Life and Death in Lent

Religion Today - Moncton Times & Transcript - February 20th 2016

The reason for Lent is, in fact, preparing for the reality of death. Good Friday is when Jesus dies horribly. The thing is, as a lot of people will tell you, we have a tendency to skip over Good Friday and move right on to Easter- the festival of light and life which declares that even death is not the end and Jesus magically returns from the grave.

Perhaps it is only natural – but we are much fonder of life than we are of death.

There is even a term, and it came up recently, “The sanctity of life” when the news started once more talking about assisted suicide. Life is holy, goes the saying, and so it should be protected at all costs. Life – apparently – is more important than all of the miraculously wonderful things that go into living.

Here is the thing. I spent a morning talking to a man who recently lost his wife. Well – she recently died after a horrific eight-month journey into hell with the rare Jakob Creutzfeldt Disease, or as we think of it, the human version of Mad Cow Disease.

Now, she had a DNR, do not resuscitate order, and they had all talked about how she did not want so-called “heroic” measures taken. But the problem came when she slipped into a coma from which she would never recover – and did not die.

The decision was taken to stop everything that was helping to keeping her alive. Which meant to take out the feeding tube. What followed was four days of starving to death…

I know, this is not a very happy topic… the thing is, I had never really thought about the fact that what actually happens is that you stop feeding them and then let them starve. It seems a horrible way to die, even if you are incurably sick already.

It was one of his final statements that stuck with me and provoked this article. “We talk about preserving the sanctity of life, but we do not talk about the sanctity of death.”

After his wife’s unnecessary suffering he became even more keenly aware of the fact that the more humane solution would have been to help her die quicker, sooner, closer to when her actual life ended.

Currently, he is a fervent advocate of the Death with Dignity movement, and a strong supporter of what the news, unfortunately, calls physician-assisted suicide but which George calls physician-assisted passing over to the great next adventure.

His argument is an interesting one – why do we think being born is a gift from god, but dying is not? Why do we think that life is to be protected at all costs, even when it is no longer worth living? Why would ending the life of a person who is brain dead, in a coma, with no chance of recovery because holes have been eaten out of their brain be called murder and come with a 17-year jail sentence?

Is it not more likely that the moral and religious answer to what would Jesus do would be to administer enough morphine to stop her heart in a second?

That too would be a tough choice to make, a tough moment of courage and letting go. But it would be the humane thing to do – and is, in fact, the human thing to do when a horse breaks their leg or a dog gets cancer. Is it more important to help a pet not suffer than a beloved family member?

Lent is a time when we think about the deeper questions of faith and what it is that keeps us from being the best possible people we can be. The truth is that Jesus saw death as the best possible way to make his point about love and life. Maybe we can stop being so afraid of death. Perhaps it is time to celebrate everything that goes into making us who we are – including our death. 

Heaven and the Banquet

I knew a guy who once told me that if he could ask someone one question, he could get a handle on their religion. That one question was, what do you think happens after you die?

It is a pretty good question to be sure; sort of like an ultimate what do you think religion is about question. There are those who think that we get some sort of ultimate reward in the afterlife for our good deeds in this life. There are those that think we just get another different type of life, hopefully reunited with family and friends. There are those that think we are reincarnated and come back to try to get it right in this life. There are those who think nothing happens, we go into the ground and rot. And there is everything in between.

You see, it is a good question because it affects everything about how we live. Why are we doing things in this life? Is it so as to earn a reward? Is it because we realize life is short and we want to make it the best we can? Is it so that we do not come back as a slug?

You get the idea. It is a simple question in a sense and it affects our entire belief structure. Now, before we go further you should know that whether you are United, Catholic, Baptist, Muslim or a Secular Humanist the person who you find sitting next to you does not believe the same thing as you.

We are all different when it comes to life after death and that is because there is absolutely nothing that can be known 100 percent about what happens. Each generation has come up with ideas that reflect what they think perfection looks like… so the Vikings thought heaven would be endless glorious battle in which no one dies and everyone parties during the night. Poor peasants who had nothing imagined a world with streets paved with gold. Lonely people want to be reunited with all their loved ones…

But all of these ideas are simply that, ideas we have about what perfection would be like

I just got back from a monumental road trip with three young children to Walt Disney World. I have been to Disney more times than a lot of people, it was a family favourite and my father owns a house in Florida. For me, Disney World is the ultimate vacation. I love the fantasy of it all, I love the architecture and the way it is laid out… I go there again and again. But I know lots of people who do not like it at all, they think it is crowded and fake seeming, overwhelming and childish.

The exact same place could be described a thousand ways by a thousand guests. And the description, as well as our relation to it, changes depending on whether or not we like it. So too our conception of the afterlife is just that, our conception, what brings us joy, what we aim at.

