Term in Review: 5 most entertaining posts

People do not smile enough.

It is certainly true where I live, and rightly so. I currently live in a world where life is harder than most anyone who reads this could imagine. If you are reading this, you are sitting in front of a computer. Even if its not your own, you at least have access to one. Day after day, the people here are fighting for existence. Many are wondering whether they will eat tomorrow. They live in sickness, disease and danger.

That does not leave a lot of room for smiling. Yet, despite their circumstances, the people here make room. One of the greatest gifts I have received in Africa is a smiling face. In a world that is so hard, few things are as valuable as experiencing moments of joy with a friend.

There is just something about seeing a face light up with happiness, eyes bright and teeth out of hiding. That is why I wrote these posts.

Here's to you: Christian t-shirts

In war, a soldier must wear his armor. In the throws of battle, one must be able to identify friend from foe.

Enter the Christian t-shirt.

Blasting out the message of faith in full silk-screen style, you were masterpieces of poly-cotton blend art. Classy and thought-provoking, you challenged t-shirt readers everywhere with the full out, robust message of the gospel by stabbing their hearts with phrases as keen as, “Body piercing saved my life.”

Here's to you!

If you are too much older than I am, this post will probably seem absurd to you.

If you are too much younger than I am, this will not even make sense.

But if you who remember being excited about dc Talk’s first album and upset about their last, then this post is for you!

Would Jesus wear Chacos?

If you ask any number of youth ministers, trying to prove to their kids that you can still be cool and live a Godly life, the answer would be, “Of course he would, along with his North Face jacket and one of those cool KAVU visors.” However, Joel Olsteen would probably disagree and say that Jesus would definitely be sporting a snazzy hair cut and a million dollar smile.

Off Topic: Christians say the darndest things.

Words can be contagious. Few things seem to harbor the power of transmittal as words, and with them ideals. Take for instance the words "change" and "hope". When wielded in a certain way, they have the power to win a presidency.

I experienced a similar situation here in the last couple of months, howbeit not quite as consequential as the previous example.

I live in a culture which places high value on greetings. People will go out of their way to greet you if they see you, simply because this is the appropriate way to respect a relationship. Furthermore, my work has me spending time with students who are roughly high school age.

Imagine my surprise when one of my students walked up to me, and instead of initiating the customary ritual of greeting, stuck out his arm indicating that he wanted a fist bump. Then, upon bumping said fist, he clamors out the words, "big ups."

At first, due to his heavy Franco-African accent, I thought he was trying to say "hiccups," but upon him repeating it several times and me taking guesses I made the discovery that he was indeed saying "big ups." Within a mere period of days, it seemed every student in town had replaced their normal greetings with the "big ups." It spread like a disease. My astonishment was complete when one of the little six-year-old girls with our organization walked up to me one day and demanded the “big ups.” Where in the world did she pick it up?! Even she had been infected.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the “big ups” terminology. Its definition, as listed on Urban Dictionary (a site I will not be linking to from this blog), is as follows:

1. lots of props, sent through a messenger, such as the radio or a friend 
2. massive props to someone you respek (I did not misspell that.) 
3. (n.) a phrase used when dealing on the street to give props or show much respect to someone/something 

Now, you may wonder how kids in the middle of absolute nowhere, in a land without reliable electricity or running water, would pick up on street lingo from the States. The answer lies in the power of words themselves. Words convey ideals, and with the term “big ups” comes a truckload of American culture. One song by Akon (a West African himself), with lyrics of wealth and fame, and the youth here realize that is the ideal to which they want to aspire. People who have nothing think Americans have everything, and the youth here imitate every ounce of our culture they can.

But is that not true of humanity in general? A need for acceptance, a desire to make ourselves look as though we belong in a certain group of people, causes us to say and do some of the strangest things.

Christians are no exception.

You know you have done it, and so have I. We say the darndest things to convince others we are indeed the kind of person we are “supposed to be.” As we settle into the Christian subculture, we get cozy and begin to aspire for an elevated position in this social circle. Soon, the desire is to ooh and ahh those other members of said circle with our obvious spirituality. Before you get mad at me for posting this, let me be the first to admit, I have committed at least five of these, and my hope is that you will laugh at yourself (or at least me).

Following is a list of those things we often catch ourselves saying in order to prove our spirituality to the Christian in-crowd:

Quoting a minor prophet 

(especially when it has no bearing on the conversation)

What better way to show one is definitely on God's speed dial than quoting the Bible? But for those who really want the most bang for their buck, quote a minor prophet. Everyone knows John 3:16, but who can recall the words of the prophet Haggai? An added advantage comes with everyone's lack of knowledge when it comes to the minor prophets, so one can stick these little nuggets into many conversations where they admittedly do not belong. The prophets were preachers of old, and their words often sound cryptic and extra spiritual when used to season conversation. Common uses of this are seen during group Bible study, or more subtly in the middle of a vocal prayer. “As your Word tells us in Nahum 3:5,” makes a convenient prayer insert. A word of caution: Read the passage (and maybe even understand it) prior to tossing it into the mix. 

