During the holidays I learned of a couple who own a giant Great Dane dog that they frequently take to a nearby dog park. There the dog is allowed to run freely and frolic with other dogs--different breeds, large and small. Amazingly, most of the time the dogs get along and play nicely, although an occasional skirmish does break out. Owners quickly retrieve their dogs and pull them away from the growling and barking confrontations. Play usually resumes.
What facinates me about all this is the network of friends this couple has developed as they and the other dog owners have stood in the waiting area and visited with each other. People they would have never connected with in their "normal" social network have become genuine friends that they look forward to seeing and even get together with to socialize away from the park from time to time. These folks are as diverse as their dog breeds. Republicans and democrats, Christians and non-Christians, pro-life and pro-choice, advocates of legalizing medical marijuana and those who would oppose it, all convening at predictable times at the dog park. It has become such a community that they have a bulletin board that posts news about regulars. If someone has had their pet die it gets posted on the bulletin board and many who see it send sympathy cards or otherwise make contact. My acquaintences even confessed that it being winter their outings to the park were less frequent and they were "missing" some of the people they have grown to care about.
As far as I know Jesus didn't hang out at a dog park, but there is no question that he frequented market places, fishing docks, scenic overlooks, courtyards and parties. Because of this he was criticized for being too comfortable around drunkards, gluttons and sinners. The Gospels tell us that most people he encountered were "delighted" by his presence. Could it be that it wasn't moralizing sermons they were drawn to, but rather, his listening ear, engaging smile, and his participation in the lives of the people he encountered? I can imagine people going to places where they had encountered him before in the hope he would show up again.
Whether it's a dog park, bowling league, coffee shop, break room at work, back yard bar-b-que, or foyer at church the coolest and most important stuff of life goes on where people build relationship with each other enough to care about each other no matter what their "breed of dog."
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
Here they come out of the sand dunes, Magi or wise men from the east. I get a mental picture of, while watching a compelling video drama of the birth of the Savior... Mary, Joseph, angels, swaddling clothes, a manger..., out of nowhere this camel caravan showing up, blocking the view as it briefly crosses the screen. They just show up, drop off their gifts, worship the Christ child, and ride off the screen into obscurity (See Matthew 2:1-9). Who are these guys?
The scriptures tell us almost nothing about them. Tradition speculates they were Persian astrologers and possibly even Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians! By every Judeo-Christian biblical standard Zoroastrianism-- a weird concoction of biblically forbidden astrology, pagan mysticism, and reincarnation-- was a false religion. So what's going on here? How is it that these guys were spiritually in tune enough to recognize in the stars the birth of the "king of the Jews" (Messiah), while the custodians of the Bible seemed to be oblivious to this momentous occasion? Why do our Nativity scenes honor practitioners of a false religion to this day while not a single ordained religious leader of the "true" faith of that time is memorialized? Shouldn't the keepers of God's law, the priests, Bible scholars and preachers of the day at least have a partnership with the Magi in welcoming the "Savior, who is Christ the Lord?" Shouldn't our manger scenes and Christmas pageants feature at least one official of the "true" religion?
There are two obvious lessons here. First, the story of the Magi wonderfully symbolizes the great news that the birth of the Savior was for everyone. The birth of Jesus was declared by the angel to be "good tidings of great joy which will be to all people." (Luke 2:10 NKJV). The gospel is great news for everyone near and far; a point Jesus reiterated in his Sermon on the Mount when he declared, "Matthew 5:44-48 (NIV) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. In other words, God does not limit the bestowal of his favor and goodness to only those who claim to be his friends, or have the more biblically informed perspective. God loves his friends and his enemies alike, as should we.
The second lesson of the story of the Magi is very well stated by Roger E. Olson in an article entitled “A Wind that Swirls Everywhere”, Christianity Today, March 2006, pp. 53-54. Olson quotes Pentecostal scholar Amos Yong whose “central thesis is that, because the Spirit of God is universally active in creation and new creation, ‘the religions of the world, like everything else that exists, are providentially sustained by the Spirit of God for divine purposes’… that means Christians should be open to learning from and being enriched by the Spirit’s work in world religions.”
Neither Olson, Yong, nor I wish to be understood to be saying that all religions are equally true. I do, however, agree that, as the story of the Magi clearly indicates, the Spirit of truth can and does operate outside the boundaries of our rigid orthodoxies. And, as was the case at the time of Christ's birth, sometimes those with the most biblical literacy and doctinal certainty are way behind the learning curve when it comes to realizing what God is up to. If we want to be considered wise, we need to look up from our vision-narrowing Bible interpretations and religious customs in order to see the spiritually illuminating "stars" that could be shining on the horizon.
The scriptures tell us almost nothing about them. Tradition speculates they were Persian astrologers and possibly even Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians! By every Judeo-Christian biblical standard Zoroastrianism-- a weird concoction of biblically forbidden astrology, pagan mysticism, and reincarnation-- was a false religion. So what's going on here? How is it that these guys were spiritually in tune enough to recognize in the stars the birth of the "king of the Jews" (Messiah), while the custodians of the Bible seemed to be oblivious to this momentous occasion? Why do our Nativity scenes honor practitioners of a false religion to this day while not a single ordained religious leader of the "true" faith of that time is memorialized? Shouldn't the keepers of God's law, the priests, Bible scholars and preachers of the day at least have a partnership with the Magi in welcoming the "Savior, who is Christ the Lord?" Shouldn't our manger scenes and Christmas pageants feature at least one official of the "true" religion?
There are two obvious lessons here. First, the story of the Magi wonderfully symbolizes the great news that the birth of the Savior was for everyone. The birth of Jesus was declared by the angel to be "good tidings of great joy which will be to all people." (Luke 2:10 NKJV). The gospel is great news for everyone near and far; a point Jesus reiterated in his Sermon on the Mount when he declared, "Matthew 5:44-48 (NIV) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. In other words, God does not limit the bestowal of his favor and goodness to only those who claim to be his friends, or have the more biblically informed perspective. God loves his friends and his enemies alike, as should we.
The second lesson of the story of the Magi is very well stated by Roger E. Olson in an article entitled “A Wind that Swirls Everywhere”, Christianity Today, March 2006, pp. 53-54. Olson quotes Pentecostal scholar Amos Yong whose “central thesis is that, because the Spirit of God is universally active in creation and new creation, ‘the religions of the world, like everything else that exists, are providentially sustained by the Spirit of God for divine purposes’… that means Christians should be open to learning from and being enriched by the Spirit’s work in world religions.”
Neither Olson, Yong, nor I wish to be understood to be saying that all religions are equally true. I do, however, agree that, as the story of the Magi clearly indicates, the Spirit of truth can and does operate outside the boundaries of our rigid orthodoxies. And, as was the case at the time of Christ's birth, sometimes those with the most biblical literacy and doctinal certainty are way behind the learning curve when it comes to realizing what God is up to. If we want to be considered wise, we need to look up from our vision-narrowing Bible interpretations and religious customs in order to see the spiritually illuminating "stars" that could be shining on the horizon.
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