RANDOM THOUGHTS ON "THE SLAP"

 Let's talk about "the Slap."

Of course, I'm referring to the recent Academy Awards show in which comedian Chris Rock told a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss, prompting husband Will Smith to march up to the stage and slap Rock in the face. 

Based on what I've seen and heard, celebrities and news makers--with a few exceptions--are condemning Smith, characterizing his action as "violence" and "assault." The Academy has banned Smith for ten years and some are wondering if he should be stripped of his "Best Actor" Oscar, exiled for life from Academy programs, or even arrested for his "crime."

Since everyone else is weighing in, here are a few brief, off-the-top-of-my-head observations:

1. Will Smith should not have slapped Chris Rock. Smith has said as much in an apology to the Academy and to Rock. Will the Academy and/or Chris Rock formally accept the apology? 
Why, back in my day (putting on old man voice), the acceptance of an apology was a pathway to putting an unpleasant incident behind us. Nowadays, accepting an apology is tantamount to surrendering your soul and worldview to whatever enemy offended you. 

2. If comedians or parodists can be attacked for their comedy, it will have a chilling effect on the art. That is not to defend some so-called "comedy," much of which, in my humble opinion, consists of cheap shots, crude language, and pointless ad hominems. But if a critic can punch out a bad comic, then what is to stop him from punching out a good comic with whom he takes exception? Hey, if I don't like a comedian, I express my displeasure by changing the channel and voicing my opinion to others. 

3.  Many folks are rushing to Chris Rock's side for his dignity and composure in light of a public, humiliating incident. I too commend Mr. Rock for the way he has handled this. Things could have gotten ugly real fast, but sometimes, all it takes is for someone to walk away.

4. On the other hand, Rock's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was tasteless and uncalled for. Comedians, pundits, actors, commentators, and stars have been "cancelled" for far less. The near silence of commentary about the joke speaks proverbially louder than the slap itself.

5. Back to a previous point: Will Smith should not have slapped Chris Rock. But does not motive matter here? Is no one standing beside Will Smith and at least attempting to understand his anger? Smith took action in defense of his wife. Back in the old days (there I go again), this was--dare I say--normal.  I cannot or will not defend the slap. It was a poor choice in a public venue that upset a lot of people. But, even so, I do see a certain chivalrous nobility here. Smith was not some wild-eyed thug seeking to beat up a helpless host, but a husband defending his wife's honor. That's got to count for something. Call me naive ("you're naive!"), call me old-fashioned ("you're old fashioned!"), but I don't see a lot of "Hollywood" holding to values of honor and chivalry these days. 

6. Whenever I see people profess faith at one moment and yell angry profanity the next, it causes a huge disconnect in my brain.  Celebrities who are Christians are particularly susceptible to this. Everyone is watching for the slip up, the slur, or the slap in order to brand the star as a hypocrite or even laugh off Christian faith as irrelevant.  I'm not sure what my point is here, just that if Will Smith is a genuine believer, his fame is going to mean an extraordinary amount of scrutiny and pressure on him. A lesson for all of us to guard our hearts.

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HOLIDAY MEMORIES: TRAVELING

I have a lot of special Christmas memories. Some are very detailed and specific. Others are like quick photographs, out-of-context images embedded in my mind.

Several of these "pictures" involve travel. During my college days, I went back and forth between Colorado and California via the goodness of friends or courtesy of the bus lines. It was the trips during the holidays that always stuck in my mind.

Music: Hurtling down the highway. It's dark and most of the passengers in our car have settled in to a quiet reverie. Except  for the few who are listening to Evie's "Come On Ring Those Bells" for the 20th time. Or the highly techno cover of the "Hallelujah Chorus." Or when our driver croons along with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas", along with distinctive warble. Even today, when I hear some of these songs, I can hear the drone of the vehicle and see the landscape slipping past my window.

Fatigue: It sounds funny to list this as a memory, but plug a few college students in a car for a thirty hour drive and see if you don't remember it.  Not that there weren't moments of tension (getting lost has a way of doing that). But what usually comes to my mind are the jokes, the laughter, the time at the 24 hour diner, at which I am convinced there is a yellowing bulletin by the counter warning about us (ok, we laughed and joked a lot...we were a bunch of Christian college students, not rowdy bikers!).

Lights: All cross-country trips, whether in a car or a bus, have the same view of city after city, town after town, one right after another. Unless you stop for gas or meals, they all approach, pass, and fade out your window.  But at Christmas time, it was as if each burg brought out its finest to welcome one and all to their town. It was as if it was a shared party. And each year, whether with one or six or a bunch of fellow travelers, I always thought, "I know Who the Guest of Honor is!"

