Stop & Listen: A Response to the Riots in Ferguson

"I'm absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt. . . But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? . . . It has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity."
Martin Luther King Jr.
"The Other America" March 14, 1968

Inside my heart, above all the perspectives and views out there. I have strived to perceive the single truth. What was wrong and what was absolutely right about the altercation between Darren Wilson & Michael Brown? I have sought to discover the #1 issue and thus the #1 fix behind the Ferguson rioting as a result of the death of Michael Brown. But I found myself (once I started listening) realizing that this murder didn't just happen yesterday... Not in the hearts of the people of Ferguson or many of the cities surrounding Stl.

I have scanned Facebook and Google news feed. I have felt emotional, cried and prayed and then read more. I have endeavored to understand this situation from multiple perspectives. There is something a friend of mine said from a Martin Luther King Jr. Quote that brought me to a place to write this post. Martin Luther King Jr. Wrote in his speech "The Other America," "A riot is the language of the unheard."

Have I taken the time to listen to the unheard? I mean, in a sense they are being heard now... But have we truly tried to listen in times past? Are we so sure about being "truly right" because we see it so clearly from our comfortable perspective? I think the riots outrage us because they make us uncomfortable. They make us feel like we can't control what has been the norm for so long. We feel confused and it all stems from a perspective that isn't tapped into what the unheard are experiencing. What are they experiencing? Have you asked yourself this question?

Why are they so mad?
Why are they so hurt?
Why are they screaming murder, racism, racial profiling and police abuse of power?
Why would they scream this from the rooftops when we are so certain (from our perspective) that it isn't?
It's because as Lecrae so aptly put it, "This Ferguson case was a mascot for something much bigger. Something that people want to hope for. A dream. A dream that has been etched in our hearts for hundreds of years.
A dream yet unrealized." (Facebook status quote).

Now I want to state that I do not condone violence. I believe that laws are put into place to protect the general public and to prosper the society that our culture has fostered. But I never want the violence of a riot to be justification to not look behind the violence. Luther spoke on this by saying that
"a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt." Of which I have witnessed. Those two things; fear and justification has yet again blinded our eyes from trying to see the situation from an unheard and deeply wounded perspective.

But what have we created and allowed to flourish within certain subcultures of our society? That is the unheard voice that the violence of Ferguson is trying to get the rest of the United States to hear. Perhaps it was a platform... But don't we all use certain times in our lives as platforms for change? This is no different. We cannot justify one platform while dismissing another. It is not that easy.

I won't apologize for being white. I won't apologize for being from Mexican descent and I don't expect a black person to apologize for being black either. I don't think that was Martin Luther King Jr's point at all. He believed in equality. A higher equality than just skin color. The equality that comes with being God's creation - all of us. But in Ferguson and in many other parts of the country that equality has not been realized. That was his point.

Being Christlike demands that we love. It demands that we carry the burdens of our brothers. To be uplifters to those weaker than us. It is a calling to call for justice and to liberate the oppressed. It is a calling to listen and hope and dream with those that are different than us. It is an appreciation for diversity while maintaining a single identity in Christ. Why is it so hard for us to put those kinds of callings into practice? So instead of becoming fearful of the uncomfortable noise that comes with fire and destruction. I ask you to listen. What are the flames of the unheard saying? Stop. Just listen. You will find your perspective quite changed and your heart deeply affected. Yes it is uncomfortable. Yes it is painful, but seeing outside yourself always is.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 4): He Calls Us To Transformation Not Preservation

In the previous article, Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 2): What Happened On Calvary?  touched on Calvary and how the atonement was so necessary yet immensely undeserved. I explained the different aspects of Christ's suffering on the Cross and how all that He endured was the just punishment for our sin. The key to the article was that though Christ died for us and suffered for our sins, His love for us took Him to the Cross anyway even as our sin actively murdered Him. If you have not read the first three articles, please consider reading them first before beginning with the fourth. The first article is, Spiritual Sabbatical: Introduction & Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 3): We Are Slaves to Something.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2) 

I think Christianity, especially in the western world has become more enraptured with "works" of holiness or more aptly put, visual representations of holiness, rather than holiness itself. As James chapter two clearly states, faith without works is dead, but our culture is more concerned with works and outward appearances and even prejudice than they are with faith. Humanity has a natural tendency to lean towards systems that promote a sense of personal control. It is much easier to control how you dress and where you go than it is to control the thoughts of your mind or the desires of your heart. Yet this is the modern issue of our time.

