“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)

Like many of you, I watched the protests and riots that affected Charlotte, NC, following an officer-involved shooting of an African-American civilian. The local paper has published thousands of words; the local television and radio stations have devoted hours to every aspect of the story, so I don’t need to recount the events here.

I do want to offer some thoughts on the local reaction to the death of Keith Lamont Scott, and where I hope the lessons will lead us. If your only exposure to the story was to angry people blocking interstate highways, looting trucks, and setting fires, that’s an incomplete story. The news media can’t help it: their motto is, If it bleeds, it leads. And one can always count on jaded people to slow down for a glimpse of someone else’s blood. Not our finest moment.

The most disheartening aspect of the event and its after-effects is the atmosphere of mistrust that has clouded the Charlotte metro area. Black and white people are wary and guarded — even friends and colleagues are feeling the strain. Civilians and law enforcement officers are regarding each other with doubt and suspicion.

The Queen City stands! photo by Brandon Butler

Even in the midst of this discontent, however, I have seen some hopeful signs. I’ve seen people — friends and strangers alike — going out of their way to show kindness and to express appreciation and empathy toward the various populations of hurting people. Even in the midst of the worst nights of demonstrations turned violent, groups and individuals have made a point to thank police officers and National Guardsmen for their work. Churches in the area have hosted round table discussions to bring people of different races and ethnicities together to listen and gain perspective. As good as these latter activities are, I think there may be something missing.

The NEW city!

A few days after the death of Keith Scott, I was reading in the book of Revelation, In chapter 21, the apostle John tells of his vision of the Heavenly City:

^[1] Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ^[2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ^[3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ^[4] ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ^[5] He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” – Revelation 21:1 – 5 (NIV)

The relevance of Revelation

The passage hit home with me, as the contrast between Charlotte and the new Jerusalem was almost unbearable. Look, I’ve lived in or near Charlotte for most of the past 36 years, and I love it. I’ve seen it at its best and worst — so far. Even at its best, Charlotte is not the Heavenly city of God. The recent events and all the reactions remind me: We are not home yet.  

The call to racial reconciliation

I take seriously the teachings of scripture that say that through Christ Jesus, God has made one blood of all humanity. We can’t help but notice our varied appearance, but the significance of these differences should not be a preoccupation. We cannot help but notice differences in speech, manner of dress, or what we find funny, versus what we don’t, but we should not weight these things more heavily than what the Bible refers to as the Ministry of Reconciliation. If God has reconciled us to Himself through the merits and death of Jesus — covering and pardoning our rebellion against Him — we do not dare withhold it from others.

Reconciliation is expensive

Yes it is. Look at what it cost God. And what separated us from God is the same me-first attitude. Insisting on justice (for others) and on mercy (for me), makes one a hypocrite. I think the answer ultimately is to be able to view ourselves as God does, using his perfection as a reference point. When we stand alongside the perfection and holy otherness of God, we understand our complete unworthiness, and we can then appreciate how much God has forgiven us. From there, He can rightly demand that we forgive others.

The true remedy to what troubles all of us.

Look again at the passage from Revelation, and see the description John gives of the new Jerusalem. It is perfect. It is the dwelling place of God, but it is also home for all those who put their trust in Jesus.

God will comfort the broken and the bruised. He will make right all the wrongs we suffered. And he will wipe away every tear. And God promises to make all things new (not, as the commentator pointed out, “making all new things.”) Hope is coming, renewal is coming, and justice is coming  — all in perfect love. But what else can we conclude about this eternal city and how we get there?

Grace is preeminent. We cannot begin with good works and then find righteousness, rather we must begin with grace and then act righteously in response to the great gift of God. We are made new to enable us to do fit work for God’s Kingdom.

It seems to me that in the arena of race relations, we are falling into a similar error. We demand acts (or pass laws) that they might compel love. We would be far better first to love our neighbor and then act. To love is to decide to love – to choose to seek the well-being of the beloved. It is asking a lot of wounded people, but we are all wounded.

