Leaving Ruins

For the last two days a friend and I have been treking through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Grasslands, so called Satanic towers, and mountains... lots of mountains. I've seen a Buffalo closer then one should ever see a Buffalo... elk, moose, but sadly no bears. Being my first time in the area I've been overwhelmed by beauty.

The last few weeks I've been reading a book by Stanley Hauerwas called The State of the University. One of his main points is that Christians must create culture... a material culture of work, worship, and play - formed and shaped by the gospel. But in creating this material culture, Christians will also necessarily leave ruins. Change is inevitable - even within the Christian community.  Its a part of how God created things. We go about the business of creating ... living, experienceing, expressing our existence at this particular time and place. All the while knowing one day it will end.  But we leave ruins... markers of faithfulness... A sign which reminds us the gospel must be lived out in the world - reminders for those who come after us.

Today we drove through parts of Eastern Idaho, following the western edge of the Titons up into Montana. It was an unbelievable drive. On the way we came across both an abandoned barn and an old abondoned school house. We stopped and snapped some pictures - exploring a bit. We talked about the memories these places held... the people, the events, the moments. They serve as markers - reminders of a different time, a different group of people in a different world - calling us to remember a different way of life, prompting us to think about how we live our own...

As I spent the last few days surrounded by young people - it struck me.  The last thing they need is to be wowed with new technology or media.  The last thing they need is the newest entertainment...  What they need - what we all need - are examples of faithfulness.  We need to explore the ruins of Christian faith.  Not to stay there... but to be reminded of who we are and who we are called to be.  Being reminded of what it means to be the Christian community in the world...existing for the world.

Breathe on me Breath of God

Lately I've been thinking about the importance of "place". When we live in a place for awhile, it becomes a part of us. Our memories become intertwined with it...and it doesn't take much for past, dormant ones to be awakened. A smell, a familiar sight or sound... and we are sucked back to a different time and place.

While we loved our trip to California, there was a sense of relief for my wife and I as we got off the plane to thick July humidity and the wonderful smell of ... corn. The smell of water always reminds me of trips to all sorts of lakes growing up in Minnesota. Swimming, fishing, throwing rocks... This morning I had one of those moments. Walking with my daughters... the humidity dripping from the air... and the sweet breeze blowing in my face. Exhilarating...

A few months ago my daughter asked me where the wind came from. "The wind is God's breath" I replied. Why is said this... I'm not sure. Maybe because I didn't want to get into air masses and high / low pressure gradients. Or, maybe I still hold this strange idea that kids should find the world to be a magical place... Regardless, I said it, and as far as I know she still believes me. This morning...I believe me.

"Precious blessings from Jesus..."

(What follows is a Plumbline that will be airing later this month on Dordt's radio station - KDCR. It connects to my earlier post about our California trip...)

Plumbline - Juno

During the latter part of June, my family spent 10 days in sunny southern California on a “working” vacation. Our first time in California, we planned to do the kid stuff – Sea World and Disneyland, while also seeing the sights. In our minds it would be a fun trip filled with trips to the beach, Shamu and the Princesses. The first day our 10 month old daughter wouldn’t stop crying. The kids, tired and cranky, fought terribly. The night before Sea World, my son became sick. We drove toward San Diego with two kids complaining of stomach aches, not sure if we should keep going or turn around. We pushed on. Sea World entailed waiting in line, trips to the bathroom, and maneuvering strollers through crowds of people… awaking the next morning to more sickness. By the next night, our daughter joined in. We postponed Disneyland for a day, opting to drive through LA and Hollywood – stopping a few times along the expressway to empty the big bowl we had taken along “just in case”. A few years ago a friend told me to have an Aristotelian Christmas, referring to the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He meant have a “real” Christmas, not an “ideal one”. We certainly had a real family vacation - but I’m ok with it. Through all the sickness, crying, and crabbiness – we ended up having a fun, memorable, time.

