TimSpivey.com

Seeking Vengeance or Justice?

Learning to forgive those who wrong you is one of the more difficult virtues to cultivate. The desire for revenge is one of the most robust and typical human emotions. Our movies, our music, our books--they reflect this.

Vigilantism is a great American past-time. I admit openly many of my favorite movies have the plot-line of "justice being served" or someone getting what's coming to them. Gladiator, True Grit, Unforgiven, and other "guy movies" have this quality. But, interestingly, so do many "chick flicks"--though it sometimes takes place at a less physical, more emotional level.

These books, movies, and music are popular because they come from human hearts that know what it is to be hurt and want "justice." The temptation for us to carry out our sense of "justice" by taking matters into our own hands or harboring hatred toward others is so strong that at times it's nearly irresistable. So, many of us give in. Just one problem with this is that we ourselves are not just. We judge others harshly and ourselves leniently, for instance. There is a bigger problem with taking "justice" into our own hands: it betrays a lack of faith in God as judge.

Once, in an age of religious faith, people believed that they could trust in God to punish the criminal who defeated justice in court. Harold Kushner notes: The Jewish Talmud describes an incident in which the head of the Israelite Supreme Court saw a man with a knife chasing another man into a cave.  He heard a scream and saw the pursuer come out of the cave with his knife dripping blood.  The man laughed at the rabbi, saying, “You probably believe I did something terrible, but the evidence is all circumstantial, and, besides, there is no second witness, as the law requires.  There is nothing you can do to me.  As the Talmud tells it, before the man had taken 10 steps, a snake bit him and he died. 

As secularism crept into society, a feeling that God was somehow detached from what was really going on gave birth to a form of vigilantism. Within the Christian sphere, off-track theology began to teach God's pacifism and non-engaged posture toward the world He created. God was made out to be like one of the hyper-lenient judges most of us despise--He allows wrongdoing to go unchecked. Or, in the social justice era, a mutation of the biblical pursuit of justice morphed into a sense that God has left it in our hands alone to pursue justice for the poor, etc.

Of course, at one level, God has done so. At another level, we must always pursue justice knowing that we aren't very just and that God is altogether Just. So, our view of justice needs to be consistently checked and carried out with humility. We also need a theology check: God is active in His world, meeting out justice himself as He sees fit--even as He calls us to live justly in His world. God, the Just One, says that vengeance is His, He will repay. So, when we are grievously wronged or injured by others, we refuse to return evil for evil--because God will carry out justice as He sees fit. When we see injustice in the world, we remember that God sees and will respond justly.

Paul writes:

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:19-21).

The difference between seeking justice for ourselves or others and seeking vengeance for ourselves or others can be a nuanced one. God who knows the heart, knows the difference. I wonder sometimes if we do. We seem very sure of our views of justice. We also seem to think it's up to us. God isn't a laissez-faire moralist. He is engaged in the world and we are called by Him to do justly. However, we must recognize the limit's of our sense of justice, acknowledging God's Lordship over all as we pursue justice in the world.

Trusting in God's justice is the foundation of learning to forgive others, and vitally important to living joyfully and justly in this world. It's a huge chunk of gospel to realize that God not only abounds in mercy, but in justice. The parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21ff.) reminds us also of how much we've been forgiven and how we ought to respond as the Forgiven to others who "owe us" or others.

So then, how do we live graciously toward those who "owe" us and others in this world while also seeking justice?

 

Unbroken - The Zamperini Chronicles

The story of Louis Zamperini told in the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (author of Sea Biscuit) is so amazing it's hardly believable. But, it's true. Time Magazine awarded Unbroken it's book of the year award for 2010. It's not only a great story, it's extremely well written. For those with eyes to read, it's got Christian themes running all through it.

Here are a few:

• The originality of every human life. Louis Zamperini had a quite ordinary birth and growing up experience. Just a part of what makes his story so remarkable is how ordinary his roots are. I just love reading how God works in the lives of everyday people. God works in everyone's lives, and does so differently.
• Endurance. Everything about Zamperini's life is about endurance. He is an Olympic distance runner. He survives 47 days stranded on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He endures 2 1/2 years of brutally harsh treatment as a POW in Japanese prison camps. He then struggles to make his life work through alcoholism and the residue left by his experience. Still alive today and nearly 100 years old, Louis Zamperini inspires anyone who reads his story to hang in there...not to give up.
• Forgiveness. After his conversion, Zamperini learns to forgive his tormenter as a POW: Matsuhiro Watanabe, aka, "The Bird." In a letter to his former captor, he wrote, "The post-war nightmares caused my life to crumble, but thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love replaced the hate I had for you. Christ said, "Forgive your enemies and pray for them.'" You have to read Unbroken to know what a huge deal such forgiveness is. All I can say is, Wow.
• The Power of Redemption. Zamperini's life was spiralling downward rapidly. In his nightmares, he would choke "The Bird" to death. One night, he's dreaming of choking "The Bird" when he hears a noise that wakes him. It is the gasp of his pregnant wife, who Zamperini was choking unknowingly in his sleep. Through his torment and alcoholism, Zamperini comes to Christ at a Billy Graham crusade and the nightmares stop. He pours out all his alcohol on the spot, and his life does a dramatic 180.

If you don't have time to read Unbroken (shame on you!), below is a 5-minute biography of Zamperini. But trust me, read the book. It's awesome in every way. Heavy, but awesome.

 

Happy Father's Day - An New Vintage Church Video

In honor of Father's Day, I've uploaded the rough draft version of a video we'll play tonight at NVC. The concept is pretty simple: Celebrate the calling of fatherhood through stories. We simply set up a camera and let the New Vintage Church staff talk about their dads and their own fatherhood. 

While churches generally do a good job of celebrating motherhood on Mother's Day, I feel like we struggle more with Father's Day. Fatherhood is a high and wonderful calling. Let's lift it up when we have the opportunity.

 

Greater Expectations - Thoughts on Marriage

This Sunday's message at New Vintage will be on marriage. I used to avoid talking about marriage very much--for a couple of reasons. First, I hadn't been married very long--so I felt unprepared to do so. Having said that, the task of the preacher is to reveal what Scripture teaches on the subject--not simply preach out of one's personal experience. Second, it felt really "topical" to me. I enjoy preaching through books of the Bible, and the thought of offering a few trite tips for having a better marriage seemed theologically thin to me. Many of the marriage books I read seemed humanistic and needs-based rather than rooted in biblical theology. Also, frankly, none of my peers had been married long enough to have their marriages split up.

Times have changed.

Marriage is a vast, deep subject to which the Gospel speaks radically. Gospel defines marriage--what it is and what it isn't. Gospel defines the attitudes and practices of a biblical marriage. We need to talk about these things, because the counter-gospel is preached loudly every day from television sets and Ipods everywhere.

One of those counter-gospels is that a good marriage is one in which both spouses are happy--at all times. I'm so thankful God led me to the writings of Gary Thomas. Sacred Marriage has become the standard book I give couples who want to work on their marriage or who are preparing for marriage. The over-arching thesis of the book is that marriage is something God designed to make us holy more than happy. This of course doesn't preclude happiness. It simply makes happiness subordinate to much more important reality of marriage as spiritual formation--marriage as part of the Romans 12 life. This perspective orders our affections and expectations rightly. Rather than romantic fulfillment running point, aspiration of mutual closeness to God runs point and romance becomes frosting rather than the cake itself.

Talking about the impact of romanticism on marriage, Thomas writes: "I believe that much of the dissatisfaction we experience in marriage comes from expecting too much from it." Again, there is nothing wrong with romance. It should be ignited as often and as hotly as possible. However, it cannot be the foundation of any marriage. Marriage wasn't designed to fulfill each human being's passions and comforts. It was designed by God as a journey for man and woman to grow in following Christ together. To me, expectations of marriage mean a lot. Foundation of marriage means even more. Thomas writes:

"The key question is this: Will we approach marriage from a God-centered view or a man-centered view? In a man-centered view, we will maintain our marriage as long as our earthly comforts, desires, and expectations are met. In a God-centered view, we preserve our marriage because it brings glory to God and points a sinful world to a reconciling Creator."

Emily and I have been married nearly 11 years and have 3 children. I'm so, so blessed to have a strong marriage by God's grace and provision. As a church leader, I get so angry at the Evil One's effectiveness in pulling apart what God joins together. My perception is he usually begins by swapping out foundations. God for romance. God for sex. God for security. God for ______. I've felt him trying to do it my marriage. You've probably sensed his efforts in your own marriage from time to time. We all must remember that God doesn't exist to serve our marriages or help us meet our personal desires. Rather, our marriages are a gift from God for His glory and our holiness. Romance and "happiness" are far more likely to endure with substance if the right foundation is in place.

