With Madonna, Christians have fallen to Satan once again

You're probably wondering where I'll go with that one. Actually, so am I!

Let us begin with the latest ruckus Madonna has caused. She is currently on her "Confessions" tour, and evidently the tour is going quite well. She also has a television performance coming up on NBC, where clips from her tour will be broadcast on a two-hour special airing in mid-November. And this is where it gets interesting.

It turns out that part of her stage performance includes Madonna being lowered while appearing to be hanging on a cross. She's actually standing on a small platform, but you get the visual. Well as a result of her using this stage prop, a number of Christian groups are up in arms, angry at Madonna for such a sacrilegious display, and angry at NBC for agreeing to show this blatant mocking of the cross and what it represents. Here's the story:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10202006/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm

This is where I think Satan has once again gained a small victory. Seemingly intelligent Christians are falling into a trap here. We claim to follow God, to place no idols before Him, and what do we do - express outrage that a middle-aged pop-artist is using a cross in a theatrical presentation. Here's the picture - take a look for yourself. It's a silly mirrored cross - it reminds me in no way of what Jesus endured for me.

My problem isn't that we're even paying attention to Madonna and her antics. She has to attempt to be controversial in order to stay in the spotlight. It's all part of a carefully crafted image. You know the adage - "good news or bad news, just so long as I'm in the news." Kind of like her adoption fiasco of the Malawian child. But that's another story.

My problem is that Christians are spending any time on this. Aren't there bigger problems? Shouldn't we be concerned about starvation in Africa? Shouldn't we be concerned with the genocide and war in Darfur? Shouldn't we be concerned that AIDS is still out of control, killing millions every single year? And shouldn't this concern for these true tragedies be displayed by action? This is what James said in 2:14-17 - "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ... faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=66&chapter=2&version=31
He doesn't say works get you to Heaven, but he does say that if you have faith, truly have faith, you will act on that faith as a by product. But I'm not sure sending a million emails to NBC about this particular topic is what he meant.

I recall a passage in The Screwtape Letters, written by C.S. Lewis. In this classic, Screwtape is one of Satan's field personnel, and is sharing his thoughts in a number of letters to Wormwood, his nephew and apprentice. He is sharing how Wormwood can be more effective in bringing people to Satan, away from God. In one particular letter to young Wormwood, he discusses with the young devil how man will fall into the trap of praying to and worshiping an object. He says, "Whatever the nature of the composite object, you must keep him praying to it - to the thing that he has made, not to the Person who has made him. You may even encourage him to attach great importance to the correction and improvement of his composite object, and to keeping it steadily before his imagination during the whole prayer. For if he comes to make the distinction, if he ever consciously directs his prayers 'Not to what I think thou art but to what thou knowest thyself to be', our situation is, for the moment, desperate." He is telling his apprentice that if you want man to fail in his prayers, get him to direct his attention toward an object, away from the God.

Haven't we fallen into Satan's trap by diverting our attention to a cross used by this has-been entertainer? Shouldn't we be worried about saving lives, and saving souls? Shouldn't our attention be on Jesus and not on an object? Things like this distract from what Jesus has called us to do, to love Him, with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Is that love best represented when we protest a silly thing like this, or when we care for God's children? If we continue to wage silly fights like this, Satan does win, just as C.S. Lewis described.

Rodney King - where are you now?

I was living in Southern California when the LA Riots occurred in 1992. Actually, I was on a business trip in Denver the night they began, causing my wife some concern as she was in an unfamiliar state (we had recently moved there), and 7 months pregnant at the time. It was a surreal time, seeing the repeated beatings of Rodney King on the television, as well as the rage that exploded when the accused LA police officers were acquitted. To this day I can not believe Reginald Denny survived the impact of the concrete block being slammed into his head.

Rodney King was at the center of this event. A year prior, he resisted arrest and was beaten by LA police who were trying to control him. To my untrained eyes, it certainly seemed as though excess force was applied. In fact, I remember watching the grainy video, almost gasping as another billy-club struck him...on the arms, on his back, on his head.

