Saturday, October 29, 2011
That Is Not Funny
The crowd roared. Many of them were hooting or chuckling at something they knew little about. I’m sure they didn’t realize that they were laughing at me and many others who were sitting nearby. They thought it was funny; we thought it was sad. Let me explain.
I was recently shocked and disappointed while attending a motivational seminar populated with thousands of upwardly-mobile New Englanders. I was shocked at how openly the crowd demonstrated bigotry and prejudice toward a growing segment of Christianity, and disappointed that a well-known, well-educated, well-respected, well-paid comedian would make fun of some of the most respected people in all of history. It was blatant prejudice; bullying of sorts.
Admittedly the comedian did make several valid points about good living. He is greatly respected in our nation and was one of the main reasons I attended the seminar. He made some pertinent comments, he made the crowd laugh, and then he shamelessly mocked people of faith. His speech was liberally sprinkled with comments about Jesus, God and the Bible, but his mockery qualified as hate speech toward people who have chosen to pursue their faith as seriously as the first century Christians did. (On a side note: the fact that he shared a quote that was not from the Bible, claiming that it was, should have tipped me off that he was using the Bible for profit, not out of respect.)
What did this funny man’s hate speech sound like? He imitated and mocked people who speak in tongues. In doing so he mocked St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. Matthew, St. Jude, St. James… basically all of the men who wrote The New Testament of the Bible -- the book this comedian felt so free to quote or misquote for his own purposes. He was also berating the Bible-based experience that millions of people throughout the world have enjoyed; the experience promised by Jesus in John 7:38 and experienced by Mary, the mother of Jesus. (see Acts 2) How disheartening to see a crowd, egging on a comedian who was expressing prejudice and bigotry toward people like St. Paul who said, “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally”, (1 Corinthians 14:4 NLT) and “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.” (1 Corinthians 14:18 NLT)
Isn’t it incredible that in a politically correct world in which we are incessantly reminded to not speak hatefully about people because of their race, orientation, culture or creed, that thousands of people would openly and unabashedly ridicule people of faith who have discovered an intimacy with God and an experience like that of the first century Apostles? In my opinion, that is not funny; it is sad. It is also proof that our culture isn’t being fair to all faiths and creeds.
This article is not a complaint as much as it is a lament. The Bible tells believers that mockery is the Devil’s M.O. The prophets were laughed at. Jesus was laughed at. The disciples were laughed at and martyred. True believers will always be the butt of jokes. The sad part is that receiving the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in other tongues, is the experience that Jesus promised to believers. It is the experience that gives power and joy. So the unsuspecting crowd who was being led to thoughtlessly engage in corporate hate speech was laughing at the very thing that could change their lives and bring them true happiness. That is not funny.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
God is Not Hiding
The British philosopher and social activist Bertrand Russell, a man who was often critical of faith and religion, was once asked what he would say if he met his maker after death. He claimed that he would say, "God, you gave us insufficient evidence." Some misquote to him to have said, “Why did you take such pains to hide yourself.” However, before holding too tightly to the accusation of a philosopher you might also keep in mind that Russell also said this: “Man is a rational animal — so at least I have been told. Throughout a long life, I have looked diligently for evidence in favor of this statement, but so far I have not had the good fortune to come across it, though I have searched in many countries spread over three continents.”
If God is hiding, it is in plain sight. He created an amazing and intricate world that brags of His creativity and power 24/7. He sent his prophets. He edited the best-seller of all times. He robed himself in flesh and dwelt among us so we could see his glory. (John 1:14) God has amply revealed himself to those who are humble enough to accept Him as the sovereign God that He is.
Do you recognize the arrogance in such statements? Do you detect a dab of cynicism? Doesn’t it strike you as odd that the creature would lecture the Creator? Maybe God is not hiding, but pride was blinding him from seeing the obvious.
If God is hiding, it is in plain sight. He created an amazing and intricate world that brags of His creativity and power 24/7. He sent his prophets. He edited the best-seller of all times. He robed himself in flesh and dwelt among us so we could see his glory. (John 1:14) God has amply revealed himself to those who are humble enough to accept Him as the sovereign God that He is.
If God is hiding at all, it is for the same reason politicians hide from hecklers. One must walk through a doorway of humility and praise in order to really know God. He is a King that will not stoop to proving His existence any more than he did when he was on earth. Jesus revealed that He was God by healing the sick raising the dead, predicting his own death and resurrection, and then floating into the heavens in full view of over 500 witnesses. But when Herod asked for miraculous proofs he refused. Why? Because the cynic is covering his eyes so tightly that another miracle would be a waste of energy.
Those who seek God, find Him. Those who seek to disprove His existence forfeit truth and find their own “reality.” Here’s some Biblical perspective for true seekers:
Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness." Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:21-30 MSG)
God is not hiding. He’s just nobody’s fool.
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