I'm watching Noah...but you don't have to

     I honestly wasn't going to see Noah. It was Hollywood. It was going to be unbiblical...because, well I've read the Bible and there isn't a lot of dialogue in the flood story. My dad talked me into it though. He mentioned that I should take my youth group to see it. A plan was hatched right then and there. We would look at the ever popular flood narrative in our time in Sunday School and then head to the movies.
     But then, as it always does, Facebook happened. Through the magic of the share button I was bombarded with info of the atheism of the director of Noah. Protests were hatched among the social media masses. Well, not really protests...many just avowed to not give their money to the atheists. But still, there was a tone that seemed to imply that not only would many not go see the movie, but I would be kind of a bad person if I did.
     I think dialogue above all things we typically do as humans should be celebrated and also not lost. Social media allows us to preach 140 characters at a time. What is missing is the back and forth. Rather than figure out the good and the obvious bad that would be inherent to any Hollywood take on the Bible, we often just walk away from our computers (not our phones though; we never walk away from those). So, lets look at the objections...

Objection #1 The director is an atheist

This is definitely a pickle. Should we give money to atheists especially when it is for a leisure activity? Not going to a movie is a perfectly acceptable response. But it does beg one question...do you apply that same standard to the other leisure areas in your life? If you do, be prepared to abstain from the following:

*All things Microsoft or Bill Gates related
*Titanic, Avatar and all other movies directed by James Cameron
*All things Brad Pitt (guys, you might have been there already)
*Star Trek, Priceline, and all other things William Shatner
*Green Day, Rob Reiner, Johnny Depp, and the list goes on ...

There is incredible irony in not seeing a movie because it would put money in the pockets of an atheist while posting about it on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, of course, is an atheist.

The point here is consistency in our message. As Christians, we are ALL hypocrites. We cannot possibly life up to the standard that is Jesus Christ. That of course is why we need Jesus.  But we can choose to put our money where our mouth is and make consistent decisions. When we don't, we get laughed at by an atheist community that doesn't care about our opinion to begin with. Looming larger than that, they laugh at our Savior.

Objection #2 True, but this atheist is dealing with Biblical subject matter

1) You are correct sir! They are dealing with a Biblical narrative. Maybe its good that an atheist is at the helm because God has a long history of using atheists. Wait, what?!? Yes, it is true. Pharaoh, King Nebuchadnezzar, and Pontius Pilot to name a select few all used mightily by the Creator. They are all part of the Bible itself.  What we find is that God uses these people to show His power, His control, and His mercy.

2) I have less problem with atheists mishandling the Bible than I do when believers mishandle it. Lest we forget the epic Bible Mini-Series on the History Channel. There were radical failures to show the portions of the Bible that weren't that action driven. Of course, we did learn that Noah was a wee bit Scottish. Bottom line, when my children (at that time ages 9, 7, & 5) are pointing out where the series is going wrong then it has to be bad. And lets not forget this...

Apparently the Bible was based on the Series

3) God's Word never returns void. It would do us all well to not just randomly say this verse when it suits us but to remember God is ALWAYS in control. Maybe we should stop singing "have thine own way Lord," if we don't believe He can actually have His own way. In the words of Isaiah 55:11...

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

Objection #3 This atheist has thumbed his nose at God

You have probably seen that articles citing the director's heinous claim (if not then here you go). But here is the problem...all atheists are actively thumbing their nose at God. Atheists are not silent. They speak loudly and more often than seemingly anyone else on the planet (ever heard of Ricky Gervais; by the way you also can't watch the new Muppet movie). They are all activists. Here is what I know personally. For a decade of my life, I spent my time despising God and trying to deter the faith of others. God put Christians in my life that were willing to engage in conversation with me. They cared about me. They didn't refuse services at my place of business because I was an atheist. Jesus used them to draw me closer to Him. The other alternative for Christians was to push me further away. I am a bigger fan of the former than the latter.

Objection #4 God is not mentioned in the movie

I give you the book of Esther. God isn't mentioned but God is all throughout the book. When God is at the center of something, you don't have to explicitly mention Jesus as every other word. He will be evident through the result. Noah is in the Bible. The Bible is about God. Therefore, the Noah movie contains God. It really doesn't matter what the director has to say...just consider the source.

Okay...so what...