A year ago, I wrote about the horrific shooting at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, SC, and the remarkable response by the family of God. The godly members of Emanuel AME church spoke words of forgiveness to Dylann Roof – in their pain and loss, they chose to follow Jesus in loving their enemy. Here, in the face of a crime motivated by racism, divine grace motivated an extravagant (read: expensive) act of forgiveness.

My prayer is that more of us will actively choose to love our neighbor, and that we will not define the word neighbor more narrowly than our Lord did. Let us be ministers of reconciliation — not demanding absolution, but loving and serving our neighbors so that they will see that our citizenship is in the new Jerusalem and want to join us there.

So how about you? How are you choosing to show love to your neighbor? Add your comments below.

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” -Martin Niemöller

I love C.S. Lewis’ book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m sure I’ve read the entire series at least seven times, several of those aloud.

In the final installment titled The Last Battle, the dwarfs, most of whom have been sympathetic characters,  refuse to take sides in the climactic skirmish between the followers of Aslan, the great Lion who rules Narnia, and the followers of Tash, the god of the Calormenes.

As much as it depends on you, try to live at peace with everyone…

Claiming that they had been equally mistreated through the years by both the Narnians and the Calormenes, the dwarfs’ rallying cry is “The dwarfs are for the dwarfs!” They even begin shooting at both sides, killing combatants from their rocky firing position.

Of course this goes badly for everyone involved, and when the dwarfs are thrown through the door of a nearby stable (that is to say, they are killed) they are in the presence of Aslan. But because they refused to be his subjects, they can’t see him — or anything else.

What Aslan can and cannot do for them.

One of the heroes takes pity on the dwarfs and asks Aslan to help them. He replies that he will show her both what he can and can’t do for them. He speaks kindly to them, but all they hear is a ferocious lion’s growl. He sets a feast before them, but they imagine it to be straw and manure. They spend their eternity blind, bickering and complaining in the presence of splendor.

It makes me wonder if we aren’t like them at times.

The error of parochialism

Closer to home

Games people play

The theology of the body

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:15-20 (NIV)

Why it matters

So how about you? How do you avoid the trap of parochialism? Add your comments below.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any route will take you there.

To this point, we’ve talked about chastity, about getting fit, about developing a work ethic and about perseverance — all oriented toward actions you can take to improve your future.  But what if your past is holding you back?  I mean, what if you’ve totally blown it?  Is there a way to start over, or is it better just to embrace the suck?

Blazes or Fakes?

On established hiking trails, there are blazes — painted rectangular marks roughly the size of an iPhone — appearing on tree trunks about every tenth of a mile. Each trail in a given region has its own blaze color to help hikers follow the correct trail and avoid getting lost.

On one particular backpacking trip, my son and I were hiking at twilight, trying to make it to our planned campsite. The trail we were on was marked with white blazes. If you haven’t seen them, white blazes as they age can resemble fungi that grow on tree bark.

We were on a challenging and little-used section of this particular trail, battling overgrowth and the fading light. When we didn’t see a blaze at the correct interval, we became concerned that we had mistaken patches of lichen for blazes. Despite the topographical map and compass we had with us, it was an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.

Young scouts are taught that if they’re lost, they are to stay put and wait for their fellow scouts to find them. That is excellent advice for lost members of groups.  It’s a little different when the entire group may have taken a game trail by mistake.

We carefully retraced our steps looking for blazes. (When a blaze appears on one side of a tree, there should be a corresponding blaze on the opposite side so the trail is marked in both directions.) Finding blazes on the section we were on would confirm that we were indeed on the trail and not  lost. We counted our steps to ensure we accounted for 175-yard chunks.  Happily for us, we found where we went wrong and reacquired the trail, being careful to mind the blazes and to look back for confirmation if a blaze wasn’t apparent in front of us.

So what should you do if you’re lost — not on a trail, but in your life?

