The Year IT All Ends

I am going to make a prediction: 2012 will be the year it all ends. I can say this with every ounce of certainty I can dredge out of my bucket. Unless you have been doing a Rip VanWinkle for the last couple decades, you know that new predictions of earth's 2012 doom are surfacing about every news cycle. It is undeniable that something is going to happen on December 21, 2012. A Wikipedia article mentions no less than nine different reasons why 2012 is going to be a significant year. The article includes everything from galactic alignment to magnetic pole reversals.

They missed the fact that many think that the Muslim 12th Imam, an apocalyptic figure, will appear this year. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is firmly convinced that he will be an agent in the revelation of this epic, and he sees the destruction of Israel as one of the major factors. Given the fact that speculation about Iran's immanent nuclear capability can be found in places like the Army strategy briefings and the Council on Foreign Affairs, one must take the otherwise insane rants of this man seriously. Considering the large number of Muslims world wide who sympathize with Ahmadinejad, the number of 2012 doom watchers swells dramatically.

Although they haven't hopped on the 2012 bandwagon as far as I know, dispensationalists like Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and Hal Lindsey have been trying to tie Mid East events to a Bible chronology since the 1970's. If Iran does make war on Israel, watch for 24/7 coverage on CBN, hoping to scoop the story of Jesus' landing on the Mount of Olives. If I understand the rapture timeline, there will have to be some very quick construction on the Temple Mount that will also merit CBN coverage if 2012 is to be the year it all comes down. However, if the pre-tribulation rapture scenario is correct, I doubt there will be any cameramen "left behind" at CBN.

I want to add my two cents to the 2012 hype. It has always fascinated me that the magi who visited the young Jesus had learned of his birth (at least in part) by watching the stars. At the risk of offending my fundamental brethren, I must say that I have no problem believing that God might have a way of synchronizing astronomical events with terrestrial ones. Thus Persian magi in the first century or Mayan shamans in the tenth might have seen something in the heavens that accurately revealed the divine timetable.

I would also note, although a far less precise predictor, God seems to have done things on a 2,000 year time table as far as the Biblical record goes. It was approximately 2K from Adam to Abraham and the same from Abraham to Jesus. I can easily imagine it being another similar period from the Incarnation to the end of time. I do not pretend to know God's mind, but what I do know of him reveals a very symmetrical mind. There is also the whole thing about everything coming in threes (ie. three sets of 2000 years.) The problem here is that December 2012 is only going to be 5773 on the Jewish calendar, so that theory might be off by a couple centuries.

I am not being entirely sarcastic when I link Hal Lindsey, Nostradamus and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  with dozens of New Age theorizers. This convergence of prophetic opinion may be a harbinger of the end of the world. Or it may turn out like hundreds (or thousands) of previous predictions of the apocalypse. What I do know with certainty is that it will all end on the winter solstice in 2012. If nothing else changes on that date, at least there will be copious amounts of egg being wiped from countless faces.

What does not change, either now or then, is the admonition that we believers keep oil in our lamps, wicks trimmed in anticipation of the coming of our Bridegroom. My understanding of prophecy tells me that he could come at any time. The other thing the Bible tells us clearly about God is that he loves to surprise those who think they know what's up. Maranatha.

Deer Camp Philosophy

I have just come sadly to the end of another deer season (for me, as I do firearm and black powder, but have yet to tackle archery.) My schedule allowed me to spend more time in the woods this year than has ever been possible. I should say quickly that deer season for me is not typical. Many people picture something I call beer camp rather than deer camp. These intrepid woodsmen spend most of their time inside the cabin swilling suds, leaving the woods and trails open to those of us who actually go looking for deer.

My time Up North is spent sharing a cabin with Wayne, a dear young friend who is only a few years my senior, but who has decades of hunting experience upon which I draw to balance my book-smart methods. When not actively searching for the elusive bucks, we spend our time talking over coffee and the occasional Guinness. By the end of the season we have usually solved all the world’s problems and straightened out the twisted ways of several theological dilemmas. (And yes, we traditionally watch Escanaba in Da Moonlight at some point.)

Our friendship has continued into its third decade at least in part because we find in each other something that is rare: we are both philosophers. We tend to think about things on a level that few other spend (they would say waste) time on. We do not consider ourselves better than others for this trait we share. We do however believe with Socrates that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Some people live apparently fulfilled lives without ever asking the why questions; we find it hard to get through the morning without approaching at least one.

Being a philosopher is different from having a philosophy. Everyone has a particular way of seeing reality, sometimes referred to as a world-view. This is a philosophy. In his book, Learned Optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman suggests that we all have an “explanatory style” to handle what life throws at us. Whatever one calls it, this personal way of seeing the world helps us answer the basic questions of philosophy even if we don’t realize what we are doing.