The problem is not Hollywood. The problem is that we as Christians expect them to do the job designated for us (please read Psalm 78 if you don't agree). When they don't, we complain about it. Frankly, we are in crisis mode people. I'm not mad that an atheist doesn't know the story of Noah. I'm mad that there is a generation of kids that don't know it either. I deal with youth in a church setting all the time and here is what they don't know- the Bible! So often when they do know the story, it is a watered down version that removes the importance of the story.

The story of Noah contains the Gospel. It had never rained before, yet Noah believes in what he cannot see. We call that faith. There is one door that cannot be opened or shut by human hands. That is Jesus-the Way, the Truth, the Life. There is an ark made of gopher wood. This was the wood used to make coffins. The message is that we must die in order to live. A torrential flood in a huge coffin gives us the first recorded baptism in human history. We see a God that carries us through trials. We see a dove return with a symbol of peace that echoes the vision we see in the Holy Spirit descending at Jesus' baptism. We see the covenant relationship God has with believers in the sign of the rainbow.

See the movie or don't see the movie...but do you know that story? Do your children know that story?

Learning to Listen

Every time I hear someone talk about listening better, I think they are talking directly to me. It might be in a small group setting. It might be sitting amongst a large congregation. I still feel the word listen penetrate me absolutely whenever it is mentioned.

                I’m conditioned to not listen. There are several factors that limit my listening ability. Actually, it’s not even my fault. Certain preconditioned elements make up who I am. I speak rather than listen because:

*I’m a man, baby (aka I was born that way). The invention of the DVR pause button has helped to squash a little bit of manliness. Bravo to the inventor of this miraculous machine. It is a magical device that allows me to press pause on both important sporting events and hilarious one-liners from various sitcoms. Still, I can’t help the genetic makeup that allows me to ignore (in particular) female voices while visions of “great” importance dance across the television screen.

*I debated in college (I was taught that way). I studied communication ad nauseum, and it was mostly how to effectively communicate to others (at least the parts I listened to). Debate is point-counterpoint. I was expected to answer and to tell you why you are wrong.

*Many I have encountered aren’t listening (environment). Let’s face it; many we encounter in life suffer from a grave disease. It causes one to think about what they are going to say next instead of listening to the person they are talking to.

                Yet, I still fight the urge to not listen. The war I wage is occasionally successful. I would give it 50/50. This probably mirrors my success rate in attempting to stop repeat trips to the buffet.  A few years ago, I received a little bit of help. I sat in a study of a book by John Maxwell (Learn More Here). In the study, one comment really stood out to me. Here you go...whenever you are in a meeting, be the last person to speak.

                This stood out because I don’t think to that point I had actually ever done it. I’m opinionated. I know in my heart of hearts that people really, really want to hear why I have to say. Why wouldn’t they? Before you answer that, and inevitably hurt my feelings, let’s go back to that speaking last thing. It seems that your opinion is more informed if you listen to everyone else first. Also, if I don’t talk as much, people will typically listen to me more.

               

                These are novel concepts I know, but I stood enlightened. From that point on, I make a vow to be the last person to talk in a meeting. This has led to weird standoffs with really quiet people, but it has led to being a better listener. Through that, I have been better…better husband, father, friend, pastor, and counselor. Notice I didn’t say good, just better.

                Last month, I was sharing this story of my great discovery of speaking last and not first. Of course, it was with a friend who had just spoken about listening. Again, out of a few hundred people, I felt like he was just talking to me. But the name John Maxwell sparked a common bond. He had just listened to Maxwell at a conference and he had gone off script. In addition to his designated message, the very wise man named John shared some questions that he asks people. When he wants to get to know them better, he poses one or more of 7 specific questions. Questions that are designed to take us beyond the weather and the score to last night’s game. They are designed to put us in a position to listen.

7 Questions To Ask (By John Maxwell)

1.      What are the great lessons you’ve learned?

2.      What are you learning right now?

3.      How has failure shaped your life?

4.      Who do you know that I should know?

5.      What have you read that I should read?

6.      What have you done that I should do?

7.      How can I add value to you?

     My personal favorite is number 6. It was the first one I learned and “used.” I asked to question to a man that I had talked to for a few days. I was given the opportunity to listen and know him through the tale he told me in response to that simple question.  Days of casual conversation and I hadn't really listened. We had exchanged information, but I hadn’t really learned anything.

