Category Archives: Culture

December 18, 2010

Marriage & the Gospel of Jesus

By David D. Flowers

My wife and I just celebrated our 9th year anniversary (12/15). In celebration of my wife and in honor of my grandmother, I decided to share some thoughts on marriage. I’m aware that this is a hot button issue, so just keep in mind that these are my personal thoughts on something I think is central to living out the Gospel of Jesus.

FYI: This was sparked by an older article from Christianity Today Magazine. You can read the article here.

We are all familiar with the great debate over marriage, divorce, and remarriage. I would like to focus my comments particularly on where divorce fits into God’s plan. My understanding is that it doesn’t.

The Epidemic of Divorce

The Christian pollster George Barna has said, “There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage.” It is now old news that, according to the most reliable statistical figures, there is virtually no difference between believers and non-believers when it comes to the divorce rate.

How can this be? How is it that Christ-followers have given up on such a central teaching of Jesus?—Reconciliation (Matt. 5-7).

I know believers that have claimed emotional abuse as their reason for divorce. Honestly, what spouse could not claim emotional abuse in marriage? All of us who are married could claim this at some point.

It must be said if there were any legitimate reasons for divorce, this would not be one of them—no matter how many well-intentioned authors and radio talk show hosts say so.

And if there is real physical abuse, there are plenty of creative ways the church can help a believer respond (and protect them) without encouraging a severing of the relationship. The church’s uncreative response to this reminds me of how she has too often shirked her responsibility to address other evils in a manner that is reflective of Christ (e.g. abortion, poverty, war, etc.).

If my grandmother, Emma, who was physically abused and cheated on numerous times, had left my grandfather, who eventually became a believer, I would not be here today. In fact, my siblings and many of my cousins would not be here either. There would no doubt be fewer folks in the kingdom of God. I’m thankful for the strength, the spiritual depth, and the persistence of this dear lady. She believed God and it paid off.

In all of the (Christian) discussions about marriage and divorce, it is rarely mentioned how destructive divorce is, for any reason. It’s an epidemic in the church today. It destroys families and the lives of people around us. It certainly doesn’t reflect Christ who reconciles and loves us without limit.

It doesn’t reflect new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).

The Bible & Divorce

Is God looking for a way out of his relationship with us because we have abused him? I am thankful for the bond of Christ, and the promise of God’s power to reconcile all things to himself (Col. 1:19-20). And I am thankful that he still “hates” divorce (Malachi 2:16).

I believe, as the CT article suggests, Jesus and Paul were both dealing with specific questions about marriage. The biblical text is not giving us answers to all of the many scenarios about marriage and divorce that we seek today.

We certainly don’t want to start constructing arguments based off silence either, lest we think Jesus somehow believed in war and that homosexuality is consistent with the created order. Jesus didn’t directly address many things, but the core of his teachings gives us a portrait of God’s divine image and his good purposes for his creation. The Scripture is plain enough (Mark 10:1-10; Lk 16:18).

This much is true. We can debate all day long about the “exception” clause (Matt. 5:32; 19:9). However, it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to see that the biblical text is very clear that divorce is destructive and should be avoided at all costs (1 Cor. 7:10-16).

Divorce may happen, but it isn’t “allowed” any more than other radical evils. Like everything else, Jesus has revealed a better way—a higher spiritual law.

Unfortunately, I see the church easing the conscience of Christians so they can follow their flesh and turn to worldly law courts to kill their covenant vows made with God and spouse—hoping that the next marriage will stick. Christians determined to escape their unpleasant situation, will not have to go very far to find a friend or pastor willing to assist them with “biblical” and psychological reasons for terminating their marriage.

Believers should keep this clear in their mind, that whatever they believe the exceptions or allowances may be (if any), the biblical text recognizes that divorce is antithetical to the kingdom of God–plain and simple (e.g. 1 Cor. 13; 2 Cor. 5:11-21; Col. 3:12-14; 1 Peter. 3:-1-7; etc.) You can’t simply give up on marriage and carry on with the Lord as if nothing happened.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 Jn. 3:14).

What else would the Scripture need to say for us to get it?

Marriage as Faithfulness to Christ

I think we should make this as biblically plain as possible and do all that we can to salvage marriages–instead of spending time helping people divorce with a good conscience and God’s approval; which is unfortunately how the conversation is geared today.

There must be a way to believe in grace and still profess a thing called holiness. Many Christians have forsaken it for a hipster faith. We need to find the balance in Christ. God thinks holiness is hip. You can’t read the Old Testament and miss that one. The New Testament writers knew this well: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Pet. 1:15).

