What's A Week Worth?

What’s a week worth to you? A week is seven days made up of 168 hours or, if you like math, 10,080 minutes. There are typically 52 weeks in one year and the average person lives 74 years. Again, for the math-inclined, that would be 3,848 weeks. That’s a lot of weeks when you place it into the perspective of a full life. Have you ever stopped to consider what one week out of that huge total would be worth…to someone else? One week given to the cause of missions wouldn’t make a dent in most schedules. It would be one line of ink across the Month-At-A-Glance calendar; a key stroke on the Blackberry or I-Phone; a voicemail message stating “I’m away saving lives. I’m sorry I cannot speak with you but I’m sure you’ll understand that phone service in the nether regions of the world is spotty at best. When I get back to the not-so-real-world I will return your call. Until then, why not consider giving up one of your almost 4,000 weeks and go to a different place and make a difference.”

Many people feel the pull of missions but sadly, few take the really big step and set foot on different dirt. Those that do are life-changers. They leave home with the goal of changing someone else’s life; they return with their own lives having been radically realigned. It happens every time. You change. You become a different person. Life is different. You morph into a new mode. Deep inside each of us there’s a place where the heart, mind and soul connect. It is at that spot that you know you’ve made a difference. You have altered the course of life.

When does it happen? There’s a magic moment for each person when all perspective shifts and you simply know you’ve changed. It may be in the process of giving someone food; or laying block for a school; or digging a well; or teaching someone about Christ; or when someone touches you and says thank you. In that moment you look down and see Holy Ground.

You will never feel more alive. You’ll ask yourself why you waited so long to take the big step. After all, it’s only one week.

Michael McCullar

They Found Noah's Ark

I recently read (with some amusement) that a team of Turkish and Chinese evangelical explorers found the original Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey. I will admit to being skeptical about things like this, especially since this find was made by evangelical explorers, whatever that means and not actual archeologists. I will also admit to not keeping up with the archeological world; I just don’t dig it (sorry, couldn’t resist), but even a clueless person like me remembers hearing this refrain many times before. Hold the phone says the Chinese leader of the Evangelical Explorers Club (my Chinese is a bit rusty so the translation may not be exact), It’s not 100 percent that it is Noah’s Ark, but we think it is 99.9% that this is it. A real Doubting Thomas this guy is. Dude, I’ll spot you the .1%, be confident, you found the wood, stake your claim.

The downside of a purported find like Noah’s Ark is the scrutiny that comes with it. The Official Ark of the Covenant Relocation Troupe will be all over this one. These supposed Evangelical Explorers are fakes and frauds. Our group has one member who actually knows an archeologist and with our skill and professionalism we have not yet located the Ark of the Covenant. You may remember this group from their protests outside the Indiana Jones movie about the Ark. These people are not to be trifled with. Then there are the actual archeologists who like to weigh in on such finds. Fresh from an appearance at the Shroud of Turin Amusement Park in southern Italy, Dr. Ford Harrison Jones has emphatically stated that this find is a joke. I’m proud to hear that the Turks and the Chinese have patched up their differences and are teaming up together, but there is no way this group found Noah’s Ark. I suspect a Hookah pipe figures into this somewhere.

I don’t believe it either. For one thing my fence is only thirteen years old and it needs work. How could a primitive wooden boat last for thousands of years? And then there’s the whole Hey, wasn’t everything destroyed in the flood question? If so, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the only wood left on the Earth would be Noah’s boat? Hello! Mr. and Mrs. Noah need a new house! Bye-bye wood.

Proponents of this find believe it is proof positive that God exists and as a result thousands of people will begin to seek faith in Jesus. Of course, these are the same people who believe there was a W.W.J.D. bumper sticker on the Ark. Proof positive that Noah’s Ark existed is not what today’s skeptics are looking for. Authenticity is what people are hoping to find. Character and virtue sprinkled with consistency is the key to impacting the world of today. Paul’s writing on the Fruit of the Spirit is all we need to discover to change the world. Live those virtues and people will pay attention. A piece of old wood isn’t enough…even if it holds the inscription S.S. Noah.