    Over the last few weeks, I have gotten the chance to meet new people. Those encounters have been new experiences that I look forward to. I have a chance to meet different people. I have a chance to get to know smart and interesting people. I have an opportunity to listen. Jesus listened a lot. He met a woman one day that he knew so well, that she couldn't help but be impacted.

"Come, see a man that told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" --John 4:29

     I could never know someone that well if I keep on talking. I head to New York at the end of the month. Its a trip designed to meet others and communicate a great truth to them. I think I'll take some time just to listen. I...can't...wait.  

    Of course, I will never relinquish my one superhero power. It is the power to tune all things out while I watch TV. What good is a superpower if you don’t use it? After all...

"With great power comes great responsibility." 

                        --Uncle Ben/Spiderman

               

 

Facebook Love

“An intense look between the two future grandparents expresses an ineffable nuance of love that a dictionary could not provide.”   --Once Upon A Fastball

           I really fell in love with this sentence the other day. Read in a book that I didn't want to read (but had to as to not break my daughter's heart) it prompted me to do the one thing I NEVER do...dog ear a page of a book. Books hold a place in my heart that I cannot explain, thus I won't try.
  
           I think this line of prose is one of the most beautiful I have encountered in the world of fiction in quite some time. Personally, I feel it transcends fiction and attaches itself to real life in such an insightful way. It describes love in such a romanticized way that it must be true. It doesn't speak though of here and now. Instead, it attests to their staying power and the future. In the immortal words of Shakespeare (or whoever the last movie about Shakespeare says the author really is):

"Ay, there's the rub..." --Hamlet

           One could wax philosophical on the subject of what love is, but I prefer to start by doing things the American way (to celebrate Independance Day and all). The American way is to tell you what it is not. Plus, this shows off a little of my rhetoric degree as I amaze you with names of people you probably haven't heard of like Kenneth Burke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Burke).

           In the world of teen movies and all things social media we see the lingering effects that have led to what I now deem affectionately...Facebook Love (its a thing). There is this perception that we should be working, continuously trolling the waters if you will (or if you won't, its my blog) for that perfect someone. We can probably blame Disney for perpetrating this myth, but I think Facebook has continued the agony for millions of others.

          The truth is (definitely a facebook pun going on there) that finding someone is fairly simple. I know there are certain obstacles to finding that special someone. The problem is that we put so much effort into the front end (dating) that we think the back end (marriage) takes care of itself. Divorce statistics really speak for themselves. As many labor daily for: date or pass, lms (like my status), or truth is, the result is a lot of heartache and an emotional roller coaster that teaches a tremendous falsehood lie:

"They lived happily ever after."  --Every movie ever

           That is not to say that happiness doesn't lie ahead. It is to say that its not that simple. In marriage, you will squeeze the toothpaste from the wrong end, debate over or under on toilet paper and its roll postion, and you will encounter hard times. You will encounter sickness and loss. You will have times where there isn't enough...food, money, time, etc. You will have to stop being just you and being a family.

           Those things are worth tears (well, not the toilet paper). Those things are worth the emotional roller coaster. They can't be answered in truth is and it takes much more work than date or pass ever will. Those things are worth it.

           My advice, stop working so hard. The time to really work is still to come. If you still need hope that you will find that special someone, here you go. Remember, even I was able to sucker my wife into marrying me. That means there is hope for you too. You can save the work for later.
   

Lessons from Sports Camp

             My youth group and I had an awesome opportunity to attend/work/serve/have fun/throw marshmallows/whatever at Sports Camp a few weeks ago. Sports Camp is a souped up VBS pairing the teaching of sports with the teaching of Jesus. It’s one of those great opportunities to go and serve others.

The great truth about any mission trip though is that you get so much more than you bargained for. You go to serve and teach. You leave with so much more. The Sunday after our return, we sat down and made a list. The end result is a list of things we, as a group, learned. Here it goes…

1. We saw a small picture of God’s Kingdom

                This one is mine. I always feel such a longing for God’s Kingdom after being with a group of fellow believers. So much more than a song, I see the Kingdom in fellow believers. So much more than words that often relegate God’s Kingdom to streets of gold or the size of mansions, I see a snapshot of His Kingdom when sharing in the collective lives of other believers. It’s a place where God’s presence negates the need for both sun and moon. It’s beautiful.