There is mercy and grace at the cross, but it must be understood, if we give up on marriage, we are giving up on Christ.

In an age where things get hard and it’s easy to leave churches that make us mad, marriages that didn’t turn out the way we hoped, and other difficult situations that hurt our self-esteem, it is critical that we show the world a different way to live. If we don’t, nobody will.

It calls for denying ourselves and showing the world that there is real power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Lk. 9:23).

Until the church can largely affirm that, I see she has no place in telling pagans what marriage ought to be in the halls of worldly law. She has lost that right. In fact, she loses the right to say anything about the value of relationships. This issue alone may be, I suspect, why the church is losing her influence in the culture.

It may also have much to do with why Christians are leaving the church—no lasting marriages, no healthy families, so no real commitment to anything in life. We have given up on marriage as a life commitment, and we have therefore no reason to believe in a real otherworldly community of the Triune God on the earth.

Ministers of Reconciliation

I want to believe that the Lord is beginning to stir in the hearts of his people to stop this foolishness and believe that Jesus has the power to redeem what is lost and mend what is broken. Marriage doesn’t stand a chance when there is not a life covenant made that lasts as long as Christ loves the church.

Just think how different things could be if young people entered into marriage believing “this thing is forever” no if-and-buts about it. How much harder we would all work at maintaining the most important relationship of all if we understood that the Gospel itself even hinges upon the depth and the sincerity of this one relationship?

We are called to be ministers of reconciliation in every area of life. As Christians, we have not been afforded the right to select certain people who we wish to extend his mercy and forgiveness. It’s a free gift to all who will receive it. It’s a command that is central to the Gospel of Jesus (Jn. 13:34-35).

We are peacemakers, not home-wreckers.

Jesus cancelled our debts, if we want to continue receiving his forgiveness, we must forgive the debts of others (Matt. 18:21-35). It’s the only way are able to pray, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matt. 6:12).

For those who have blown it in the past, I believe forgiveness and restoration is in no short supply. Begin again with the Lord today. Turn from making destructive choices and believe in the power of the Gospel of Jesus. Align yourself with the Lord’s kingdom purposes and he will intercede. Seek reconciliation, dear saints.

Our decisions have lasting consequences. May we all be reminded of the difference our choices make in God’s battle for heaven and earth. I pray that we would get our hearts right about what is most important to the Lord and press on as ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:11-21).

And may our marriages reflect the beauty of the one that exists between Jesus and his bride, the church.

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church, Culture, Ethics

November 26, 2010

Q&A with Becky Garrison

By David D. Flowers

Christian Satirist Tired of Fast Food Faith

Becky Garrison is fed up with pop-culture Christianity.  She contends that humor enables her to trek on through the circus of sycophantic religion that is so prevelant today.

Becky invites us all to laugh at some of the Christian lifestyles and traditions she observed on her travels from the US to the Holy Land in her most recent book, Jesus Died for This?: A Satirist’s Search for the Risen Christ (Zondervan, 2010).

I caught up with Becky and asked her to share a little bit about herself and her perspective on Christian faith and culture.

So what’s the life of a full-time satirist like anyway?

Since the demise of The Wittenburg Door at the end of 2006, I’ve been moving away from jokey type humor. Let’s face it, how many times can one pen goofy bits like “top signs you aren’t going to be ordained” or “The Bible According to [Insert name of the latest politician or pastor who got caught with his pants down]” before one goes on autopilot and starts to dial it in?

I still conduct interviews both for a podcast I did for Jesus Died For This? and interested media outlets, as well as writing non-satirical pieces as requested. Recently, I’ve been exploring the role of the writer as storyteller and different ways one can use technology (e.g., print, web, podcast, You Tube) to convey stories.

I talk about this transition in a bit more detail in an Iconocast podcast that I did with co-hosts Mark and Sarah.

Also, like every other creative, I’m still reeling post-financial crisis regarding how to proceed in the rapidly changing publishing world. I’ve been chatting with a range of creative types including Nicholas Fielder, Ed Cyzewski, Joan Ball, Caleb Seeling, and Spencer Burke, as well as exploring via workshops how we can all communicate theological change without becoming a crass marketing machine.

Currently, I’m embarking on a long-term listening tour where I’m trying to explore other ways of communicating about my work without falling into the Christian branding BS that I deconstruct in Jesus Died For This?. In 2008, Andrew Jones declared the Christian carnival over and it’s crystal clear that  author/speaker model is no longer sustainable especially given this current financial climate.