Our culture works hard to sell us images of the “ideal” life – the ideal spouse, ideal children, the ideal vacation. And for some reason, the Church has bought into it. We make people feel guilty for not having an ideal faith, an ideal prayer life – for not being ideal Christians. So books are written, seminars are given, tons of money is spent out of guilt – seeking the “ideal” spiritual life we think we should have. All the while missing out on real life, the ordinary moments of faith and spiritually. The times you hold your kids head over the toilet, consoling him, and wondering if the trip to Sea World is a good idea.

This is why I love the movie Juno. As far as movie’s go, it’s not earth shattering, it’s not even one of my favorites. But it’s a good dose of reality. The film follows a 16 year old girl named Juno who discovers she is pregnant. She contemplates an abortion, but decides against it when a classmate, who is picketing the abortion clinic, tells her “it has fingernails”. Juno decides to put the baby up for adoption, finding a couple “desperately seeking spawn” via an ad in the Pennysaver. As the story unfolds, we discover a life, a family, a world that is far from ideal. Becoming pregnant at 16 isn’t what Juno, or her father, had planned. Yet, there is a wonderful line in the film delivered by Juno’s step mom, who responds to the situation by saying, “somebody else is going to find a precious blessing from Jesus in this garbage dump of a situation.” Isn’t that the truth for all of us? Out of the messy reality of our lives, come daily “precious blessings from Jesus”.
Too often we equate “sin” with “imperfection”. We blame long lines at Sea World, teen age pregnancy, or vomiting children on the fall. Now I’m not trying to minimize sin… after all…I’m a Calvinist, and one thing we’re good at is acknowledging the problem of depravity. But maybe, just maybe, there are some imperfections that are not “sin”, but a beautiful part of being human. Recognizing that God has created so many different types of creatures, so many different types of people, that don’t measure up to the world’s “ideal”. Like the beauty of two unique individuals who finally find each other, or the congregation of cantankerous oddballs, who sing off pitch, and nod off during sermons. The one place you would expect this reality to be celebrated is the church. The Biblical story is full of misfits imperfectly carrying out their tasks with moments of humor and unexpected twists. Historically, churches have been full of quirky rejects who don’t fit the world’s “ideal” standard. Lately, it seems, the church has become more concerned with the “ideal”, with nicely packaged presentations and slick, hip, pastors, who look and sound so relevant. Providing emotional experiences and spiritual jargon that help us think we’re on our way to finally getting it all together. Reducing Sunday morning to a game of spiritual make believe…

Towards the end of the film, Juno’s father gives a bit of advice regarding relationships. He says “Look, in my opinion the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what-have-you.” This is good advice for the church as well. Let’s quit seeking some unrealistic ideal, and embrace reality – let’s embrace our humanity, this world, our experiences for what they are… and who God is creating us to be in Jesus Christ. Believe me… when much of Disneyland and Sea World are long forgotten, the memory of my wife standing alongside the expressway dumping out the remnants of my daughters breakfast will vividly live on into old age, undoubtedly bringing much joy and laughter.

Resurrection... A Sequel?

Very interesting article making the rounds... I read bits and pieces in the online version of Time.  Archeologists have supposedly found a Jewish inscription predating Christ that predicts the messiah would rise after three days in the grave.  Fascinating.  The only problem I have... do people really doubt the Jewish roots of Christianity?  Of course Jesus was Jewish... and both the Old Testament and the New Testament are firmly rooted in the promises God made to Israel...   We can't understand the message of the gospel unless we understand the New Testament in the light of the Old Testament themes.  Not just that the Old predicts the new - it goes much deeper then that.  The New Testament stories are in many ways the retelling of the Old Testament stories... fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is Israel - reduced to one, the messiah, the king, the representative of his people.  His death and resurrection is the exile and restoration of Israel...the people of God.

