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Articles by C. Don Jones
The Alternate Path After 9/11
Twenty-five years ago life in the USA paused. A week later, it restarted and chose a path that has led to the present chaos, violence, and destruction. Scripture lays out two paths that were taken following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Kingdom of Judah. One path offered healing. The other called for revenge. The first offer was given in the book Lamentations. The other is Psalm 137. We know what happened.
A Religious Socialist Answer to Dennis McIntyre
I read Dennis McIntyre’s recent Patheos article The Rise of DSA And America’s Socialist Movement. I often read his articles with a great interest even when we disagree. He is a good writer and a sincere believer in Christian hope. I join him in his prayer “that all involved have open hearts and focus on the common good, guided by the values Jesus gives us.” I normally do not write about political ideologies. His thoughts are worth discussing.
The Person I Love The Least
I cannot afford to hate people I do not know. It is hard enough not to hate people I know. Can I know who I love the least? | Image created for Patheos in Gemini. Dorothy Day said, “I only really love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” The more years I have in the rearview mirror, the more I understand what she says. I cannot claim to have improved in this way. Hate is so easy to conform to. Mercy is so difficult to show. How can I become a person who loves a perceived enemy?
Lions, Liars, and Shepherds
A woman in my neighborhood watched her kids riding their bicycles. She wore a T-shirt with a curious imperative. It was black with white letters and read, “Raise Lions not Sheep.” I worry for her kids. Christians often use the image of the Lion of Judah as a symbol for Jesus. C. S. Lewis cemented the image in our minds with his character Aslan. The male African Lion is a symbol of strength, fortitude, wisdom, fierceness.
Our Shadow in the White House
It was during a discussion with other clergy when I blurted what suddenly seemed obvious. Donald Trump is the shadow side of The United States of America. When we speak of our shadow-selves we are talking about the bad parts of ourselves we do not acknowledge. That is what I mean when we say the present occupant of the White House represents our national shadow. I can think of two immediate responses to what I am saying.
Speaking The Truth In Love
“Speaking truth to power” is a worn-out catchword phrase. It has outlived its usefulness. We should bury it in an unmarked grave and forget where we put it. Freedom, it has been said, is the ability to declare that two plus two equals four. There is no liberty in claiming two plus two equals five. It is a lie, unreal, and impossible. Truth does indeed bring freedom. Truth ignores our desires for comfort and our wishful thinking. We are only as free as we acknowledge the truth.
When Your Hate Turns On You
Being a pastor for more years than I care to think about, I have witnessed churches embrace hate. I do not mean to imply that they have not also embraced love and goodness too. The concentration on hatred derived from a desire to uphold the good life and love of one’s own nation. This is where things went haywire. The Christians who embraced hate did not see themselves doing it. They listened to people who claimed to defend the things they loved.
Addicts, Recovery, And The Holidays
Early in recovery, addicts and alcoholics find the holidays very difficult. While in active addiction, people navigate through a strait of crashing currents and are relieved to be on the other side of the calendar. While in early recovery the same people are now looking for a passage through the holidays. We think it should be easier, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Families, friends, and people in recovery suffer from bad assumptions about what life out of addiction should be.
Taking Vows
Have you ever considered the difference between oaths and vows? An oath is a pledge to uphold a standard or goal. Candidates for public office may take an oath to uphold and defend the laws of the community. A person declares an oath to bind one’s self to upholding the truth or faith. Oaths are offered to promote the veracity of something being said or claimed. A person lives “up to” an oath. Vows are promises. When a couple marries, we do not say they take an oath to each other.
What Are Human Beings?
What are human beings? Are we the crowning point of all Creation? Are we a virus infecting the earth? We may be neither of these things. These are the questions that inform how we think of other human beings. The Biblical command to love our neighbors appears to require qualifiers in many people’s thinking.
Blessed Living Is Released!
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Hiding In Sentiment
“And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10: 29b NRSVUE) Where are we hiding? What are we hiding from? The scribe who asked this question tried hiding in nuances. We often hear that we are 6 or 7 people removed from knowing everyone in the world. The 6 degrees of separation principle may be true. I do not know. The recent deaths in the Texas floods brought up this idea when I learned that I knew someone who knew someone whose daughter was among the missing campers of Camp Mystic in central Texas.
The Kingship Problem
“When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain.” (John 6:15) Ask yourself a serious question. Why did Jesus avoid being made a king? The answer most of us hear in Sunday School is, “the crowd tried to make him an earthly king.” It supposedly would not be the kind of king Jesus was not to become. Maybe a heavenly one? Somehow I doubt that is the reason he avoided it. Here is why?