Christian name dropping  

This one is big enough it deserves its own post! It is increasingly common to hear people drop the name of a Christian pop writer casually in conversation. The phrase often begins with something like, “You know, Donald Miller says it best when,” or “I think Mark Driscoll would agree.” In using these little jewels, one simultaneously shows an extensive understanding of “the Christian conversation” (as so many now call it) and enlists a famous Christian mind on his or her side of a discussion. Good show! 

However, one must be careful with this tactic. Within the Christian subculture are still further Christians subsets. Assuredly, it is never good to mix subsets. For instance, name dropping Jon Piper in a circle of Paige Patterson sympathizers will result in a point deduction. Past this reality, one must consider whether it is appropriate to pull a name from the realm of theologians, Christian-living authors, or the new up-and-coming pastor podcasters/ bloggers. Remember, context is everything with this one. Be aware of your surroundings.

Pick-a-Psalm 

It was the hymnbook of ancient Israel, and aside from the command of God to have “Holy, Holy, Holy” as the first song in every hymnbook after the crucifixion, it functions in much the same way as our own hymnals today. Its purpose is to bring the reader(s) into worship, and more importantly, to provide God with the honor and praise he deserves. Filled with deep, thoughtful words that cry out to God in both joy and pain, the Psalter is indeed inspired worship. 

However, a common purpose nowadays is to demonstrate the exceeding spirituality of some. Envision a group worship time, not the Sunday morning service, but something more personal, where all are invited to participate in vocal prayer, reading of scripture, and song. There is a momentary silence and just enough time to flip to the Psalms (conveniently located right in the middle of the Bible) and employ the pick-a-psalm tactic. There are psalms for every occasion in scripture. Furthermore, when properly executed, this can make it seem as though the person was coincidentally reminded of these words of worship as though he or she cuddles up nightly with the Psalter and cup of tea. It is virtually a fail-safe way to rack up points; however, for this approach to work, it must be used in bulk. Simply calling everyone's attention to a particular psalm once during a group worship will not do. One must become marked by this tendency. Happy hunting. 

Prayer-bragging 

This tactic is best employed in group settings. Often times, it is appropriately used during Sunday school or “small group.” Proper execution seizes the moment when a call for prayer requests has been made and uses it as an opportunity to soapbox some extra-spiritual event that has recently taken place (or will take place) in one's life. However, like Jeopardy, this one must take the form of a question. “Please pray that I have boldness as I single-handedly scour the streets in our slums for victims of poverty in order to invite their kids to VBS next week,” is a case example. 

Conversationjacking

I am not sure if this is a tactic or a spiritual gift, but certain individuals appear to have the ability while others do not. Similar to the strategy listed above, the practitioner of this tactic tends to commandeer every conversation, no matter the subject, and morph it into a discussion of his or her exploits in short term missions. “You know, speaking of your toilet getting stopped up, I am reminded of an experience I recently had in the jungles of the Amazon,” may be how this one begins. 

While also most effective in a group setting, this approach is markedly more casual and occurs during conversation; therefore, it is more flexible in usage and can gain the user points in a non-church setting. Prime times for this occur often, such as that vacuum period between Sunday school and the Worship service. The skilled can also use this tactic in a one-on-one conversation, and the truly brazen can insert it into group Bible study as an answer to a question. Admittedly, this last use is precarious, but if done successfully, it leaves all in earshot feeling as though they have learned spiritual truths from the sagely wisdom provided by the short term missions superstar. 

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By all means when God teaches you a lesson, shows you a deep truth in his Word or lays a need on your heart, share it! Let others know, but check your motives. Let us all make sure our purpose is to edify others in the process, and not to make ourselves shine. May God get the glory from our words and not ourselves.

On gift-giving - Part 4

About six months ago, I was given a turtle. It was a regular, garden variety turtle. This turtle had no special talents or abilities. It had no value, except that it was a gift.

It was given to me by a man with whom I have developed a significant friendship this past year. Let us pretend his name is Paco. A couple of months after moving here, I met Paco in one of the villages out in the bush where I was doing my language study. Early on, we would meet to study scripture and eventually he became a part of our fellowship.

On one of his visits to our town for discipleship, Paco showed up at my house with this turtle. He had found it in the bush, and instead of leaving it for his kids to play with, he thought I would enjoy it. So, he chose to bring it to me.

Now, to be certain, I am not much of a pet person. The closest thing I have had to a pet in recent years was an abandoned goldfish. So, you can imagine, I had no desire to raise a turtle, especially in Africa. Yet there I was, being given a turtle. The next thing I knew, Donatello was being placed in the lemongrass in front of my house to stalk insect prey. He was introduced to his new home.

Gift-giving is a ritual. Like many other social institutions, such as a hand shake, a greeting, or a kiss, gift-giving is ritualistic in nature. Now, I am not saying it is mechanical, as in done without feeling or thought. Instead, my point is that it has cultural weight and is done with purpose in mind. Perhaps its purpose is to strengthen a relationship. Perhaps it is used to show the value of the recipient in the eyes of the giver. Perhaps it is a way of saying you are sorry for wrongs committed. However, in each of these instances, gift-giving is an established cultural action that is used to communicate an idea. In that sense, it is a ritual.