1. Recognize your condition
   First, determine whether or not you’re on the right path. Adversity itself doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong trail.  Even the right route can be steep, narrow and rocky — even dangerous — but we were made for this. If you are on the wrong trail, here are some questions to help you sort it out: Do you know what the right path looks like, or where it goes? What is the nature of your problem —  Are you afraid? Ashamed? Guilt-ridden? Unmotivated? Addicted? My friends in the Recovery Movement say that admitting you have a problem is the first step toward solving it. I would add that if you can name it, you can begin to fix it.
2. Retrace your steps
   If you’ve lost the trail, you may want to take the time to determine how you got there. VERY IMPORTANT: You must not blame anyone but yourself for your own choices. This is a critical part of being a man — owning your decisions and facing the consequences.  So ask yourself: What are the consequences of staying on your current course? Where will that take you in a year? Five years? When you’re old? What would you think of a character in a movie who followed that path? Go deeper. Was there advice you ignored? Was there a critical decision you took rashly? Is there a relationship you took for granted? Are there friends or allies whose help you failed to appreciate? Is it still possible to restore or repair what was lost?
3. Reacquire the trail
   When you’ve identified the right trail, commit to it and start moving in the right direction. Expect it to be uncomfortable at first. Expect skepticism and even outright opposition from those you may have hurt. But be open to the encouragement that will also come your way. Some days, the only reward is the knowledge that you’re on the right path. But that can keep you going for another day, so it’s good. Let’s face it: Some consequences are final. But where possible, reacquiring the trail involves attempting reconciliation. As you contemplate the appropriate actions, recognize that apologizing and attempting to repair what has been damaged is no guarantee that all will be as it was before. If I amputate your leg, my apologizing does not restore your lost leg. Also, note that an apology does not obligate anyone to grant forgiveness or to resume a business relationship or a friendship. Likewise, I may forgive someone for an offense, but I do not have to put myself in position to let it happen again.
4. Reach up.
   The ultimate remedy for guilt, shame and brokenness is to come home to your Father in Heaven. He designed your life and He has made a way for you to be forgiven through His son, Jesus Christ. More on this later.

So how about you?  How are you navigating through your life?   What tools have you found helpful?  Add your comments below.

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” -Martin Niemöller

I love C.S. Lewis’ book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m sure I’ve read the entire series at least seven times, several of those aloud.

In the final installment titled The Last Battle, the dwarfs, most of whom have been sympathetic characters,  refuse to take sides in the climactic skirmish between the followers ofAslan, the great Lion who rules Narnia, and the followers ofTash, the god of theCalormenes.

As much as it depends on you, try to live at peace with everyone…

Claiming that they had been equally mistreated through the years by both the Narnians and the Calormenes, the dwarfs’ rallying cry is “The dwarfs are for the dwarfs!” They even begin shooting at both sides, killing combatants from their rocky firing position.

Of course this goes badly for everyone involved, and when the dwarfs are thrown through the door of a nearby stable (that is to say, they are killed) they are in the presence of Aslan. But because they refused to be his subjects, they can’t see him — or anything else.

What Aslan can and cannot do for them.

One of the heroes takes pity on the dwarfs and asks Aslan to help them. He replies that he will show her both what he can and can’t do for them. He speaks kindly to them, but all they hear is a ferocious lion’s growl. He sets a feast before them, but they imagine it to be straw and manure. They spend their eternity blind, bickering and complaining in the presence of splendor.

It makes me wonder if we aren’t like them at times.

The error of parochialism

Closer to home

Games people play

The theology of the body

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:15-20 (NIV)

Why it matters

So how about you? How do you avoid the trap of parochialism? Add your comments below.

“But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there’s any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.” – St. Paul from 1 Corinthians 8 (MSG)

As I write, the South Carolina legislature is considering whether to remove the Confederate battle flag from the confederate war memorial on the State House grounds. The state Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor, and the straw polling among members of the House of Representatives suggests the results in that chamber will be the same. Governor Nikki Haley has already indicated her willingness to sign such a bill, so it seems the Confederate battle flag will move to the Confederate relic room.