It's vital we teach on marriage--practically and theologically. It is perhaps more vital than every before. However, we must remember to point people in the right direction--toward the Lord first, then toward one another. As Gary Thomas writes, "For Christians, marriage is a penultimate reality." 

"But what both of us crave more than anything else is to be intimately close to the God who made us. If that relationship is right, we won’t make such severe demands on our marriage, asking each other, expecting each other, to compensate for spiritual emptiness."

It begins there. Now, we can talk about some practical pointers for having a "better" marriage.

The Happiness Meter

Here's a 1-minute video measuring the "happiness" of various world nations over the last 30 years with potential reasons for marked increases and decreases. Watch it full screen in HD for the best quality.

 

 

Great Moments in Prayer

New video from the crack video crew at NCCC (aka, Matt Armstrong). Great moments in prayer. Enjoy the laugh :)

Beware of Those Who Plant Ideas! -- Inception and the Gospel

Note: blog formatting issues continue, but a reformatting should be complete in about 48 hours. Until then, thanks for bearing with me :) The medium of film has long provided practical theologians with unique insights into God, the world, and the human condition. Inception has created as much buzz in people of my age group as any film since Crash. I must admit, embarrassingly, that I haven't seen it. However, I am hoping to rectify that over the next couple of weeks.

So, I am blessed to provide you instead with a review of Inception from someone who really knows film. Dr. Mark Woodward (my Father-in-Law) taught the film (among other subjects) at Oklahoma Christian University for many years. I offer this guest blog to you for your thoughts. What did you think of Inception? What else might you add?
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Beware Of Those Who Plant Ideas! A Review of Inception

Beware Preachers! Beware Bloggers!  Planting ideas in other people’s minds can lead to an unexpected and uncontrollable future!  If it were about a message, that might be it, but, in my opinion, Inception (2010) is not a message movie, it’s not a character-based film, rather almost completely an intellectual experience.  That sentence verges on the esoteric as well, doesn’t it, so let’s unpack it a little bit.

I know you thought this was a Leonardo DiCaprio film, but it isn’t.  Inception will be another plus in a career that was stumbling before DiCaprio really started playing adult roles.  He was just too boyish for a while, but since his role as Howard Hughes in The Aviator (2004), he has done some good work (The Departed (2006), Blood Diamonds (2006), you can argue about Shutter Island (2008) if you want to).

The true star of Inception is the British-born writer/director Christopher Nolan, who also wrote Memento (2000), Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), and Batman: The Dark Knight (2008).  Stringing these excellent films of Nolan’s together let’s you see a couple of common threads that will help you with Inception.

First, these films are all about characters either trapped or trapping others in strong moral dilemmas. The protagonists are complicated characters, often good at the core, but morally flawed—just like Cobb in Inception, who is a thief willing to cross all kinds of moral boundaries for the sake of familial love. We like these kinds of characters because they remind us of our own struggles with evil for the sake of good.

Secondly, Nolan—as are many filmmakers—appears fascinated by questions of reality.  When I was teaching film at the university, I would often begin a course by reminding my students that nothing that they see on the screen is true, nothing is real! The images are composed, the sounds are created separately, day and night are stage-produced, characters are not real, kisses are not real, murders are not real, time is not real—NOTHING IS REAL.  Even the motion itself is an illusion since what you are actually watching are still images moving in front of your eyes at a speed that tricks your brain into seeing motion.  So the apparent obsession of filmmakers with reality is not just some post-modern quirk, it is built into the nature of the art itself.

In Inception, however, Nolan attempts to do in plot what Ariadne  (Ellen Page) does during her initial introduction to dream control, when she sets up a mirror against a mirror and produces a never-ending reflection of a reflection. Whereas, movies like the Matrix series took us to alternate realities, Inception layers those realities as an essential part of the plot.  Imagine Neo being on the matrix and being plugged in again to another matrix world—and being plugged in again from that one to another!  That’s where Nolan is asking the viewers to go in Inception—and it is fascinating. Inception has lots of special effects, but is not dependent upon them. For me, the popcorn explosions of the dream constructs were interesting, as well as the anti-gravity scenes in the hotel hallway, but don’t go see this film for special effects.

I know she is a rising star, but I did not like Ellen Page for the role of Ariadne, the architectural genius. She appears too young for the ensemble and not old enough to be a love interest which could have added a bit more tension to the film. I don’t understand, for instance, what motivates Cobb to pour out his whole story to this college girl, when he has never told anyone else.