I reflect in a video I did with Travis Reed for Alter Video Magazine how it breaks my heart when Christian leaders won’t say what’s on their heart out of fear for losing street cred and book sales. Once the focus shifts to crafting a message that’s memorable and marketable, a writer may be rich (see Joel Osteen) but in the process, they lost whatever original voice they had that drew people to them in the first place.

In addition to talking up the themes I raise in Jesus Died for This?, I’m connecting with Episcopal folks about my book Starting from Zero with O$ (Seabury Books, 2010), researching another book for Church Publishing and some other projects. Also, I’m gleaning ideas regarding where the global spirit is heading moving forward so my work can accurately reflect what’s happening on the ground.

Why did you write this book? What is different about your critique of Christianity in today’s society?

I explore this over at Religion Dispatches for those looking for more detail on this topic. In a nutshell, over the past few years, I’ve had a rather unique window into what religion scholar Phyllis Tickle terms the Great Emergence, a period of massive societal upheaval impacting technology, science, politics, religion, and the global culture at large. So decided to chronicle my travels to help others navigate this sea change so that we all don’t become seasick, spiritually speaking.

The unique lens I take to all my work is that I have a satirical world view – humor became my saving grace that helped me to survive as my nuclear family slowly deteriorated and then detonated. I view life as a tragic comedy but in the end, I see the glass as half-filled with hope instead of half-empty dripped in despair.

What have you learned most from emerging church leaders like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, Andrew Jones, etc.?

I chose Andrew Jones and Jonny Baker as the two expert guides during those times in the book when I’m exploring new forms of church. In reading their blogs and then traveling with them to places like Greenbelt and Slot, I’ve observed how they both have a global perspective that far transcends the commercialized US evangelical/emergent model that dominates the discussion here in the States.

Jonny and Andrew like most of the practitioners I meet don’t pimp themselves on the unbiblically branded author/speaker circuit claiming to be experts. Instead, they look for more horizontal approaches that enable all to have a voice in this ongoing global conversation. Take for example, Proost UK, an artists collective co-founded by Jonny Baker, Jon Birch and Aad Vermeyden that highlights the works of a range of artistic communities instead of elevating a few misisonal males as religious rock stars.

In your book, you say N.T. Wright should be “savored and sipped.” Can you explain? Why should the church listen to this preeminent New Testament scholar?

When I was at Soularize 2007 listening to N.T. Wright deliver some lectures, I found it amusing how this bevy of bloggers had their eyes glued to their laptop screens and their fingers going so fast that  they seemed to be on autopilot. They were so busy trying to blog about what NT Wright was saying that they didn’t seem to have any time to contemplate his message and how they could apply his teachings to their ministries. I’m a writer, so I get the need to record what’s happening. But when I get too narrowly focused on note taking, I tend miss the larger story that’s happening around me.

In NT. Wright, the church has an international treasure. Like C.S.. Lewis, he’s one of those rare academics who can write both for the academy and the person in the pew. Unlike most Christian author/speakers, he doesn’t dial it in by continuing to repackage the same idea ad infinitum (or until people catch wind of this ungodly game and quit buying their product).  While one will find the threads of Anglican theology woven through his work, each book either presents new ideas or revised spins on his earlier works.

Check out Wright’s ongoing debates with fellow theologian Marcus Borg for an excellent example of how two scholars with an Anglican backgrounds can engage in rigorous scholarly debates without resorting to the mean spiritedness that all too often dominates today’s blog battles. Even when Wright takes on taking on the far more crankier John Piper in his book Justification, he rises above this Reformed rancor and presents the most compelling refutation of Piper that I’ve seen to date.

You shared a few personal things about your dad in this book. What would you say to others who have been let down by spiritual leaders?

I tell bits of my story and will continue to share as appropriate so that others can realize they are not alone when they find themselves emerging from faith fights feeling more bloodied than biblical. I had done a lot of recovery work relating to growing up as an adult child of an alcoholic but Jesus Died for This? marked the first time I really explored the dark side of my father’s ministry as an Episcopal priest and sociology professor.

In the beginning, his charismatic personality drew others to him as he championed for civil rights in the Deep South circa 1950s. His ministry with young adults dovetailed with his sociological research exploring why students were drawn to fringe groups like the Jesus People or Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Unfortunately, his narcissism natures coupled with his alcoholism created a cult of personality that ran roughshod over the Gospel. Armed with this self-awareness, I can see a pattern in my life where I’ve been drawn to helping narcissistic geniuses who are filled with potential and promise.

I share in my book how I need to learn to walk away when their talk of “community” sounds more self-centered than Christlike. My hope is that others will learn to do likewise and like me discover find healthier spiritual places to play.

