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A new movie is opening called Big Fan. It is about a guy who lives and dies with the New York Giants football team. I don’t think I was ever quite that extreme but I confess that I have taken my teams way too seriously over the years. My mood for the week was often dependent on how the Browns and Buckeyes did that past weekend. I have fantasized about my arrival at the Pearly Gates.

Saint Peter: Welcome Dave. Tell me about your sports teams.
Me: I am a fan of the Cleveland Browns, Texas Rangers and Baylor Bears football.
Saint Peter: Hey Job! We have one for your group!

The Rangers and Bears may be ending some of the suffering in the very near future but it has been a tough road. Recently another one of my teams has contributed to my malaise. The Ohio State Buckeyes have not been on a real good roll when it comes to big games. That is an understatement along the lines of Jon and Kate may have a few issues. The Buckeyes lost consecutive national championship games and got embarrassed last season against USC at the storied Coliseum. I was there with dear friend Ed (an USC fan) for the carnage. My main concern by the second half was for the health of the Trojans mascot horse Traveler. He gallops after every score and it was a hot evening in Los Angeles. I knew my Bucks were in deep trouble when I saw Traveler getting oxygen on the sidelines. The Ohio State cheerleaders decided to salvage something from the evening by getting their pictures taken with Denzel Washington.

This weekend the rematch with USC is going down in Columbus, Ohio. Some people are saying this game is a must win. As I get older I think there are fewer and fewer “must” wins. World War II was a must win. This is a football game. Some are saying the very reputation of the Big 10 is on the line. The blood pressure in the Buckeye state is at dangerous levels. Others are saying that the always opinionated Buckeye Nation will be calling for Jim Tresses firing if they lose again.

What I am about to write is pretty much a no-win for me. It will sound to some like rationalization. Others will think I have gone soft and need to watch a little Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights and memorize his quote “If you ain’t first you’re last!”. I hope the truth is that life and some of the hard hits it doles out has given me perspective. On a recent plane ride home I read Coach Tressel’s book entitled The Winner’s Manual: For the Game of Life. (All of the proceeds from the book are being donated directly to the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library Renovation Campaign)The book details what Coach Tressel teaches every player at Ohio State. It is a book full of wisdom and insight. Tressel addresses difficult issues like the national title losses and the demise of star running back Maurice Clarett. He is most poignant when he shares the impact of having a young man paralyzed in practice and another player shot and killed while he coached at Youngstown State.

Coach Tressel writes this in the forward of the book.

What does it really mean to be a winner? Are there certain qualities that winners inherently possess that make them natural difference makers?

How can you measure such a thing?

(This book) is my attempt not only to answer these questions but also to distill the heart of a nearly four-hundred-page handbook I have been handing out to my players on the first day of spring practice for more than twenty years.

We call it The Winners Manual—a personal playbook for success, filled with insights on what it takes to be a winner in the game of life from some of the greatest coaches, athletes, writers, thinkers, and leaders in the world. We developed it to help our athletes become the best players and people they can possibly be.

The principles in this book have been passed down to me from my father; from coaches I have had the privilege of knowing, working with, and competing against; and from hundreds of former players, who have taught me a great deal about success, adversity, winning and losing, hope, love—basically, the stuff of life.

I think you’ll find the information in this book is not so much about football as it is about life and what it really takes to succeed—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.

I read through these wonderful principles based on values that, sadly, many now consider old-fashioned. I thought of how fortunate these young men are to have this chance to learn how to succeed in every area of their life. Not all of them get it. Some are focused only on playing on Sundays. Some will get it later because of the seeds planted now. But I will say this before the big game at the Shoe. I am proud to have this man at the helm at Ohio State. No matter what happens with the final score I know that Coach Tressel is building young men that will make a difference when they are no longer can play football. I know that many other programs are doing that as well. And I know that some are not. Friends close to the OSU program tell me that Coach Tressel is genuine in how he lives out what he teaches and preaches.

Athletics have been used to teach spiritual principles since the beginning of Christianity.

Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (I Cor 9, NLT)

Paul realized that you run to win but there is a bigger race to finish. Coach Tressel gets that even if some “big fans” do not. I am proud to be an Ohio State fan. I am proud of Coach Jim Tressel, his integrity and his steadfast faith in Christ. I am proud of the players who work so hard to represent the school. I hope they don’t worry what guys who can’t jump off the couch without pulling a muscle have to say. Run to win this weekend but never forget the real prize is eternal.