Heaven’s Strict Immigration Or Politics Posing As Theology
Bad theology makes bad politics, and bad politics makes worse theology. This truth is easy to pinpoint when we see it on T-shirts, car stickers, and spilling from the mouths of elected officials. The slogan is “Heaven has a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders.” This is an example of one’s political position informing one’s theology. Christian nationalism purports to be an ideology influenced by Christian teaching.
We Are Tired Of Being Angry
I am tired of being angry. Other people are, too. Then there are those people who never appear to tire of it. They must be getting tired of being furious at the world. Other people in our lives must be weary of us being angry. Speaking for myself, I repent. Granted, there is much in the world that excuses anger. Injustice, hypocrisy, stupidity, evil, and ignorance appear to be reasons for anger. Should we be upset about these problems? American Christians have been conditioned to think so.
Causing Chaos While Calling It Order
Clarence the Angel (Second Class) tells George Bailey that one man’s action can have ripple effects. I often ask if there is any person whose actions do not cause some effects, either positively or negatively, somewhere. When national leaders act we hope the effects are order and not chaos. Sometimes our desire for order causes chaos. When we desire chaos, we will have it. Anyone who sees my workspace will argue that I am disorderly, chaotic, and even a little reckless. I try.
Overseas Traveling
We just returned from a nice trip overseas. Now I am pondering what we learn from such travel. It helps to go to a country where a different language is spoken. None of the schools where I was raised offered courses in Norwegian. It is helpful to the traveler when I find that nearly every person in the service industries speaks English. Yet, signs and menus can be a problem for the traveler. It is sometimes frustrating. The frustration, however, can become positive if we allow it.
Birds At Vespers
The weather determines if I observe evening prayer or vespers on the back deck of my house. This Autumn, I noticed something that I could not remember happening before. Along the fence in the backyard, one tree loses all of its leaves in November. It is that time when I can get the best view of the birds that stop there on the way to and from my bird feeders.
Jesus Against Trumpism
Today is inauguration day. Last November, Trumpism won the majority of the elections. I watched the returning President’s speech. Yet, I am not critiquing it today. I jotted down these thoughts a few weeks ago. Like many people, I asked myself what the people supporting Donald Trump were doing. Were they ignorant? Were they evil? Had they been conned? The answers to these questions are all of these and none simultaneously. I listened to what Trump supporters said. And I read what they wrote and posted.
Why Do You Call Me Good?
Some people think I am a real person. It is a good bet that I am simply a character in a story – a parable – designed to enlighten the minds of listeners. My name is unknown. I was never worthy of one. You call me the “Good Samaritan.” Another person said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Why do you call me that, anyway? You know. I am labeled as the “Good Samaritan.” Jesus never calls me that. To him, I am “a Samaritan.” The pronoun usage says I am male. And that is all.
Bruderhof manufactures sustainable community in Monroe County
Thankfully, he did not get up to leave. “I am not a real farmer myself,” he said. “But I used the compost extract produced on the crops this year. It (is produced) in a vermicomposting bin. On the bottom of the bin is a blade that cuts the vermicompost off into the trays. It is then processed into a liquid with a compost extractor and applied to the soil. It works well.
Jesus Was Guilty
Jesus was guilty. Yes, I know we say Jesus died without sin. Still, it is possible to be guilty and without sin. The present age is not different from any other in this fact. We often hold people accountable for actions we lack the courage to do. We participate in the sins of other people including the majority opinion. This is the point where Jesus was guilty. Actually he was guilty on several points.
Sister Bird
First, I thought something had fallen. Then I thought someone had come into the church annex through the back door. “Hello?” I called tentatively. No one answered. Getting up from the desk in the pastor’s study, I looked around the lower floor. There was a shadow behind a curtain. I guessed correctly what it was. The juvenile bird began frantically flying to get away from me. When she finally settled, she eyed me. I am not the world’s best birder.
Support For Pope Francis From A Separated Brother.
An Egyptian Coptic Christian once asked me, “Do Methodists follow the Pope in Italy?” My reply, “If anything we may honor him as Bishop of Rome, but to call him our spiritual leader then no.” I did not expect the gentleman to understand. Still, he loved visiting our church. Francis, in his service as a Bishop of Rome, has been a great ambassador for Jesus Christ in this world.
All Heaven Broke Loose
Yesterday, all heaven broke loose. Five years ago, it was all hell. The people who accused the rest of us in The United Methodist Church of not keeping our vows acted like an abusive spouse destroying the house while demanding a divorce. It was not a surprise. But yesterday, it all went away for awhile at least. Where there was pain, anger, shouting, and crying five years ago, there was song, dancing, hugging, and celebration instead.
What Would Jesus Pay Workers?