The signals are clear where the flag is concerned. (photo credit: Leeroy)

A little bit of (personal) history

In an earlier post, I explained that I am the great-grandson of a Civil War veteran. My grandfather was the youngest of eleven children born to his father, who had served as a private in the 30th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry. My grandfather was a teenager when his father passed away.

I say this to establish that the war and its significance — and the family ties — are all quite strong, so this is not abstract theory for me. Even though I am proud of my family and I am eligible to join any of the historical societies established for descendents of Confederate soldiers, and even though I could assert a right to display the confederate battle flag, I choose not to do so. I want to explain why by means of the following thought experiment.

The picture on the night table

Imagine for a moment that you’re married and that your wife has decided to place a matted, framed picture of her college boyfriend on the night table beside the bed the two of you share. In addition to finding it bizarre, you find it offensive, especially since you know their relationship was serious and you suspect he may have taken liberties with the woman who is now your wife. And because you love your wife, you have a healthy level of jealousy.

When you express your disapproval, she explains to you that you’re misinterpreting the symbolism and that you don’t understand what a great guy he is. When you counter that you do not approve of the face of her ex-boyfriend gazing over the marriage bed, your marriage bed, she explains she is commemorating a bygone era and some fond memories. When you say that her displaying of the photo suggests she would prefer to be in his arms instead of yours, she says that’s silly — she’s just honoring the past. “And besides, it’s a great picture!”

In a healthy marriage, no such display would take place, and pictures of or with old flames, if any, would be in boxes or photo albums.

Free to choose

I don’t presume to speak for all African-Americans, but I have heard enough of my black friends express views on the Confederate battle flag similar to the husband in the thought experiment above. Whatever virtues the old South possessed — and I would argue that there were many — the Confederate battle flag has been tainted by its connection to the evil of slavery and through its adoption by bigots of the vilest sort.

While I acknowledge and believe in the sincerity and good faith of those who argue “Heritage not Hate,” there are enough instances to the contrary to make the Confederate battle flag an unsuitable symbol. For this reason, I choose not to exercise my liberty or to assert my rights when to do so causes pain to people I love, and I do not support its display on government property. However, I believe private citizens should be free to make up their own minds, just as I have done.

Love your neighbor

In the first century, the issue in the church was whether it was proper for Christians to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul the apostle instructed believers in Jesus to understand that their freedom to eat this meat must be tempered by consideration for the well-being of others. When we choose this because we are motivated by the love of God to love our neighbors, it is a beautiful thing.

Where do we go next?

Some people believe this gesture of goodwill from South Carolina should be the beginning of a cultural purge.  In this view, all Confederate monuments — from statues and cemeteries, to public streets, to toys, to cars on television shows, to colleges and universities named for Confederate generals — should be renamed, removed or paved over. I think this is a terrible idea, no matter where you line up.

Let’s agree first that this attempt to erase the past is a fool’s errand. In the age of the internet, it simply won’t work. Second, let’s recognize that this is the sort of book-burning impulse that people on the left used to regard as a hallmark of fascism. Third, note who else in the world is going about destroying ancient monuments. I won’t name names but their initials are I-S-I-L. And last, knowledge of our history — good and bad — is valuable to ensure we learn from the past as we build our common life. That kind of civic-mindedness and genuine grace doesn’t come from compulsory groupthink.

If we ban or eradicate every vestige of the past, we deny ourselves the opportunity to appreciate the tremendous progress we have made as a country. So now we find ourselves at or very near the end of what law can do to make men virtuous. That won’t stop some people, however.

So how about you? How can you show love to your neighbor around this issue? Add your comments below.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any route will take you there.

