Community on NBC is my favorite new comedy to come along since The Office. Smart, Witty and delightfully dumb. Plus, it’s generally pretty tame in its sense of humor. In other words, most jokes are about pop-culture, not sex—which I appreciate.

The most recent episode, the Christmas episode, made a point to poke fun at religion in general, which each member of the ‘community’ having a different, stereotypical religious belief. There’s the Jewish girl, the middle eastern Muslim boy, the African American Jehovah’s Witness, the feminist atheist, the born again Christian woman, the older liberal man who’s in a cult but doesn’t know it, and the main character who’s an agnostic.

When they introduce everyone’s belief, the main Character reveals that he is agnostic. The others scoff at him insisting that he’s too ‘lazy’ to decide what he believes. It was a comical discussion, but it got me thinking about the Church’s various theological makeup.

An extremely large portion of the church finds itself as a sort of “agnostic Christian”. Of course, not in the literal sense of the word.

Religiously speaking, an agnostic is “a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)”. In Christianity, many people take the complexity of theology and conclude that we simply cannot know the right answer and sit non-committedly in ambiguous belief. They’re mostly unwilling to place definitions on God, or on the way God works.

But, this is simply wrong. We are able to look at scripture and draw confident conclusions about God and how he works. While we shouldn’t scoff at anyone’s belief, we should encourage our brothers and sisters not to rest in ‘agnostic Christianity’, but to seek the scriptures and draw conclusions.

I strongly believe that it is important to know what we believe and why. Even if that belief isn’t necessarily ‘right’, knowing our beliefs about God is important and much healthier than giving up because we think it’s too complicated.

I am an occasional poster at a Christian site that will remain anonymous. I joined years ago then only recently began posting again. Upon my return, I’ve discovered something unsettling.

The ads. Here’s a few I’ve come by in one visit.

Now, I’m not one to to call out websites for no reason. In fact, this could even be construed as gossip. But I’m not so much talking about the website where I encountered these ads. I’m talking about the church that accepts them.

If the church is wherever believers meet, then displaying ads on a community website for Christians is, in effect, like putting these ads up in your church sanctuary.

Where is the church that she is okay with this?

Anyone who reads this blog regularly, or who knows me personally probably knows that I have my hesitations and convictions about what we consider the large, organized, ‘corporate’ church. Not speaking, necessarily of people, but of the organization they create and maintain.

But I still I don’t think there is too much that’s more important that being a part of the natural and organic body of Christ.

In other words, having Christian friends and living life with them.

While I was reading in Ecclesiastes today, I came upon Solomon’s own argument for the same thing. I think he says it better than I do.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

People love drama. I mean, it’s really the essence of pretty much all entertainment, not to mention the driving force behind gossip. Something about it just feels so exciting—when things somehow seem larger than life. Taking a tid-bit of information and speculating about it left and right with all kinds of people.

Most of us do or have or will do this. Maybe it’s just our culture. But it’s something we all suffer with at some point or another—either on the fun end or the not-so-fun end.

Proverbs 25:7-10:

“What your eyes have seen
   do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
   when your neighbor puts you to shame?
Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
   and do not reveal another’s secret,
lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
   and your ill repute have no end.”

It’s interesting that the simplest, most obvious things in scripture seem to be the most challenging for us to keep a handle on.

In Have you ever read Romans 14:13? It goes like this:

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother”

I think I hear this verse (and others like it) way too often. It’s usually used as kind of a blanket verse. A trump card to avoid tense situations. Billy is drinking a beer and Betty thinks it’s wrong. Rather than Billy and Betty having to deal with the tension of holding differing convictions, it’s argued that Billy shouldn’t drink beer because it’s causing Betty to ‘stumble’.

Is it? Or is her sense of right and wrong taking offense at Billy’s differing opinion? They’re not the same thing.

Admittedly, this is not a topic that I have thoroughly thought through. There are still quite a few questions and points of contention in my mind over it. But the overarching issue, I think, is relatively clear.

Consider the verse, Proverbs 27:17:

Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.

Is it possible for iron to sharpen iron without friction? No, of course not. Friction is more or less why iron can sharpen iron. Likewise, I can’t think of too many times that a brother refined me apart from my own convictions rubbing against theirs. For us to benefit from one another as believers, our sense of right and wrong must be offended some times.

In Romans 14, Paul does not want to cause a brother to stumble by eating meat. After all, many of his Jewish brothers would be violating their conscience by eating meat. But eventually, they did eat meat. There are very few Christians today who refrain from eating meat for biblical reasons. How’d this happen? At some point someone’s convictions must have been offended causing them to reconsider their resolves, ultimately allowing them to change their views and eat meat with a clean conscience.

In the situation with Billy and Betty, Billy shouldn’t entice Betty to drink beer, nor should he drink beer if Betty is feeling the urge to do so—thus violating her conscience. However, I don’t think Billy has much obligation to Betty’s preferences beyond that.

If we allow the definitions of ‘stumbling block’ and ‘offended’ and ‘conscience’ to be convoluted, then we’ll be restricted from just about everything. There aren’t many topics that Christians unanimously agree on and how specifically to live this life is far far far from being on that list. That’s okay. But it means that topics like this one shouldn’t be carelessly understood and hidden behind.

It usually results in more irritated conflict and threatens to stunt our spiritual and relational growth.

 
(photograph: artificial sunlight, 1/200, f/3.5, artificial light via 580ex)

Smoking hookah is one of my favorite new activities. My original experience with the hookah was several years ago when some friends started going to a local hookah bar on a regular basis to smoke. At the time I found it really annoying—mostly because I sensed a hint of pretention which may or may not have actually been there. But either way, I masked my personal bias against the hobby with some spiritual mumbo-jumbo which I’m sure I’d scoff at if I heard it today.