I will call her Joan. She was night shift leader at the company I worked for, which specialized in making fabric markers. The company had sent Joan to one of our client facilities to help them begin using a new machine that would replace the human fabric cutters in their factory. The machine promised to be more productive, more efficient, and, most importantly, cheaper than human beings. A skilled worker could cut about a hundred and twenty layers of denim fabric at a time.
There Is No Hate Like Christian Hate
I kept wishing he would turn, change lanes, and just go away. He would not. I was behind a hate-filled Christian. On his back windshield were two stickers. One was a scripture quote, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The other was Donald Trump dressed as Calvin from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip urinating on the name Biden. If I was this person’s pastor, I would be ashamed. Oddly enough, this is not about Trump or Biden.
Deconstructing The Robin’s Nest
Birds build nests. But only recently did I see a pair of mockingbirds in the process of deconstructing a robin’s nest. I saw it happen gradually just outside my front window in the dogwood tree. I was interested for one reason only. The nest stayed empty and unused for the previous three years. Instead of merely reusing the nest, the pair took it apart twig by twig and stem by stem to build their own in a nearby bush. Perhaps, the old one is full of mites and dangerous to chicks? I cannot say.
God, Country, And The Great UMC Fracture
I was glad the theater seat was comfortable. The documentary I watched was not. God & Country can spoil popcorn. It is one of many developments that are spoiling church life. No matter how much complaining we offer the question of what is to be done remains. I sat with some others in a discussion about it yesterday. Up until that time, removing myself from the company of White Christian Nationalists was my favorite option. My second favorite was to criticize it from a distance.
Rage And Nonviolence
What is left to us now? He asked me. Rage, I replied. The exchange (my summation of a longer discussion) between Hirsch and Chaim from The Quarrel sticks with me. The argument is over tradition. The question concerns what can the Jewish people turn to after the Holocaust? At what point does anger turn to rage? At what point does rage become all-consuming violence? The recent self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell — a young active duty U.S. Airman — does not disturb many Americans.
A Holy God And The Sanctity Of Embryos
Are embryos human beings? This is the question recently answered by the Alabama Supreme Court. In Alabama, a fertilized human ovum is a human being. Chief Justice Tom Parker did not rely on science or the law for his conclusion. He decided to use biblical quotes and appealed to the holiness of God for his conclusion. The Bible and Christian fundamentalist theology are his ultimate sources of legal authority. Lawyers by definition are legalists.
The Art Of Spending A Day
How should a person live each day? There is merit to the adage that each day should be lived as if it was the last one. But seriously, how many people have live Saturday the same as they live Monday? I cannot answer how I would spend my final twenty-four hour period of my life. But I can answer how I would like to spend each day. I pray and read scripture and devotional literature each morning. Please note I cannot in goo0d conscience to claim I do this every morning. Some occasions I do not.
The Dialogue That Is God
The Christian concept of God does not allow for a monologue. God is a dialogue. This thought becomes more clear as we read scripture. The two other Abrahamic religions – Judaism and Islam – depict God as being in dialogue with the creation. The Bible describes this as well. Which is one reason it is difficult to wrap our heads around the idea. Catch me talking to myself, and I may claim it is the only intelligent conversation I can find. But I never really talk to myself.
Repenting The Family Business
The prophet Elijah was instructed to find Elisha, and anoint him as a prophet who will one day take his place. When he finds Elisha, he is plowing a field with eleven hired hands. They are each behind a plow pulled by an ox. Elijah passes by him and throws his mantle onto Elisha. The prophet is calling him away from his family and wealth into a life of prophecy. Elisha slaughters his oxen, breaks up his wooden equipment to cook them, and gives the meat away.
Contentment Under The Fig Tree?
Isaiah and Micah include a well-known prophetic utterance. The second chapter of Isaiah and the fourth chapter of Micah talk about contentment in the reign of God.
Cheap Integrity
Integrity, when offered for sale, always sells for too little. In a world where security is the paramount virtue, Christians often trade our commitment to love others for acceptance by someone else. We find ourselves glorifying “friends” to maintain a good reputation among them. We wish to avoid accusations that threaten our security. And we wish to have enough or more than enough money to do things that we deem important. Why is this the case?
For The Joy
Joy is a central part of Christmas celebrations. So I was sad when I heard Christmas celebrations were cancelled in Bethlehem this year. It is not the saddest I have ever been. But then again, it is impossible for me to imagine the threat under which some Christians live. I cannot imagine being forced out of my ancestral home, losing my culture and community, and threatened with death because I exist. How can people in such circumstances find joy?
Mary Weeps
We are familiar with the phenomenon of weeping statues of Mary. I once heard the reactionary Mother Angelica claim Mary weeps for our sins. She was replying to a good question from a child who called her show. “If everyone in heaven is happy, why does Mary cry?” The girl asked. It was a good question. The answer was not too bad. It all depends on what the reverend Mother called sin. She included herself. So, I guess that is something.
