Momentus Momentum

Today I awoke up before the sun. It's 6am and my eyes are uncharacteristically bright and prepared to accept the daylight that is still an hour off the horizon. As I lay in bed bracing myself for morning to initiate, I ask myself the question that always begs to be answered whenever I'm up early: "WHY!?"

Why am I up so early? Perhaps it has something to do with the crisp January air in Florida calling my senses to experience its brisk energy as the sun burns the midnight sky into an explosion of red and yellow light. Perhaps it has something to do with the opportunity to be productive and take this Monday by storm before it even has a chance to drop a ball of lethargic procrastination on my mind. Perhaps it has something to do with the roasted, creamy temptational coffee waiting for me at Starbucks. But, perhaps, it has more to do with the 3 boxes of candy and vanilla coke I used to drown my sorrows from  having witnessed my beloved NFL team clinching defeat during the first round of the playoffs...

OH MY! The intense sorrow that filled my heart last night. The team that showed up at Lambeau Field last night was not the Packers I know and love. The team that strong-armed every game and claimed victory 15 times. The team that prevailed. No... sadly, the team that showed up last night was barely equipped to stand a chance for a Rose Bowl much less a Super Bowl run... Wat a disappointing end to a GREAT season. 

But life goes on (I guess...). And there are more important things to think about and pine over (I mean, it could be worse... I could be a Bears fan). 

Case in point; there is a certain video going viral right now that demands some intense thought and attention. The video is titled "Why I hate religion, but love Jesus." If you haven't had a chance to check this video out or you just want a refresher, you can view it HERE. 

There's literally a hundred things I could say about this video. I honestly am not sure what to pick on first. There's the ambiguous use of terminology in describing religion as part of Christianity and separate from. There's a sincere lacking of ecclesial and theological maturity. There's the broad-stroking of definitions which serve as inflammatory fuel for anti-church views. There's even a few poorly constructed rhyming structures... Ok, now I'm just being too critical. 

I'll put my thoughts on content aside and let the discussion brew before bringing scripture to the table (if such a discussion should formulate here on this blog!) But what I will say, I hope, will be helpful for future attempts to take an objective look at Christianity, the Church, and what the "right" way is/should be. 

1. Don't polarize your intended audience. Look, I know the whole point of this video is to make people think, but when you make enemies of the people you WANT on your side, then you've missed the point. I figure there are probably more people on the side of "I hate Church" that will enjoy and click "like" on this video than those on the inside of churches. But that's probably just my imagination taking hold based off my overarching perceptions. 

This makes me think, "Who IS the intended audience?" "What IS the purpose of this video?" If you're trying to make an appeal to those who are in the wrong, you must convince them that you are right. I'm not saying he's not (In fact, there's quite a bit that I agree with in his little poem), but his delivery is not the best in terms of theological correctness or in communicative accuracy... such is the drawback of the rhyming medium...

2. Focus on the focus. I could blast this video all day with the inappropriate polarization of saying "Republican does not equal Christian." Political slant or label claims are NOT the main focus of this video's message. Is it part of it? Sure. Could be. Yes. But it definitely didn't need to be said. It violated rule one and immediately turns off half your audience. If the focus is how religion and legalism detracts from the Gospel of Christ, focus on that. Leave politics out of it (I mean, c'mon. Jesus did it!).

3. Make your message clear. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see a well thought out point expressed through vivid and precise communication. I also can't tell you that I felt refreshed from this video... No, sadly, this video, while it has some compelling quotes, doesn't fully articulate the point (I surmise) the author intended to get across. Muddled within the rhyming, I could barely distinguish if he was bashing Christianity, the Church, other religions, or Facebook. Ok, I'm a little smarter than that. And maybe he meant to bash them all. But then to say "I love the Church" and in the next breath say "...the other is the infection." (meaning, religion), what am I supposed to think? He mentioned no other religion. No other example other than alluding to Old Testament and Church failures is given. So... Yeah. Make your message clear. WHAT ARE YOU AGAINST?

(Additional note: The CHURCH is not a manmade invention. It was established by Jesus Christ... just saying)

4. Preach the FULLNESS of the Gospel. This is my major irk with this guy (and any person who proclaims to be preaching what Jesus intended). While the emphasis is indeed on grace and Christ's amazing gift of forgiveness, there was no mention on repentance, holiness, or any of the other requirements demanded by God. The very same problems mentioned in this video result from an "I'm saved, now I can do whatever I want" perspective (coughcoughCalvinismcoughcough). It's being a Christian in name only, not in lifestyle or relationship. Is redemption a gift? Oh, yeah. But is that it? No. Paul says "Should we continue sinning so that grace my increase? BY NO MEANS!" Is it enough to simply say "Thank you, Jesus for forgiving my sins!"? No, Jesus calls for repentance. If there is no cessation of the very action that damns us in the first place, then how can we do anything else than spit in the face of the Christ who gave his life for us? I will not boast in my weakness. I will not boast in anything except the blood of Christ which is not only able to forgive sins but to transform lives!

"If grace is like water, then the Church should be an ocean it's not a museum for good people, it's a hospital for the broken" - If you happened across a hospital where the sick people never became well or whole, you would probably label that the worste hospital ever.

Keep these things in mind before you attempt to criticize. There are lots of things that can be fixed. But the main thing isn't in the organization or structure of the Church. The biggest thing that needs to be corrected is the petty and wordly views of individuals acting in ignorance against what God has established. Don't bash the Church, correct ideas. Christ didn't come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Ask "How can my love for Christ empower me to extend Grace AND fulfill the law required by God?" Someone seriously needs to reread Romans. 

That said, I apologize to anyone who really, truly enjoyed this video. It's not my aim to discourage you from being excited over theological truths that may resonate within your heart. But be reminded, we are not lead by emotions. We are lead by the truth and knowledge revealed to us by the Word of God. It's his Spirit that testifies, not our disgust from certain people's failures (widespread as they may be). 

Protect your hearts. Embrace Christ's Mind. Enhance your understanding of God's word. THINK!

Thank is all. Happy Monday.