Kingdoms Divided

*Note: To get the full effect of how I would like this poem to appear, check the note on my Facebook by the same title.

We are all kingdoms
divided.

It makes no sense to deny it.

Although we have a king,
we are slaves to others.

Although we have life,
we are plagued by death.

Although we have love,
we are filled with hate.

What matters is that we fight.

For these wars will pass away
and we will all
be taken up
be made whole
be clean.

Until then,

we are all kingdoms
divided.

On the Sanctity of Scripture

Since I gained the ability to think critically (whenever that was) I have struggled with the unholy words and deeds that I have heard and seen that stemmed from a so-called adherence to the Holy Bible. I have heard scripture quoted to attack others, to support judgment and exclusion, and even to justify outright evil. The abuse of scripture has reached the point that when people actually sit down to read the text they are surprised by the actual message and its beauty. For example, one of my professors recently shared with us the story of the birth of the Monty Python movie The Life of Brian, which is the story of the guy born in the stable next to Jesus. The writers originally wanted to create a film to make fun of Jesus. However, when they read the gospels for "material" they discovered that they liked Jesus. So they made a movie to make fun of his followers instead.

The saddest part of the situation today is that the people I have seen abuse the Bible the most have been those who believe most whole-heartedly in its authority and inerrancy. The purpose of this post is not to question that belief, but instead to question to attitude of those who subscribe to it towards what they consider holy.

The nature of holiness in scripture, especially in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), is dangerous. The presence of God was fearful and too awesome for humans to hope to survive. The ark of the covenant was deadly to those who touched it. Yet these days it seems that so many people are ready to snatch up the Bible and begin to proclaim that they have mastered it to the point that they have authority to make judgments and claims in God's name.

I would think that when dealing with something that is holy we would approach with more fear and trembling, realizing the gravity of scripture and being more careful that we do not twist and pervert it to our own ends.

Almighty Father, guide us as we explore your word. Teach us to be transformed by it and not to use it as simply a tool or a weapon. Grant us the humility to admit that we are imperfect as are our interpretations and translations. Help us to embody your love and grace as we deal with the Bible and with the world. Amen.

Blessings,
Matt

A Prayer and Blessing

Father,
We approach this new year with hope. Guide us as we prepare for the plans and challenges of this year. Help us in times of uncertainty and desperation. Be our light and our life, or, more accurately, help us to see that you already are. Bring us low when we are full of our own seeming accomplishments and lift us up when Satan hurls lies at us. Be with those who work. Give them peace and wisdom in their pursuits and give them joy in their toil. Let their work bring glory to your name. Be with those who study. Give them patience and passion. Let their thirst be more for you than simple knowledge. And be with those who have nothing. Let them be comforted by you and let your people come to their aid.
Amen

May you let nothing stand in the way of God's glory, neither ambition nor apathy, great success or despair, others or yourself. May you be more than a light to the world, but also a warmth and the very aroma of Christ that those around you may not only see him but feel him with their being. May you love violently and unconditionally so much that the world cannot help but know that love must come from someone greater.
Blessings,
Matt

December and 80...

Ah, the joys of Abilene. Today: high in the 80s. Tomorrow: high in the 50s. That has nothing to do with this post...

I'm currently reading a book called The Sacredness of Questioning Everything by David Dark. I highly recommend this book. The basic premise of the book is that, as Christians, we should be people who question. This is not really a new idea. A good friend of mine named Paul once said something similar: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (1 Thess. 5:21-22)

It is this time of year that reminds me how crucial it is to live in skeptical holiness (a term I coined which I hope catches on). We accept most of what we see and hear because we are so accepted. We live in a time and place where we can put up displays of the birth of our Savior and play songs about him with only a little backlash. We blend our faith with our culture to the point that it gets hard to pull the two apart.

Christmas is the prime example of this mixing. It is the season of giving. The Salvation Army ramps up its efforts, charitable organizations launch donation drives, and churches step up their game to keep up with the world. It is also the time of year when US spending spikes 80-100 billion dollars.

We swallow some pretty big disparities.

One point that is made in the book is that we have to question the small things as well as the large, because the big things need to be looked at but change happens in the small.

So what?

It's time to put back on our glasses. The world has convinced us that it is backward or old-fashioned to screen things through our faith, but faith is the way we see the world. Isn't it time we owned it?

Land of the Free

An odd label given
to a land
of slaves.

We are chained
to our schedules.
We are shackled
to our phones.

Whipped constantly
by the media,
and punished
by our fads.

We buy our way
into prisons
of power
of greed
of pleasure.

We embrace our freedom
in our ability
to have our choice
of so many
masters.

Land of the lock and key,
and the home of the slave.

Building Forts

He’s building a fort
in his bedroom today
and no one else can come in.

It's his very own.
Now, leave him alone.
He’s going in it to stay.

He’s building a fort
right under his bed
and he’s never coming back out.

It's nice and cozy.
Go away, nosy.
It's only for him, like he said.

He’s building a fort
inside of his chest
where no one but he can see.

Because he’s too old
for forts, so he’s told,
hiding his heart seems best.

A Year Without October

Well, I have proven once again that I'm not cut out for the world of high stakes, professional blogging. Apparently (as far as my blog shows), nothing happened in the month of October. The truth is, of course, too much happened. This is one of the odd and sad quirks of the lifestyles we lead these days: the busier we are, the less we talk about it.

Obviously, more time spent doing is less time spent talking. Have you ever noticed what happens when we do this, though? We start to make more mistakes. We become less satisfied. Our decisions make less sense to those around us and even to us.

Why?

We stop talking.

All it takes for me to reconsider a really pointless or stupid course of action is for one trusted friend to say, "Matt, you're being an idiot." Once those prophetic words call my attention back to reality, it is much easier for me to think clearly and get back on the right track. This is true of everything from deciding what to eat to decisions about the future, or even thoughts about God.

All judgments on life, love, and faith are better made by more than one brain. Don't let busy-ness turn into stupidity. Never let scheduling take the place of thinking. And finally, don't stop talking. It's much harder to tell just how skewed our vision has become until we actually say it out loud.

Blessings,
Matt