The philosopher makes the attempt to realize what he is doing, or better, to examine what he is thinking about what he is doing. It is important for all believers to do this on some level. The Bible directs us to be renewing our minds, to think in other-worldly ways, and not to be thoughtlessly pounded into the world’s mold. This entails a reframing of reality. I think it was J.B. Phillips who said that Jesus did not come to introduce a new religion, but a new way of living.

One of the ways Wayne and I passed the time this year was watching the Matrix trilogy (again.) Stop. I know it is not a Christian allegory; it is not Christian anything; rather it is quite Buddhist in its world-view. But (here comes a shocker) there is much in Buddhist thinking that parallels Biblical truth. Truth is truth no matter where you find it. The idea that really struck me this time through the Matrix is that many people are living as if they were mindless functionaries trapped in an artificial construct built by their worst enemy. That is not far from how the Bible describes our predicament.

Unfortunately many believers are guilty of the same stinkin’ thinkin’. Many Christians lead unexamined lives deceived by the old master into thinking what they see is real. The fact is, once we are regenerated, we are supposed to start seeing the temporal world around us as less real than the unseen world which spans eternity. If I could I would give every Christian I know a gift this Christmas: the gift of sight, like a view of what the Matrix really is. Then I would wish them free. That’s what I brought back from deer camp this year.

Christophobia Part 2

There has been less than expected mention of the Rick Perry "I am a Christian..." political ad I commented on in my last post. Pollster Frank Luntz reported today that the ad polled under twenty percent among both Democrats and Republicans; fifty percent is the minimum number for an ad to be considered effective. I wonder if this means that even potential supporters of Governor Perry are uncomfortable with his openly Christian stance. If it is not that, perhaps people just don't like "negative" ads no matter how truthful they may be.

Perry is correct to say that there is a war on Christian values in our society. Objections to people saying Merry Christmas and lawsuits to ban nativity scenes from public property have surfaced again this holiday season. Bill Bennett rightly commented on Fox News yesterday that the only bigotry which is acceptable among the elite in America is that expressed against "believing Christians." (I suspect Bennett's Roman Catholic world-view allows for an oxymoronic non-believing Christian.) He is right; public figures and the media consistently bash what might be called fundamental Christian beliefs and practices while charging with hate crimes anyone who similarly denigrates Muslims, gays, blacks or any other group du jour.

Tim Tebow's streak ending loss on Sunday brought another round of anti-Christian commentary from people who obviously just don't get him. In the verbal run-up to the game last week a Democrat commentator whose name I never heard and don't remember made the quintessential elitist remark. Tebow's celebrated virginity was mentioned in passing and the Dem scoffed dismissively (I paraphrase,) "You know he got some in college; everybody does." It is beyond belief for the secular left in our society to imagine that anyone past puberty is not sexually active.

I have a theory that is not intended to be counter-dismissive or condescending, but it will be received as such by those about whom I theorize. I am of the opinion that there is an innate sense in every human that some things are right and some things are wrong. Sexual promiscuity tears at the heart of what is so clearly the fabric of civil society that it makes even libertines uncomfortable in their deepest hearts. If you want to get a heated discussion going, just bring up pornography, infidelity, teen pregnancy or any other sexual perversion. Believers who claim to practice sexual purity make the impure so uncomfortable they cannot help casting aspersions to assuage their guilt.

As I said before, Perry's ad touched both strings of this harp when he mentioned gays in the military and his Christian faith. Tim Tebow strums the same chord. Sarah Palin got the media salivating with stories of her daughter's pre-marital pregnancy and anything else they could hint about of a sexual nature. Because this subject is bound so deeply with what we are as humans, the Apostle Paul even tells the Corinthians that sexual sin is of a different nature than all other sins. Sexual perversion tinkers with the very core of what it means to be human.

It should be no surprise then that the media and the secular left jump all over any story that brings this up. It is sad to learn from recent polls that sexual sin is not much less prevalent in self-described Christians than in the society as a whole. Perhaps that explains why even conservatives, a group that ostensibly includes "believing Christians," are not responding more favorably to Perry's ad or coming more forcefully to the defense of Tebow or Palin. Perhaps we share the same guilt as the secular observers. Maybe this is a good time to remember Peter's admonition to keep a clear conscience so we can silence the slanderers. It makes for more peaceful sleep too.

Christophobia

Texas Governor Rick Perry is taking a huge risk in his campaign for the Republican nomination for President. He is being entirely transparent about his faith. He is certainly not the first candidate to admit to being a Christian, but the hand he has chosen to play will undoubtedly expose him to mockery and scorn. He has chosen to lay all his cards on the table and reveal what many of us know, but few will say out loud: Christians are not getting a fair shake in America.

The specific gambit to which I refer is a YouTube ad in which the Texas governor takes direct aim at the enemy in this country's culture war. In the ad a Carhartt clad Perry strolls across a sylvan scene and says, "I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.

I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message."