Jesus once told a parable about banquets, and about how we should be humble and think very hard about who we invite and why. I think that he was making exactly this point about how different people have different things going on their lives, different beliefs and different needs… but we cannot think that we are better than them, and we cannot think that we are right.

As I get older and wiser I have come to realize that at one time or another I have been wrong about just about everything. Luckily I have been right a bit too… but mostly wrong. We need to be open to that, we need to realize that we cannot judge people on their beliefs, and we need to start accepting that the reasons behind what we do and think are important. But more importantly, they tell us more about who we are than about God or faith. 

Jesus and the Missus

Faith Today - Moncton Times and Transcript - October 13th 2012

Archaeologists have discovered, it is believed, a fragment of an ancient text which suggests that Jesus was married. It is being called the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife, and it contains, among other things, the line: “Jesus said to them, my wife…”

Pretty ambiguous… but there are a lot of things we assume about the life of Jesus that come from far smaller clues.

The Vatican, of course, says this is a fake; that someone took ancient papyrus and wrote ancient Coptic script, in ancient ink and; well, maybe it is; but what is interesting is the discussion that this debate has caused. If Jesus did have a wife, so what?

The truth is that the Bible as we know it was stitched together by committee during the reign of the Emperor Constantine about 300 years after Jesus lived. There were hundreds of Gospels and manuscripts from the early church, and they chose which ones they liked best. Scholars have known for some time, for example, that there was an entire popular gospel, the Gospel of Thomas, that got left out. So it is possible that this is real.

There are other things to the marriage if you read between the lines as well. For example, Jesus turns water into wine at a marriage feast after his mother tells him they are running out of wine. Why is this Jesus job? Why should he care about running out of wine? Maybe it is his wedding.

Then there is the whole Mary, Martha and Lazarus saga which comes up over and over. Lazarus’ death is the only thing in the Bible that causes Jesus to cry; perhaps because he was like a brother, or a brother in law? Perhaps Mary or Martha was Jesus’ wife?

Or how about the fact that Jesus is called “Rabbi” a lot. Did you know that you cannot be a Rabbi unless you are married? Or the fact that no matter where the disciples go there is also an entourage of women following them; would that not be unseemly unless they were their spouses?

I mean, okay, none of this is proof. But the thing is, why does it matter? What difference does it make one way or another?

I can see that if the Roman Catholic church is using the bachelor lifestyle of Jesus as the sole reason to keep its priests unmarried that this may be a bit of an issue for them; but for the rest of us, and let’s face it, there are not many religious people that say being single is better than being married; why would it matter?

There is a positive side. Our lives are supposed to be modelled after the life of Jesus. We are called to follow in his footsteps as disciples of Jesus. If being in a relationship and being as loving and open and hopeful and faithful as Jesus is not only possible, but also the norm, that is good news indeed.

The second thing it might do is to show us that the church, over 2,000 years of history, just might have got some things wrong. You know how if you ask 10 people what happened at the scene of an accident you might just get 10 different versions? Well, there are four Gospels in the Bible which talk about Jesus life and even those four do not agree. There are at least a dozen that did not make it in the Bible which muddy the waters even more. Then there are all of the scholars and Biblical critics, and preachers who over the years have added their own flourish and twists…

Maybe we need more discussion. Maybe we need more investigation. Perhaps we need to be less serious in our claims to know absolute truth. What if we took the time to look at how religious people have tried over the years to live life the best way possible and tried to do the same?

I hope he was married. It makes little difference to me if truth be known, but I like the idea that he fell in love, had arguments about the way the fish was cooked, and maybe even raised a family.

That is a Jesus who I could understand better. That is a Jesus who I could try to be more like. And after all, is that not the point?

Pentecost

Faith Today - Moncton Times & Transcript

Ah, Pentecost. 

There is, I think, no festival of the church year which I like better. Perhaps it is because this is the only one I can truly wrap my head around religiously. I mean, Christmas is about Jesus being born, it is just a birthday party. Easter is about Jesus dying and being resurrected, and I can’t really figure out how that happened, or what it means…

But Pentecost… The day that we remember how the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to start the church, and how that same spirit continues to empower us. That I understand.

It is like love. Love inspires me to be nicer to people than I normally would. Or it is like creativity, which causes me to all of a sudden have this great idea for putting mustard on corn on the cob. (try it, you’ll love it).

The spirit is something we cannot see, but we can feel. It is the power of the universe seeping into my pores and strengthening me to do things I was afraid to do, or giving me ideas I never would have come up with, or empowering me to do it anyway, even though I am afraid.

