Character or Theology

We received an email from a friend who teaches English in another country.  For her, teaching others is a 'mission', a way of serving God.  I got to wondering as I was walking. . . 'What if she was hired by an overseas company to teach English to their employees?  What would matter to them?"

Would it be her integrity?  her honesty?  her work ethic?  her character?

Or would it be her theological position, or positions?  Would that make her more or less important to them?

I have to wonder about things like this.  When I was new in my faith journey, Christians emphasized character. Honesty, loyalty, showing up on time, accepting the 'unacceptable' people, and so forth.  Then change came with radio and TV personalities emphasizing 'right' theology, 'right' positions on abortion, birth control and the like.  And character seemed to fly out the door.

With the emphasis on "right theology" and "right social positions" more and more Christians seem to leave honesty, fairness, loyalty, trustworthiness, truth-telling and personal morality to the old fogies of their youth.  

As an employee and as an employer I have struggled with this change.  If a woman cheats on her husband, will she cheat on my work safety?  If a man lies about a product in order to sell it, will he lie about his hours in order to receive pay he has not earned?  If a salesperson is sent out with a "bottom-line figure" below which he or she must not sell a service, and sells it for less anyway because he wants the commission, must the employing business risk going out of business?

"Do to others what you would have them do to you" still makes good sense, and I think it expresses a strong faith in the God who values values.

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.  

Wisdom: What Does It Have To Do With Us?

• Street smarts. 
• Savvy.
• Smart.
• "Knows her way around."
• Has learned from experience.

The Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, or the sacred writings of the Hebrew faith, gives a great deal of prominence to "wisdom".  In one place wisdom is said to have either been part of creation, been a witness to creation, or been on a par with the spirit in achieving creation.

But it is 2013.  What does wisdom have to do you you and me?  The word sounds solid, ancient, and somewhat sleep-producing.  I have never heard of someone "getting ahead" or being promoted because of her or his wisdom.  Have you?  Bill Gates didn't get rich by being wise, did he?  Warren Buffet might actually be wise, but I have never heard that he made his money by way of wisdom.  If a president has been dead long enough he may be called "wise", but examination of writings during his presidency suggest scheming, glad-handing, and scheming probably made it possible for him to achieve what he achieved.  The recent film, "Linoln" comes to mind when I think of the reality of politics.

What is wisdom?  The list opening this article might suggest a few contemporary ways to describe a wise person.  Was Eric Hoffer, the longshoreman philosopher wise?  He once suggested that the nations of the world should agree that they would never, never start a war until the leaders of each country planning the war personally chose and killed 50 children from the "enemy" country.  Was that wisdom?

What do you think?  What part does wisdom play in your life?  What place does it have in the 21st century?  What does Wisdom have to do with us?

Leave a comment and let us know.

God - Three

Faith in God creates a double-minded reality for me.  I think, on the one hand, God is interested in every human, is interested in me, and relates to me personally.

Then, on the other hand, I think of the immense universe in which we live, tinier than the smallest amoeba on the planet in size comparison to the universe.  I think of the Being who/which brought this universe into reality and the possibility that other universes even bigger have also been created.  How can this Being, God, want to relate to me, or you?

Double-minded, for sure.

I wonder about myself while I am wondering about God.  I remember that when I am creating a large project, or managing something much bigger than I am, I don't have to wait until the end of the day to be either personal or a creator.  I greet a worker by name, I listen to someone on the phone, I get a text from a child wondering if. . .

And I respond.  If our Creator is bigger than we are, would this Being have any less capacity for the personal?

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.

When Is Faith Superstition?

"Step on a crack, break your mother's back."
"If I want it really bad, I won't get it."
"No one my ages gets that kind of job."
"I will pray in tongues to be sure my prayer gets answered."
"I believe the holy book 100% even if I haven't read it or don't understand it."
"I believe _________ [you fill in the idea or doctrine] so God must use me or bless me."
"I attend worship every week (or twice a week, or three times a week) so I must be an exemplary member of my religion."
"I don't believe in God, so I am probably damned."

What superstitions can you think of?  When is silly belief mere superstition, and not faith?  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.

God? -- One

Faith in God creates a double-minded reality for me.  I think, on the one hand, God is interested in every human, is interested in me, and relates to me personally.

Then, on the other hand, I think of the immense universe in which we live, where we are relatively tinier than the smallest amoeba on the planet in size comparison to the universe.  I think of the Being who/which brought this universe into reality and the possibility that other universes even bigger have also been created.  How can this Being, God, want to relate to me, or you?

Double-minded, for sure.

Then the thought comes to me of a mega farmer.  She/he strategizes, watches the futures markets, decides what to grow, sets plows to work, fencers to repair fences, tenders to care for animals being born, and personally works from before dawn to well after dark.

Coming in he greets his dog by name, she picks up a child and asks how school was, and enters into one personal relationship after another.

Big.  Small.  If a farmer can pull that off, maybe the Creator can also relate to you and to me personally.

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.