The absolute best discussion of this I have found is N.T. Wright's The New Testament and the People of God.  He does an excellent job of unpacking these connections.  I strongly recommend it.  Or for a less academic treatment, check out his Simply Christian.

Keeping it real...

My family just returned from 10 days in southern California.  We spent a few days at the beach, experienced tide pools, drove through LA, spent some time in Hollywood, and hit both Sea World and Disneyland.  A wonderful trip - made possible by the good people at Long Beach CRC who asked me to come and preach, teach, and do some youth ministry stuff.  We knew about the trip for a while - back in April already... so of course we started planning and envisioning the ideal vacation...

The first few days our 10 month old wouldn't quit fussing.  Our kids, tired from the long day of flying, fought terribly.  Things started to get better by Sunday... until my wife noticed our son didn't look so good.  All through the night he... I'll spare you.  We started out for sea world on Monday not knowing if we would actually go... we did... and he only got sick once, in the aquarium, into the garbage can.  By Tuesday night he was feeling better... but now our daughter was complaining of the "tummy ache".  (By the end of the trip those two words made me sick...)  Sure enough, all night long... and for good measure my son joined in one final time.  The Disneyland portion of our trip would be postponed.  Instead we drove through LA, Beverly Hills, and looked around Hollywood - things our kids really didn't care that much about.  By the next morning everyone was feeling better - and Disneyland went well.  We survived.

What's my point?  So often we long for the "ideal".  Believe me - in my mind our vacation went much differently.  No sunburns, no sickness, no fighting or crying... just kids frolicking through the sand, the skies parting, and rays of light shining down in heavenly bliss.  How boring! Don't get me wrong, there were a few moments when in my mind I had my wife and kids on a plane back to Sioux Center... and I know my wife did too.  But as we look back on the trip, a few memories stick out.  The beauty of the ocean, the euphoria of our daughter meeting Ariel and asking her about breathing under water... and my wife pouring out a bowl of my daughter's vomit along the expressway in the heart of Los Angeles.

I admit - and my wife will tell you - I am always idealizing the way such trips should go.  Hallmark moments in my mind...  But they never go the way I want them to, and I'm starting to figure out that's ok.  If only we quit chasing after these ideal moments, we wouldn't miss out on the real ones... and that's where memories are made.

Baby and the Subway

A few weeks ago we took a trip to New York City for a good friend's wedding.  Our older kids stayed with grandpa and grandma, but our youngest came along.  Savannah - all of 9 months old - hit the Big Apple.  While we were somewhat nervous about lugging a stroller around the subway - it went very well.  We took her to central park, times square, and the Statue of Liberty... being sure to take pictures given she won't remember a thing.

I've been to New York a few times now.  The rule of thumb I've always gone by... just act like I know where I'm going, don't monkey in other people's business, and avoid eye contact on the subway.  But this time was different...  Not that I got in other people's business, but they got in ours.  Our daughter was a magnet.  Almost everyone who saw her on the subway smiled and cooed.  There were two women speaking some form of Eastern European language... talking and playing and laughing... baby talk seems to transcend the language barrier.  People we passed would point and smile... and many were eager to help carry our stroller (with child) up the stairs.  Old people especially would stop and talk ... one guy even gave us a free umbrella when we were caught in the rain.  It was truly remarkable.

I will say my daughter is terribly cute... but I think it goes beyond just my daughter.  There is something about kids... babies especially... that bring us to a happy place.  Maybe it's the innocence, maybe it's parental instincts... I'm not sure.  But maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said we must have faith like a child.  Whatever it means ... I think we experienced it on the New York subway.