2. Kids look up to us

                Charles Barkley once infamously touted that he, “was not a role model.” We are role models. We are real. Many of us can’t do remarkable things with a basketball or a football, but kids watch us more intently than any sports star on television. We are real and we are tangible. Plus, we’re taller than they are; they have to look up to us.

3. A good attitude is important

                We possess something that so many others don’t…hope. I Peter 3:15 is not simply about being ready to argue. It’s a verse that tells us others will come to us because there is something so different about us. Jesus yields hope. Hope yields an attitude worthy of the one that starts the process.

4. We are the only Jesus some will see

                The student that brought this one to light prefaced his statement with, “this gets said all the time.” The phrase is overused for a reason. Broken homes, broken lives, a broken world and there is only one answer for that. Our encounter with Christ should move beyond us. Through service and genuine caring that can be accomplished.

5. There are cool Christians

                People that believe in Jesus aren’t cool. People that profess faith in Christ aren’t popular. At least that is what the movies and media tell me every day. I think we learned the opposite is true. Even without Tim Tebow, we still found people we could be proud to call friends and fellow believers. Of course “cool” is never our goal. Still, I don’t have to search the world to find people to hang with. I don’t have to compartmentalize my life with “church friends” and “popular kids.”

6. Love the unlovable

                One of the core values of our youth group is to: Love people when they lease deserve it and when they lease expect it. Like anything in life, this can become a cool phrase for a t-shirt that we never actually apply in our lives. Sports Camp challenged all of us to love those kids that didn’t act the way we wanted them to. I was screamed at, my wife was kicked in the shin and my entire youth group has decided having children is “just not for them.” That is all right. We were able to overcome THE greatest obstacle in loving others…us. We had a chance to get past ourselves and see those that just needed to know they were loved no matter what or who they are.

7. Patience

                This is pretty self explanatory, but so important to us. Someone had patience with us. A parent, a mentor, a teacher, a coach, Jesus and that made the difference for all of us. Patience is not just something we prop up on a pedestal. It is something that has to ooze from us as we deal with others.

8. Being active is important

                One of my youth leaders lost 15 lbs during his week at "boot camp." He was looking for hidden cameras shooting a new season of Biggest Loser. Teaching kids sports, playing ultimate Frisbee, lifting weights- all of those things were way more fun than sitting on the couch eating potato chips. There are so many drums that get beaten about sins we shouldn’t commit. Gluttony and slothfulness should be listed somewhere as well.

9. Love kids

                We overlook them. We believe children are the future. They are people that need love now. Enough said.

10. Be flexible

                We are so rigid in our everyday schedules. My new friend Jackie shared a story with me. It concerned being late for a meeting because the time he spent with a broken individual was more important than being on time. So many times I value time, punctuality, or production over people. Be late for a meeting. Change your plans in a minute. It can make a difference to someone that needs you and not your day planner.

11. Heaven is bigger than where we live

                It is so easy to get focused on my church, my town, my house and forget how wonderfully large and diverse God’s family is.

12. Positive relationships are important

                For as long as there have been camps there have been “camp romances.” Stealing someone’s heart for our own fulfillment does a disservice to us and others. One of my youth leaders shared something so telling: “It’s not just about being physical. Every relationship you have, you give a piece of yourself away.” We should be careful in giving our hearts away. We should be just as careful with the hearts we try to capture.

                I think the beauty of all of these lessons is that they didn’t take a sermon series or a bible study for us to figure out. All it took was taking the things we have heard over and over and actually doing them. Personally, I can’t wait to see what we learn next year.

I Used to be Fat (or How I Lost Weight)

I just paid someone $50 for the privilege of running 26.2 miles. Yep, that just happened. If you have known me over the last decade, you are probably thinking that doesn’t sound much like Paul. If you don’t know me, I have a confession to make. I used to be fat.

  June 2010            

               In the last 2 years, I have lost 70 pounds. No, you didn’t miss seeing me on the Biggest Loser. I would have bragged loudly enough that you would have already heard about that one.  I have had a lot of people ask me how I lost the weight. Apparently, there was even a rumor that I had surgery to lose it. No, I didn’t have surgery. I had neither the money nor the inclination to do such. For those that choose to get the surgery (and there are several various procedures), I think that is fine. Many have had great success in using the surgery route. It is just not the route that I chose.