The Anglican Dude Was Right

Over the years I have been afforded the opportunity to meet and study under several Anglican ministers and theologians. In total they are a scholarly lot; haven’t met one yet that wasn’t gifted in the brainier aspects of faith; and they look so official in their collars. They refer to themselves as Catholic-Light. One Anglican I’ve never met is the big Anglican himself, the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have the same chance of meeting him as I do of having tea with the Pope. The Archbishop of the worldwide Anglican church, which includes the U.S. Episcipol church, is Rowan Williams. He has the wildest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. I’m guessing it would take a small weed-eater to trim those bushes. He’s also one of the smartest people alive today. Let me add that smart and judicious are not synonomous. He’s made a few outlandish statements during his tenure; but even Billy Graham made a mistake or two. I believe the Archbishop’s faith matches his prodigious eyebrows. He also has the distinction of leading his faith group through a deeply divisive and troubled era. It can’t be easy being the Archbishop of Canterbury these days.

Reverend Williams, also a gifted writer, penned the following words: It is not the church of God that has a mission. It’s the God of mission that has a church. Let those words sink in and you may feel a tingle in your soul. There may also be a twinge or two of guilt as we instinctively invert this principle. Honestly, do we really see the church as part of God’s vastly larger plan? Do we really see our individual faith lives as being part of a global, infinite and inclusive scheme? Hopefully so, but speaking for myself, this is much harder than it might seem. It’s very easy to view the institutional church as the main event. It’s even easier to view our lives as being both front and center. It may hurt to admit it, but it’s true more times than not.

Again, speaking only for myself and my feeble attempts to live in the right order, an evaluative inventory is key. Why do I practice faith? Why do I practice stewardship? What is the goal of my church? If an honest answer doesn’t transcend the here and now, it may not be what the God of mission expects. Loving God for reasons beyond our own salvation, safety and stability is difficult, but necessary for living in the right order. Viewing the church (my church, your church) as existing more for God’s eternal scheme than for us is easy only while in Sunday School, but again, this is absolutely necessary for being God’s church linked-in-mission and in sync with God’s plan.

Sobering words indeed. And to think, it took a prodigiously-eyebrowed Anglican chap to make me understand this. God works in mysterious ways.

Michael McCullar

Is My Difference Showing?

I drive a truck. It’s actually a hybrid of sorts; one with two full rows of seats and a shorter-than-normal bed length. People who drive “real” trucks snicker when I drive by. I can tell what they’re thinking by the amused looks on their faces: That ain’t a real truck! Well, to me it’s a real truck. There are other people who have said to me, You don’t look like a truck person. My response is normally the same: “What does a truck person look like?” I’m guessing they mean that people of Scottish descent aren’t a truck driving lot. My people ride horses, paint their faces blue, wear kilts and go to war with the imperial Brits… or play a lot of golf. I’m sticking with my truck. I’m allergic to horses.

Contrary to public opinion and practice, scripture counsels us to excel in our uniqueness. We were created as individuals, not as an amalgamation of the corporate whole. This reality provides us the ability to break away from the natural drift to sameness. The gravitational-like pull toward a corporate commonality is not at all scriptural. Was Paul one of his generation’s eager average? James? Peter? No, none of these people seemed content to settle for average, nor did they chose the easiest route through which to navigate life. They stood for something that transcends all cultural norms. History demonstrates that these stances are often lonely and from time to time end with a violent death. It happened to these guys. They lived for something and they died for something. They lived; they died; they raised the bar.

I surmise from this that it is O.K. to be unique. Uniqueness is a major step in the direction of having the inner-strength to take a stand and to not fear the trivial consequences. Please don’t get hung up on the use of trivial. If we are honest we can admit that before one is prepared to die for their convictions one must first be able to withstand being insulted or shunned. Humanity seems to crave the company of people who float along and never rock a boat of any type. Rocking boats is best left to the odd and unique types. Taking a seat is generally preferred to taking a stand.

