Calf making

[banzai]

Our church just began a sermon series (likely a long one, since the intent is to preach through the whole book) on Exodus. It'll probably be months before we get here, but much of the political drumbeat in our congregation and elsewhere reminds me of nothing so much as the golden calf of Exodus 32.

Comments

[journeyto]

This is a great post.

How does one effectively discern and differentiate passion for a candidate vs. calf-making in others? I've seen so many christians strongly imply or outright assert that the emotion and hope people are feeling over Obama means that hope for him is taking precedence over the truth of the gospel. Do you agree with that?

[jeney]

I can't speak to every situation or the state of everyone's hearts, but I do know that our hope, our trust, our faith must only find their home with our Lord. That's my personal belief.

Pray for, love, encourage others - hope in, love, trust Jesus.

[journeyto]

I don't disagree with this. I do think there's lots of room in my heart for both. :) But Obama or McCain or a 3rd party candidate or anyone doesn't have the last word on what I'm hoping for, even what I believe they will usher in (good or bad). Only Jesus ushers in what is truly Good.

Don't you love Lee's posts. He should write a book.

[jeney]

I guess I mean that I don't want room for both in my heart. I only want to trust Jesus, hope in Jesus, put my faith in Jesus. I don't want to put it anywhere else, because I don't think there is anywhere or anyone else worthy of it. And I'm really tired of being disappointed, you know? I could do without that.

Lee is one-of-a-kind and I appreciate his insights and his heart.

[journeyto]

Why can't we have both? Why can't we put our trust, faith and hope in our leaders while at the same time, acknowledging Jesus to be exactly who he is?

[jeney]

If I may be so bold to answer your question with a question (I feel like I should be postured like a waiter in a fancy restaurant when I said that):

Why do we need both? Why would we want to place our trust in someone/something that can fail us? Why place our hope or faith in something/someone that can fail us? Well, will fail us.

Jesus is who he is regardless of what I do. I only have the power to change who I am and how I come to him.

This is just how i believe, of course. It's also a reflection of where I am right now in my life. But honestly, I hope I stay here forever.

:)

[journeyto]

Why we need both is that we need to be able to go on auto-pilot with one another, but most of all, we need to trust that God is involved in appointing who He does to leadership.

Trusting someone doesn't mean we put our entire weight down upon them, but that we trust that she or he has been given the wisdom needed to lead in a particular way? This seems like a benefit of living in a democratic nation.

To suggest that we shouldn't trust people because they can fail us seems really unusual to me. It's like telling the military to not trust the field commander who is radioing directions in the midst of a battle. He could fail - he *could* be a bad guy - so best just to pray and plot our own course through the mess.

The suggestion that trusting other people - particularly leaders - that somehow there isn't room in our hearts to do both - is quite concerning to me.

[jeney]

I don't mean to say that I am distrustful of everyone - only trusting in God. But I do mean that I am not saying of anyone or anything: " You are worthy of my trust and I will not question this.". Auto-pilot hasn't worked well for me or for my friendships

[jeney]

also, i may need to say that the force with which i'm stating this really is in direct relation to the force with which god is changing my heart. i may be coming off a bit strong with it. but maybe you could dig around my words and find my intent in this?

if not, eat a few more brussel sprouts and try again. they're like tiny brains.

[journeyto]

Oh and I'm ready for my check and a lil decaf.

[jeney]

decaf.

i don't know what this means.

[banzai]

On the first question, I think you really, really have to know a person to discern sin if it's not something that would be immediately apparent. And even then, I don't think one can be sure. Conviction of sin is the Holy Spirit's job, and discerning our hearts is something we do with him and in the context of the church (rather than a "Jesus and me"-only approach, which I don't believe is supported by Scripture).

So my question becomes (if you don't see this coming, I'll be surprised): Who are these Christians making these implications and assertions? Specifically, who are they to you (or to whomever they are directing their assertions and implications)?

That question has two major implications:

1. Some people do need to be able to call us out on our sin and bullshit. Through our relationship with the church, we should have people in our lives who know us and know God intimately enough to be entrusted with being used by Him for our good, including calling us out on our sin. We need that-we've all found dozens of ways to hit the

[journeyto]

So my question becomes (if you don't see this coming, I'll be surprised): Who are these Christians making these implications and assertions? Specifically, who are they to you (or to whomever they are directing their assertions and implications)?>>>

Well, some have been on my friends list. Not people I've known well, but from their posts they strongly imply that emotion for Obama - trust and hope in him - means that Jesus is diminished. Which has been both hurtful and surprising.

Some are people I don't know at all but read online, friends of friends on my list, and other forums. And lastly, people in my life who have actually suggested that they actually can draw some fairly strong conclusions based on a few utterances and a few posts.

[banzai]

People's opinions of us (and opinions of our opinions…no wonder so many of us are going nuts) have an effect that's proportional for who we need them to be in our lives and how we want to be seen and understood by them. Honestly (this is just my own opinion, and I want to own it as such), I don't think internet opinion/discussion/debate/relationship should count for much. When it does, I wonder if something is out of alignment or proportion and what it would take to get things into a more grounded place. I know you're not saying it's all internet stuff, but since lately I'm tuned in to how that's been severely miscoloring my view of reality and the people in it, I've got some sensitivity there. Here on the 'net we respond to pieces as if they're wholes. And the wholeness of anyone really doesn't belong here, in my opinion

[journeyto]

Being a Christian doesn't make us subject to everyone else's opinion, nor does it mean everyone should be subject to ours

[banzai]

I hear you, but I'm wondering if you may have read my statement differently than I intended when writing it. In "Being Christians doesn't make us subject to everyone else's opinion" the "everyone else" isn't intended to mean non-Christians-it's everyone. I think there's this idea that's especially pervasive among Christians that our faith means we have to run around responding to the opinions of anyone and everyone, Christian and non. That's craziness. How can anyone live like that and not be crazy? Jesus didn't live that way.

What we do need are those people who are following Jesus with us who can check us. Again, it's pretty common not to have that. So we have a bunch of Christians running around, responding to and dishing out all kinds of opinions, with no one letting themselves be known by, loved by, or answerable to anyone. No wonder we're neurotic, tired, mistrustful, and all the rest. That's no way to live.