Today there were thirty-five obituaries in the Dallas Morning News. One of them was my friend. I am amazed at the number of incredible saints that God has brought into my life. Perhaps God knows that I desperately need their courageous examples. Becky Matthews was one of those saints that inspired me. She died Saturday night, September 5^th. The obituary accurately portrays her courage and attitude.

Her faith in Christ allowed her to persevere through a seventeen year battle with cancer, never complaining and always encouraging others.

Think about that. Seventeen years. I never heard her complain. I never heard her question her fate. She fought with courage and dignity until the fight was clearly lost. And then she simply accepted that she would go ahead and wait for the family reunion to come. I am so humbled by Becky’s example. I remember her smiling when I knew she was suffering. Encouraging when she was the one who could have expected encouragement. I can’t help but think that if the critics of faith saw more Becky Matthews they would be a bit less inclined to dismiss Christianity. The preachers on TV get the attention but it is the faithful servants like Becky that God uses in ways that she probably never imagined.

Another line in the obituary is necessarily understated.

She devoted her life to Christ, family, loving others and raising her children.

Becky Matthews fiercely loved her children and she did an amazing job. Perhaps the greatest legacy of her life is the values, faith and integrity that she instilled in her son Jason and her daughter Julie. A single Mom raising a son and daughter is never easy. The results speak to her devotion. They are her legacy.

I have a couple of songs that I go to at times like this. One such song is by the group Diamond Rio. The title is  “God Only Cries For The Living” and here is a bit of the lyric.

God only cries for the living,
‘Cause it’s the living that are left to carry on.

That is a hard truth. The living are left with the financial and legal affairs. Disposing of personal items that generate tearful memories. And the living are left in a place that Scripture tells us is only a temporary dwelling place. Paul writes about our “dual citizenship” in his letter to the Philippians.

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.

Everyone knows that we have a finite time on earth. I personally believe that there is more than just my fifty-six plus whatever years I have left here. So I must decide how to navigate how I live this life while being mindful of the next. There is a balance that is implied by the concept of dual citizenship. Becky believed these words in the Gospel of John.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  (John 14, NLT)

The song from Diamond Rio echoes the belief that Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a better place.

An’ all the angels up in Heaven,
They’re not grieving because they’re gone.
There’s a smile on their faces,
‘Cause they’re in a better place…

I believe that Becky Matthews is in a better place today. I love my life on this planet. I am not anxious to leave my family and friends. But I am not afraid. This lyric from the song by Diamond Rio portrays a powerful thought.

God only cries for the living,
‘Cause it’s the living that are so far from home.

That becomes more and more real to me as I get older. I have so many family and friends that have gone ahead to their eternal home. My Dad. My Mom. My daughter. My nephew. Countless friends. A new addition this weekend. I miss them so much. But I rejoice for them because I am  realizing more and more that I am the one who is so far from home. You won’t need to cry for me when I get there.

Today’s humble ramblings comes from the a song that was released when I was three years old. Fifty-three years after The Platters released the song the group appeared randomly on the trusty iPod during a morning stroll with dog friend Hannah. The song is written about a guy pretending to be happy when his love interest has left him. The lyrics to The Great Pretender led me to think again about one of my pet peeves in the churches of America. I get angry, frustrated and sad when followers of Jesus go to church and pretend to be something we know we are not.

That we are okay all of the time. I lived those lyrics out Sunday after Sunday for too many years.

Oh yes I’m the great pretender
Pretending I’m doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I’m lonely but no one can tell

We go to a place where honesty should be encouraged. Where shortcomings ought to be accepted. Church should be the place where you can say without fear, “I am struggling, I hurt, I need help”. But for some reason the opposite happens far too often. Two people who are really in deep and desperate pain could have this conversation every single week in church.