Other than the corporate competition that drives the main action stream, the subplot that adds emotional conflict is between Cobb and his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard). Is she good, is she bad, is she dead, was she murdered, is she alive, is she crazy—is she real?  Without this subplot, the film is just an interesting action film. Her sudden intrusion into Cobb’s life, plans, mind—however you need to describe these moments—are Nolan’s attempt to bring emotion to the intellectual dilemmas that he is portraying.  I did not think he always brought it off.  You may disagree.

So instead of a character-based film, instead of a message-based film, I believe Christopher Nolan has given us an experiential film.  You will not lose yourself in the characters, but you will struggle to determine what is real and what is not! You will not walk out of the theater pondering the symbolism, but you will definitely walk out wondering what was true and what was not. 

And thinking about what is true is a good thing, isn’t it? Just don’t get lost! And if you like to plant ideas in other people’s minds—be careful.   Read other movie reviews and more at www.markwoodward.org  

Good Thing Me and Jesus Always Think the Same Way ;)

Has any person ever had more words put in His mouth than Jesus? 

True, believers can quote his actual words. However, whether those words are quoted in context or with the meaning Jesus intended when he uttered them is another issue. For instance, have you ever noticed how often Jesus' opinions on the various societal issues of our day always seem to match those making the argument? Really, it's absolutely uncanny (note sarcasm). Whatever the issue is and whatever side of the aisle the argument comes, there Jesus stands as well.

I want to be clear that Jesus might have plenty to say on some of today's most pressing concerns. In many cases, he does give us guidance through His example, through His teachings, and through His Spirit. However, all who claim to follow Jesus must appropriate all "Jesus leading" with great humility and recognition of the possible encroachment of our own biases onto what we think Jesus would do about 21^st Century issues. We can speak on His behalf. In fact, we are often called to. However, when we presume to do so, we must do so with utmost care.

At this point in time, we run the risk of fatiguing the world of Jesus talk. Frankly, I wonder if we run the risk of fatiguing Jesus of Jesus talk. Perhaps we would do better to simply say what we ourselves think. We are those who are led by His Spirit and committed to following Him. So, our opinions ought to resemble His at some level. But, they may not always be the same.

Jesus needs to have a voice in today's world. However, if it's really His, it will be a different voice than mine occasionally. If it's really His, it will also always be a better voice than mine.

 

Dude Perfect

Recently came across these guys... making extremely difficult basketball shots to help needy children. I'd love to say I taught them everything they know. These shots were made at a Christian summer camp. Awesome. My favorite is the first one :)

Their motto: "Just because it's hard doesn't mean it can't be done."

True dat.

Don't ever challenge these guys to a game of HORSE.

West Coast Renaissance

Looking for a reason to be optimistic about the future of Churches of Christ in the United States? 

I have one: The entrepreneurial creativity bubbling up on the West Coast right now—and Southern California in particular. There is certainly a lot of bad news as well. Some churches are dying, some have split, and discouragement is still quite prevalent. However, there are reasons to believe that the dark ages in SoCal are coming to an end and a renaissance is brewing.

Right now, there is a team of ministers (many of whom have grown up in the area) that know and love one another. This camaraderie has produced a desire to collaborate more. Desperate times for some churches have caused them to grant more freedom to ministers…and that freedom has released years of ideas that had been quietly suffocating.

Here are a few just in the realm of technology:

Knowyouareloved.org – The new ministry of D.J. Iverson, YM at North County. Focuses on spreading the message of 1 John 4:11. It launches June 1. Promo video here.

SpreadingStories.com – A ministry launched by Jordan Watson, YM at Hilltop Church of Christ in El Segundo—dedicated to showcasing new churches in America.

Call on Jesus app for Droid, IPhone, or Blackberry. Get NCCC message videos on your mobile device.

• - Weekly sermon videos by myself, Dudley Rutherford (Shepherd of the Hills), Miles McPherson (The Rock), Jeff Vines (CCV San Dimas), and a some other West Coasters. Thanks to Dudley for putting this together.
• - Bible -in-a-Year reader with 53 devotional videos
• - Bible with search capability

New TimSpivey.com – this summer, my blog will relaunch in a new format, better functionality, and clarified focus. If you have any suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them.

There are also some really cool plans in the works on the events, publishing, arts, and church planting. Of course, I'll pass them on as they develop. It's important we share good news with each other, isn't it?

I'm betting this new surge in creativity can't be unique to SoCal. I'd love to know about new things God's doing all over the world. I'd love to know about new churches, new ministries, new ideas. What's God doing in your area? It doesn't have to be new...it just needs to be riddled with God's fingerprints.