The Backwash

No question – Dwight Schrute from The Office.  This guy rocks.

Unless you just don’t keep up, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the U.S. could have only been better if he had visited the set of Jerry Springer.  That was exactly how in-our-face he was.  He probably considered it comical that the entire nation was in an uproar fighting about his visit to Columbia University (which, truthfully, doesn’t deserve to even share the same name as the ill-fated space shuttle). 

No, I don’t think he is satan in the flesh, but he sure operates like him.  Maybe that is why the bible even states in 2 Corinthians 11 to beware because “satan masquerades as an angel of light.”  Many were trumpeting the progressiveness of Columbia and their willingness to extend the right of free speech to a man who leads a country where there is none.  We, as a country, tend to do the same things with ideas that are just as insane.  Somehow, satan has gotten items like the gay debate to no longer be taboo, but rather a requirement for open-mindedness – or, as some would say, “liberty.” 

In fact, you can insert most any item that has taken prominence over the last 10 years or so, and you can see that satan has a pretty decent plan if we play into it.  His plan is summed-up in one word – erosion.  Diminishing our strength a little bit at a time to the point that for us to stand up for anything makes us subject to ridicule for our closed-mindedness. 

Make no mistake – Ahmadinejad is a complete kook who worships a false god just like any muslim.  What makes him dangerous, though, is that his outlandish statements have caused many to want to put him in front of the world stage and to give him a microphone.  AND – he is a kook who feels driven by this false god to eradicate what he feels are his enemies….and he just happens to be growing a nuclear capability.  In this way, I don’t think those who equate him with Hitler are too far off-base. 

The debate on Ahmadinejad is far from over and is going to become increasingly political.  It would be foolish, however, if we didn’t see the parallels of scripture.  Consider the actual text of 2 Corinthians 11: 14&15:

¹⁴And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

At the risk of taking this out of context, let’s be clear.  Paul is writing about those who he describes as “false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ” as he finishes up a discussion on how he preached to them “free of charge.”  His words about satan are no less true in this context, though.  Satan’s best masquerade in the American era of the world is tolerance under the guise of liberty.  These are the makings of political debate, and the seeds of compromise. 

And… my last word on Columbia….My greatest hope is that their largest donors dry-up and they become no more influential than a low-priced community college.  In this case (as in most), money talks.   Let’s see how irritated the money is.

-MH

I have always been a fan of Stephen Carter – his non-fiction is very well thought-out and usually over my head.  I like to tote it around and look smart.  His first work of fiction, ”The Emperor of Ocean Park” was what I would call “high fiction” – something that you occasionally have to go back and read a few pages every now and then to be sure you keep everything straight.  It was a good book. 

If you watch sports, you have seen it many times – the victor being interviewed during the post-game show.  Most try to downplay their contribution, thank teammates, thank mom, etc.  “Tom Brady… you threw three touchdown passes and were named the Super Bowl MVP – what are your thoughts?”  “Well, I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.  We play as a team and we win as a team.”

There is so much that has been written about John the Baptist that it seems hard to have a thought around him that has not already been thought or preached.  He was the historical individual that marched to his own tune.  And, no, we wouldn’t want him showing up in one of our church services.  What would he look like today?  Would he be one of the people at a street corner proclaiming his word?  He certainly wouldn’t dress in business casual attire.  No, he would be everything he was back then… an enigma.

He was also one of the MVP’s.

He played his part well even though he was the given second billing.  He was the lineman that quarterbacks rely on.  He was focused, he was in people’s face, and he was by all rights someone to consider as being one card shy.  He was also believable, compelling, and no-nonsense.

His message was clear – I have good things to share, but the one coming after you has everything you need. 

Matthew three gives us a brief glimpse into John the Baptist.  Luke gives a much more in-depth portrayal of JTB, his conception, his birth and ministry.  Matthew nets it down to simply putting John in his place… the forerunner of Christ.

And when Christ arrives on the scene, John not only knows the importance of the event, but begins to back away from his role.  He tells Jesus, in essence, “I can’t baptize you…. I need you to baptize me!”  Jesus, though, continues God’s plan.  He compels John to fulfill that aspect of his role by baptizing him. 

I am sure that there are a lot of linemen in football that would like to be the star.  There are a lot of supportive roles in this world where people dream big but play their part.  John’s dream was to simply play his part, and he played it well.  He “fulfilled all righteousness” by baptizing Jesus, and he continued to compliment Jesus’ teaching by preaching a message of repentance.  He preached so well that it ended up literally costing him his head.

