Occasio

A warning about Albert Mohler's "warning"

Albert Mohler recently published a highly charged blog post about the mess with A&E, Duck Dynasty and Phil Robertson’s interview in GQ. He titled his entry, “You Have Been Warned—The ‘Duck Dynasty’ Controversy,” and in typical Mohler fashion, works to inflame folks on both sides of the homosexuality debate. Mohler loves a controversy. Even more, he loves a fight.

After reading his “Warning,” I was left unsettled. I am an evangelical and am uncomfortable again and again as people like this present positions that don’t represent me or many of the evangelicals with which I work and worship. So, here are some warnings I would like to issue in response to Mohler's post.

1. Mohler represents a very vocal presence in evangelicalism that seeks to confront and control culture. These folks are isolationists, working from the edges of culture by means of power and politics in a misguided attempt to coerce the culture into abiding by a set of values that they deem are appropriate. As an illustration, Mohler has counseled all Christians to pull their children out of public schools. The strategy is to withdraw, to fight evil at every opportunity and to somehow transform society into a holy “city of God” by getting as many conservative Christians together as possible and then into positions of power.

The warning: Christians are not called to be people of power, force or coercion. This has been a failed strategy throughout the history of the church. In fact, the church has grown most fervently when it has endured suffering, persecution and marginalization. Indeed, this is all the church knew for the first 250 years of its existence. Christ continually called for and demonstrated humility, sacrifice and service to those around. Our goal should not be to control culture (an ill-conceived and impossible task), but rather to serve those we live alongside. Our acts of sacrifice will demonstrate the kingdom in far greater ways than power and coercion ever could.

2. Mohler is an angry man. He, and others like him, justify this as a “righteous anger.” We must be angry at sin, they say, because it is destroying our society. They point to passages in the Old Testament where God’s anger was seen in his judgment, or in Christ’s disapproval in the Gospels.

The warning: In general, the anger expressed by God in the Old Testament is almost always directed at his own people—and specifically at religious leaders—for their own sin. Christ echoes this practice, often getting angry, not at the “sinners,” but at the Pharisees. He demonstrates patience with tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes, and others who were considered “unclean” by the religious leaders of his day. He consistently directs his anger at those in leadership contexts. Paul does the same, calling people to accountability for their sin, not in the culture at large, but within communities of faith, the local churches to which he ministered. Furthermore, his harshest words are reserved for the leaders of those churches. If there is anger today over sinful practices (and let’s include all of them, like gluttony, selfishness, slander, gossip, etc.), let’s direct that anger at ourselves.

3. Mohler defines sin and the reaction to it in ways that are not representative of all Christians, and he does so in very elitist and self-assured ways. However, he is not the only voice on the issue of homosexuality. Christians hold a broad spectrum of positions. Even Mohler’s own denomination is experiencing a diversity of views. Russell Moore, a key leader in the South Baptist Convention, has called for a reduction in rhetoric, moving away from the aggressive and hostile approach previously adopted by the denomination.

The warning: We don’t need any more Christians arguing and fighting with each other over definitions of sin, and we certainly don’t need a leader with strong-arm tactics defining it for us. What we need is conversation. There is no way we’ll make any progress in our understanding of homosexuality as long as we constrain ourselves to overly simplistic and reductionist arguments about whether it is right or wrong. It’s time for a full discussion of human sexuality, a topic that has been far too taboo in the church (except in the popular practice of pronouncing homosexuality as wrong).

Mohler’s article is scary because it positions Christians (evangelicals) as enemies and combatants of those who disagree with them, justifies an aggressive stand against homosexuality from a posture of anger and defines sin as a narrow slice of morality without concern for dialogue or context. In writing a post like this, I run the risk of being labeled as a liberal on the issue. Label me if you like, but that’s not the point (notice that I didn’t take a stand on the issue). I’m more concerned with the way that people like Mohler—old men desperately scared of losing the moral and political empires they’ve spent their lives building—continually portray evangelicals.

Using Mohler’s own rhetoric, “You have been warned”: The Gospel is not a manifesto for some great battle against the world. It is “good news” for a world that is war-weary, tired and oppressed. I just pray that we Christians aren’t the oppressors.