What signs of the “Risen Christ” do you believe are most evident today? What encourages you to press on in Christ through the church?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt connected to the divine whenever I’m exploring nature albeit hiking, fly-fishing, sailing, or kayaking. However, it wasn’t until I actually set foot on Irish soil I found my spiritual home in Celtic Christianity. Towards the end of the book, I describe how I went out west and finally connected with Kurt Neilson, my pilgrim guide for my ongoing pilgrimage and his partner in Celtic crime Karen Ward. In the Pacific Northwest, I discovered the same thin line imagery that connects this world to the next that I encountered in Ireland.

As I continue my travels, I keep meeting other souls from around the world, many of whom might not call themselves Christian for a host of very legitimate reasons. But we can still meet in this thin space as we all seek to make some kind of a spiritual connection outside of ourselves.

As I document throughout the book, once one steps away from Americana Branded™ Christianity, one can find ample signs that the spirit is alive and kicking.

“So I’d encourage folks to stop consuming fast food faith and embark on their own pilgrimage to see where the spirit might be speaking to them.”

What’s next for Becky Garrison? Any upcoming projects? What’s on your mind?

I share some of my reflections regarding possible future projects on Religion Dispatches. Jesus Died for This? marks the end of my critique of the US evangelicalism/emergent scene. I’ve said all I care to say about a form of a historical Christianity that keeps chasing after the next new shiny theological toy. All signs indicate that publishers latest quests to rebrand emergent as organic, missional, outlaw preacher, holy hipster and the like are repelling far more folks than they’re attracting.

Over the past few years I’ve been writing for more secular markets such as Killing the Buddha, The Revealer, Religion Dispatches and On Faith. These ventures broaden my perspective considerably as I continue to explore ways to critique Christian Reconstructionism and other bastardizations of the faith without resorting to the Nazi-name calling between religious progressives and conservatives that has come to define faith-based politics.

And speaking from my own faith tradition, how can the teachings of Christ offer hope in a world dominated by religious leaders spouting forth a fear based rhetoric? Along those lines, I’m interested in connecting with this growing number of people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” as we seek out ways to create spaces where religious progressives and humanists can come together to explore what we have in common with our shared humanity.

Becky Garrison is a Contributing Editor for Sojourners. Her books include The New Atheist Crusaders and Their Unholy Grail, Rising from the Ashes: Rethinking Church, and Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church. Her additional writing credits include work for The Wittenburg Door, Geez, Killing the Buddha, and Religion Dispatches, as well as various other odd and sundry publications.

Learn more about Becky @ www.beckygarrison.com

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church, Culture, Faith & Politics, Religion & Spirituality, Reviews, Satire

October 16, 2010

Halloween & the Gospel

By David D. Flowers

Is it OK for followers of Christ to celebrate Halloween? Should Christians participate in festivities that seem to do nothing more than glorify evil? Most importantly, can the Gospel win out on this day? How should we respond to this time of year? That’s what I want to address.

Halloween is largely based off old superstitions—right down to the carving of pumpkins. As much as all of that fascinates me, I will spare you the history of Halloween and simply address the issue as it comes to us today. My desire is that this would help us creatively navigate our own culture.

The Options

I have noticed that most Christians feel they have two or three options when it comes to how they handle Halloween:

1.  Embrace all of Halloween (jack-o-lanterns, witches, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, decorate with eerie lights and skeletons, satanic rituals, etc.)  It’s all good fun. Just don’t hurt anyone.

2.  Create alternatives to compete with the culture through “fall festivals” (i.e. Christian carnivals) and “Christian” haunted houses (e.g. “Hell House”).

3.  Reject everything and stay home. Pretend you’re not home when little children come to your door for candy. Try to put it all out of your mind and ignore it, or sit in your living room upset about it.

Let’s briefly think about each of these options with serious consideration of what the Gospel of Jesus means to us. The way you view the Gospel and the person of Christ will steer you in one direction or the other.

Think About It

Option #1 – Can believers embrace all of Halloween? Would the Jesus who casted out devils, dress up like one? Would Jesus pretend to be a devil to scare people? Would Jesus sport symbols of witchcraft for fun?  The early church witnessed the conversion of witches and sorcerers (Acts 19:18-20). I don’t want to be a party pooper, but the Scriptures do not allow for a “fun” Harry Potter version of witchcraft and sorcery (Deut. 18:10; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8).  It seems to me that believers could not possibly embrace all aspects of Halloween—not if you’re taking serious the life of Jesus and his Gospel.