I am not at all diminishing the very real issues that people deal with on a daily basis. People are struggling with everyday life, they are seeking to find meaning and purpose behind the struggle they find themselves being faced with. It truly does take courage for a person to recognize that they are flawed (Christian terms such as fallen or sinful). Perhaps the real issue is a lack of self-discipline and lack of responsibility. Yet at the end of the day Christ's statutes still stand and our very real need of His redemption is paramount to our salvation.

So what is the true issue behind taking a break from God? What does a person really mean when they say that they need a break? I think there are two reasons why a person rationalizes this decision;
1) The first being that they are struggling (whether emotionally, physically and spiritually), and as a result the individual feels a sense of helplessness or even desperation.
2) Lastly it appears that the system has broke. What has been working for them in the past is not working any longer. Whether that be a religious rhetoric or a limited sense/identification with a spiritual identity & relationship.

Struggle is a natural part of life. Whether a believer or an unbeliever's struggle is a part of our walk with God and in life in general. We are a part of a fallen world. This fallen world, full of dark and grotesque realities also holds the most beautiful and grandiose moments of reality. As any person there are seasons of laughter and there are seasons of tears, of mourning and rejoicing, of peace and war (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). This is the world that we live in. That being said, I have found that in the struggle there are two responses to God that potentially take place. First, the Christian either learns a deeper intimacy with God, they learn to truly trust, hope and suffer in God or they choose to turn away from God in rejection, hurt, anger and bitterness to ease the pain they feel in the moment. I have grappled with this issue for some time. In those moments of intense suffering, how does a person not clearly perceive their deep need for their Creator? Or they do recognize their need but the pain they feel doesn't seem worth the journey it would take to reach God. It is as though the reality that they are faced with is not worth the growth or betterment but rather immediate easing of the pain they feel. I know for me personally, the fear of whether I would make it scared me so deeply. I wondered if I would recover, or perish through the process.

Even if that person were to recover from the initial bomb blast of pain, the real struggle is maintaining their faith. Now for many people, maintaining their faith is not necessarily built on a solid foundation of relationship with God, hope or faith itself, but rather on outward works of their professed religion. This of course, without any true sense of personal commitment would perish in the light of immediate suffering. I went through a life crises almost a year and a half ago... crazy how time flies but it was in the immense pain that I was in that i wrote the words, "The intensity of my pain is more powerful than my personal experience with God; therefore, the existence of my pain is more real to me than the existence of God." That thought has stuck with me... I did not realize that I didn't know God until it was absolutely necessary that I did. 

 Once I realized that I did not know God, conviction burned a hole through my soul. I was brought to a place where I recognized three pivotal things;

 1. I quite literally cannot survive without God. I have no comfort outside of God. I prayed the Psalms. God, though I did not know Him personally, desired to know me. As I sought Him for comfort I found that I was unbearably starving spiritually and that for years I deeply desired to know God on an intimate level. I just did not recognize it.
2. There is no going back, even though going forward looks like it is going to hurt me more, going back is worse. Going forward is like going into spiritual and physical fire while at the same time scooping out muck in my heart and soul. Going forward is acknowledging that God is going to challenge us beyond our present ability. He is going to stretch our faith, stretch our strength and stretch our stamina. It is quite literally a most painful experience but I recognized that if I came out at the end, I would be an overcomer of those things that plagued me in the present. Going backwards, I knew, I would stay the same. Or worse that I would digress. The very though terrified me.
3. I need God. Rejecting God is not an option because I may be hurting now but without God I would be hurting for eternity. Salvation my friend, is so very necessary. But when we become a new creature in Christ, He asks us, when He thinks we are ready to rid our lives of those things that are not of Him.

It felt as though I was caught between a catch 22. I could endeavor to feel better instantly. I knew this. I could stop striving to know God, I could stop striving to be better, I could stop striving to be used for His kingdom, I could give in to the temptations and deep desires in my heart, instead of learning self-discipline. I could RUN, run in all haste away from God due to fear! Deep seeded fear that had been conditioned since childhood. Yes I could do all these things but I would be exactly where I was and if you are honest with yourself... completely honest, you can admit that is no safe place to be. What makes the books of Psalm's beautiful? It is beautiful because David knew his God before the struggle, that when he was in the midst of persecution, suffering, mourning, and doubt, God his friend was with him as a comfort every step of the way.

If there is one thing I desire for the reader to take from this is that we are flawed and we are in much need of a perfectly loving and just God. His just nature cannot turn a blind eye to our sin, while at the same time, His love for us found a way for us to be redeemed and that is through Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. If the system has broken and you are no longer finding yourself in the green grass of religious rhetoric or you are presently suffering through life. God is prodding you to grow beyond your present circumstance. Take it as a compliment. The Lord believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. He is prodding us and enticing us to journey into a deeper level with Him. He always desires to know us deeper and use us further in the Kingdom. Gideon, Saul, David, Moses, Jacob... especially Jacob. All these men have one thing in common; they were deeply flawed but God saw more in them than they saw in themselves.

