I’m moving!

And not just to Northern Ireland either. I am moving this blog over to www.eirejames.com/blog. Why? Well, I’ve always wanted to create my own website, and so I did–I talk more about that in my first post. Never fear, things will basically be as they have always been blogging-wise for me. It’ll just be happening there, rather than here. You will need to point your RSS readers there if you keep up with me that way, or resubscribe there. If you read via Facebook or Twitter, that shouldn’t change either.

All of my old posts have already been moved over there, so really its as though nothing is changing. Let me know if you have any questions!

Satisfaction

I was reading the account of the Samaritan women at the well recently. One of those well known passages in Christianity. But I was struck by several verses:

The first:

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:10b

I was struck by this verse because Jesus seems to say to her: “if you knew who I am” in a way that–to me–sounds like he thought she at least might have a chance to figure it out. Maybe even a little provocative: “duh! c’mon, can’t you figure it out?” In other words, it isn’t as though he excuses her from being blind to his true identity; she had at least a chance of figuring it out. I suppose its mostly interesting to me because I have been thinking a lot about what it means to see Christ lately. I’ve written about it before. I realize that I arrogantly assume that, because I am a “good” Christian, I of course would recognize Christ in the flesh if I saw him. The more I am reading the gospel accounts, however, the more I have doubt in my real ability to see Him. Most people, including this Samaritan woman, really seem to have no clue when they saw him. I doubt I could have done much better in their shoes, really. (Not that I think it is impossible either, I just realize that I must not “lean on my own understanding”)

But really more interesting is that this is his response to her question, of basically, “why are you, a Jew, even talking to me?” Jesus doesn’t just come out and tell her. Why? It seems like it would have been so much easier to say “because I’m God” or something like that.

The other verse that struck me was the disciples prodding Jesus to eat some food:

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, ”I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, ”My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work…”

John 4:31-34

Simple enough, his disciples are concerned about him. Earlier, at the beginning, it said he was tired from his journey. But he gives them a strange response: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” They, of course, take him literary, which just completely baffles the disciples. Then, Jesus gives an explanation: ”My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

What a picture of true satisfaction! Can you imagine being so immersed in God’s will, that you considered that food? Life? Can you imagine be so concerned about the concerns of God, that you  forget the needs of the body? No, I don’t wish to promote aestheticism, but I do wish I were more focused on doing the work of the Kingdom rather than promoting my own interest–which is, I’m pretty sure, what 90% of my time really ends up being about: me.

Anyway, the entire passage is beautiful, in my opinion, and probably could feed an entire series of writings. But I’ll leave it there for now. May you and I seek to recognize Christ as he is, be satisfied in the work of the Father, and may we be open to his leading.

twenty-seven days.

If all goes well, I will be on a plane in 27 days headed for Ireland. Soon. Very soon.

Am I excited? Of course. I have moments where I “feel” it, and those moments make me pretty excited. I get to live in another country, something I’ve always wanted to do (seriously, I can remember being a child and thinking that’d be “cool”). I get to keep studying history, a field I love. I get to maintain a connection with JBU. And, probably best of all, I’m doing something that God seems to have confirmed in many different ways.

So far I haven’t really panicked. Except for one thing. The visa. I don’t know why; I just get knots in my stomach whenever I think about it. I’ll feel a lot better when I’m holding it in my hand.

I’m curious what life will be like. Who I’ll meet. What I’ll do. How busy I’ll be.

I’m all tricked out with Skype. Online number. Group chat. Unlimited US calling (heck, I even have unlimited calling to Canada!). Voicemail. It’s pretty amazing what we can do and how we can communicate in the modern era.

I have contemplated starting to pack, but have ultimately avoided it in favor of more substantial things, such as writing on this blog, photographing things, and just generally doing nothing. Actually, I don’t really like packing that much. I tend to try to pack for every scenario, which means I have to first ponder every scenario, then pack, then reconsider if I really considered everything, then repack… its a long process, lets just leave it there. Of course, anyone who has traveled much knows that considering and packing for every scenario generally leaves you with too much stuff. Ironically enough, Northern Ireland probably has just about any material needs I might have.

A few “housekeeping” things:

If you have my cell phone number, and contact me with any frequency, be advised that I will not be using it, checking it, or otherwise aware of any attempts to contact me at that number.

If you have used my JBU as a contact email, I won’t be getting that either.

So, instead, let me know and I’ll give you my skype contact info, and updated email. Of course, if you read this blog, are “friends” with me on facebook, or follow me on Twitter, you probably won’t be wanting for updates. I’ll probably have a dedicated category on this blog to make it easier. Stay tuned for details.

If you are not all that keen on the digital communications thing, I can also provide a mailing address. Send me something while I’m over there, and you might get something back (although anyone who has tried corresponding with my in paper, or really just corresponding with me in general, probably knows I can take a while to respond. Don’t take it personally.).

I’ll quit blabbering now and go doing something useful with myself. Like packing. But really, I don’t feel like it. I think I’ll daydream about Ireland instead.

Why Government Doesn’t Work.

I ran across an article in the New York Times entitled “The Year We Gave Up on Government.”

Wait, it took us this long to realize it doesn’t work?

Forgive the historian, but haven’t we seen dissatisfaction in government before? What makes this year any different than dozens of others throughout history? Take the Israelites, for example; they complained they wanted a king. Then, of course, their kings often weren’t much to brag about. I won’t list all the kings during the Middle Ages that left their citizens dissatisfied ironically enough, often after nearly bankrupting the country. Sound familiar? More recently, those living behind the Iron Curtain certainly didn’t seem very “satisfied” with their government. I’d say dissatisfaction is nothing new.

In all seriousness, the article observes the growing dissatisfaction around the world in the institution of government. And rightly so. (By the way, it really is a good article, I’d definitely recommend reading it, even though I am poking some fun at it too.) There are few governments right now that look particularly appealing.

The article refers to a Bulgarian political scientist, Ivan Krastev, and economist Albert Hirschman for some answers to the current dissatisfaction with government. Krastev argues that there are two options for people when they are dissatisfied with an institution such as government: exit or voice. Leave the country, or politically oppose it. I found one section particularly interesting:

Mr. Hirschman came up with his theory of exit and voice in the United States, and he believed that exit had been accorded “an extraordinarily privileged position in the American political tradition.” That was partly because the United States was populated by exiters and their descendants — immigrants who chose to leave home rather than reform it — and partly because for much of American history the frontier made it possible to choose exit without even leaving the country.

For Americans, that sort of internal exit is no longer an option. Whatever you may think of the political agenda of the Tea Party, or of its wealthy supporters and media facilitators, it is at heart an ardent grass-roots movement whose angry and engaged participants have chosen voice over exit …

But when you look at what they are using that voice to advocate, you may decide that Mr. Hirschman was right after all about the American national romance with exit. The Tea Party’s engaged citizens aren’t so much trying to reform government as to get rid of it — the only possible version of exit when the frontier is gone and you already live in the best country on earth.

I’ve been particularly fascinated with the tea party movement. Some parts I even like. Most, however, simply leaves a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). I think this article summarizes the heart of the movement quite well.

Is the tea party movement the solution to our government woes? No. And I don’t say that for political reasons whatsoever. The tea party assumes that by ousting “bad” politicians, installing new ones, shrinking government, and cutting spending, we can solve the problems of government. This, I’m afraid, does not understand human nature. I read another article recently that seems to conclude just that: “tea party” politicians are still just that, politicians; even in the midst of vowing to reduce federal spending, they have lobbied for “pork” spending that benefits their home districts. Really, their fault isn’t so much the “politician” part as it is the “human” part. In the last election, many–it seemed–looked to Barack Obama as a sort of political savior. The tea party movement, in my opinion, is about the same as supporters of “hope” and ”change” in 2008. Both sought or seek “hope” and “change” through human means, and offer to be a “savior” to the political problems of Washington.

I’m willing to predict that even if the Tea Party is able to accomplish many of its goals in the coming elections, it isn’t going to satisfy the real problem that started the movement in the first place.

My friends, I have news. No politician–Democrat, Republican, Tea Partier, or otherwise–is going to solve our problems. There is no political savior. The only hope we have, the only way to see change, the only movement that will accomplish any satisfaction is saving faith in Jesus Christ; he is the only savior. Every government is a human institution that is bound to have human problems, just like what we see today. Except for one. Christ calls it “the kingdom of heaven.”

Does this mean we shouldn’t “exit” or “voice” when human institutions disappoint us? I don’t think so. But I do think we need to recognize the limitations any human institution will have. And when those institutions fail, whether by corruption, bankruptcy, or whatever the case may be, we shouldn’t be surprised. Let us heed the wise words of Christ: “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Recentering

I came across a great quotation today that I thought would be worth sharing, especially in light of my post yesterday. Currently, I am reading Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life by Henri Nouewn, which is a fantastic book. Nouwen begins the book talking about our modern, busy lives. I’ve had many conversations about the modern life, modern busyness, and balancing the spiritual life with “secular” life; so I found this quotation thought-provoking:

It is important for us to realize that Jesus in no way wants us to leave our many-faceted world. Rather, he wants us to live in it, but firmly rooted in the center of all things …. [Jesus] speaks about a change of heart. This change of heart makes everything different, even while everything appears to remain the same.

…

Jesis asks us to move our hearts to the center, where all other things fall into place. What is this center? Jesus calls it the kingdom, the kingdom of his Father.

{ Making all things New, page 42-43 }

At first read, it’s just a restatement of the familiar “be in the world but not of it” idea that Christians often (rightly) parrot. But I think Nouwen captures an essence of this delicate balance of Christian life in this world very well. We are to refocus on the Kingdom, just as Jesus did.

This is the freedom Christ offers: death to self and life in Him. When we refocus on that kingdom, and that reality, we experience true freedom. Christ does not call us to forsake all things earthly, rather we are called to refocus so that we are no longer concerned primarily with the physical kingdom around us, but the kingdom of the Father.

May you and I find the strength and the courage to recenter our lives on that kingdom.

True Freedom

Independence day. Undoubtedly, many of us are celebrating today by enjoying time off and spending it with family and friends. Today is a reminder of our country’s heritage and freedom. I would like, however, to offer something that I have been thinking about a lot: what is true freedom for the Christian? I would like to suggest that the freedom we celebrate today, on July 4^th, is at best a pale shadow of the freedom Christ offers to us, and at worst an idea that lures us into a false conception of Christ’s freeing work on the cross.

Let me start out by saying that I by no means wish to “bash” our country or its principles. As a historian, I recognize the uniqueness of our country’s founding, and our ideals; we are indeed blessed with a freedom that many people today and throughout history have not been. I am glad that I can choose my own government—that our government in theory works for us and not the other way around, that I can worship as I please and where I please, live my life as I please, and so on and so forth. But the problem with that list, for the Christian, is that word I.

Christians believe they have freedom in Christ. But what is this freedom? Is it to do as we wish and live as we please? No. Paul tells us in Romans 6:6,7 that “our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin” And the more I see the power of sin in my own life, the more I see how the word “enslaved” is so appropriate. But Paul does not end there:  (verses 17 & 18) “But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” We are dead to self and alive in Christ. We are all familiar with Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Freedom in Christ, then, is fundamentally about far more than little old me. In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that he is no longer living his own life—he is dead to self, but that it is Christ living in him. I should no longer be concerned with my own desires, but the desires of Christ. Not that all human desires are wrong or should be ignored, but rather that I submit them to Christ my master.

Do you see the paradox with what we call “freedom” in America? Freedom here is the freedom to do whatever you wish with your life, and be free of governmental control, religious control, and free from tyranny. Freedom in Christ is the freedom to no longer be concerned about your own life, and to no longer be enslaved to your own sin, but to wholeheartedly give your life to Christ and live for him. To call him Lord and Master: two words that are inherently, not “free.” To be completely free from yourself, your desires, and your sin is true freedom.

Again, I by no means believe there is anything immoral about experiencing what I am calling “American” freedom. Indeed, we are arguably better enabled to serve Christ and live for him because of it. But I hope we can see the limitations of that freedom too. And I hope we can see that our freedom in Christ is completely independent of secular freedom, and perhaps even stands in stark contrast to that secular freedom. Christians living under the most oppressive governments, or Christians who are physically enslaved to someone, can still experience freedom in Christ, and perhaps they even have experienced that freedom more fully than we who live in “free” countries.

I leave you with the words of Christ from John 8:31-36 :

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’

They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’

Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’

Priorities: Paul in Prison

My thought of the day comes from a sermon I listened to yesterday from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (I love podcasts!).

The passage that was referenced was Acts 16, where Paul and Silas are in prison. In the sermon, the pastor painted a picture I had never really thought of before: You are in prison, wrongly, praying for God to free you, you know of Peter’s escape from prison, and suddenly an earthquake causes the prison door to open and your chains to fall off. Sounds like God-sanctioned freedom, doesn’t it? Had I been there, I probably would have walked out rejoicing.

And yet, that’s not what happens. Paul sees the jailer, about to kill himself because of the prisoners new freedom (verse 23 says he “was commanded to guard them carefully…”), and calls out to him “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” This apparently made quite an impression on the jailer, who asked what he needed to do to be saved, and baptized his entire household. All because Paul and Silas didn’t do the obvious thing, and leave. And the next day, Paul and Silas got an official escort by the magistrates of the city. Sounds classy.

What struck me was how attentive Paul (and Silas) must have been to God. Any sane person would have walked out of that prison without hesitation, and yet, they hesitated. What makes a person do that? Would you or I be so attentive to the potential physical and spiritual death of that jailer, that we’d turn our freedom down to save him?

Something inside me says I probably wouldn’t. I’m an American and I’m human. I value my individual liberty above all else, and human instinct says to take your freedom. Why should I ignore the open door, right in front of me? And how easy it would be to rationalize that was God’s will and the right thing to do! They were wrongly in prison and they knew that God had miraculously set people free from prison before. It was an earthquake, who expected that? Furthermore, in the sermon, the pastor pointed out that this was possibly the same jailer who had beaten them just a few hours before. Not only would I see my freedom in that open prison door, I’d probably see the death of that jailer as justice. He got what he deserved, right?

What Paul and Silas did took humility, courage, and most importantly, a deep understanding of the ways of God. And because of it, not just one man, but an entire family came to saving faith in Christ.

Slowly, I think I am coming to understand what dying to myself and living for Christ must mean. Paul understood that it was no longer his life to live. It wasn’t his freedom to take. It was all for the sake of his lord Jesus Christ. And the obvious option was no longer the best option; Paul had different priorities than the normal human instinct. A man’s life was at risk, so they gave up their freedom to save his. And look at the results: The jailer noticed. Immediately. So did his family.

Will we?

Giving all

My thought for today comes from Mark 12:41-44

 ⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:41-44, New International Version

This is probably familiar to most who’ve grown up around the church. Which, at least for me, is problematic because it means I tend to ignore what it is really saying. I.e. “Oh yeah, that’s that verse about the widow giving all her money away. Something new, perhaps?”

 

While skiming over it in a book today, however, I was struck with something. The Message translates/interprets the very last sentence in an interesting way “All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.” I think that wording conveys an important part of this passage that is often missed.

 

Typically, it seems, this passage is used during the “tithe and giving” portion of a service, with the implication that the more you give, the more Jesus likes you. Of course, we oddly enough quickly try to explain that Jesus doesn’t really want us, in our wealth, to give everything: just a lot. How many of us have seriously considered writing a check for the entire amount in our bank account? I doubt it. We rationalize it as “unprudent,” and “foolish.” Jesus didn’t really mean that, of course. We wouldn’t want to have to trust him that much. Isn’t out wealth a sign of his provision? If we gave it all away, he wouldn’t give it back, would he? He wouldn’t want us to be uncomfortable, would he?

 

I digress. Perhaps you can detect my frustration with the “explaining away” of Christ’s words that I see myself, and much of the American church, doing. That’s a topic for another time.

 

Her all. Think about that. What I liked in the wording of the Message (yes, I do read it, alongside other traditional translations of course :) was that it wasn’t focused on her monetary gift. I don’t think Jesus called attention to her purely because she gave all her money; I think he called attention to her because she trusted Christ entirely. I think he called attention to her because she “got it.” Her life was not consumed with her plenty, or her lack. She was enchanted by God. And even though all she had was two small coins, she gave freely to God–and I suspect without even realizing anyone was watching. I suspect that, had they followed her, they would have seen that her life reflected her gift: she gave it all to God. All.

 

What she did was very foolish, in worldly terms. What right-minded person would give up all the money they had to support themselves with? Here again, the offering messages often start to talk about how God will bless you with more than you give. But here’s a thought: what if that widow never saw any monetary return on that “investment” at the temple that day? Do you suppose she gave, as many of us do, expecting something back from God? Or did she give freely, without any care or concern about the future? I think the passage indicates the latter. And I think too that her giving was not confined to her finances. She willingly trusted, and gave, God her life.

 

See, she didn’t give because she wanted something. She gave because she had something. The Almighty God was worth more to her than any earthly possession, any status, any will of her own. As Christ points out to his disciples, he wasn’t impressed with her giving because of the amount, he was impressed because she didn’t hold back.

 

Giving to God meant more to her than her next meal. Have you or I ever given like that before?

 

Will you give Christ your all? Will you give it all, because you believe He, and He alone, is worth all? Are you willing to give up everything, even when it appears (and probably feels) foolish? Too extravagant to be rational? Remember, this isn’t about what you give “on paper”–it’s about where your heart is. Are you so enchanted by the Lord, and by Christ, that you can’t give extravagantly enough of your time, your money, your possessions? Are you supremely satisfied by Him, rather than your circumstances and possessions? That widow certainly seemed to be content with little.

 

I hope I learn to be like her.

Something to look forward to.

One of the curious things about this blog, to me, is looking at the hits I receive. For one thing, I am always excited to see that people actually do read it. That’s a nice ego boost. But I also find the top searches leading to the blog to be interesting. Usually something along the lines of “summer bucket list” or “college bucket list” comes up. Interesting. So, in an effort to provide the masses what they apparently want, I will write some lists to those ends, I think.

This works well for me because I have been thinking about life after college, and am starting to “grieve” in some senses. Thus, I thought it would be good for me to write a list of things I have to look forward to in the coming days, months, and year. Something to keep looking forward, rather than dweling on the past. Perhaps in another post, I’ll look back at some good memories, or something sentimental like that. Without further adue, here is my list, thus far (in no particular order):

1. Speding time with my family
2. My brother’s graduation (though this is rather scary as well)
3. Living abroad next year
4. Seeing and playing with my dog this summer
5. Friends weddings
6. Road trips. I have at least two right now.
7. Plane trips. I have 2-3 right now. Excluding leaving for Ireland.
8. Warm air. Well, in Arizona that would be hot air. But it is a nice change.
9. REI. I hope to make it to REI once over the summer…always a fun trip.
10. Camping. At least 2 camping expeditions I know about right now.
11. Going to Ireland.
12. Reading lots of books this summer (which probably deserves its own list somewhere)
13. Visiting Colorado (and camping there)
14. Going to graduate school.
15. Drinking Irish tea on a regular basis
16. Seeing Hadden Wilson
17. Visiting Kansas…only because I will see friends and family ;)
18. Studying more history
19. Getting a masters degree
20. Visiting friends in Chicago this summer

More to come, most likely. 20 is a good start, I’d say.

Osama.

In case you haven’t heard the news, Osama bin Laden is dead. Or at least that’s what the news says. I suppose I’m a skeptic at heart. Nonetheless, my thoughts today have revolved around how this news has been “celebrated” by my fellow Americans, and my fellow Christians.

There seems to be a mass of rejoicing and celebration, somewhat understandable. I would, however, like to caution us before we join the crowds in proclaiming Osama’s death to be worthy of celebration.

First, from a purely practical point–and I think we all know this–his death had done very little to change the fundamental safety of our nation. We may be safer, but I suspect only to a minor degree. I have no doubt that the terrorist organizations around the world are still in good working order, even in his absence.

My bigger concern, however, is specifically with how we as Christians should respond. I do not think the celebration of someone’s (particularly a nonChristian’s) death, as a Christian, is ever justified. I have read some Christians who argue that, because Osama was responsible for the death of others, he therefore is deserving of death himself. Make no mistake, Osama bin Laden was a murderer, and there are consequences for that. And, of course, how it must have grieved God to see the death and suffering he inflicted.

This does not, however, give us licence to rejoice. That Osama will likely receive eternal damnation as his ultimate punishment is not something I celebrate; right and just though it may be. I have a hard time imagining that God Almighty delights in having to administer that justice.

I am also concerned that we so quickly assume we are in the right. To assume we are doing what God wants is a very very serious thing that we ought not to take lightly. Again, don’t misunderstand me, I believe that the outcome, ultimately has good in it; it is “right.” But though we quickly cast Osama as an “evil man,” we forget that his supporters would say the same about us. We, of course, think they are wrong, and can point to any number of logical, scriptural, rational, or irrational reasons as to why we are in the right. And, I of course, fall into that crowd. I can claim God is on my side; but don’t they do the same? I can say they don’t really mean God…but don’t they say the same?

The reason I think celebration is inappropriate here is because it does not embody the spirit of humility that we as Christians are suppose to demonstrate, not to mention the problems that come with celebrating the death of a human being who (likely–only God knows the heart) ultimately faces eternal damnation. I do not celebrate that as any sort of victory. It may be right, and it may be just, but it grieves me. I cannot celebrate that.

Forgive me, evangelicals, for quoting the Vatican, but I believe they issue a great statement on the issue:

In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.

May that be true of my words and actions.