Where I live now, there is a high value put on gift-giving. It is a strong cultural symbol in this part of West Africa. In an earlier post, I mentioned that gifts here often times cannot be measured with a monetary value. Truly, a gift's value is measured by its sacrifice.

Yet, there is an important aspect of gift-giving that must be discussed. For this ritual to be complete, a gift must not only be given but also accepted. The responsibility for this act does not rely solely on the giver. This is a truth that is laid bare in the culture of West Africa. Had I refused Paco's turtle, the ritual would have been broken and the relationship potentially damaged.

However, the point of this post is not a turtle.

During the Christmas season, we celebrate a far more significant gift. We celebrate the gift of new life. I am intentional in my wording. For we do not simply celebrate some religious holiday. We say we celebrate the birth of a savior, but it is not merely his birth we celebrate. It is salvation itself.

Yes the Word became flesh, and Christ was born a man. But we must not stop at simply celebrating the act, we must also celebrate why Christ lowered himself to this position. It prepared a way for those of us who had none. It gave us escape from our self-inflicted destruction. The real gift of Christmas is the gift of new life. Christ came and sacrificed himself that we may have life and have it abundantly.

Yet, celebrating a gift of this magnitude cannot be done with a wreath or a tree. It cannot be done by mimicking the act with gift-giving. It cannot even be celebrated by paying ceremonial homage with services and songs.

No, the only way to celebrate a gift this significant is to accept it.

Acknowledging the gift is not enough. Lip service to the idea is no more accepting of the gift than those who utterly reject Christ's existence. We hear phrases like, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But concocting some rhyme and sticking it in your front yard with your Christmas lights or in your Facebook status is by no means acceptance. It may make you feel better, but a gift never used is a gift never accepted.

The only way to accept a new life is to walk in it.

Merry Christmas.

Off Topic: Are Christians closet pyromaniacs?

I like to set things on fire.

I blame my father. When I was a little kid, we were always lighting things on fire... and then he taught me how how to make homemade fireworks. But that is another story.

I may enjoy the warm glow and soft crackle of a fire, but I am convinced I am not the only one. In my aimless meandering around the World Wide Web, I feel I have made an interesting discovery. I think Christians are closet pyromaniacs.

In any given school year, the average youth group member is inundated with references to fire in some capacity. Tonight, countless students across America will head off to their weekly Ignite Student Ministry meeting. During announcements, they will be given more information about purchasing tickets for the Acquire the Fire youth rally. This will be followed by a message on how to be “on fire” for the Lord and they will close out the evening with an appropriate song such as “Light the Fire.” Then, they will get in their car, plug in their iPod and listen to Shane & Shane belt out “Burn Me Up” on their way to Dairy Queen to grab one of those Flamethrower burgers and a Reese's Blizzard.

Furthermore, how many of us currently own at least one Christian t-shirt with some form of stylized flame logo on it? I know I do.

If you want more proof, listen to the verbs we use in sermons and Bible studies now. We talk about fanning flames, evangelism explosions, igniting our faith or kindling our relationship with the Lord. Revival has taken on the language of bursting into flames and spreading throughout our country. And everyone knows, it only takes a spark to get a fire going.

Maybe it is not pyromania though. Possibly, it is just a fad in the terms we use. There have been other fads in the past. In our very recent history in America, Christians have spoken of Great Awakenings and the winds of change. Billy Graham introduced us once again to the language of crusades (one which has been let go lately for obvious reasons).

However, if this is indeed just a fad in our communication, then what is next? On which verbal bandwagon will the Christian subculture jump next?

As I have pondered on this topic, I have come up with the following top options:

Natural Phenomenon - 
Some form of natural phenomenon may make a good replacement when pyromania goes the way of the dodo. Possible options in this category include landslides or tidal waves. Just think, in a couple of years, our youth may be going to Tsunami 2014: Let the waves wash over you. Storms are probably a bad idea though, they tend to leave destruction in their wake. Besides, the whole flood motif has been done already.

The World of Science -
Many people seem to think science and faith have it out for each other, but maybe there is something they could share... like a catchy slogan. Imagine if we switched out our language of fires with chain reactions. Then, we could have some guest speaker asking us if our bond with Jesus was ionic or covalent. In actuality, I do hear the word "catalyst" thrown around a lot though.

The World of Medicine -
I was initially considering this option, but I simply cannot find a good term from this field. For instance, the only ideas that get across rapid spread are words like "infection" or "viral." I do not know about you, but I certainly do not want the student ministry at my church to be called Contagious and I have no desire to be a part of the next Great Gospel Epidemic. It could make for some cool t-shirts though.

Whatever the case, I am sure someone will coin a new term that will take the Christian circles by storm. The same timeless message will get repackaged for a new audience, and we will get a whole new round of slogans, sayings and (unfortunately) merchandise to promote it. My only hope is that in the midst of all the sayings, we will not distract people from the simple message of who Christ really is.



How about you? Do you have the next Christian super-slogan? Comment below...