                As I looked back over the last few years (dripping sweat post speed workout), I thought about how I got going and got motivated. One of the greatest decisions of my life was to stop the thing that was killing me on a daily basis. Here are the highlights, or lowlights depending on how you look at them.

                                            March 2012

I Started

*Every journey starts with the first step. Trite I know, but certainly true. Anytime I’m up off the couch and NOT stuffing my face was a step in the right direction. I had said hundreds of times, “I need to lose weight,” or “I’ll get started next week.” The difference was made when I just started.

*I stopped worry about what others think. The purpose of a gym is to get in shape. Even though the favorite pastime in gyms seems to be gawking/judging others around you, at the end of the day you are there for you, not what others think of you.

*I found motivation. Shows like Biggest Loser, Heavy, and I Used to be Fat are shows of amazing transformations that involve people that make the exact same excuses that I do. If a woman can lose 200lbs and get her life back, why couldn’t I? If a man can lose the same and run a marathon, why can’t I?

I Got Mad

*Talking with a friend, I discovered one big truth. My weight isn’t offensive to me. I don’t really have to see myself all that much when you think about it. I found a picture of myself that showed just how big I was. I was offended! I got mad. How could I have let myself look like this?

*I realized my life and my goals didn’t match. As a Pastor and more importantly a Christian, my goal in life is to lead others to Christ. What I found was I didn’t look like a person that I would want to follow anywhere. As my cousin pointed out, if they did follow me, they would catch me pretty easily.

*I got embarrassed. I will be heading to Monroe, GA for a vbs/sports camp soon. The last time I was there, two years ago, I was politely asked to sleep in a different room. My snoring was so loud, no one could sleep. My choice for gluttony had sentenced me in a very public way.

I Changed My Lifestyle

*I stopped treating myself like a dog. When a dog does well, he gets a treat. Americans are much the same. When we celebrate, we eat- a lot.

*I practiced self control. I’m blessed enough to know where my next meal is coming from. There is no need to shove the entire buffet table down my throat. I don’t need seconds, thirds or fourths.

*I was wise with my calories. If I'm going to eat a desert, it has to be worth it. Just because food is present doesn't mean it needs to be digested.

I Refused to be “Skinny Fat”

*I didn’t want to just lose weight. Being a smaller pants size and still breathing hard on a walk to my car was not the life I wanted. I pushed myself to not just be smaller, but to be better and healthier.

I Set Goals

*I didn’t get fat overnight, so I certainly wasn’t going to be skinny overnight. Countless studies tell us that we will be more successful if we set goals. If I was in it for the long haul, a goal was a must.

*Adjust your goals. As I lost more, I got more ambitious. As I looked in the mirror more, I changed my barometer for success. Your original goal might seem like settling once you get there. Don't be afraid to get ambitious.

*I set public goals. It started with a 5K. Then I registered for a half marathon. In October, I will be running the full out marathon. Public goals go hand in hand with accountability. When October comes, people will ask me about the race. If I haven’t trained, if I haven’t run, then I’m going to be called out.

                If you were looking for exact science, I’m sorry to disappoint. There are a lot of people a lot smarter than I am that can tell you all of that. At its simplest, eat less and exercise more. But I guess we all know life is often more complicated than that.  Maybe these will help.

Next time: Part Two, Why Losing Weight Matters

10 Things I would Want Some People to Know

A little while back, a few friends of mine blogged respectively on 10 Things Every Teenager Girl/Guy Should Know. One even went viral as a result of being tweeted by Alyssa Milano (If you don’t remember her, it’s time to Google). If you are looking for a much better (if not much more consistent) blog than this one you can check it out here:

http://kateelizabethconner.com/ten-things-i-want-to-tell-teenage-girls/

                Those blogs got me thinking. First, how can I go viral? Second, is my envy of those that do go viral Biblical? Just kidding…maybe. Really, my thoughts went to this- if I could have changed the trajectory of my own life, what would I have needed to know? Also, what has carried me furthest in life. Thus, the quest at hand.  And since David Letterman and now the Conner family have made the Top 10 list a norm in our society, I thought I would stick with the same format. In no particular order, here are 10 things I would want some people to know.

*Disclaimer: I used some vs. the word all because I am aware this list will not solve all of your problems, get stains out of you laundry, or help you buy beach front property.

