33. The Stupidity of Christ

Hebrews 2:17 & 18 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

My friend David comes over often.  Occasionally, he comes over to discuss, argue, and belittle Christianity.  Not Christ, although he does question his divinity. He is one of my agnostic friends who I believe makes me a better Christian.  He is one of those agnostic and atheistic types that I feel comfortable with being around.  Even though he thinks that my faith is somewhat self-deluded he supports me in my walk.

          David reminds me how much in common we, us Christians, share with the rest of the world – even those who are vehemently opposed to our beliefs.  We all want to know that we are loved, that our lives have some meaning, to be involved in the lives of others and to enjoy the time we have on this mud ball.  And we both agree that the world needs a good Atheistic writer like Christopher Hitchens, the current popular one is just not the same.

          He came over the other day.  As usual we got to discussing religion.  Other times we talk about the Canucks, our mutual friends, movies, and stupid but fun adventures we have shared. This day, this visit, he wondered about a mutual friend of ours who has found enlightenment.

          This friend dispenses his wisdom to others freely – without cost and without restraint.  This mutual friend has defined my Christianity for me – without understanding what I believe.  He is proof that judgmentalism knows no specific religion or belief.  When David questioned me about my thoughts on the superiority of one person over another I replied, “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”

          This opened a wide ranging discussion regarding the Bible, God, Jesus, us, creation, and numerous jokes.  Imagine Joseph and Mary being introduced by the neighbours.  “I’d like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Christ, their son Jesus is really gonna make a name for himself.”

          And in the process of being challenged about my faith, I was reminded of what is important:

·                                       -  The essential message that we cannot be good enough to earn God’s Grace

·                                    -     and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus

·                                    -    My faith is a response of gratitude that Grace is freely given

·                                   -     My faith is an expression of compassion to others

·                                    -   That I still suck at that response and expression

          Then he asked the question of the night.  The context of the question of the night is our understanding, or belief, that we are insignificant.  He looks at me and asks, “So you really believe that God would come down here in human form?”

          “Yes.”  I answered.

          “That is stupid.”  David replied.

          “The belief or the coming down here?”  I asked.

          “Both.”

          “Yes, they are.”

          Compassion and love, even God’s, trumps intelligence every day. 

Matt 7:13 & 14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Christ and his life and gift of grace on the Cross makes no sense.  It goes against the grain of what seems to us logical – that somehow we toil and strive to gain God’s forgiveness and grace.  It is hard to believe, even for those of us who have experienced it.

          We are given this gift freely, not so that we can go on sinning, though they idea of actually stopping is somewhat odd, but so that we can get down to the business of what God wants for us.  What wants for us?  To love and care for each other.

32. Demand Naught of Sacrifice

Genesis 20:2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

So, God says “Hey, Abe, time to off the kid.” 

          Abraham says, “Okay.”

          There is no, “Hey what did he do now?”

          No, “Sorry God, I ain’t gonna do that.”

          Simply, “Alright God, the kid gets it.”

          To me, the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac is intensely disturbing.  What is chilling is the matter-of-factness shown by Abe.  I have read more than one commentary that suggests that the lack of emotion recorded in the story is an indication that Abe was so distraught that the authors did not think it necessary to comment.  Bullshit.

          It was business as usual, nothing out of the ordinary.  Human sacrifice has occurred within all religious traditions, save those of the people indigenous to North America – specifically north of the Rio Grande.  As well Buddhism and Jainism hold an ethic of “Thou shall not kill” which extends to even animals; they too have not sacrificed humans.

          Well known within the history of Israel is the worship of Moloch.  At one time the Jewish people worshipped him and this was done by setting children on fire.  When Jesus tells us that it is better to go through life with one eye than enter the fires of Gehenna it is a reference to the valley where children were sacrificed to Moloch. So, when Abraham is told to go kill the kid, Abe says of course.

          Of interest Isaac catches on, and says “Hey Dad, we are going to make a burnt offering to God, where is it?”

          And so they arrived at the appropriate destination, and they get ready.  As Abraham goes to kill his son Isaac, he is stopped by an angel of God.  The Angel says hey, God has watched you and knows that you are obedient to him.  Take that Ram over there and kill it instead.  The story, I believe, shows God rewarding Abraham for the limitation of his sacrifice. 

          There are those that content that Abraham knew all along that it was a test by God, and that in the end God would come through.  I don’t think so.  I think Abraham intended to come back with one less kid.

          We portray God as demanding sacrifice, as this violent angry vengeful God.  Consider –

Micah 6:7 & 8 - Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

or

Pslam 51:16 & 17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

In an earlier post I wrote this “The words forgive along with forgiving and forgiveness is mentioned about 240 times in the bible.  Punishment is mentioned about 30 times.  Revenge is mentioned about 80 times.  Mercy in mentioned about 590 times.  Hate occurs 220 times, while love is mentioned about 800 times.”

So I ask you, where is this God demanding of vengeance and sacrifice? 

I do not want to dilute the message of the bible too much by overstating that much of it is written from the perspective of those witnessing the events.  There is an inherent danger in doing that as those parts of the bible that I do not agree with can be simply chalked up to perspective, context and culture.  But the times that I have seen reference to God being a violent nasty ass god, makes me wonder.  Is this the result of the author's perspective, or is that an accurate reflection of events?

So why does the myth of the God demanding sacrifice persist?  Because we are violent.  We created sacrifice.  It is our attempt to satisfy our guilt and shame by inflicting punishment on to another.  I see God's participation in the entire act of sacrifice as being one of tolerance and limitation to nonhuman offerings. 

Jeremiah 7: 22 & 23 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.