A funeral, a selfie and biblical interpretation

Like me, you might have seen the now-infamous picture of President Obama taking a selfie at the funeral of Nelson Mandela and thought, “Sheesh, what a cheap and tasteless display from our nation’s top dignitary. How embarrassing.” After all, a funeral is no place to be talking, laughing and celebrating, right? Or, is it?

Once again, we learn that context matters. And in this case, the guy who shot the viral picture says the situation at Mandela’s funeral was far different than most of us imagine. In North America, we experience funerals as somber displays of honor and respect for the dead, but Roberto Schmidt, a German-Columbian professional AFP photographer, tells us that the scenario was far different in Africa.

He shot the photo halfway through the four-hour funeral amidst a stadium full of people that were celebrating, dancing and singing. Though not what many of us are used to, this is the way the people of South Africa honor their dead. The photographer saw nothing uncharacteristic about the President’s behavior as Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt took out her cell phone and snapped a picture. It seemed “perfectly natural.” Leaders from around the globe were enjoying themselves, talking, hugging and settling in for an extensive celebration. (More celebrative pictures from the service here.)

Does knowing the context change the interpretation of the picture? It does for me. What I once thought was a cold and tacky gesture, now appears to be a contextually appropriate participation in the celebration. Knowing the situation and discovering what was happening beyond the edges of the photo—the places that can’t be seen by the viewer—changes the meaning of the picture.

It’s similar with Scripture. Twenty-first century Bible readers often make the same mistake that many of us made with the Obama photograph from Mandela’s funeral. Contemporary Christians read the Bible without considering the context in which it was written, thus missing essential information. We do a great disservice to the Word of God if we don’t work to understand its original setting.

Here’s an example. I have heard Christians interpret 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 in ways never intended by the Apostle Paul, the original author.

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (NRSV)

Many people have used this to champion a disciplined and regimented physical workout schedule. Still others have used these verses to make a case against eating unhealthy foods or abusing harmful substances. “Your body is a temple,” they say. “You need to take care of it.” The message is obvious, right? Or, is it?

It’s especially important to know the context of Paul’s letters if we are to make proper sense of them. First Corinthians is one of those letters that provides a quick snapshot—a selfie of sorts—of a gathering of believers in first-century Corinth. Reading this ancient letter is like looking at a photograph and not knowing what is happening just off the edges of the picture. We make inferences about what is going on, but without a complete picture. Paul gives us glimpses into the lives of early believers; we will better understand what he is saying if we can know something more about what’s happening on the edges.

Back to 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Is this a text about taking care of your physical body?

A quick glance at the surrounding passages and an overview of the entire set of letters to the Corinthians reveals some helpful information. Paul was concerned with divisiveness in the Corinthian church. He continually reminded church leaders that they should work together to create a community of harmony and strength. This passage reminds them that when they come together, they are functioning as the new temple of God, and anyone who would work against the goal of unity was working against God himself.

Furthermore, reading from a 21st-century culture of individualism and narcissism, we can’t help but read this as a passage of personal instruction, a passage written to “me.” Unfortunately, our English texts do not make an important distinction that every Greek reader would have immediately noticed. Every time the word “you” is used in this passage (and almost every letter in the New Testament), it is a plural form. From our context, we read “you” as meaning “me” in the singular sense, but this is exactly the opposite of what Paul intended. In the southern United States people say “y’all” when they’re referring to the plural form of “you.” (And they say “all y’all” when they really want to emphasize plurality!) That’s a fitting expression for the 1 Corinthians 3 passage. An appropriate translation could be “All y’all are God’s temple!”

So, Paul’s message was not, “You should take care of your body like it is a temple of God,” but rather, “When all of you come together in community you are the temple of God, and don’t let anybody hinder your unity.” Paul is telling us to work toward unity at all costs, for when we do, together, the Spirit of God will dwell in our midst just as it did in the actual temple of the Old Testament.

This is just one example of appropriate biblical interpretation. Learning the context of any “text”—whether a biblical passage, a work of art, a song lyric or a selfie—will always help us interpret that text better. Understanding what’s just outside of the photo leads to a better understanding of the photo itself, and that’s both good theology and good hermeneutic practice.