If you love and follow Jesus you are asked to take stands, merge away from the cultural template; while, remaining firmly attached to culture. It’s a conundrum of epic proportions. We work to be different while remaining in the midst of jillions of people who haven’t yet located their ability to be different. Jesus is the answer for their malady and we are the conduit for the remedy. We could run off with our own kind and dance around celebrating our uniqueness; although, sooner or later our uniqueness would fade. We would simply become a corporate lot that dances around and celebrates excessively. We must be different within the larger scope of humanity. It isn’t easy; it’s often lonely; and people have died for their efforts. Jesus never said it would be easy. Therefore, we must entertain this question from time to time: Is my difference showing? It really is the difference between life and death.



Michael McCullar

Why Does It Always have To Be a Baptist?

Isn’t it enough that many in our society see Baptists as dimwitted dinosaurs and serial bigots? Isn’t it bad enough that people tend to believe Baptists handle snakes and play Deliverance music in church? Does it sit well with you that Baptists are thought of as people who do not play nice with the other children of the world? Ask a people group or denomination what they think of Baptists and you may not like the reply.

Is any of this true? Well, Baptists would have to admit that a few odd apples have poisoned the pie from time to time. Baptists would also have to admit that getting along with each other is a true feat; and, Baptists should consider that their longstanding superiority complex, historically exemplified by the many, is not a badge of honor or piety. All of this means that Baptists are human and foible-prone much like other religious groups who have warts and carry heavy baggage. It’s also true that on occasion a genuine nut surfaces that dominates the media attention. Sadly, this is why Baptists tend to be painted with the same broad brush used on the occasional oddball. The majority of Baptists may be compassionate and principled, but the larger society sees only the unique aberration who receives the airtime. It’s the same issue faced by people after a tornado or other natural calamity. It seems the media always chooses to interview a person that least exemplifies the populace: Yep, me and the little missus wuz sittin’ down to a mess of collard greens when a big noise cummed up and next thang I knowed the barn blowed by the winder. And you know whut? It did sound like a freight train.

It only takes a few members of any group to provide an inaccurate picture of the larger body. The Idaho missions team caught taking kids out of Haiti exemplifies this problem for Baptists. These people may have had good intentions, but good intentions never trump the laws of a country. International adoptions are long and arduous affairs that cost great deals of money. I know this because I’ve gone through it twice. It is uniquely horrible for Haitian kids right now but this dubious attempt to save thirty has made things worse for all of the children of Haiti. Today it is difficult to airlift seriously ill children out of the country and honest adoptions are at a standstill. History will show that it all began with a few woefully unprepared Baptists with flawed plans who, even with good intentions, made Haiti an even worse place for children. That’s hard to do. So I can’t help but ask, why did it have to be Baptists?

MM

What to Do with Pat Robertson

Two weeks ago an earthquake literally ripped apart the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti leaving thousands of already-impoverished people dead, severely injured, homeless and, many children orphaned. It has been reported that this level of destruction and devastation is among the worst in world history. The United States is sending aid workers into the country, as well as military personnel, and relief organizations have people on the ground providing food, medicine and drinking water. Baptists of all stripes, including JCBC, have responded to this crisis, as have other religious groups, which is how it should be as mercy and ministry is inherent in our Biblical mandate. It should be a given for Christians to be among the first to provide support to Haiti. It’s a spiritual D.N.A. thing; an automatic response; a duh, it’s in the instruction manual act of compassion. If that’s true, which I wholeheartedly believe it is, then what’s up with Pat Robertson?