One day after the ad first aired, a Google search offered 501 responses by the media. I did not read all 501 offerings, but the main point of concern seems to be that Governor Perry has the audacity to imply that homosexuality is not acceptable to many Christians. I don't think that was his point. I think he was showing the disparity between the freedom of expression two opposing groups enjoy in this country. I think his point was that it is acceptable to admit openly that you are gay, but it is not acceptable to admit openly that you are a Christian. I also think that Perry's message will be completely lost because he dared to use gays as his target for comparison.

I cannot think of another group which has done such a masterful job of elevating the demands of a small minority to the level of national debate as has the homosexual lobby. Because many homosexuals are reluctant to expose themselves, hard data on the prevalence of the lifestyle are difficult to come by. It is instructive to discover that Gallup polling reveals that respondents think twenty percent of the population is gay, whereas most experts place the actual number below ten, many making it less than five. My point is that the homosexual lobby has made Americans think they are a much larger group than they probably are.

I am now going to digress and say something that may shock some of my dear readers. I do not think that homosexuals should be discriminated against. I do not think there is a way to directly apply the condemnation of homosexuality in Leviticus and Romans to the public square in America. I think homosexuality should be treated the same way smoking is treated. Neither could be considered best practices for Christians. At this time, neither is illegal. There are however compelling public health issues with both. Because tobacco use has been linked to cancer, it is regulated and warnings are required. Homosexuality also carries the risk of increased health problems and shortened life expectancy. It should be treated the same as smoking in public policy. But don't expect that to happen. Remember the lobby.

End of digression. Rick Perry dared to tweak the nose of the homosexual giant. I hope it has the result he desired. I suspect he wanted to make a big splash and re-energize his flagging campaign. He will certainly get plenty of press; I'm not sure it will be the kind that translates into votes in the Iowa caucuses or the South Carolina primary. Even though both of these states have strong conservative Christian voting groups, there are too many Christians who have been frightened by the giant. The cry for tolerance has muted the voice of the majority in this country. We are still a majority, we believers, at least for now.

In his classic book, Your God is Too Small, JB Philips suggests that if God came to earth he would not be well received. He would challenge the status quo and smash the castles built by human arrogance. Perry's recent gamble has pointed out that the God who did come to earth makes many people uncomfortable. Sadly, even people who claim to know and love this God-come-to-earth are frightened into awkward silence. I have not decided whether I think Governor Perry is the ideal Republican nominee, but I sure like his simple, honest, courageous approach to a problem no one is willing to talk openly about. Jesus plainly said the world would hate his true followers. I applaud Rick Perry for his willingness to stand up and take it.

What Would Jesus Undo?

I am in a group of guys reading through the book by Mark Batterson In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Unlike many of the books I recommend, this is not some weighty philosophical tome that requires a dictionary as a companion. Batterson's conversational style and real life examples make for easy reading, yet still provide the thoughtful challenges I am looking for.

A couple of things have come to light lately that seem to dovetail with what Batterson is saying. One of the most striking things Batterson says is that our biggest problem is not learning something new; it is unlearning things we shouldn't have learned in the first place. He calls upon the example of Jesus teaching the Jews what their two thousand year old covenant with God was really all about. They had been taught many things by rabbis which were at cross purposes with the intentions of God, and they needed reeducation, unlearning. He likens this to defragmenting a corrupt hard drive on a computer and installing new software to process reality properly.

There are areas in my personal life where I find this concept useful. Batterson suggests that we should collect experiences, not possessions. This is a lesson I wish I had unlearned much earlier than I am unlearning it. I learned to live with the idea that if I could afford the payments, I could own the things I wanted. Judging from the polls revealing Baby Boomer indebtedness, I am not alone in this one. Every once in a while I like to pull out the book by A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, and reread the chapter, "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing." Tozer reminds me that it is all too easy for our possessions to become the possessor. I need to learn that.

There are many examples in public life where some unlearning would be healthy. Washington needs to unlearn that they can spend money they don't have. Somewhere along the line the folks in our government have come untethered from the concept of fiscal responsibility. What's worse is that they also seem to continually learn that there are "rights" that are not to be found in any of the country's founding documents. The elephant in the room in every debate over healthcare reform is the assumption that every citizen (and even non-citizens) has the right to medical care. Another unlearning lesson regards unemployment compensation. I wonder if it is really the government's job to pay people not to work for up to two years. Why not three years? Why not for a lifetime?

There are many things in our spiritual lives we need to unlearn too. Christians need to unlearn complacency. We need to unlearn apathy. We need to unlearn that the responsibility stemming from faith begins and ends on Sunday morning. We need to shed the bounded set mentality and embrace a centered set view which better represents the attitude Jesus seemed to have towards reality. Yes, there are boundaries; no I am not advocating wishy-washy, anything goes doctrine. I just think Jesus' approach to the world was far more liberal (dare I apply that word to the Savior) than many evangelicals will admit. A little unlearning would be a good thing for most of us.