(Click below for a few pics of Savannah's trip... ) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTaBBT05hmM

Pans Labyrinth

What follows is something I developed for a Plumbline radio broadcast:

Christian Imagination:  Reclaiming Perspective

Pans Labyrinth, the 2006 film by Mexican director Geuirmo Del Torro, tells the story of a young girl named Ofelia who travels with her mother to live at a military outpost with her new step father, a captain in Franco’s military shortly after the Spanish Civil war.  There she discovers a garden labyrinth which leads to a strange, and magical world, in which she encounters a faun.  Believing Ofelia to be a long lost princess, the faun gives her three tasks to perform so she might prove her identity.  The film moves between Ofelia’s struggle to survive the oppressive life with her step father, and her quest to complete the three tasks to prove her identity. Eventually we discover the two stories are actually one ... the magical world of the Labyrinth is Ofelia’s other worldly perspective of her struggle to survive the harsh reality of living with her step father. 

Pans Labyrinth is an excellent film.  The story is moving, the cinematography is beautiful - the film is well done.  But is it Christian?  That depends.  Some Christians think films should pass both a moralistic and evangelistic litmus test.  Films with no sex, violence, or profanity, which include a wholesome, usually Christian, message, are deemed acceptable.  Using this criteria, Pans Labyrinth probably wouldn’t make the cut - too much violence, and there is nothing explicitly Christian about it.  But should this be all we look for?

While the Christian community should be concerned with morality, rejecting films that glorify violence, gratuitous sex, and vulgarity for it’s own sake, we should also judge films by other criteria.  A good film has a story to tell, creating a space for the audience to wrestle with important themes and ideas.  A good film is one that creatively and imaginatively invites us into other worlds, into the experiences others.  This is not escapism, but an opportunity to see reality from a different perspective.  Here we discover the significance of artistic expression - to frame the world in such a way we are able to rediscover vitality and meaning in the ordinary aspects of human life.

The Christian community needs good films.  At the very core of Christianity we find a narrative -  creative accounts of real people and events which reveal God’s redemptive acts in history.  The gospels are inspired accounts of God’s saving work in the person of Jesus Christ... detailing the miracles, the teachings, the confrontations with rulers and religious leaders, acts of love and compassion, all climaxing with Christ’s death and resurrection.  The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles reveal the bursting forth of the kingdom of God through the proclamation of the gospel, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.  Through His written Word God speaks to us ... creatively, and imaginatively, beckoning us to see the world through the lens of Christ’s death and resurrection.  

Sadly, it seems the imagination of the Christian community has become dull.  How often we approach scripture as if we’ve heard it all already, as if it has nothing to say to us.  How often we approach the Bible as a deposit of abstract rules and principles, that if followed, programatically lead to a better life.  We must reclaim our imaginations.  We need the arts - film, music, poetry - to stretch us, to stoke the flames of creativity, so we might learn to see differently.  We must approach scripture with our imaginations fully engaged, so that through the redemptive story we might experience the risen Christ, and have our eyes opened to the presence of his kingdom.  

  In the book of Revelation, John addresses the issues facing the churches of Asia Minor.  He gives them a glimpse of the divine perspective, pulling back the curtain to reveal that emperors and kingdoms are really beasts and harlots in allegiance with the dragon at war with God and his people.  While the world sees Christ’s death, and the suffering of the church, as weakness, John reveals that from the throne room of God, this suffering proclaims the power and victory of God over the beasts and dragon.  In the final chapters, John imaginatively describes creation as seen from the perspective of Christ’s resurrection; a new heavens and new earth, a new order of peace and justice, the dwelling place of God and the Lamb.  In the same way, Pans Labyrinth offers a similar perspective - a young girl understands her horrible circumstances as an unfolding fairy tale, as she sacrificially fights evil monsters in order to save her baby brother.  We need films like Pans Labyrinth to stretch our imaginations, to help us remember there is more to the world then meets the eye.  That if we truly believe the gospel there is no place for fatalism... because there is more to the story.  As Christians we need the arts...we need theater, music, and poetry.  We need good movies, because we need to hear stories that remind us to look at the world differently.  Stories that point us back to the Biblical story, which calls us to see the world not as it is...but as it is and will be because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.