“How are you doing?” (Insincere query…too busy to really care)
“Great, how are you?” (Dishonest reply…perfunctory courtesy return question)
“Fantastic…great to see you.” (Really dishonest reply…safe dismissal salutation)

Am I advocating dumping our woes on everyone we meet? Of course not. But my fear is that we have created a culture where we feel there is something wrong with us if we are hurting. If I am struggling I must be doing something wrong spiritually. Shouldn’t God meet this need? What is wrong with me? The fact that God created us with a desire to be in community tells me that part of His plan for us is being helped by other members of the body of Christ. We must be willing to trust someone with who we really are for this plan to work as God intended. That cannot happen until we know that the body of Christ is a safe place to let others know what is really going on. Instead we seem to settle for something far less than God has in mind for us.

We are angry, sad and lonely during the week and even on the way to church. When our church friends are not watching we are wailing about others, gossiping and even mean. As soon as we walk in the church door we are smiling like the homecoming queen during the parade. Just like the lyrics from the song, we become the great pretenders. We are not fooling anyone. 

Adrift in a world of my own
I play the game but to my real shame
You’ve left me to dream all alone

The difference between the love story from the lyrics and the love story that Jesus wrote on the Cross is significant. In the love song that Jesus wrote He will never leave you to dream or face life all alone. Remember the big final project Jesus assigned before He left?

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”

Pretty daunting little assignment. But I tend to forget the next words.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus aches to come along side me and you and help me deal with the junk in my life. His agenda is for me to stop pretending and be real with Him and with one another. And Jesus has promised to be with me each stumbling step of the way. When a Dad is teaching his toddler to walk he is patient and encouraging. When the tyke wobbles and falls a loving father doesn’t start screaming at his child.

“There you go again! You can’t walk three bleepin’ steps before you tumble over again. You are hopeless. You will never get this walking thing down. Why am I wasting my time?”

Hardly. The Dad encourages and applauds the effort. He lifts the child back up and exhorts him to try again. He is beaming with each step and not at all angry when the child falls. That is how I view Jesus with my spiritual walk when I understand His grace. He is thrilled with each spiritual step and is encouraging and lifting me up without condemnation when I stumble. When I am pretending and not trusting then that grace is not realized.

Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can’t conceal

How many times I have felt like that? I am a fake. If my walk right now was exposed I would be excommunicated from the faith. I am so dry that any spark sets my anger and emotions aflame. But do I confess that? Dare I confess that?

Satan would have us believe that we would be rejected if we dared to let other see the truth behind the person. Perhaps some would reject me because they are pretending so much that they can’t see the need to be authentic in this journey. But I want to be willing to take a chance to be real. I want to simply be honest and see where that takes me. I can’t find that authenticity with a painted grin and phony reply.

Can we trust Jesus enough to stop pretending? Can we trust him enough to be authentic? Not needy and demanding. Just honest and real. There is so much more available to us in the body of Christ if we can stop the charades. Want some more homework? Look up the “one another” verses in the Bible. Here is an example from Hebrews (10:24–35).

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

I don’t want to pretend anymore.

 

I am afraid I need to polish up my descriptive words in order to compete in this world. If I describe myself (accurately) as Christian and conservative I find that I am immediately stereotyped and dismissed by the free-thinkers and progressives. See how much cooler their words are? Because I have chosen to follow Christ and believe in God I can’t possible be a free-thinker. And since I have conservative values I am not progressive. Bummer. But I am prepared to struggle through with my cro-magnon worldview.

The topic was revived this week by a story in the Dallas Morning News. A camp for agnostic kids recently wrapped up in the Dallas area. The parents described a place where clear thinking and good questions can be encouraged. While they may be free-thinkers I fear they are not always clear thinkers. For example, one high school student had kept his atheism a secret because his fellow students would likely avoid him if they knew. But he gave his full name in the story. Hmmmm. Perhaps the flat-earth believing Christians don’t read the paper.

I wondered what goes on at agnostic camp. Do they sing camp songs like we did at church camp?

Kumbaya, pretty sure there is no Lord, Kumbaya… Just doesn’t have the same flow.

And what do they say when a camper sneezes? Inquiring minds want to know. One comment from a parent left me dumbfounded. “As a parent, I would be disappointed if Joseph became the next Billy Graham. But if he truly felt that was his calling, I would love him just the same and be happy for him.”

Can you believe that heartbreak? “We tried so hard but he became a man of integrity and faith that loves his wife and is loved by millions. Where did we go wrong? Still…he is our son so we love him anyway.”

A couple of items in the story made me sad.