If you are in a place between whether you should persevere and know God on an intimate level or give up and continue the way you always have, even in the midst of recognizing that the system has broken. Please choose the risk of seeking God over staying the same and taking a break from Him. John Piper really hits the nail on the head in his book, "Don't Waste Your Life," when he said, "One of my aims is to explode the myth of safety and to somehow deliver you from the enchantment of security. Because it's a mirage... The tragic hypocrisy is that the enchantment of security lets us take risks every day for ourselves but paralyzes us from taking risks from others on the Calvary road of love" (Piper, 81). So in the words of John Piper, I ask you not to waste your life by what you perceive as surviving it. Let this time of suffering, struggle and challenge propel you towards a life of usefulness in the Kingdom. It is easy to write these words when you have not struggled. But as a person that has been through the fire and was faced with the same choice, I can say that I made it and I am better for it! The relationship and intimacy you have with your creator cannot be replaced with anything else. The work of the Kingdom, the cause of the Gospel, there truly is no greater joy!

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore..." (Ephesians 6:13-14a) 

In conclusion, there are two questions that R.C. Sproul posed in his book, "The Holiness of God," that I want to post here as well. Keep in mind that after reading the last three articles, the reality of God's loathing of sin, our natural sinful natures without Christ, and God's ultimate judgment of sin itself, that we must have an open heart to the reality of where we stand. That means being completely and humbly honest with yourself and God. He asked:
1. How does understanding God's wrath help you honor Him as a holy God?
2. In what ways do you need God to help you love Him?

In what ways do you NEED GOD TO HELP you love Him?... Convicting words, yet so very necessary if you desire to know Him deeper. It starts with you taking that honest step. But you have to be willing to be vulnerable.

Books to help through the process:

1. Dr. Larry Crabb, Finding God
2. Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude & Silence
3.Harry Schaumburg, False Intimacy
4. John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
5. Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind

The Big Blue

My heart is full of enviable desires.
The unmet passions of the spirit-
rage within like the waves of the sea.
Bashing the rocks with a violent frenzy.

The sadness quakes with rumblings.
These rumblings of deep disappointment.
Across the silent expanse of the soul,
it sings its heavy tune to the moon.

Blue above and black abyss below,
there is no escape from its presence.
The song sings on, daring not to be ignored.
The sadness, and yearning lives on.

Die you silly desire!
The wind howls and pick up speed,
leading the frenzy upon the rocks.
They rage and they roar!

Tears fall from the big blue.
They land upon the black waters.
The waves slow, and the rocks battered,
lay desolate and broken on the shore.

Autumn Wind

The wind blew us like Autumn leaves.
Into the air we went.
On the waves we spun about.
Laughing, in joy, was our ascent.

Flirting with the warm sun rays,
we danced up in the air.
As the wind slowed we fell below.
Caught in the cycle we were content

Holding each other, our energy was spent.
To the ground we softly landed,
where all the rest do sleep.
Hoping for another gust to blow us off our feet.

Oh I wish to dance again,
to feel us in the air.
Like Autumn leaves, our love does sleep.
But in spring we'll love again.

(October 23, 2012)

The Princess Pauper

He needs to grow up a little,
but how can you tell a man to grow?
He needs to be the king of his people,
but content he is in what he knows.

He can be the king of me.
But crown me, he will not.

He is playing with power,
without sending out the guard.
Falling in shambles,
Like a tower of cards.

The nation is defenseless,
and the throne is left for nought.
I watch in horror,
as a princess bride without her rock

Defenseless and in rags.
I beg he make haste.

Does he not realize-
the feast is for his doom?
Laden with poison-
With one lick of the spoon.

Please my love, awaken!
Can you not see what is at stake?
I need a man to hold me,
because no man can take your place.

Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 3): We Are Slaves To Something

If you have not read the previous two articles please begin there:

1. Spiritual Sabbatical: Introduction

2. Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 2): What Happened on Calvary?

So how fallen are we? How bad is sin? In many ways we easily perceive 'evil' in the world. But those are other people. In some ways we are mystified as to how people do evil things. We ask questions like, "how did they become that?" "How were they raised?" "How does such evil exist in a person?" I have always said this and I will continue to do so; without God we all have murder in us, we all have perversion in us, we all have grotesque potential in us. We are all sinners and full of sinful acts, whether we realize it or not. It is the transformation of Calvary that challenges us to stand above the nature that so naturally can take over if given the proper feeding ground. It is only by Christ that we are made new and made better.

