Off the Record Posts

A Christian Response to the Supreme Court

29 Jun , 2022 No Comments

I make no claim on this being THE Christian response, I’m merely offering you one Christian response. And I suspect this is not the Christian response you’ve been hearing lately.

When we consider the Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding Roe v. Wade I’d encourage you to keep something in mind. I don’t think this is remotely about the value of babies’ lives. I know those are the words that get used, but look closer. I’ve found that most of us actually agree on the value of young humans. I believe this is actually about Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is the idea that we can legislate one particular version of morality on others and make other people live according to those beliefs. As a Christian who follows Jesus, I am adamantly against this. Not only does this horrifically alter Christianity, it also leads to a nightmare of a country for people who do not fit into the majority.

One of the easiest ways to see how this conversation is about Christian Nationalism is to listen to many different Christians saying some version of this argument: “Now it’s time for us to step up and take care of vulnerable women.” Now it’s time? Now? You had to ‘win’ power over people before you would accept the call to care for them? This is bullshit religion that looks nothing like Jesus. This is the stuff the Old Testament prophets lost their minds about. If vulnerable pregnant women didn’t warrant your care before you legally took away rights to their bodies, I doubt they’re interested in your care now. Spoiler alert: it was our time to take care of vulnerable women before the Supreme Court made this recent change. And collectively as Christians, we did not do a good job of this.

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5 Tweets I’m Thinking About

24 Jun , 2022 No Comments

Like any introvert worth their salt, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Specifically, I’ve been processing a lot in the world. And honestly, it’s caused me a bit of anguish. I’m trying to lament these feelings and allow Jesus to shape me in this space. In that vein, I thought I’d share five tweets I’ve read recently that I think are worth considering.

1 – The Counterculture of Following Christ

I realize how controversial this view is—especially amongst Christians—but I really do wonder how radically different (and healthier) our Christianity would be if we decided to try it without guns. I believe this is one of the biggest spiritual blindspots for the Church in America. What would it look like for us to live gently in a violent world?

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Between the Bar and the Church

Between the Bar and the Church

17 Jun , 2022 No Comments

A few weeks back I wrote about some of my confusion with the state of Christianity in America these days (see: Jesus Wasn’t a Good Citizen). Then a friend recently sent me an article that provided a nice glimpse of hope, albeit from a strange source. What’s the source you ask? A website called Liquor.com.

The title of the article was “The Complicated Journey from Holy Studies to Hospitality.” But the subtitle says a lot: “These bartenders, all alumni of evangelical Christian colleges, found the bar industry to be a better source of community and connection than the church.” In the article, writer Rich Manning tells the stories of current bartenders who came from Christian universities and are now finding meaningful community in the bar scene.

Those of you who’ve followed my journey the last few years can see why this is of interest to me. Through our interactions with Communion Wine Co, I’ve found the wine industry can be a great source of community and connection as well.

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Everybody Waves Back

10 Jun , 2022 No Comments

You know the feeling of randomly reading something in a book and having no idea that you will be thinking of what you’ve read over and over again? Here’s something that’s currently living rent-free in my head.

I’ve been enjoying a book by Jessica Pan called Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come. It’s about Jessica’s experiences as an introvert trying to experience more of what extroverts experience naturally. In the book, she relates a story from her friend Nick about how “social life is governed by reciprocity.”

Here’s a story Nick shared with her:

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When You Realize Jesus Wasn’t a Good Citizen

03 Jun , 2022 No Comments

I gotta admit, I’m a bit perplexed at Christianity these days, especially Christianity in America. Many expressions of the church look completely contrary to what I find in the life of Jesus. Many Christians champion values that I have no idea how to reconcile with the person of Jesus. To be honest, it feels quite discouraging at times. Thankfully, I know there are plenty of others who share this feeling (because you tell me regularly).

Consider the following quote from Walter Brueggemann.

Jesus, unlike most responsible American citizens, appears to do no work, and is accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. He is presented as homeless, propertyless, celibate, peripatetic [perpetual traveller], socially marginal, disdainful of kinsfolk, without a trade, a friend of outcasts and pariahs, averse to material possessions, without fear for his own safety, careless about purity regulations, critical of traditional authority, a thorn in the side of the Establishment, and a scourge of the rich and powerful.

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What Should We Focus On?

27 May , 2022 No Comments

After more horrific school shootings this week we find ourselves in the same conversation. Again. To be honest, some of the worst perspectives I’ve heard are from Christians. In fact, so many Christians have been making arguments that helplessly point to generic sin and evil that a friend of ours called Michelle and I today asking if we could explain it to them.

I couldn’t make it make sense for them because it doesn’t make sense to me. It reminds me of a quote I read on the way our reaction to information has changed throughout history.

In the past, censorship worked by blocking the flow of information. In the twenty-first century censorship works by flooding people with irrelevant information. We just don’t know what to pay attention to, and often spend our time investigating and debating side issues. In ancient times having power meant having access to data. Today having power means knowing what to ignore. So considering everything that is happening in our chaotic world, what should we focus on?

Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus
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