So, the story says that these followers of Jesus, who were having a pretty rough time, were all gathered in Jerusalem and they were talking… and suddenly it was like their tongues were on fire… it was like everyone understood what they were saying… it was like they were inspired to speak in such a way that everyone wanted to join the new movement…

So partly this is the birthday of the church. It was from Pentecost on that people flocked to hear the disciples preach. But more importantly, this is a time when we celebrate a concept, the concept of divine inspiration.

There is a passage in the Bible where it says that when we are too sad to speak, the Holy Spirit speaks for us, and it does it through sighs and tears.

I like that. Once more it is a practical explanation of how God is active in my life. God is that power that goes beyond the strength I have. The divine is what gets me through it.

Albert Einstein was one of the world’s most creative minds. He could imagine things that others had not even dreamt of. He once put what I am trying to say this way:

“The most beautiful and most profound experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead.”

It is when I stand and stare at the sunset over the Miramichi River and feel joy, and awe, and love in my heart that I am empowered to go out into the world and help others, or write creatively, or paint a picture….

Religion really is as simple as this. Jesus said that all of the laws, all of the rules, all of the sacraments, all of God could be wrapped up in the idea of having love in your heart.

It is that love and the inspiration that bore it that we celebrate during this time. Once upon a time there was a man who loved so completely, honestly, and compassionately that everyone wanted to be like him. That same spirit lives on in those of us who try and follow to this day.

Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail, but once a year we stop and remind ourselves that the power of that spirit goes beyond our imaginations; and that when you truly feel it, it will change your life.

So happy Pentecost everyone!

Are 'hipster Christians' really that different?

FAITH TODAY Published Saturday September 11th, 2010

Have you ever heard of Hipster Christians?

Me neither. That is, until this week when I all of a sudden realized it is everywhere down in the United States, thanks to some American preachers I follow on Twitter.

According to the press, admittedly, some of their own press, Hipster Christianity is where church and cool collide. Catchy phrase, that.

The problem is, I have no idea what they are on about.

Here are some qualifications for being a "Hipster:" You might have an artistic temperament, or play in a garage band; you might have piercings or a tattoo; you like movies, books and music that is well respected and well, normal; you don't listen to Christian Contemporary music; don't like political evangelists, or televangelists; and don't think people are going to hell.

I have to tell you that I have never been called hip in my life. I sometimes thought I was cool, but certainly not in a hip way. I think you would like me though. I am also very much a mainstream protestant minister - and have been one for 16 years now.

My favourite band is Third Eye Blind. My favourite movies are the same as most of yours - although I am a guy reared on Monty Python, so I have some stupid humour problems. Love Steve Carell, for example.

I read graphic novels; my favourites are Planetary and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

I play a level 80 Paladin in World of Warcraft online.

My ear was pierced three times until I was 30. I have a tattoo and want another one. I dream of owning a Harley.

I have mostly dressed as Dracula for Halloween and have read and seen every vampire movie there is.

Oh, and I write science fiction for a hobby.

I also visit in hospitals, council people with problems, volunteer my time for organizations involved in change, sit with the dying, mourn with the widows, give to the church and World Vision and the World Wildlife Fund.

I hope you see the point.

Almost every one of the people I know is a Christian. We all drink. We all play Xbox. We all can't wait for Harry Potter to come out. Half of us love comic books and the other half think we are stupid for loving comic books.

To me, "Hipster Christian" is a definition of normal person.

In what far-fetched corner of the galaxy is someone who likes movies, songs and stories that are critically and artistically judged among the best of the best some strange sort of new evolution of humanity?

The labelling has to stop.

I don't even understand why we have Protestants and Catholics anymore. The things we fought about back at the end of the Middle Ages certainly don't matter anymore, let alone the 10 million denominations - and now we are subdividing denominations according to fads?

People do not come to church because they think the people in church are not like them, plain and simple.

Jesus spent his life trying to be "just some guy who understands what you are going through" and he changed the world for the better because of it.

The truth is those inside the church are exactly like those on the outside.

They make mistakes, they make stupid choices, they spend too much time watching TV and eat junk food too much of the time. By creating a whole movement that says "hey, there are Christians who are relevant, who are hip..." you are implicitly stating that the bulk of Christianity is irrelevant and anachronistic.

Which is a lie.

Jesus was a social engineer who lost his life because of his politics. He was not trying to get people into Heaven. He was not trying to leave the world behind. He was trying to introduce religious values into everyday life.

Pray - because it connects you to something greater than yourself. Be humble - you are not the creator of your destiny, the universe is. Love - everyone is connected and we all need each other. Respect - there but for the grace of God.

You get the idea. Stop imagining me as something I am not. Those who are religious, they are pro-human, pro-love, and possibly the community you are looking for, hip or not.