“Another boy, 14, whose stepfather requested his anonymity, started home-schooling this year after enduring years of bullying for his open atheism.”

I am truly sorry when I hear reports like that. That should never happen and Christian parents should have that discussion with their children. Perhaps the saddest comment for me came from a student who doesn’t believe in heaven. His desire is to be put in the ocean when he dies “so fish will turn my body into a reef – so I can have a purpose.”

I believe with all of my being that there is an eternal purpose to this life beyond becoming fish food or fertilizer. But to anyone reading this who has no faith at all I must confess my dilemma to you. If I truly believe this to be the truth and if my faith in Christ has genuinely changed my life then how can I not tell you? Why should you be offended if I care enough to reach out gently and in love.

Michael Kinsley wrote in Time magazine about the anger that some folks feel toward Christians who seem compelled to share their faith. 

 “You may not agree that your soul needs saving, but why is he wrong to try as long as he isn’t prying away your soul against your will? As an ethnically Jewish nonbeliever, I find this fuss over conversion utterly baffling…But an insult? In a way, it is insulting to Jews that Fundamentalist Christians don’t try harder to convert us. Oh sure, they’re friendly enough now. But wait until Judgment Day. Then it will be, `Sorry, we seem to have lost your reservation.’ And from this perspective, the Jewish policy of actively discouraging converts to Judaism starts to seem like `theological arrogance’ indeed. At the same time, when you object to noncoercive conversion, it starts to look like the opposite of arrogance: theological insecurity. What are you afraid of? The decision will be made by you or by God, and in either case, there is no ground for complaint.”

I suspect that technique is too often the rub. I was a victim of over the top zealous religious people as a teenager. I am still a little amazed that I eventually came to faith. Kinsley said you have the right to simply say no.

If I care about you I will naturally want to share the most important thing in my life. But I think you have some other rights as the hearer of my message. I wrote the following in my book, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.

The Unbelievers Bill of Rights…

• I have the right to never have faith forced on me.
• I have the right to never be treated in a condescending manner.
• I have the right to always hear the truth.
• I have the right for you to patiently hear my concerns and doubts.
• I have the right to seek answers to those questions and doubts that you can’t answer.
• I have the right to be steered to resources for my own study and investigation.
• I have the right to be loved no matter how I respond to the Gospel message.

I hope that I honor you by following the list above. I hope you will understand that my wanting to let you know about the most important thing in my life honors you as well. I pray most of all that I will faithfully follow these words of Jesus.

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

I have watched with bemusement as the NY Times scrambles to apologize to all of us simple folk who live in Flyover Country. The Grey Lady has had to remember her manners and ask for forgiveness over a recent review in the paper. The aptly named column “The Critical Shopper” recently reviewed the arrival of American icon J.C. Penney in upscale Midtown Manhattan. The author of the piece is not a fan of J.C. Penney. That is okay. She is not a fan of their merchandise. Again, that is okay. But her tone in dismissing those who might shop there was instructive of how those big city folks view us simple Midlanders just now learning how to walk upright and use utensils. Here is a part of the column.

Why would this dowdy Middle American entity waddle into Midtown in its big old shorts and flip-flops without even bothering to update its ancient Helvetica Light logo, which for anyone who grew up with the company is encrusted with decades of boring, even traumatically parental, associations?

I wish we had time to debate the red hot issue of which font style is best for logos. Exactly how does an ancient logo get encrusted with boring associations? Is it like barnacles attaching to the ancient Helvetica light font? Are parental associations really traumatic? Is that the right descriptor? Do all Middle Americans waddle? What is wrong with flip-flops and big old shorts? Is different always dowdy? So many questions…so many stereotypes. She continues…

It has the most obese mannequins I have ever seen. They probably need special insulin-based epoxy injections just to make their limbs stay on. It’s like a headless wax museum devoted entirely to the cast of “Roseanne.”

To be fair, how could you market to waddling, dowdy, big short wearing Middle Americans with slim and attractive mannequins? Has anyone else ever written about the DMI (Dummy Mass Index) of department store mannequins? The writer complained about the lack of size 2 clothing on the racks but noted that “the petites section features a bounty of items for women nearly as wide as they are tall.”