[UPDATE, December 14, 2013]

This just posted at U2.com (which proves my point even further):

Bono was in South Africa this week, to join those paying tribute to Nelson Mandela at Tuesday's memorial service.

'In Ireland,' he says, 'A wake is never without humour but it's fair to say we lean heavily on the melancholy... one thing I love about Africa is they accompany the departed with dancing, lots of it, and music full of joy.'

Why Mandela Matters to Youth Ministry

Driving to my office this morning, I reflected on what I’ve been hearing about Nelson Mandela in the last day. That led to a change of topic for this morning’s youth ministry class as I hurriedly scribbled down some notes on the top of a donut box while waiting at a few red lights. Here’s why I think Mandela matters for youth ministry.

1. High school and college provide the perfect context for shaping lifelong values. Both peers and former students have been reflecting on Mandela via Facebook, and one of the common messages I’ve heard is that they were first drawn to this remarkable figure in late adolescence. People have said again and again that they became aware of and interested in Mandela’s work when they were in high school. Bono noted that Mandela has been a guide to him since he was 18 years old, when U2 did its first anti-apartheid concert. President Obama recalled his fascination with Mandela’s writings in college and then with Mandela’s release from prison while in law school. The late teen years are some of the most malleable, and we need to continually bring examples of inspiring people who practically demonstrate the gospel.

2. Mandela was a model of reconciliation in the midst of oppression and suffering under the inhuman practices of apartheid. His legacy of peaceful, non-violent resistance is a welcome example for students living in a violent world. This is especially poignant when we understand that Mandela himself was once an advocate for violence, participating in the ANC’s rogue bombing campaigns. It was during his 27 years of brutal incarceration that Mandela found the way of peace. The importance of forgiveness and reconciliation was demonstrated at his presidential inauguration when he invited his jailors to take seats of honor in the front row. In an age of terrorism, nuclear armament and escalating global tensions (not to mention violent neighborhoods and campuses), Mandela’s long, patient, hopeful commitment to love and forgiveness is a story that must be told to our teens.

3. Leading sometimes requires getting out of the way. Mandela believed so strongly in the democratic process that he did not allow himself to become a dictator. He stepped down from the presidency of South Africa after only one term. He moved out of the way and allowed others to lead. This is a lesson that every leader needs to learn. Pastors sometimes stay in ministries longer than they should. I’ve often said that I always want to leave a position before I’m asked to. I try to work myself out of a job—to empower and equip students and congregants to do ministry in such a way that I’m no longer needed. Adolescents, especially college-aged males, tend to believe that good leadership is demonstrated in aggressive action and strong management. On the contrary, if the Spirit of God inhabits the hearts of all his people, than we must step out of the way at times and let others contribute.

4. We need to listen to all voices, but especially to the minority. Mandela wouldn’t discount or minimize anybody, even those with whom he disagreed. Having been a minority voice himself, all people and perspectives mattered to him. The downside of democracy is that decisions are made by the majority, which typically leaves those in the minority feeling like losers. Decision making becomes a contest rather than a communal process. The prophets continually condemned God’s people for neglecting minority populations: the widows, the orphans and the aliens (those from other countries). Jesus infuriated the ruling class of religious leaders by hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers and “sinners.” We can use Mandela’s story to teach high school and college students the importance of listening to minority people groups, positions and voices.

It frustrates me when ministry leaders don’t bring real-world examples into their teaching and preaching. The Bible was never meant to be a book of propositions isolated from cultural context. It is in Nelson Mandela that we have an example of kingdom values. These are the values that I must continually illustrate and model to students.

I have watched films and read the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., but I’ve never really known them because they were transformative leaders of a past era. I’m grateful to have lived in the same generation as Nelson Mandela so that I could see the power of love and forgiveness first-hand. But I’m left wondering, who will be the Gandhi, the MLK or the Mandela of my kids’ generation? Is it even possible in this world of hyper-technology and instantaneous global media coverage for a person to make such great strides toward change? Maybe not. And that is all the more reason to talk about “Madiba” with our teens.