Option #2 – What is the motivation to create “alternatives” to rival what is evil? Was Jesus proclaiming an “alternative” message? If churches want to design a carnival for children to enjoy, fine. I see nothing wrong with that. But if it’s done out of anger, fear, and the belief that Christians shouldn’t carve pumpkins and trick-or-treat, I think it sends the wrong message. It gets a little silly when we do “alternative” events for the sole purpose of sticking it to the world. “Christian” haunted houses like “Hell House” just goes to show how confused we are about the Gospel of Jesus. Fear isn’t of the Lord.

Option #3 – Did Jesus have the attitude of a spiritual elitist? Did he retreat into the hills with the Essenes and communicate the attitude that he wanted nothing to do with the rest of the world? We learn a great deal by taking notice of the religious traditions Jesus did reject—like those of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. Jesus was not afraid of being accused of being a “sinner” or being caught hanging out with them. He was not motivated by fear, anger, or self-righteousness. His zeal led him to be light in the darkest of places.  I can’t see Jesus choosing option #3. So where does that leave us?

Is There Another Option?

Is there a way to participate in Halloween while upholding good over evil? I think so. In our American culture, I think there is another option that allows the Gospel to creatively and intentionally engage Halloween.

Truthfully, I think Halloween can be one of the most memorable childhood experiences! I think it can be real healthy fun.

It is a great opportunity to teach children about good and evil.

I don’t think that means we should make our children dress up like Bible characters (nothing wrong with that of course!), but it would be inconsistent to encourage or to allow them to glorify evil with their actions, costumes, behavior, etc. Surely we all know this to be true.

Evil can be appealing. That’s a great lesson children and adults need to learn. The real appeal of evil is only in the costume, of course. It’s worth remembering that the devil masquerades around as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

There are many lessons we can teach our children and be soberly reminded of ourselves. Primarily, there is a cosmic battle of good and evil going on every day we live in this present age. That which is unseen is made visible on Halloween. It’s a perfect time to be reminded that we battle not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12).

I’ve been married for almost 16 years. My wife and I have two boys: a 5 year old and a one year old. We have settled it in our hearts that we want to use the culture to teach our children biblical truths, instead of sheltering them from it entirely when and where good can and should triumph. Sooner or later our children must live in the world on their own. Teach them to confront evil, not run from it.

Working with students as long as we have, we are convinced of this much: Engagement with the culture is inevitable, and frankly, we’ve been called to do it. Halloween shouldn’t be any different than the rest of the year. Every day belongs to God. I seriously question the effectiveness of “alternative” festivities and the creation of “Christian” options in any area of living. And retreating from the world is unthinkable. The Gospel engages the darkness.

Some parents worry that they are going along with the glorification of evil if they let their kids participate. I personally don’t agree with this thinking. I believe we should be more concerned that we are not teaching our children that there is one night of the year (or any night of the year) when evil gets the upper hand. What kind of Gospel is that? It’s not the hopeful message of Christ.

It seems to me that fear is not what you want to teach children, but I do acknowledge that parents may choose to do whatever based off their convictions. I assume each Christian home will do what they think is best for their children. You have this right and responsibility. I would never base a person’s commitment to Christ on this issue.

After working with students for 15 years and observing their parents, I’d say that the only “bad” parents are the ones who are not intentional in leading their children to know and love Christ. Those who are intentional about serving Christ and leading their children in the way of Jesus are good parents in my book. And I think there are many acceptable ways of doing that.

Conclusion—The Gospel of Jesus

If a person has reduced the Gospel to having their sins forgiven and sees us escaping earth for a spiritual existence on the other side of the cosmos, I submit that this will greatly influence that person’s response to this and many other issues. I have actually noticed that this view propagates an attitude of fear, anger, and self-righteousness. Escapism is their gospel.

However, if the Gospel is about heaven coming to earth, that Jesus has defeated evil and plans to transform this world—starting with us in the here and now—then this most certainly comes into play when responding to Halloween.

Understanding the greatness of the Gospel message (i.e. heaven coming to this earth) will free us up to see ourselves as agents of new creation. God is transforming this world now and the fullness of his coming is just around the corner. This worldview changes everything!

We have been called to declare that Christ is Lord of the day and night. We are called to live in this world where “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining” (1 Jn 2:8).

So, how do you understand the Gospel? How you answer this question will shape your living. I believe that it will make a difference in your response to the culture where it glorifies evil and refuses to acknowledge Christ as Lord.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Jesus, Matt. 5:14-16

D.D. Flowers, 2010.

[Updated & Revised – October 2017]

24 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Culture, Theology