Forgiveness: Humility or Humiliation?

I've been meditating recently on the division that is so rife in the church. On a global scale, there are divisions between Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and a myriad denominations. On the political scene, between conservative and liberal Christians. In the local church, maybe the lines are drawn along two sides of an issue, maybe people just have history together that hasn't been resolved. People disagree, they've been hurt and instead of reconciliation, there is distance and distrust.

In recent conversations with young people, they've talked about the hypocrisy they experience when the church merely gives lip-service to unity. They hear the gossip, feel the icy greetings; what that communicates is that church is not safe.

I keep returning to Philippians. Paul doesn't let the church off the hook when they have disagreements or don't see eye to eye.

Philippians 2:1-2

1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,

if any comfort from his love,

if any common sharing in the Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion,

2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love,

being one in spirit and of one mind.

"Being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." That's a tall order and one we frequently fall short of. I don't think being like-minded means we have to have the same opinions. Rather it means that unity and love supersede those things that divide us. Do we allow our differences and hurts to turn our brothers and sisters into "the enemy?" Or do we allow the Spirit to work in us to reconcile?

Philippians 2:3-4

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

People often mistake humility for humiliation. The difference I see between the two is whether someone is empowered or ashamed. Choosing to humble oneself is a decision based on that person knowing their worth, knowing their strength, and willingly laying it down in service to others. Humiliation is when someone's worth is stripped by someone else.

Choosing to reconcile out of humility is an act of strength. Being coerced into "making peace," through fear of humiliation or retaliation, is abuse. God does not want or expect us to be humiliated or shamed. He asks us to know our worth, recognize the spiritual wealth we have access to, and choose unity over being right or getting revenge.

So often young people are looking for people who will walk with them through life's challenges, but what they see is older people too stubborn or afraid to walk in humility. They see elders and leaders speaking one way and living another. Will we, as the older generation, do the work to become humble advisors, leading not just in word but in action? The next generation is watching and the decision is ours.

Exposing the Emperor

I've been thinking about the folk tale, The Emperor's New Clothes. In it, a vain ruler is tricked by a crafty peddler into thinking he's wearing an outfit of the highest quality, that only the truly wise can see. The ruler doesn't see the invisible clothes, but not wanting to look foolish, he pretends that he can. His aides, who also want to save face, follow along in the delusion, praising the Emperor for his beautiful new duds. In the story, the vain Emperor goes so far as to parade down the main street, thinking he's showing off his wealth and wisdom, all the while putting his idiocy on display.

Sound familiar?

Most of us are probably more like the emperor's staff, than the emperor himself. Do I prefer to passively believe what someone in authority says, never questioning it? Do I embrace wildly improbable explanations when my senses and gut tell me it's all a charade? How many times have I listened to bizarre extrapolations of Scripture and decided to look the other way? If vanity and pride are not my Achilles' heel, maybe, like the emperor's entourage, I'm more susceptible to fawning and faking, rather than standing up for truth.

In the story, there was a boy who didn't pretend to see the clothes, like all the grownups did around him. The crowd mumbled under their breath, but applauded the emperor to his face. The boy called his bluff and broke the silence. Is my allegiance to certain people or religious structures too strong for me to risk upsetting them? Have I been lulled into blindly following a deceived leader? How can I, like the boy, stay clearheaded, both seeing and speaking the truth?

Jeremiah 23:16 says, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord."

Sometimes we want so badly to hear some good news. We want to be right for once. We want our viewpoint and convictions to be validated and to seem wise. This was the case with Israel during the time of Jeremiah. There were scores of false prophets appeasing the Israelites and telling them what they wanted to hear, but Jeremiah had a different message for them. His message was bad news, but it was true. God was calling His people to account for their sins. He was leading them into trouble because of their wayward hearts. Nobody wanted to hear that message; instead they clung to prophesies of false hope.

When the crafty peddler comes around, trying to seduce us with visions of wisdom and being on the "inside track," will we weigh his words? Will we test our own motives for believing him? Will we rely on the counsel of the Spirit, who is only committed to truth, not delusion? Will we welcome in the deceiver, making him an honored guest, while he steals from us and makes us a laughingstock? Or will we throw him out and take a good, honest look in the mirror?

The Price Too Steep?

I've been thinking about God's take on freedom. The Bible talks quite a bit about how belief in Jesus leads to freedom.

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Isaiah 61:1 "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners."

2 Corinthians 3:17, "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

1 Peter 2:16, "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom

as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves."

When freedom is talked about and guaranteed in the New Testament, it is spiritual, not political freedom. Jesus walked the earth in an era when God's people were oppressed by a foreign power and, though He had the power to do something about it, He chose not to. The tangible political climate was not His priority; people's individual hearts and souls were. In fact, right up until His crucifixion, several of His disciples thought they were going to be leading a political revolution.

God doesn't seem to have a problem with His beloved people experiencing hardship, heartache and even oppression. Over and over again in the Old Testament, the people of Israel were led into bondage when their hearts had turned from God. They looked to other gods to fix their problems and pour out their devotion to. Because of this, God would lift His protection and they would face the consequences of their actions.

A famous age of exile was during the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, a Babylonian king (2 Kings 24, Daniel). God's people had been besieged, routed and taken into captivity. They were to live under foreign rule, in a foreign land far away from the temple and their promised land. The Babylonian king forced his subjects to bow before his statue and three Israelite friends refused, saying they only bow to God. Most people know how the story ends; the three friends are thrown into a furnace, but are not consumed by the flames. They are miraculously protected due to their integrity and faith in God.

How many of us would just rather not experience that miracle? We're so impassioned about our freedoms, about never being put in a position of being desperately in need of a miracle. I hear so many Christians going to battle to protect their political freedoms, when that isn't a fight that Jesus fought. He let Babylon exile Israel for 70 years. He let Rome rule over Israel for almost 400 years. Despite this, even because of this hardship, His people re-consecrated themselves and experienced the inner freedom that He offers.

Paul the Apostle was in chains for his faith when he wrote this in Philippians 1:12: "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel."

There is a portion of the global church that is persecuted and is experiencing spiritual freedom, renewal and miracles every day. Would we really rather fight to maintain the complacency our religious freedoms have afforded us? Personally, I want to see miracles, I want to see revival in the streets, I want the kingdom of freedom advanced, whatever the personal cost.