To this point, we’ve talked about chastity, about getting fit, about developing a work ethic and about perseverance — all oriented toward actions you can take to improve your future.  But what if your past is holding you back?.  I mean, what if you’ve totally blown it?  Is there a way to start over, or is it better just to embrace the suck?

Blazes or Fakes?
On established hiking trails, there are blazes — painted rectangular marks roughly the size of an iPhone — appearing on tree trunks about every tenth of a mile.  Each trail in a given region has its own blaze color to help hikers follow the correct trail and avoid getting lost.

On one particular backpacking trip, my son and I were hiking at twilight, trying to make it to our planned campsite.  The trail we were on was marked with white blazes.  If you haven’t seen them, white blazes as they age can resemble fungi that grow on tree bark.

We were on a challenging and little-used section of this particular trail, battling overgrowth and the fading light.  When we didn’t see a blaze at the correct interval, we became concerned that we had mistaken patches of lichen for blazes.  Despite the topographical map and compass we had with us, it was an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.

Young scouts are taught that if they’re lost, they are to stay put and wait for their fellow scouts to find them.  That is excellent advice for lost members of groups.  It’s a little different when the entire group may have taken a game trail by mistake.

We carefully retraced our steps looking for blazes.  (When a blaze appears on one side of a tree, there should be a corresponding blaze on the opposite side so the trail is marked in both directions.)  Finding blazes on the section we were on would confirm that we were indeed on the trail and not  lost.  We counted our steps to ensure we accounted for 175-yard chunks.  Happily for us, we found where we went wrong and reacquired the trail, being careful to mind the blazes and to look back for confirmation if a blaze wasn’t apparent in front of us.

So what should you do if you’re lost — not on a trail, but in your life?

1. Recognize your condition
   First, determine whether or not you’re on the right path.  Adversity itself doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong trail.  Even the right route can be steep, narrow and rocky — even dangerous — but we were made for this.If you are on the wrong trail, here are some questions to help you sort it out:  Do you know what the right path looks like, or where it goes?  What is the nature of your problem —  Are you afraid? Ashamed? Guilt-ridden?  Unmotivated? Addicted?

   My friends in the Recovery Movement say that admitting you have a problem is the first step toward solving it.  I would add that if you can name it, you can begin to fix it.

2. Retrace your steps
   If you’ve lost the trail, you may want to take the time to determine how you got there.  VERY IMPORTANT: You must not blame anyone but yourself for your own choices.  This is a critical part of being a man — owning your decisions and facing the consequences.So ask yourself: What are the consequences of staying on your current course?  Where will that take you in a year? Five years? When you’re old?  What would you think of a character in a movie who followed that path?

   Go deeper.  Was there advice you ignored?  Was there a critical decision you took rashly? Is there a relationship you took for granted?  Are there friends or allies whose help you failed to appreciate? Is it still possible to restore or repair what was lost?

3. Reacquire the trail
   When you’ve identified the right trail, commit to it and start moving in the right direction.  Expect it to be uncomfortable at first.  Expect skepticism and even outright opposition from those you may have hurt.  But be open to the encouragement that will also come your way.  Some days, the only reward is the knowledge that you’re on the right path. But that can keep you going for another day, so it’s good.

   Let’s face it: Some consequences are final.  But where possible, reacquiring the trail involves attempting reconciliation.  As you contemplate the appropriate actions, recognize that apologizing and attempting to repair what has been damaged is no guarantee that all will be as it was before.  If I amputate your leg, my apologizing does not restore your lost leg.Also, note that an apology does not obligate anyone to grant forgiveness or to resume a business relationship or a friendship.  Likewise, I may forgive someone for an offense, but I do not have to put myself in position to let it happen again.

4. Reach up.
   The ultimate remedy for guilt, shame and brokenness is to come home to your Father in Heaven.  He designed your life and He has made a way for you to be forgiven through His son, Jesus Christ.  More on this later.

So how about you?  How are you navigating through your life?   What tools have you found helpful?  Add your comments below.