1) Be a gentleman. Yes, it is old-fashioned to open doors for people or to say “Yes sir” and “No ma’am.” Still, I would say those things have taken me further in life than most others. In a world where new is always considered better, there are reasons why certain things stay with us for a long time. Manners help and politeness will get you further in life. You will be different from others and stand out from the crowd. That’s not a bad thing.

2) Live like there is a tomorrow.

“My parents live in Ohio. I, live in the Moment.” –Ted/HIMYM

Tomorrow, your body will hurt. Tomorrow, that person whose trust you betrayed will still be devastated. Tomorrow, you will need money to pay the power bill. Fun today never erases the regrets of tomorrow.

3) Its okay to NOT be cool. I know what you’re thinking. You’re just saying this because you’re not cool. That would certainly be a true statement. Still, “cool” is a continually moving target. As soon as you get the new clothes, others will take their place. The “must have’s” of today will be the jokes of future generations. By the way, skinny jeans are one of the many regrets of the 80’s (as are leg warmers). Skip the cool and go for original.

4) Don’t get jaded.

“Nice guys finish last.” –Leo Durocher   

  Well, he really didn’t say last for you baseball purists, but that is beside the point. As has been well documented by countless number of teen movies from the 80’s to the present, the jerks get all the ladies, popularity, blah, blah, blah. I don’t know if it’s true, but it is our perception. Possible responses to this perception in society: A) Put on flannel, move to Seattle and brood or B) Make you sure you live a life that you can be proud of. In reality, you can be a nice person and not finish last.

5) Don’t let your highs be too high or your lows too low. Stitch it on a pillow or put in on a bumper sticker, it’s a mantra that makes a difference. If the only two choices you face are, “Best Day Ever” or “Worst Day Ever,” life is going to be a constant roller coaster. Life isn’t meant to be lived in extremes, no matter what Mountain Dew commercials might say.

6) Enjoy the journey. It will make the destination that much better. So many memories are made on the way to somewhere. Speed limits are higher, planes are faster, and the world is now smaller. On your journey to graduation, marriage, or even vacation is where much of life is lived. Relationships are developed. Lessons are learned. Beauty is shown.  The destination means so much more if you enjoy the time and distance you have to cover to get there.

7) Start saving money now. All jokes aside about your wife or girlfriend costing a lot of money, this is advice that will make a difference. Don’t buy on impulse today so that you will be able to make a quality buy tomorrow. There are more rainy days that you need to save for than you could ever imagine.

8) Don’t make up lists for your ideal spouse. It is not a job application. You don’t need to see a resume’. So often I hear things like, “the woman I’m going to marry will go hunting with me, watch sports with me, roots for (fill in the blank) college football team.” You will know your future wife/husband when you meet them. A laundry list of qualities that someone could never possibly live up to, are unfair to the people you meet and will leave you lonely for a lot longer than you would like.

9) Tell people how you feel. You might not be that kind of guy. Get over yourself. Other people need to know that you care about them. It makes a difference in other people’s lives to hear phrases like: thank you, I love you, you make a difference. There will come a time when it is too late. All the words that you thought but didn’t express won’t make a difference because you held them to yourself.

10) Stop feeling sorry for yourself. While you are hosting “pity parties,” the world continues to turn. You will burn more bridges than you ever build by looking for others to validate your existence. Share what you want on Facebook or Twitter. That will forever be the snapshot of your life that you provide to others. Most people have a ready excuse for their driver’s license photo. They say things like, “It was a bad hair day,” or “I wasn’t ready.” As you troll through your choice of social media, are you proud of the portrait you have painted?

The Golden Rule

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule

              I hear the phrase Jesus and the Golden Rule linked together more and more often as I view my facebook news feed, listen to fellow Christians and as I watch the news. To put the issue bluntly, I use the words of legendary swordsman Inigo Montoya-

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

As Christians, we hold a responsibility to not just quote a few verses for our own gain, but to use it as it was meant. Even further, I think that understanding said rule will take us all a lot further than where we are now.

I always have despised that term, golden rule. I remember in school being taught the rule, made to recite it from a poster above the chalk board. It was just another rule that we as human beings have felt that we need to dress up to sound better than its original source. It really became kind of like the Ten Commandments, something that many will protest for, but far fewer know or practice them. In a world of sound bites and protests, I would like to take a look back to the original source.