The author suffers from a rather pronounced version of a malady that all of us battle. I refer, of course, to IBTY Syndrome. The “I’m Better Than You Syndrome” is particularly nasty among the cultural elite but is a danger in all areas of society. I am particularly saddened when IBTY Syndrome invades the church.

My friend John Lynch recently wrote about being blindsided by a man with this sad affliction. John had delivered the message about grace and identity in Christ that God used powerfully in my life to revive my walk with Him. I will let my friend pick up the story.

Not long ago we were out on the road again, presenting the Two Roads talk. I think I have spoken that message over 200 times and have never lost my passion for it.

Anyway, long story short-afterwards I’m chatting with a handful of new friends-and a man I don’t recognize steps into the circle. Almost immediately he says something very much like this: “You know, this whole message of grace and identity and trust and such-I think it’s very important for broken people and maybe new Christians. But some of us are mature and ready to move on to the real stuff. We’re learning to partner with God in the work of the Kingdom. We’ve moved past this message, doing real and significant things for God.”

I stood there dumbfounded. I was caught totally off-guard. Everything I had just taught was suddenly being articulately and competently patronized. Everything was now silent and in slow motion. I was embarrassed for those standing with me; fearing they were losing confidence in the message the longer he spoke.

You can link here to get the “rest of the story” from John.  Personally I land exactly 180 degrees opposite of this man. The message of grace and identity and trust is important for everyone and for everyday. When I mature I am not moving on to the real stuff…I am maturing in the truths of grace and identity and trust. When I mature in those truths I realize I cannot partner with God because I have nothing He needs. I am learning that when I lean fully on the message of grace and identity and trust then I find God doing real and significant things through me. I pray that I will never move past this message.

The Two Roads talk is the most significant message I have ever heard except for the Gospel message. It is now available for free download. Please, please, please download this message and listen to it soon. Understanding grace, identity, trust and humility is the vaccination to prevent a lingering case of IBTY Syndrome. Don’t forget to download the “Two Roads” message. Do it now. Pretty please.

I have been known to partake of the product of Jesus’ first miracle. If you slept through Sunday School the first miracle was changing water into wine. (Note to spiritual hall monitors: I understand that not all share my freedom to partake and I am cautious about where I consume the fruit of the vine). In fact I began my journey in a church where drinking wine (and nearly everything else) would doom you to eternal hellfire. H.L.Mencken’s quote about Puritanism summed up our miserable little assembly.

“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy”

I remember hearing a complete sermon dedicated to the theory that the wine of the New Testament was not fermented and therefore did not contain alcohol. That sermon led me to puzzle over Paul’s admonition to the church at Ephesus revised to reflect his view.

And do not be drunk with Welch’s Grape Juice, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…

I could pound gallons of Welch’s and not get drunk. I might never leave the bathroom but I would not be drunk. So I couldn’t help but surmise that the water turned into wine was, in fact, wine. Look at my big brain.

I thought of that tortured sermon as I toured a beautiful winery near Seattle, Washington. As we toured the facilities of Chateau St. Michele Winery the guide explained where the vineyards are located. All of the grapes are grown on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. The mountain range shields the Columbia River Valley area from most of the rain so the vine must be irrigated to grow. But then she said something very interesting.

“They carefully control how much they irrigate the vines. The growers know that the vines need to struggle in order to send their roots deep. And when they struggle the fruit is better.”

I remembered Jesus teaching how He was the true vine that produced spiritual fruit.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15, NLT)

I have been meditating on a couple of things since I returned to the August heat in Texas.

1. I must remain in Christ to produce fruit. I can’t do it.
2. I don’t want to run from the struggle. In the struggle my roots go deep and I will produce better fruit. The Master Gardener understands how I mature just like the oenologist knows how to grow the best grapes. The struggle is part of the process.

How encouraging to understand that even the struggle is valuable. I am learning to trust that truth.

 

I have written a great deal about civility in the public discourse. I have to confess that I am losing heart. Internet forums make cowards courageous. You can write things to me from the cave of anonymity that you would never say to my face. The rules at my site have been consistent. This is not an open forum. We have one basic rule at “Bad Christian” World Headquarters.

Verily, verily, all words that proceedeth out of thy posts and thy comments shall be civil…thus saith the one who payeth the server bills. Thy vile words shall be cast forever into the sea of delete and I will blocketh thee forever.