It’s a different story though. I can’t get enough of it (as a figure of speech, I’m not addicted to it. I just really enjoy it).

A few months back a friend who has long been into smoking hookah started inviting friends over to enjoy it together. That’s where I finally had my first experience with it. Shortly after that, my sister’s boyfriend gave me a small (but quality) hookah pipe that had gone unused in his basement for years. Since then, I’ve developed a great appreciation for it.

In a nutshell, for those who don’t know, a hookah is a water-pipe, usually used to smoke shisha—a wet, sticky, flavored tobacco. It was developed originally in India, then moved throughout the Middle East and is now gaining big popularity here in the States.

In a hookah, the tobacco is burned using indirect heat from a coal. The tobacco is placed in a ceramic bowl, covered with a tin screen, on which the hot coal is placed. When the user smokes, hot air is pulled through the screen, across the tobacco, filtered through cold water, and then inhaled. What is inhaled is a mix of water vapors from the shisha flavoring and smoke from the tobacco.

While it’s not altogether better for you than smoking anything else, the experience is completely different and almost entirely non-addictive. Which of course is a big plus.

But why do I write about this here? Because the hookah is more than a really soothing, relaxing activity to do while reading or watching a movie. It’s also an excellent conductor of conversation in the context of small community groups. Many of the best conversations I’ve had over the past few months have happened around a hookah pipe. I would equate it, in a way, to eating a meal together. But, hookah has a naturally mellowing affect on people. So conversations have the tendency to spend less time on flippant matters and more on things that really matter.

And, because it’s a mutually shared activity that groups can have a sense of shared “progress” in, It’s also a less awkward excuse to sit and have a conversation with someone than, say, coffee.

I have loved smoking hookah, and plan to continue to do so. I think in communities where people are open to it, it’s a great way to facilitate conversation without intimidating or creating a sense of expectation on people. Give it a shot. You might love it as much as I do!

I’ve been avoiding this for my own reasons.

To the left is 14 year old Christopher Jones. He died this week. The circumstances surrounding his death are still somewhat of a mystery to me as most of the news articles can’t seem to agree on their story. But regardless, two boys have been arrested in connection with his death. One 14 and the other 16. His death was no accident, but to what degree it seems unclear.

Chris was a intermittent attendee of the Anne Arundel County local church, MACC. But more specifically, in past years, he would occasionally attend the small group which one of my closest friends lead.

This has been a trying few days for the whole community of people connected to Chris. Whether they knew him or not, when a kid is killed, it sends shockwaves through the community. This is absolutely no exception. People have dealt with their grief, confusion and anger in different ways. Some in healthier ways than others—some avoiding the issue all together (I fall primarily into the last group).

The reality is, Chris’ death presents us, me, with my true mortality. Although I never knew Chris, It forces the issue that life, the basic tenants of existing, aren’t guaranteed. And even in their true and incredibly fragile state, I have only barely begun to scratch the surface of understanding them. The delusion of getting this life crumbles quickly when reality can shout louder than the fingers in my ears are able to muffle.

Yesterday my friend who lead the small group called, shaken. He asked whether I thought that all things that happened glorified God. I had to admit that on some level all things must glorify God—although how, I cannot understand. This inability to understand is a great source of struggle for me and for my faith and for my intellect.

God has promised that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from his will (Matt. 10:29). So, while I cannot even begin to understand Chris’ death, I must believe that there is design in it and no matter how painful that reality may be, it is meant for good and for glory which, one day, hopefully, we’ll be able to understand.

I know that I personally have failed to respond to this situation, and others, in a way that truly glorifies God beyond my basic human functions. And I know that I have failed to uphold brothers as they struggle in the same way. And for this, I pray that there is grace too.

_______

Lord, hear my prayer.

Jesus. I would be a liar if I understood how to come to you in prayer. Although the words maybe true, I would speak as a liar if I rolled a series of God exalting praises off my tongue and told you how righteous you are for your decision to allow (or to cause, I cannot know) Chris’ death. I can’t, in honesty, thank you for this turn of events. So I speak honestly to you, as a loving Father who knows my heart.

God, I’m upset that so many of the people I love have to suffer from the loss of Chris, someone they loved. I’m upset that so much of this life is groping around in the dark wondering what’s next and how to get there. I’m upset that so much of this life is chocked up to ‘faith’, and I’m upset that I have such a difficult time wrapping my hands around ‘faith’ and grace and trust and love.

God, I want to love you. I want to trust you. I want good and glorious things to come from Chris’ death, and God, I want to have faith that it will.

Although I struggle to trust you, I try my best to believe that you are working all things for the good of those who love you. That your plan is better than our plan. That if you have intentioned suffering in our lives, even suffering like the loss of a loved one, it is for our good and your glory. God, in all of those who are suffering now as they grieve for Chris, offer consolation through the life, death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus.

God, I pray for Chris’ family; particularly his mother and father. I pray that you would comfort them. I pray for Chris’ peers, friends, mentors and acquaintances, that you would comfort them. God, I pray for Chris’ assailants, that you would also visit them with comfort. And God, by the blood of your son Jesus, I pray that you would use Chris’ death to prime all of these aforementioned individuals to hear and accept your great Gospel of forgiveness. God, by the blood of Jesus, I pray that you would not allow Chris’ death to be in vain, but that you would bring about saving grace in a great many through it.

God, although I struggle to believe, I affirm that you are good and that you are worthy of our love and our lives. Jesus, prove yourself faithful for all of us whose faith, for whatever reason, is shaking.