If you want a tag line, my BIBLE, not poster says “The Great Commandment.” Nobody walks around saying, “Commandments were made to be broken.” On the other hand, we do say that in reference to rules. Our language does make a difference. Here is the passage in question that many paraphrase but have simply not read. Further, they haven’t thought about it much either.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

                                                Matthew 22:34-40 (ESV)

It fascinates me how we are so often like hound dogs. We sniff around until we find the passage that proves our point. In this particular portion of scripture, society skips the beginning, reads the middle and doesn’t even bother to finish the end. If we would just read the beginning, we could identify two groups that made the same mistake in the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In case you don’t know, they weren’t Jesus’ friend. It was the reason the lawyer arrived on the scene to “test him.” The test was to see what he could get out of the conversation. This test could yield two primary results. It could result in a legal case mounted against Christ. Or it could result in an excuse for the lawyer to continue living the way he was living. What the entire group walked away with was a different result all together.

Start at the end.

“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Right there, I realize that everything that had been preached, everything that had been written, every message that God had sent to mankind to that point in history could be put into two concise commandments. This tells me that Jesus doesn’t require me to be a walking encyclopedia of scripture. If I can’t list off every miracle He performed, that is okay. Jesus made it easy. For some reason, we have a desire to make it much easier. So often the impulse is to lead with one, almost apologizing for the fact that Jesus said it.

I suppose we could blame the media, facebook, congress, etc. The blame rests squarely with…Me. That’s right, it starts with me, you, your neighbor and anyone else that fits the bill of being a human. Take a closer look at the portion of scripture we label as the “Golden Rule.”

“Your shall love your neighbor as yourself.”         Matthew 22:39 ESV

The Golden Rule and the original Commandment are certainly similar. The foundational problem is we look at the most important person in the equation as us (i.e. yourself or you). In a therapeutic world, we start with the premise that it all runs through us. We run yelling, “See, I have to love myself! Jesus said so!” Here is the response. Slow down, you already suffer from that issue. You already love yourself.

“As long as I’ve known myself, and that is pretty much all my life, I have done whatever was in my own best self interest.”                -Me

The second problem comes in the form of permissibility. When we "love others" by a live and let live philosophy, that still comes down to our own personal self interest. Bottom line, we want leave others alone so that we will be left alone. While much more could be said about this, it would defeat the point. Here you go...

                The words that Jesus speaks in this passage serve not just to summarize the commandments but to provide a foundation so that the second command is even possible. Try as I might, I can never truly love my neighbor or others more than myself. It is too much to ask. It is the reason Christians cite such sayings as, “God doesn’t help those who don’t help themselves.” Those lines become our mantra simply we do not have it in us to love others as much as we love ourselves (by the way, God didn’t say that, Benjamin Franklin did).

                When we use just this one line to summarize all of Christianity, we in fact DO NOT summarize Christianity. This begs the question, why give this second command at all? What a waste of space. It all sounds pretty hopeless. And I would say that it is, if we were really honest with ourselves.

                But…there is something else that provides us hope. There is a command that is so powerful that not only does it form a basis for the second command, not only does it make the second command possible, but it forms foundation for existence. It forms a foundation for joy. It lays the groundwork for ME to move beyond ME.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

What should blow us away is that he is our God. He is Lord. So I start by loving MY God with every fiber of my being! In loving him with all my heart, mind and soul I am being obedient. I’m not sniffing for what I can get out of scripture, relationships or life. Those things open themselves in a meaningful way when I start by loving God.

                Pick a sin, any sin. There are plenty to choose from. My view of sin will be based upon who I love first. If it is me that I love the most, I will start there and work my way forward on any social issues, denominational issues or personal ones.

But, if I love God first, then I will align with Him. I will view sin in the way that He views sin. I will realize I am not Him. In that realization, I will realize I am sinful myself. This will guide to how I respond to sin in my life, in others lives, in our state, in our country and in our world. I will remember that God did not just say words, but lived them. In the face of those that persecuted Him he stayed silent. When they mocked Him, He invited a thief to Heaven. He loved the world to the literal point of death.

This passage is like most in the Bible. We can use it as Christ intended. It can be used as a base for our lives. Or, we can use it to further personal agendas. Where we go in life will be dictated by which Commandment we begin with.