King James style rules just sound more authoritative. So if you demonize around here you get blocked. No apologies.

A couple of years ago Rick Warren had a conversational debate with Sam Harris. The discourse between the two of them was civil. Neither party changed their mind about what they believed. The reaction to the debate from some brave posters on both sides was disturbing and ugly. Warren was called all kinds of names and his intellect, character and even appearance defamed. I can count on being called names anytime that I write about intelligent design or scientific studies that may point toward faith. In almost every case the poster is anonymous and they make me think of Brave Sir Robin from the Monty Python skits. This inflammatory demonizing has debate in America on life support. I wish I could be more optimistic about its recovery. Hopefully the majority of the readers of these humble ramblings can actually define civility. But just in case, here is the definition of civility listed at dictionary.com.

   1. Courteous behavior; politeness.
   2. A courteous act or utterance.

Such a simple concept. Just common sense. Yet it seems like we are tilting at windmills and warbling the “Impossible Dream” when you hope that two people on opposite ends of an argument can have an intelligent and civil debate. Guests on talk shows yell over one another. Hosts interrupt. Debaters mug with condescending smirks in the other TV box while a guest makes his or her case. Tragically, this ugly level of discourse can and does make its way into the debate within the body of Christ.  Paul wrote this to the church at Colosse.

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.   (Colossians 4, The Message)

In Ephesians we find this exhortation.

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift….Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4, The Message)

How often do we hear someone defending their ungracious attitude with the disclaimer that they were just proclaiming the truth? We have a higher standard as followers of Christ. We are called to proclaim truth and we must not water down the truth. But we also called to be imitators of Jesus. He was tough on sin while being gentle with sinners. He was amazingly gracious to anyone who sought truth but he recognized that some only wish to sow discord. He gave these instructions as He sent out the Twelve.

“When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”  (Matthew 10, The Message)

Jesus knew He could not force His message into a man or woman’s heart. Why do we feel the need to attack those who deny Jesus and God? The aforemention atheist writer Sam Harris reports that he has received thousands of hate filled letters from people identifying themselves as followers of Jesus. I believe him because I hear from his supporters about my faith. Here is a heartbreaking comment from Harris.

Many who claim to have been transformed by Christ’s love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While you may ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that the hatred these people feel comes directly from the Bible. How do I know this? Because the most deranged of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.

His most devastating point is that those who claim to be transformed are incapable of speaking the truth with that transforming love. I do not need to persuade Sam Harris that I am right. In fact, I cannot persuade him that I am. I would like to tell him that I don’t hate him or anyone else for their views. I don’t fear Sam Harris. If I am wrong about God then Sam Harris is harmless and perhaps helpful. If I am right about God then Sam Harris can neither damage nor thwart His plan for mankind. God does not need me to defend Him from attack. If I believe in the Creator of the universe I suspect He is quite capable of dealing with an author. Every generation has a Sam Harris and somehow faith has survived.  What I believe God does expect and desire from me is that I reflect His love. Harris often makes comments like this.

If Christianity is correct, and I persist in my unbelief, I should expect to suffer the torments of hell.

I do not wish ill on Sam Harris. I do not take delight or satisfaction in thinking about his eternal fate. I am simply sad that he has such a low view of adherents of faith. Here is my bottom line. I have called myself a Christian for well over 30 years. I have wrestled with doubt. I have read the views of all sides. I have absorbed the arguments of the best thinkers on every side.  I have decided that Jesus is the Son of God. That is my decision. His presence and reality in my life have only been amplified in our recent trials. I guess I don’t have the energy to spend on indignation. There is so much more to be accomplished by reflecting the love and grace of Jesus. That is the way we will make a difference to a suspicious and skeptical world.

As for me, what is happening in the cultural debate climate does not change my responsibility. As a follower of Jesus I have pretty clear marching orders. Jesus was addressing the “religious” guys when he said this.

“If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree. You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” (Matthew 12, The Message)

The bottom line is that I can only be responsible for me. I want to produce good words and deeds. Part of that is being graceful in communication. Even if it sometimes feels like a losing battle. It does matter which words we say. Examples do matter. Even though I am not rich nor famous nor powerful I am still an example to others. I take it seriously. And so should you.