggle. “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” I would tell myself.

Even though it was drilled into my head every Sunday morning that if someone hadn’t “accepted” Jesus that they would burn in Hell forever regardless of what they did, the confusion never went away.

This really left me feeling disoriented, because I firmly believe that Christ stands for truth, justice and peace and I had seen works of people whom I felt represented these same ideals. For example, take the late Princess Diana. Here is a woman who, during her short time on this earth, dedicated herself to funding AIDS research and spending time with AIDS patients, even during a period where little was known about it and people thought you could catch it via skin contact. She also dedicated herself to the eradication of land mines, a horrible device if there was one, all the while battling her own personal demons of bulimia, self-harm (cutting) and more.

And yet, I had heard it preached straight from the pulpit that because she had never made a public profession of faith in Jesus, she died “unsaved” to spend an eternity in Hell.

Wait, what?

She’s in Hell?

We know this for sure?

It bothered me greatly to hear all that she had done in her life so easily dismissed. And that’s not to simply single out Princess Di, but other people who have spread peace and love, only to be told they died “unsaved” and went to Hell.

Does anyone else see something wrong with this?

Have we, as Christians, gotten to the point where we look at God’s redemptive, powerful, healing love like a Beverly Hills Polo Club where only the elite can get in? But doesn’t that contrast with Christ’s message of inclusion and not exclusion?

If God is the one who decides if we make into Heaven or Hell and faith in Jesus “saves” us into Heaven, is Jesus then protecting us from God? Why would we need protecting from someone who loves us as much as him? Indeed, God carries such a powerful love for us, that he allowed his only son to die an excruciating death usually reserved for the most hardcore of criminals.

And God allowed it, so that we would no longer be held prisoners of sin.

He loves us that much.

So if he loves us that much, how could he possibly send someone to Hell and still claim he’s a loving God?

Questions, questions, questions.

Let’s look at this from another angle: the basic understanding of Christian behavior is to ‘be good.’ Paul writes in Galatians 5:22 that one of the “fruits of the (Holy) spirit” is goodness.

So goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But then the writer of Psalms 1 states that “all good things” come from God.

All good things.

Come from God.

So goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and all good things come from God, right? So by doing a ‘good thing’ you are, in fact, a fulfilling a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a fruit that originally came from God.

Whether you realize it or not, by doing something good you are fulfilling God’s will and doing what is pleasing in God’s eyes.

“…’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” ~ Matthew 25:40

If how we treat others is how we treat Jesus and if we treat Jesus via other people with love, affection and kindness, then why would God decide this person should experience eternal pain, suffering and torture?

Look at this series of verses from Ezekiel…

“I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’ I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.

“Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.  I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” ~ Ezekiel 36:16-28

So God became angered at Israel for worshiping false gods and making idols to bow down too, so he punished them and drove them from their own land. Enslaved by foreign leaders who held them captive by people who cared little to nothing about them, their lives were hell.

But then God goes on to say that, due to his grace and mercy, he has forgiven them and allowed them to return to their promised land. But nowhere in the verse does it say they specifically asked for forgiveness.

Interesting.

Let’s look at this from another direction. Let’s say we have an atheist named Jane. Jane  has never went to church, was raised in an atheist household and sees no need for Jesus, or God or any other religion.

Now let’s also say that Jane is a drug addict, or more specifically, heroin. Her arms look like a AAA road map full of bruises, sores and scars. She lost her job due to her addiction, her family has abandoned her due to the pain she has caused them, and with no job and no money to pay for drugs, she has resorted to prostitution. Every night she sells her body to strangers and is abused and violated in the most graphic, horrible ways possible. All so she can have a little extra cash for her next drug fix.

The one night, feeling cold, alone and broken, Jane deliberately over doses and dies a slow, painful death on her filthy couch.

She then meets God.

What happens?

Does Jane go to Heaven or Hell?

Here we have this woman’s life whose life was in shambles: depressed and alone, forgotten and miserable. No one had bothered to show her the tiniest shred of kindness or mercy in her last days and she dies in utter and complete darkness.

But would God, in his eternal compassion and grace, give this woman the peace and serenity she never had while living or would he simply say “Sorry woman, but you didn’t believe in exactly the right thing, so off to Hell you go.”

If God is our Heavenly Father who loves and cares for us much more than our earthly father possibly could (and the love a father has for his child is well documented throughout the pages of history) then why would God cast Jane into a “lake of fire”?

Does God get what God wants?

Jane’s life was already in hell. Her life was a hell on earth.

Before we consider Hell as a cavernous lava chamber in which Satan sits upon a throne of skulls, laughing as he puts backwards messages into Ozzy Osbourne songs, we should understand that hell is here on Earth.

From the elderly shut-in.

To the drug addict looking for another fix.

And the alcoholic passed out, clutching a bottle as they lay face down in a pool of their own vomit.

As well as the sex abuse victim huddled in darkness, clutching their knees to their chest as tears trickle down their innocent faces.

And the homeless using a thin, frail newspaper as their own line of protection form a blistering winter cold.

This is Hell. This weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And what do we do about it?

Burn Korans?

Protest Harry Potter?

Become enraged that our elected officials do not pray and worship in the exact specified way we feel they should?

In Acts 1, Jesus commands us to witness “to the ends of the earth.” and in his letter to the Romans, Paul writes that we should be “slaves to righteousness.”

Peace. Mercy. Justice. This is righteousness. This is Christ.

This is Heaven.

God has shown us incredible mercy by sacrificing his only own son for our sake. The veil in the temple has been torn, the sacrificial goat has been set free.

It is finished.

Heaven doesn’t need to be an ideal of golden gates, mansions and angels sitting on clouds while playing harps. It’s a very real concept, a place, a state of being that lives forever, that darkness will never taint nor corrupt.

Heaven lives in every one of us, being God’s perfect gift to us and it’s our job to show Heaven to as many people as possible by showing love and compassion to all.

The promise is for everyone, allowing eternal joy for all of humanity.

THAT is Jesus loving the little children.

Don’t worry if someone, or even yourself, is “good enough” to get into Heaven. Instead, bring Heaven to earth, just like Christ did.