As we discussed a few days ago, every life matters.  In church, we tend to see those up-front and in the public eye as “more important” than others, when in reality they are only more visible.  All of us who have been involved with a church for a while know that many times some of the hardest working individuals are those behind the scenes – those who are part of the supportive cast.

Our challenge remains in being happy with the role where God has put us.  We also must remember that God considers that role important.  Remember that John felt he shouldn’t baptize Jesus, but Jesus reminded him that his role was an important one.  How many things do we let slide because we don’t feel we are capable, when God has put us in that position?

-MH

This one kind of reminded me of early Grisham in that it was a quick read, but somewhat predictable.  Person framed, chased by the mob AND the police AND the FBI, innocent bystander gets involved, zenith, epilogue.  Worth a paperback read only.

Here is a roadmap for what you will see spilling forth from the Backwash over the next week or two.  One item is just something I am calling “how to leave a church.”  It likely will include some thoughts about what to find in another one as this is a significant item in my life right now. 

The second (and an off-shoot of that) will be a brief series on church unity.  Yes, I will officially join the 1,057,955 individuals who have written on the topic.  I can’t say I will have any new ideas, but who knows?

 -MH

(Originally published on levychurch.com by Mark Hodges)

Matthew Chapter 2
 Displaced.  The word takes on more and more meaning to those who have had to experience it.  This past month, hundreds of thousands of individuals from Louisiana and Texas were displaced from their homes and forced to live as refugees.  In that month, two hurricanes (Katrina and Rita) blasted their way through the gulf coast leaving the largest amount of devastation in memory from a natural event.When asked, and almost all of those displaced said that they wanted to just “go home.”  Most found that their homes were destroyed.  They became displaced out of no choice of their own.  They were forced to forge a new life either in a new state or rebuild their life in their own land if it was even inhabitable.
This entire scene makes me think about a time often forgotten in Jesus’ life.  Shortly after his birth (Matthew 2), Joseph was forced to displace his family and move them to Egypt for safety reasons. 

Then we might as well be dead.  Here are a couple of oldies, but goodies.  First – Mike Cope sings the classics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16fqyp8UPaA

And… check out the classic “Song Leader Revolution.”

http://www.songleaderrevolution.com/slrev1_video.html

They have revised it for 2007 as well!  I’m especially glad they added the ability to lead a song in an “assisted living facility.” 

Friday night I attended a high school football game between my alma mater and their arch rival.  Because of the crowd, I was relegated to standing behind one of the goalposts near a security rope.  Along said security rope were between five and seven of the arch rival’s faithful – all between the ages of five and nine.  They were the most pathetic case of over-indulged, spoiled, freakish kids I have ever watched. 

While this bugged me, what bothered me more was the fact that their parents, who were within 10 feet, were more consumed with brandishing their manhood / womanhood with their peers that they forgot job one – PARENTING.  As I watch one child turn blue with near asphyxiation due to another child choking him with the security rope (a situation of which I fought the urge to help - thinking “well, it’s one less of them to worry with”), I fumed at the so-called parents. 

See, we live at a time where there is a strata of parents who think kids raise themselves.  They comfort themselves with phrases like “boys will be boys” and “they will grow out of it.”  These are the tree-huggers who think “time-out” actually works.  Oooooooohhh….. “you better stop or mommy will send you to time out, and you will be sad.”  Nope.  Time-out is the stupid idea of someone who did not have the gumption to put their hand to the back of their child.  It is the middle-class thing to do with kids who you simply do not know how to parent. 

As the night wore on, I became convinced that the devil spawns in front of me were that way because of the fault of no guidance from a parent with a gut for parenting.  I do not profess to be the end-all parent.  But I am NOT afraid to discipline when the time comes.  I, like many of my contemporaries, still remember “THE belt.”  The one my dad used for reminding me of who was in charge.  We came to an understanding any time he had to use it.  Behold – I can still walk and I am better for it.  Had I been timed-out, I could have figured out how to beat the system – much like any kid today with half a brain.

Parents who are more absorbed in their social lives than being involved parents are the bane of our existence.  They should be timed-out of parenthood.  Parents who do not guide their children and teach them not only how to behave but how to navigate decisions are simply wimps who had a kid because they wanted a baby shower and to decorate a nursery.  Just like there is a vast difference between a wedding and a marriage, so is there a huge difference between a father / mother and a parent.

And if you like time-out, there may yet be hope for you… although understand your kid has already figured out that Time-Out is a punishment without consequence.  For those of you who need to redirect your efforts from the love-in of time-out, here is a word to start teaching your kids (and you need to show it to them as well).  RESPECT.  It is the underpinning of all rule following, and can completely change the face of society as we know it.

-MH