Don’t know of whom I speak? If you have been fortunate and are not acquainted with him allow me to fill in the blanks; but do not hold this against me later. In some cases ignorance is indeed bliss. Pat Robertson founded a college and a television ministry in Virginia. He pontificates daily on the 700 Club; a mish-mash of feel good stories, news and his musings on the world order. There are many people who see him as a step beyond self-delusional and as a person who actually believes he represents Christianity in America. I prefer to think of him as a nutcase. O.K., I just sinned and I’ll admit it. I called a famous preacher and television host a nutcase. Forgive me in lots of twelve Lord ‘cause I’m not finished sinning yet. On his television program he stated that the earthquake in Haiti occurred because Haitians made a pact with the devil in order to be freed from French control. He actually said this and followed with the statement, “true story.” France last held colonial control of Haiti in the early 1800’s. In order to continue control in the late 18th century Napoleon sent in Rochambeau to eliminate opposition forces. He estimated that he would have to kill 30,000 natives to reach his objective and to that end he hung, burned alive and drowned native men and women. On one day in 1802 he had 500 prominent men killed; an act that sealed the fate of France on the island. Opposition forces grew and over a short period of time the French were forced to flee. So tell me again who the bad guys are?

If you do the math, which I’m assuming Mr. Robertson is never allowed to do for the 700 Club, it would suggest that Haiti is paying today for a spurious sin committed over two hundred years ago. Toss out the obvious bad theology in play here and do the math; this earthquake was two hundred years late! Since one has to assume that God sent the earthquake (the bad theology part), then God was quite late on this one. Oh yeah, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day…Silly me. God can take His own sweet time if God wants to “by-dingy.” That last sentence is true but the rest is hooey. God does not send earthquakes; nature does. Port-au-Prince is on a large fault line. Bad events occur within the natural order every day. Sin in the form of bad human choices can lead to tragedy. What happened in Haiti was a combination of corrupt leadership and natural disaster. It was a natural disaster, not a supernatural disaster. God loves the Haitians even if self-inflated bozo’s like Pat Robertson do not. Dang, I’ve sinned again. I just insulted Bozo.

Michael McCullar

You Can Handle the Truth

One of the best movie lines of all-time is Jack Nicholson’s response to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth.” Premiere Magazine has it rated 92nd on their Top 100 Movie Lines list. They didn’t ask for my views so I won’t quibble, but come on, 92nd? These are the same people who listed Bond. James Bond as 51st. I rest my case. Obviously they couldn’t handle the truth either. Speaking of truth, what is it exactly? Who is the arbiter of truth? Is truth relative to humanity? Is it possible to answer these questions without first completing two advanced degrees in philosophy? This is an arena that few people tread with success. Even Jesus chose to not answer Pilate’s direct question: What is the truth? (John 18:38).

I am a huge fan of Jesus so I will admit bias at this point. I believe Jesus knew the answer to the question. I also believe Jesus could have avoided a horrible death by providing an answer that would have made it easier for Pilate to reject the capital intentions of the Hebrew leaders. The silence of Jesus had a purpose, although it’s anyone’s guess as to what that purpose was. The most quoted guess focuses on the necessity of Jesus’ death for the salvation of humankind. That could be filed under the category of “lowest possible hanging fruit.” Surely Jesus was silent for reasons other than his impending death. A hypothesis put forth by N.T. Wright is intriguing. It is his belief that the silence of Jesus was meant to highlight the collision of postmodernity (truth) and empire. Since Bishop Wright and I exist on different intellectual planets it was necessary to read his text multiple times and to finagle (most certainly a word Wright would never use) with his meaning of Postmodern. Once you get past that, it’s downhill all the way (right)!

Wright defines postmodernity as the question: “What is truth?” He sees the quest for truth as both colliding and colluding with the established world order that depicted itself as the true hope of humanity. He pits Rome as the personification of the “perfect world order” against Jesus as truth that transcends even the greatest plans of humankind. Rome saw itself as the ultimate prescription for the world. Many Hebrews bought into this possibility and as a result further distanced themselves from truth. This suggests Jesus was silent before Pilate in order to signify the absolute transcendent power of truth. Thus, truth is inherently spiritual and cannot be controlled or dispensed by humans, even if their intentions are pure. On that same note, hope cannot be placed in the instruments of empire if it is to survive. The lesson is actually simple: Great empirical intentions ultimately fail. Does this make them wrong? No, in many ways the world is a better place as a result of empires. On its best day, however, the Roman Empire was never the truth. Truth stood before them, they just couldn’t handle it.

MM (handling the truth since 1964)