I love how R.C Sproul wrote about sin in his book, "Saved from What?" He writes, "...If people understood two things -- if they understood that God is holy and that sin is an offense against His holiness -- then they would be breaking down the doors of our churches, pleading, 'What must I do to be saved?'" (Pg. 45-46)

So how sinful are we? Colossians 1:21-22 makes it clear how sinful we are. "...And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works..." Leon Morris in his book, The Atonement: It's meaning & Significance, writes, "Now an enemy is not simply someone who falls a little short of being a good and faithful friend. He belongs in the opposite camp. He is opposed to what one is doing. Sinners are putting their effort into the opposite directions to that of God... The sin we do inevitably arouses the hostility of God." (Pg. 136-137)

In what ways does our sins violate God? As R.C. Sproul writes, "if a crime has been committed, then we have to deal with penal sanctions. If a debt has been incurred, then payment must be made. If enmity has entered a personal relationship, if the relationship has been violated, that relationship must be restored." (Pg. 49)The three ways that our sin makes us an enemy of the Lord and necessitates atonement is: 

1)Sin as a debt
2)Sin as an act of enmity
3)Sin as a crime

"'Come now, let us reason together,'
Says the Lord,
'Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Yet Christ redeemed us by the ransom price. He gave his own life to atone for our. He did so much for us, though it was undeserved. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21) "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isa. 53:6) "Yet was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief." (Isa. 53:10) Christ bore much for our sin. Our sin which is an affront to God's purity and holiness. When we purposely remove ourselves from redemption and Christ's atonement by taking a break from God, we are then removing His cleansing blood from our very crimson heart full of sins. Christ is our salvation! "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all." (1 Timothy 2:5-6a)

Leon Morris in his book, defines "ransom" as, "the money that anyone pays to be delivered." (Pg. 116) or "the term (kopher) conveys the thought of price. God's people are delivered at cost (Isa. 43:3-4)" (pg. 117) So what are we being ransomed from? We are being ransomed from sin. Our wicked deeds. We through our sin, of which is first nature, makes us a slave to sin. John 8:33-34 says, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." And when we are slaves to our sins, and our passions, we cannot break free from them. We are owned by them. That is exactly what being a slave to sin means. A common but very fitting example would be those passions that have then become addiction in our lives. Addictions are blatant examples of how sin has us bound. Even though we may not even realize we are bound to it.

Leon Morris beautifully encapsulates what it meant to be in bondage to our sins, "His word 'ransom' is the technical term used of the money paid to release a prisoner of war or a slave. To release the slaves of sin be paid the price. We were in captivity. We were in the strong grip of evil. We could not break free. But the price was paid and the result is that we go free. 'Sin shall not be your master' (Rom. 6:14)" (Pg. 121). That is why there is no medium. A person cannot simply take a break from God. You are a slave to something. You are either a slave to your sin which in the previous article mentioned the eternal consequences of our sin, of which Christ bore on the cross, or you are slave to God and His Kingdom. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:19-20) 1 Corinthians 7:22 also speaks of us being the Lord's slave.

Lastly I would like to point out why being a slave to Christ is better than being a slave to sin. In a sense being a slave to Christ is liberating. "You (Christ) are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:9-10) Leon Morris writes, "that in buying them he did not simply transfer them from one slavery to another. . . This is brought out with the affirmation that they are 'a kingdom' and 'priests' and that 'they will reign'. They have a royal state and are thus as far from being menials as can be conceived." (Pg. 127-128) in turn to trusting in God and surrendering our life to Christ, we are made a royal priesthood and kings and queens of his service!

Living for God is in no way easy at times. Christ calls us to a place of self sacrifice and growth in different areas of our lives. But this earthly life is nothing in comparison to the life Christ has planned for us hereafter. The next article will speak on the topic of why I believe people justify taking a break from God. The past three articles, I hope have laid a firm foundation for the belief that taking a break from God is impossible. I pray that the next article helps in a very practical way to overcome this very human desire to give up and feel better in times of struggle.

Blessings!

Books:

R.C Sproul - "Saved From What?"

Leon Morris - "The Atonement: It's Meaning & Significance"

Wayne Grudem - "Making Sense of Christ and The Spirit: One of Seven Parts from Grudems Systematic Theology"

Spiritual Sabbatical (Part 2): What happened on Calvary?

