Check out Christian Piatt’s post:
If Cheerleaders Don’t Convert You, Chuck Norris Will.
Piatt’s argument of a Texas school being allowed to evangelize strikes the exact right note. It is hard to claim freedom from oppression when one’s own expression is oppressive.
Eating Mark 10: 35-45
This whole arc in Mark has been about discipleship; about following Jesus where He is going. Which is Jerusalem and death. And then resurrection.
After Jesus foretells His death for the third time, we have this third epic fail. And it is a doozy.
Unfortunately for us, even though we recognize half of the problem, we aren’t likely to even notice the other half. Perhaps the more important half. The half Jesus is more interested in. The half that deals with what kind of leaders these disciples are.
Eating Scripture is a short video series in which we explore the juicy and the crunchy in this week’s gospel in four minutes or fewer.
Like most Christians, Tim Tebow’s faith is inseperable from his other identitites. This is a big part of the reason your grandmother knows who he is. Actually, that isn’t accurate. It is because he’s so famously Christian that your grandmother know who he is. All of the other Christian football players are pretty anonymous. Unlike the thousands of other athletes that make obvious expressions of faith on the field without earning a verb for it, only Tebow has his own cult-like following, based on his faith. It is also the primary reason the cultists assume any criticisms of Tebow are entirely based on his Christian identity. Virtually none of them are.
A person doesn’t need to criticize Tebow because of his Christian identity. There are plenty of other good reasons.
Belief in the power of prayer is about being in relationship with GOD. Which, I am certain Tebow is. However, it is not for the granting of wishes or the expectation that GOD will grant one superhuman abilities that we pray. Being in that relationship is empowering. This is in strong contrast to the articulation that GOD is completely responsible for one’s actions.
In his article, “An Atheistic Defense Of Tim Tebow,” Eric Adelson argues that Tebow’s accomplishments this year prove, not providence, but the power of human achievement. Tebow’s success is based in his courage and almost reckless abandon; that he is unaffraid to face adversity. Adelson argues that this proves Tebow’s ability, and rarity, rather than GOD’s influence.
Adelson is half-right. Of course, it disproves the terms of providence set by many conservative evangelicals that GOD directly alters a person’s fate if they just prayed harder or better. But his description of Tebow’s courage and lack of fear is quintessentially Christian. GOD’s empowerment of Tebow is not fulfillment of prayer in a magical victory, but in the strength to face the adversity without fear. In other words, Tebow does achieve because of GOD, but not in the way he thinks!
The biggest problem with the Cult of Tebow is the theology. They think GOD picks favorites and directly acts in football games. What is the criteria, praying harder? It is dangerous theology to see a GOD so actively connected, not to us and our desires, but to our actions and expectations of victory. GOD doesn’t pick winners and losers. Except…
There is something more provocative than the 316 nonsense from the Pittsburgh win. And for those that don’t know, there was an eerie recurrence of the combination of the numbers 3, 1, and 6 throughout the game and Tebow wore John 3:16 on his eye black! Oooooh! Creepy! And Denver beat the best defense in the country on a “miraculous” pass play to get Tebow 316 yards passing. Oh! Many have started to think that GOD is actually directing Tebow.
What is more provocative is what happened two nights ago. Tebow got smacked around and the Broncos were obliterated by the New England Patriots.
Image by Barnaby K via Flickr
The theology of GOD on our side against other people who claim GOD is on their side is the height of insanity. And to see strange coincidence as proof of that is ridiculous. GOD sends signs rather than proofs of already held beliefs. If anything, I’m willing to see that as a sign, not of ascendency and divine support, but as what was about to happen: the mighty fall.
Our mistake is that we think GOD wants us to be mighty. We don’t know what GOD has in store for us, but one thing we are assured is that GOD doesn’t raise us up to be mighty. GOD doesn’t make us big and powerful to vanquish our enemies; especially on the football field. GOD promises to make the mighty low and to disempower the powerful and build up a faith community. Superhuman feats for singular human glory are not GOD’s bag. Jesus said that over and over. Nor is GOD glorified by Tebow touchdown passes or Bronco victories. GOD is about building up communities while the Cult of Tebow embraces vapid individualism.
You’ve no doubt heard this encouragement: everything in moderation. This is especially attractive in the church, where the every “thing” in question is likely to be that assorted list of “sins” that you just can’t help yourself with. That list has tough stuff on it, but also seemingly small things:
And before you know it, you have left the realm of absolutes and entered into that gray area where people stop feeling comfortable calling something “sinful”. For instance,
Even though the second group rarely makes people’s lists of “sins”, they are much more sin-full than the previous list. That’s because of obsession–something that is certainly not a moderating force.
But here is where I throw all of that out the window.
Jesus never preached moderation. Seriously. He never preached chastity and abstinence and keeping it to one glass. Nothing. That’s the puritans.
Jesus preached about being obsessed with God and justice and mercy. He spoke about our zealous relationship, not primarily to the rules, but to one another. He encourages bold thinking and demands that we get rid of our adult arrogance and adorn the wonder of children.
Moderation is the enemy of faith.
The problem isn’t moderation vs. excess, but what you are zealous for. Jesus turned water into wine in that famous wedding scene, to both spare the dignity of the host and to keep people having a good time! The problem is that most of our obsessions aren’t about loving God or loving our neighbor. We’re more obsessed with all the junk we can accumulate or how we compare with our neighbors. That’s sin. We obsess about keeping the wrong people from getting married or preventing family planning. That’s sin. We obsess over making people pay for their mistakes, even when we are the only ones who think a mistake was even made, including God. That’s sin.
If we need to moderate anything, moderate judgment, hypocrisy, insensitivity, abuse, and vindictiveness. But love, passion for God, support of friends and strangers, unleash that! Get rid of the gauge you use to measure that. Just love as God loves–ridiculously and generously–without moderation.
[Note: Written in response to a Daily Post about moderation.]
© 2011 Drew Downs. All rights reserved
The most profound thing Jesus ever taught wasn’t something he said. It is something he did.
He split his time with his followers and took on a different posture for each group. And of course, there are three groups:
The Needy
Jesus gave his greatest gifts to those most in need of it: his time, his love, and his respect. He gave it to prostitutes and traitors, the poor and the sick, the disabled and lonely by eating with them and treating them as equals.
The Capable
Jesus taught the people who were productive members of society how to be, how to pray, and how to love the needy. He did so with stories, teachings, and actions that all expressed a love and compassion that he felt for them and expected them to share.
The Elite
Jesus turned the mirror on the educated and powerful. He made them see their own hubris and evil and demanded so much more of them because they had all of the resources and all of the opportunity. At the same time, he showed them how to get it right and what the Kingdom is supposed to look like. Even when he calls them a brood of vipers.
Most of the time, we think we’re the needy; or at least the real needy; because we can feel so lost sometimes or left out, like we don’t belong. Or sometimes we feel confused or unloved.
But the truth is that most of us aren’t the needy. We’re the elite. We’re the ones Jesus is turning the mirror on and demanding more.
And yet Jesus tries, even with us. He tries to get us oriented. He tries to get us to see the Kingdom. Here are some of the parts of the vision that seem the most relevant:
