Loving, Learning, and Leading

"We've mixed politics and religion so completely that many simply opt out of both; apparently they are reluctant to claim a religious affiliation because they don't want the political one that comes along with it~Eric Weiner, New York Times No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer. (II Timothy 2:4) I began reading a collection of essays in a book called " A New Evangelical Manifesto " and came across an arresting essay by Brian McLaren entitled "The Church in America Today".  In this essay, he identifies three characteristics of the predominant Evangelical political expression of the past twenty years. Even before I read the essay, I have had an uneasy feeling anytime evangelical Christianity was mentioned in the same breath with any type of politics.   Although I recognize that within the broad evangelical Christian community, there is an incredible diversity of political leanings ...

"If you say something offensively, people will react defensively" Rick Warren on Twitter, 8/11/12 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.  Proverbs 12:18 The amount of access that we have to one another has literally exploded with the global use of social media.  I now have regular facebook, twitter, imessages, instagram and email interactions with people from all over the world and in all types of social circles.  While many bemoan the explosion as it shows a deference away from face to face contact, I would submit that many of the people that I have interactions with solely via social media are people who I would never have the ability to actually meet face to face.  Therefore, social media acts as a access extender that allows me to connect with many more than I would have naturally. With that being said, I want to state that wherever there are people-people interactions, there will be pathology.  Over ...

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel was a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, and a leader in the post-WWII investigation of war criminals.  He speaks from experience of the complicity of silence with evil to produce the most horrific conditions and consequences.  His experiences, and that of millions, thunders aloud the responsibility of  members of a society to advocate for victims of injustice and against individuals, groups, laws, institutions, and systems that create and sustain injustice. Part of the problem with fulfilling the moral mandate to advocate for justice is understanding and identifying what constitutes injustice.  Additionally, prioritizing which injustices demand our attention is a difficult task for groups as each injustice can extract differing convictions and burdens. In my medical practice, I had the unfortunate exp...

"Leadership begins with identifying with the pain of the people you trying to lead" John Perkins in "Follow Me to Freedom" "Matt 9:36-37 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (NLT) Movement : Collective, organized, and sustained challenge to the status quo (Predominant culture, beliefs, and practices) Pain is natural.  It is a God-given sensation and awareness that something is wrong.  Without chest pain, we wouldn't know our hearts our sick, and without heart pain, we often do not know our emotions are wounded.  Pain often trumpets the warning that damage has been and is being done.  Its a call to change, rest, restore, or even move. John Perkins, the transformational leader and founder of the Christian Community Development Association , takes the bold step of understanding that leadership and awareness of pain are an essential link.  What he, and many other cult...

" I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,"  President Barak Obama As Pastor of a wonderful congregation (www.newhopefree.org), I have been asked numerous times "What do you think of Gay marriage?".  I have been lobbied by Godly people who feel strongly for and Godly people who strongly oppose Gay marriage.  I have talked with congregants who feel this is the single most important issue of our era, and with those who feel this is merely a distraction in the church's mission.  I share that to say that church is not monolithic in its approach to this issue and I recognize that Godly people may respectfully disagree with what I am about to say. From a Biblical perspective, I have written extensively that healthy sexual intimacy is always from a perspective of marriage.  Sexual intimacy before marriage or outside of marriage is clearly prohibited in scri...

"What if the purpose of marriage is to make you holy, not to make you happy?" Gary Thomas, Author of Sacred Marriage Sociologist Andrew Cherlin at John Hopkins University eloquently documents the changing role of marriage in his book, Marriage-go-round .  He notes that the purpose of marriage has changed historically and often mirrors the greatest value of the time.  Pre-modern (prior to the 1700's) marriage focused procreation.  Marriage was not necessarily for friendship or personal satisfaction, as it was towards legacy.  Modernity brought the understanding of friendship and camaraderie as the central theme.  Post-modernism (1970's onward) marriages are focused on self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment.  Contemporary suitors for marriage are often concerned chiefly whether a potential partner can meet their needs, desires, and dreams. This is not revolutionary.  Many cultural commentators, such as Yale professor and theologian, Miroslav Volf ,...

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Matthew 12:36-37 "But dehumanizing the victim makes things simpler It's like breathing with a respirator It eases the conscience of even the most conscious and calculating violator Words can reduce a person to an object, something more easy to hate An inanimate entity, completely disposable, no problem to obliterate" Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in "Language of Violence" The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy are a 90's conscientious rap group that almost no one heard of, led by Michael Franti.  They are one of my favorite groups of all time because of their creative ways of challenging injustice.  In their song, Language of Violence , they tell the story of how physical violence is often preceded by dehumanizing words.  They spoke in th...