This year for Lent, I’m giving up a luxury: specifically, I am giving up driving to work.  It takes twice as long to get to work by bus, and the bus tickets will cost me more than the gasoline. 

I am hoping I can use the extra time (& exercise) to reflect on what is important in my life, as well as how I choose to use resources that burn fossil fuels.

Off we go!

…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might….  [1:7B-9]

THIS is the Word of the Lord?

I think Paul has forgotten what Christ is supposed to be about.

Jesus doesn’t take vengeance.  Jesus forgives.  Isn’t that right? 

I read this and remember that this is Paul talking, not me.  In Paul’s eyes, it seems, if you believe in Christ, only then do you find eternal life.  If you don’t believe in Christ, if you’re in that whole gang that’s persecuting the Christians and keeping Paul in prison, well then it sucks to be you, because Christ is going to get you in the end. 

 I can see the roots of the Middle Ages’ hellfire and brimstone beginning to form right here.

Me, I prefer a softer interpretation of what happens in the end times.  I’m not willing to preemptively send non-Christians to hell. 

Another passage here troubles me:

Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed.  Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.

I see the point he’s making, but I can also see thousands of modern Christians reading only the first sentence of this statement, and then using it as an excuse to exhile people from the Christian community.  (Obvious modern example – gays and lesbians). 

What troubles me is that this book could easily be used by Christians to justify the judging of those around them.  I don’t think that’s what it’s intended to be.  (Or perhaps it is intended to be so judgemental?)  But I definitely don’t believe that that is how Christians should be.  And so this letter seems unhelpful and problematic.

As usual, I find my favorite part of Paul’s letter is when he’s telling people how they should behave – i.e. that they should be good people.  I read those words and I think, “Yes.  That’s why I’m a Christian.  The kind of person Paul says Christians should be – that’s the person who I want to be.”

Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do knot need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia.  But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.  [4:9-11]

When I read that passage…. well, I wasn’t exactly sure of what he meant.  It’s a context-dependent passage.  I have no doubt it would make perfect sense if I were a new Christian in Thessolonica back in the day. 

But I loved those words “to aspire to live quietly”.   “We urge you… to aspire to live quietly.”  The idea that this is a step along the way of being the good person that Christians should be.

How unAmerican. 

What would America look like if all Christians aspired to live quietly? 

One thing I like is the focus on how we’re supposed to live now.  The introduction to Colossians pointed this out — that this book focuses more on finding renewed life in Christ here on earth than it does on believing in Christ now for the hope of life eternal.

Paul tells the Colossians that they’re supposed to be living by Christ.  It’s time to let go/resist the old rules & regulations, which sound a whole lot like he’s talking about Jewish law.  The Law has been replaced with a new approach to life. This new life is a life that focuses on the good things that matter: kindness, humility, compassion, meekness, patience.  It also seems to focus on relationships.  This is where Paul says:

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 
Husbands, love your wives adn never treat them harshly. 
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 
Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.  … 
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven. 
[3:18-22, 4:1]

Obviously, this is a passage that causes controversy in modern times.  We American women do not strive to be subject to their husbands, thank you very much, and our culture rejects slavery in any form that I can think of. 

But what strikes me about this passage now is how it focuses on relationships.  God intends for us not just to be good people (rejecting such things as “fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed” [3:5]), but to be good people in community — respecting those close to us and always treating them well. 

I wonder if modern readings are too quick to reject this passage as a relic of a different culture, and perhaps we miss the idea that we are being called to be good to those we love.

 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.  (5:16)

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things.  (5:22-23)

(I love that self-control is included in that list.) 

On one level, Paul is saying that just because we’re not bound to Jewish law doesn’t mean that we have a free pass to do whatever we want.

And also he’s saying that if we live a Christ-centered life, then we should be acting like good people anyway.

It reminds me of what I’m talking about when I talk about balance and centeredness.  It reminds me of times in my life when I was more prone to, as they would call it, “gratifying the desires of the flesh.”  (Also known as my “hippie” days.)  I think about the times that I drink more than I should and how my life felt so unbalanced at those times.  They were damn fun times, but they weren’t “good” times.

I understand the idea that refraining from such activities frees a person to live a truly fulfilled life.  I find great joy in being centered & free from such things.  Christ has not always been the means for me to find that centeredness, but I understand how he could be.  I like the idea that Christ is there as a constant path — that if you stray from living in healthy, self-loving ways, that Christ is always there guiding you back.  Sometimes it can be hard to find your way back from that path. 

It’s nice to think that Christ is always there to guide you back.  Because he’s the same as he’s always been, he’ll be easier to recognize the next time you get lost. 

Mandated to be Stewards
On so many levels, we live in a time of environmental crisis.
Climate change.
Water use.
Fossil fuel use.
Deforestation.
Recycling.
Acid rain.
Runoff.
Species extinction.
So much of it has been caused or influenced by the actions of humans.

If there is anything that I derive from the idea that God created the earth and us in it, it is that if we love God, we shouldn’t be crapping all over the Creation. If I care about God, if I value God’s creation, then I must take care of that Creation.  The idea starts in Genesis. It continues in Job. The idea that God created the world, and that this Creation is Good. The idea that we humans are but one single aspect of a greater world. Even the way Christ talked about caring for those who are in need. To me, it all adds up to mean one simple, but strong thing:

I believe that we, as Christians, are mandated to care for the earth.