Dangerous Deity
Too many church leaders teach a dangerous understanding of deity. This idea is that God only does good, while any bad fortune is solely our fault. This is truly a dangerous theology. I will list the reasons below. Every bad event or reversal of fortune or loss is entirely our problem. It is true we make mistakes and cause harm to ourselves and others. But everything that goes wrong is not our fault alone. This karmic concept causes a great deal of damage to believers.
Does American Christianity Always Get It Wrong?
We do not always get it wrong. It just appears that way too many times. And to hear some people talk, we are tempted to believe it. Yet, it is not true. Reflecting on the gospel text for last Sunday (Matthew 25:31-46), I considered all the missed opportunities for serving the least of these. Then I considered the highlight reel (in my own mind) of my years in ministry when we got it right. While I am inclined to dwell on these triumphs of grace, I know better. We equate success with faithfulness.
Gift And Gratitude Revisited
Two years ago, I made a post called gift and gratitude. It is primarily about gifts. I want to speak more about being thankful today. I met Rick Clark, an Indiana farmer who appears in the film Common Ground. It was not a long conversation. “Thanks for coming to God’s Country to speak to us,” I said. His reply surprised me, “Don’t ever leave it.” He saw what many visitors to our area see. In a way, he saw the forest and not necessarily the trees. Many times I only see the trees.
Consciousness As Software
The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer is some light sci-fi that asks the question, “Where is consciousness? What qualifies a piece as science fiction is the story is driven by a scientific or technological problem. The story answers the question that mind and brain are dual. The brain is subject to Newtonian physics whereas the mind is constantly moving on the quantum level. If the mind stops moving, it dissipates.
The Charlatans Will Always Be With You
Charlatans are usually a minor problem for churches. However, if you fall prey to any, they can be a major problem for you. If you are a pastor who must deal with one, it may be best to move on if you lack stamina. There are those people who claim all religious leaders are posers and con-artists. Such generalizations are for the intellectually lazy. Determining whether a person is a charlatan can be difficult. How do you tell the difference between delusion and fabrication? Is intent the real issue?
The (Self) Righteous Victim
We are empathetic toward a victim of violence, persecution, or exclusion. This is a general truth. Yet, we see many would-be persecutors play the role of victim when they are not allowed to act badly. Here is why we do not have to play the game with them. One scenario played over and over is when people who propagate lies and advocate violent repression against other people accuse progressives of failing at inclusion. The charge of hypocrisy is often feared. It is what Jesus calls his detractors.
The Spirit And The Land
A favorite essay of mine is Wendell Berry’s The Gift of Good Land. It is not his best piece of writing. But it renewed for me a way of thinking about our relationship to the land. Or maybe it is more accurate to say my relationship to land. Basic capitalist economics claims the three resources for production are land, labor, and capital. Beyond the mere mention of it, I do not recall anything about the role of land in production. One may as well say place or space where production is done.
The Tombs of the Prophets
American Christians focus on any empty tomb. But we rarely speak publicly about occupied tombs. This is a shame because Jesus was not ashamed to speak about certain ones.
Conscious Conscience
The White House scene in Oppenheimer demonstrates the need for a conscious conscience. The American Prometheus sits in the room with President Truman to whom he gave the destructive fire. He says, “Mr. President, I feel I have blood on my hands.” According to the story, Harry Truman did not have any problem using the atomic bombs to end the war with Japan. We have debated the point for many years now. J. Robert Oppenheimer possessed a conscious conscience. Harry Truman possessed a conscience.
You Stand For Genocide...Again
The ubiquitous meme we see, “I Stand With Israel” is another way of saying genocide is okay. The worst part is Western Christians are the loudest voices. The US news media is univocal in making clear Israel is the victim of terrorism. And yet, the plight of the Palestinians is ignored. Too many of us shrug and give the excuse, “They brought it on themselves.” No, they did not. It is the same argument made when Germany placed severe restrictions on Jewish citizens.
Columbus Day And Israel
Israel declares war the day before our Columbus Day. What an interesting time for reflection? The year was 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain took two world changing actions that year. One is they sent one of the most controversial and enigmatic figures in western history to the orient. The other action is they expelled all the Jews and Muslims from their Most Catholic Kingdom.
Reaffiliation? Not So Fast
First, let me say I am not slamming the door on future reaffiliation. The people who left The United Methodist Church closed it. I do not think we should be too quick to reopen it. A fair amount of coverage is being given to the resolution adopted by the Alabama-West Florida Conference. While many see it as a hopeful expression of grace, I think it is too soon. Deep wounds need time to heal. Should we try reconciliation before there has been adequate time?
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