In Part One: Introduction of Spiritual Sabbatical, I laid out two reasons that are paramount for understanding why taking a break from God or religion is not possible. This is the second part of the series in which I will talk about the fall and its implications, thus the necessity for Calvary and ultimately the atonement for our sins. I will lay out what exactly happened on Calvary... In case anyone was wondering. How does it relate to us as believers or as potential believers, and our need in a Savior. Thereby creating a clearer image of why taking a break from God is impossible and quite frankly is in no ones best interests.

The one thing that I absolutely love about the Word of God is that everything points back to the beginning. To understand the end of the book, you must understand the beginning of the book. For instance, for us to understand why Calvary was so necessary, we must understand what happened in the beginning in the Garden with man's first sin. Genesis chapter three. As we begin this session, you can start by reading the chapter. 

What were the consequences of mans sin or ramifications of  the Fall? 

1. Loss of relationship - Our sin severed that channel of relationship.
2. Sin entered the world- thus we are condemned to death. The penalty of sin is death.

These two consequences were a direct result of mans desire for something that was forbidden. Our pride which desired to be like God. This was touched on in the first article. If you have not read it begin there. 

As a result of man's sin, God created different covenant relationahips throughout history starting with the noahic covenant, then the abrahamic covenant and then the mosaic covenant. Ultimately each covenant relationship that God made with the people of Israel failed until Christ died on the cross. So what was the  impact of Calvary... In simple terms?

1. Sin was paid for by a blood sacrifice - The Atonement - Propitiation which is a blood sacrifice that appeases the wrath of God.
2. Thus we are brought back into covenant relationship - Reconciliation & Redemption

What truly impacts me as a believer of Christ's sacrifice is when I began to internalize what Christ truly went through up there on the cross. Secondly by internalizing that immense pain and seperation I cognitively recognized that the pain and separation He felt up there was meant for the foulest of sinners, which is me. What did Christ endure on the cross? And how does it relate to us as sinners? Wayne Grudem, one of my favorite authors on Systematic Theology beautifully describes the four ways in which Christ suffered or as he put it, "The Nature of the Atonement." 

Jesus endured (in our place):

1. Physical pain & death: we deserve to die as the penalty for sin. " A criminal who was crucified was essentially forced to inflict upon himself a very slow death by suffocation." (Grudem, 75). There was nothing easy about a death by the cross. Men stayed up there sometimes for days, slowly suffocating to death. It was a brutal and grotesque way to die. 
2. The pain of bearing sin: We deserve to bear God's wrath against sin. Isaiah 53:6, 53:12, John 1:29, 2 Cor. 5:21, Gal 3:13, Heb. 9:28, 1 Peter 2:24. The weight of sin, the guilt is not a light thing especially for a man that had never sinned. For Him to bear the weight of sin for an entire world is a lot of guilt, shame and sorrow. He bore it all. Grudem argues that bearing the weight of sin must have been heavier than the physical pain on the cross.
3. Abandonment: We are separated from God by our sins. Jesus faced the physical and spiritual weight of sin on His own. Alone he bore the sins of the world. His closest friends forsook him and fled (Matt 26:56), and in Matt 27:46 when He cried out those loneliest of words, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabach-thani?' 'My God, my God why have you forsaken me?' Was showing the consequence that sin has on someone... Ultimately, separation from God. Yet on the cross, Christ bore that separation for us.

4. Bearing the wrath of God: We are in bondage to sin and to the Kingdom of Satan. (Grudem, 75-83)

This section will be more heavily discussed in the next article. 

Jesus bore all these things in our place. We deserved this judgment but God in His infinite love bore the cross for us. The foulest consequences but rightly justifiable and God bore it. And through it we were gifted with Christ's sacrifice in our place, propitiation (payment): which is a blood sacrifice that appeases the wrath of God (1 John 4:10), Reconciliation which brings us back into relationship with God and redemption which means Christ was the ransom for our sins (Mark 10:45). Wow! Christ did all of that so that He could know you, be in relationship with you, save you and keep you! He did all that... And we take a break from him? Does that even make sense?

How does this relate to us taking a break from God? When we take a break from God we are rejecting His mercy and grace. We are rejecting His sacrifice and infinite love. We are willfully rejecting a way out from what we deserve, which is death. This is also starkly in contrast with the fact that by rejecting salvation and God, you are rejecting a gift of mercy that was already so intensely undeserved. 

Romans 5:10 states, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." 

This passage states that while we were sinners, we were enemies of God. When we reject God, whether we realize it or not, we are against God. Because our natural tendency is not good but evil. I hope to expand on this topic in the next article. 

Please be blessed!