I believe that we are mandated to take care of God’s creation, be stewards of the earth and at the very least, not take actions to destroy parts of it any further. In my life, this means I strive to live in an extremely environmentally conscious way.

But how much of a steward is necessary…. really?
But okay.  So what if I believe that I’m mandated to care for the earth?  What impact does that belief actually have on the way I live my life?

If I give my values a respectful nod, I recycle or donate some money to the Sierra Club.  Perhaps I use cloth grocery bags or maybe even bus to work on Earth Day.

If I live my values to the fullest, I feel like I should move to an earthship in Taos, New Mexico – living off the grid, growing my own food, recycling and reusing water with the diligence of the Fremen in “Dune” or Kevin Costner in “Waterworld”. And perhaps I could do that. And perhaps I should.

Is the call of Christianity?  To go all out for the things you believe? 

Many people believe that it is.  Arguably, Jesus said that it was.  I definitely recall him making mention to the disciples of turning their backs on their families, dropping their nets and following him … to travel and spread the Gospel, to jail, to his death.  But thinking in that direction depresses me.  If you can always do more, you are never doing enough.  I end up thinking, what’s the point in trying at all?

And this is where my struggle begins. 

I want to do more than the minimum, and realistically, I’m not going to do the maximum.  At least not right now.  So how much should I push myself on this issue?   What standard of behavior should I hold myself to?  And how do I make those decisions?

Initial idea
My initial thought is that I do okay in some ways, but I have many areas of my daily choices that could use improvement.  I recycle like a fanatic & buy recycled goods.  I’m careful not to waste food.  I buy local and organic.  I consciously lessen the use of paper and water – some days with more success than others.

The big area in my life that needs improvement is car use.  I drive to work every day.  Perhaps my next challenge to myself should be to explore other ways of doing that commute.

I’m officially turning to my “Introduction to the New Testament” (of The New Oxford Annotated Bible – NRSV) for guidance.

Seems there are 4 types of books in the New Testament:

• Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John)
• Church History (Acts)
• Letters 
• Apocalpse (Revelation)

 Was it my mother or Martin Luther who said that Revelation should be paid attention in accordance with its placement in the Scripture, i.e. last (if one ever gets to it at all)?  How absolutely hilarious that I do not know offhand.  

In a way the Letters appeal to me – partially because they’re short, but also partially because they give advice for people about how to be Christians.  But it seems out of place to read those letters without first reading the history of Acts and without at least touching base with one of the Gospels.

 Hmm…

Ah, here’s a thought!

As I’m paging through the very text-heavy 7 pages of the “Introduction to the New Testament,” it seems to me that the best place to start would actually be by reading this introduction, such that I’m actually paying attention to what it says.  I’m only skimming it right now, hoping to chance across the right useful information.  And there’s a whole lot in here. 

So next up in my Bible study is the “Introduction to the New Testament.” 

Definitely a believer
The first thing that strikes me is how much joy Paul speaks with.  He’s writing from prison, and he acts as if nothing could be better.  I think this is a telling sentence – he says “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer.”  [1:20-22]

The man writing this letter has made his life about Christ.  He has made Christ so central to his existence that he has not a thought for himself outside of Christ.  That is rather incredible.  He is a true believer.  There can be no doubt about that.

In a way, he sounds crazy.  And perhaps true believers have to be a bit crazy. 

I once heard that humans will define anyone we either really don’t like or really don’t understand as crazy.  It is definitely hard to understand what joy a man might see in the message of Christ that they are so joyful at the prospect of dying.  More so, it is intriguing.  It makes me want to learn more about what the message of Christ is that has so overtaken Paul.

Following Christ & acting that way
So what does it mean to Paul when he talks about believing in Christ?  He talks very strongly about how we who believe in Christ should act. 

He says:  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.  Let each of you not look to your own interests, but to the interests of others.  Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”  [2:3-5]

He then goes on to say that Christ, though equal with God, chose to humble himself as a human, a slave, to the point of his death.  Then he was exalted by God. 

It sounds like humility comes now; reward comes later.  Paul seems to talk very specifically about the sense of a reward coming later after death.  The reward comes through believing in Christ.

In a final exhortation of the letter, Paul tells his readers:  “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”  [4:8-9]

At the risk of sounding vulgar after such eloquence, it sounds like Paul is talking about good stuff.  The way he is saying that those who believe in Christ should live — it’s a good way to live.  The kind of acts and attitudes he describes are beautiful, good, from a space of love.  They are a good way to be.  They are a way that I would want to be.  They are the way that I try to be.

I see what my one friend meant about Philippians being “Christianity in a nutshell”. 

Questions remain
I feel like I want to learn more about Judaism and the Roman authority.  If Paul was accepting Christ and getting persecuted for it, there must have been something that Christ offered that him more.  Something he wasn’t getting elsewhere.  I would like to learn more about what that was.

But this collection of texts is still sacred to me.  These are the texts I go to when I wrestle with questions.  These are the texts I try to make sense of when questions arise.  Christianity is the language I use when I speak about my faith.  The Biblical texts are the tools that I use to find a deeper understanding of God.  One of many tools, at any rate.