For years after that, Rodney King was mocked as a variety of entertainers replayed his plea to citizens of Southern California. As the riots raged, King said to television cameras, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

I was thinking about him recently as I watch and listen to the hate that exists in American politics. Democrats hate Republicans, Conservatives hate Liberals, voters hate incumbents, and the media hates anyone who criticizes them. You can not turn on the radio or television without hearing vitriolic words from so-called leaders. And I'm sure you share my sentiment of being truly sick of hearing it.

So, to steal from Rodney King, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

Can't we just grow up?

Can't we raise the level of discourse in this country?

If we've been wronged, can't we turn the other cheek?

Do we really have to yell louder than the other person?

Can't we be forgiving when someone falls?

Can't we be the first to say good job...to our opponents?

Can't a leader say...I was wrong...and I'm sorry?

Can't we treat others as we'd want them to treat us, not necessarily how they have treated us?

Is winning really the only thing?

Can we all get along?

Sadly, Rodney King has struggled since his days in the limelight. While being awarded millions in a civil action, he's pretty much broke today. He has always struggled with alcohol, and the pressure of being an icon from that terrible time in our country's history have been a burden - a burden he probably didn't want to bear.

I pray for Rodney King. I'm sorry this country has so much hate. I wish we could all get along...

The discipline of fasting

I learned a bit about Yom Kippur recently, the annual Jewish day for repenting of sins. As a Christian, I am guilty for not paying attention to what the various Jewish holidays stood for, or taking the time to educate myself on their meaning. And I have to say, I think this day holds a great lesson for non-Jews. Dedicating oneself to confessional prayer, and making an effort to reconcile with those wronged by your sins makes so much sense. Christians and other non-Jews could learn from this practice.

Just recently I've begun a regular routine of fasting. On a weekly basis, I fast from Sunday evening until Tuesday morning, a period of about 36 hours. When I first began this practice, it was a challenge. The focus of my mind was on my hunger, my desire for food...and on the growling of my stomach! It wasn't so much that I was starving, obviously, but it was the psychological impact of going without food, snacks, munchies, etc. It was as if food was my security.

As my experience has continued, I have begun to focus on God during times of hunger. I pray to God, grateful that I actually have a choice to fast, where so many in the world experience hunger through no fault - or choice - of their own. I realize that hunger is simply a distraction, something that takes my attention from God. As a result, I speak to Him more during my fasting days than I do on other days. When I sense that craving begin, I immediately shift my focus to God, knowing I can lean on Him to carry me through.

For Christians, the discipline of fasting is all too often ignored. I suppose some of this is the result of the times in which we live, where stick-thin models are more often taken to task for their dietary habits than they are admired. However, scripture calls us to fast, and I encourage you to begin a regular habit of fasting, whether weekly, monthly or annually.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of fasting. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus instructs his disciples in how to fast.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:16-18;&version=31;
He says it's important to not bring attention to yourself, but to fast with a positive demeanor. Doing so honors God, as opposed to earning some sort of religious points in the game of salvation. As my brief experience has taught me, it brings focus to your relationship with God.

There is a subtle message contained in the passage. Notice Jesus says "When you fast,", not if. Jesus is assuming all of his followers will fast, and knows there is benefit in doing so. How many of us miss that point? Later in Acts (13:2-3), God communicates with the apostles. He calls for Saul (Paul) and Barnabas to be set apart.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2013;&version=31;

Did you notice he did so while the apostles were worshiping and fasting? I can't help but believe that the Holy Spirit was better able to communicate with the apostles as a result of their commitment to the discipline of fasting.

If you have ever considered fasting as part of your spiritual discipline, but have never done so, I would encourage you to do so. Start with an 18-hour fast (lunch to breakfast), then a 24-hour fast (breakfast to breakfast), and maybe even to a 36-hour fast like I engage in (dinner to breakfast). You'll begin to learn more about yourself, and more about your relationship with God. I think this is one reason Jews fast - it brings focus to their relationship with God, in addition to the wonderful benefit of reconciliation with those they've wronged in the previous year.