For me, it is not just a minor point.  If we worship a God of loving compassion, a God who loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him shall have everlasting life.  Would not such an experience lead us to be compassionate, caring and gentle with each other?  Would not a God who is slow to anger, keeps no record of wrongs, and God who celebrates the return of one of his children inspire a faith similar to his heart?

"But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:4-5).

But we e are called to sacrifice though -

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

31. Laying Waste to the Earth, Satan’s Trickery, and Night of the Living Dead

Or in other words – Road Trip

A few weeks ago deciding I had had enough I left on a road trip with my kid.  The weeks leading up to that time had been chaotic and aggravating and I had had enough.  And nothing, for this Prairie-raised Canadian Boy, is as soothing to the soul as a road trip.  So, after work one day, I loaded up the car with the kid and some crap and left.

          The plan was simple, Edmonton first to have pizza with the group of Drunken Charismatic Lutherans, then Calgary to see family, then a stop in Drumheller and then back to the coast – some 2,500 kilometres.

          I know in this day of global warming that such blatant overuse of fossil fuels is inexcusable.  I would hang my head in shame, but really, I needed the trip, and needed to let my mind slip into neutral.  I would promise to walk to the store more often to balance my carbon footprint, but I am still fatalistic and believe that we are hurtling to our own demise.  So, in the day of accounting I am willing to stand and admit that I helped with the laying waste to the earth.

          The kid is easy to travel with, he generally sleeps, which has annoyed me to no end as he has missed the mountains in the Rockies twice before.  But, as he sleeps I am alone with my thoughts, and able to pray and enjoy the moment.

          The first night he is usually awake.  Our last road trip he played DJ surfing Youtube for songs that we played over the car’s stereo.  A distant cry from the days of the eight track tape stuck in the player with a folded up cigarette pack to keep it in place.  Technology has brought us light years; we no longer have to smoke in order to get our tunes to play.

          This trip he listened to his phone over his earphones, as I drove.  At one point I turned and looked at him.  His eyes were wide open as he stared out at the night road.  The dashboard lights gave his skin a creepy hue, and then he turned and looked at me.  It looked the set of George Romero movie as the kid had a slightly living dead look to him.

          Edmonton, was well, Edmontonish.  Pizza with the few friends that showed up was good.  A reminder that life, at least for me, has rarely seemed straight forward.  We parted company with hugs and plans for a thanksgiving of sorts in the fall.

          We left Edmonton the next morning without having eaten.  And something about Tim Horton’s just appealed to me.  We drove, actually I drove, the kid napped, until just north of Red Deer when I saw a highway sign for Timmie’s.  I turned and followed the sign, and before I knew it, it was like being on the set of a poorly done “B” horror. 

          You know the ones where the hungry human eating Albertans put up the Tim Horton’s sign, and then a few turn here signs until the person is hopelessly lost.  We did make it to Red Deer, and a Tim Horton’s, but I have no idea just how we made it there, and I am afraid to look under the car even now for fear of finding a local mutant just waiting.

          Calgary was good.  Family, always crazy were more fun than usual.  A cousin of mine has had an instant family, her husband and three boys through marriage.  She, remarkably, looked decided relaxed, maybe exhaustion becomes her.  And, I found my favourite pizza – smoked oysters, anchovies, banana peppers and onions.  Sounds disgusting, BUT, it is so good.

          In Calgary we found the urban version of the horror movie from earlier in the day.  Hungry Calgarians played havoc with their road signs in order to trap hapless tourists.  I got onto Moose Butt Trail, and went north, and then turned off for the road to Happy Valley.  We got turned around so I went back to Moose Butt Trail to find that it had changed from running North to South to running East to West.  Hmmm. 

          Fortunately, there was a lightning storm, so the kid and I were kept entertained as we tried to get our way through the city.  At one point 14^th Avenue North West turned into 84^th Avenue North East, and then stopped at a T-intersection.  In an act of desperation I noticed the planes flying to the airport, the kid and I followed them, and found our way to my cousin’s house.  Any rumours about a red Kia Soul with BC license plates driving over a golf course have yet to substantiated.

          The next day I went into that den of iniquity called Drumheller.  To me it is amazing, and embarrassing that there are those Christians that believe that Satan has created dinosaurs to limit our belief in God.  For me, it is just more testament to how great God is that there was a time that the earth was inhabited by creatures from my childhood sandbox – hold it – or is that the other way around?  Unfortunately, I was not able to find fossilized dinosaur pooh.  Truly it was saddening.

          The trip back was a miracle.  We left Drumheller at close to one in the afternoon, and stopped at a shopping centre in Calgary before finishing the drive to Vancouver.  We got into Vancouver – Delta – at eleven at night.  I have no idea really how long it should have taken us, after all it is 1,100 kilometres from there to here.  They say it should be about eleven and half hours, that is without purse shopping.  But we made it here very quickly considering that I did not drive like I was evading high speed pursuit.

          Seventy Two hours of mayhem, pizza and prayer and meditation.  What do I have to show for it?

          I wondered about the flight to Egypt by Jesus and the family, and did he continually ask, “Are we there yet?”  And did they have donkey stations, where you could tend to the donkey, grab a coke and go to the washroom? 

          Mostly, what I got, is how small I really am.  As I stood before remains of creatures that lived 65,000,000 years before me, I was reminded that I am insignificant.  Whatever I may fret about will be forgotten as I die, and probably not even thought of again.  As I drove past a mountain 1,500 times taller than I, I remembered just how small I really am.  And two thousand kilometres was enough distance to put this all into perspective.  Oh and the kid, he actually stayed awake long enough to see Mt. Robson, and then Fortress Mountain.