The Reunion: Most of my Christmas travel memories happened in college. When I got married, "home" was where my wife was. But one year, we went through a transition and a move. My family relocated to Oregon, but I had to stay behind in Colorado to wrap up lose ends. It was a difficult time and I feared that I'd never be able to afford to make it to Oregon (not that I could stay in Colorado either). But thanks to some friends, I was able to get a bus ticket to travel the week of Christmas. I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me in the months ahead, but I knew that I was going to be with family...my family.

The trip on the bus had everything.  I saw city after city with lights. Theological issues aside, Salt Lake City knows how to deck out a town for Christmas. There was the drone of the bus, the weariness of travel, but the shared camaraderie of fellow passengers heading for holiday destinations. We even had music, as the bus driver valiantly attempted to lead us in "Jingle Bells."

And then, the day before Christmas Eve, a foggy day, I arrived "home" to my wife and three "tator tots."  And the destination made the long bus ride all the more memorable.

I have many Christmas thoughts and memories which I look forward to sharing. But those scenes of buzzing over the highway in anticipation to Christmas celebrations with family and friends stick in my mind and heart to this day.

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THINKING THROUGH MY KEYBOARD: SCOTUS & SAME-SEX MARRIAGE (breaking news)

June 26, 2015

The Supreme Court has struck down all laws banning gay marriage.  The President has made a brief statement. The analysis has begun, but if the mainstream networks are any indication, there is much rejoicing over this landmark ruling.

So here I am, thinking through my keyboard again, and wondering, "What's next?"  Before I get to my random thoughts, just a couple of disclaimers:

• These thoughts are random, and raw, and unrefined. They are initial thoughts as they come to my mind. I'm sure some in-depth analysis will follow later, so please be gentle, especially if you disagree with me.
• These thoughts are mine and mine alone and do not necessarily represent those of my church, its leadership, its members, or those of my friends, or neighbors, or associates. As always, if pregnant or nursing, do not take...ooops, sorry, got carried away with the disclaimers.

Here we go

1. The Supreme Court is not Lord, Jesus is Lord.

2. What will change for the church?  Nothing. We will still meet, we will still pray, we will still study God's Word, we will still tell others about Jesus. This has been true of the church throughout history, regardless of the political environment in which she has lived.

3. We are still commanded to love our neighbor. I know we haven't always been good at that. I think one of the takeaways of the SCOTUS decision is that the church will have some serious discussions on how to love our neighbor in word and deed, while not rejecting our Biblical convictions. The critics say we can't love the members of the LGBT community without surrendering those convictions. I think it would be cool to lovingly prove them wrong.

4. I still can't find an example or commendation of same-sex marriage in the Bible. There's a ton of stuff about traditional marriage, but nothing on same-sex marriage.  Just pointing it out, folks.

5. I'm not a slippery-slope, "the sky is falling" kind of person. I rejoice in being a Christian in America, where I still have the right to believe and practice my religion the way I choose. That being established, is there anyone out there who does not think this ruling will have both subtle and profound political and social implications on "religious freedom" in the future?

I know some of my friends and readers may disagree. That's fine. Keep the disclaimers in mind as you comment.  And remember, disrespect, foul language, overt hostility, and so on will likely result in a deletion of your comment. I love smart people who disagree with me, but I've had my fill of the spew of cranky critics.

WHY I BELIEVE IN TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

I think weddings are wonderful! I've lost count of the number of weddings I've officiated or attended, but safe to say, weddings are among the most joyous of human passages.

I believe in traditional marriage, but I had never really thought through what that means from a Bible point of view. So I looked up various combinations of husband, wife, bride, bridegroom, man and woman, marry, and marriage to see what I could learn.  What I found took 40 plus pages to print. At first, I thought I'd be a smart-alec and just print the list, but you would probably tune out at about the 25th or 26th verse (plus why should I cheat you out of the fun of looking them up yourself?)  So I picked a few and categorized them.

So with much joy (and in celebration next month of 33 years of marriage!), I present "Why I Believe in Traditional Marriage."

1. Viva la difference:

• Creation: It all started in the beginning: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)
• Compatibility: In the zoom lens account in Genesis 2, we're given the details of this creation: "And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." (2:18). After Adam names the animals, the account states, "But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him." What kind of companion, what kind of helper was compatible with Adam? The answer came after history's first surgical procedure: "And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man." (verses 21-22).  In verse 23, Adam responds by saying, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, for she was taken out of man." I've been told by a few Hebrew scholars that Adams' reaction was one of enthusiasm. This was it!
• Commentary: In bringing the Woman to the Man, God offers this commentary: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be  joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (verse 24). Jesus reaffirmed this pattern in Matthew 19:5, while the apostle Paul reaffirmed it in Ephesians 5:31. If it's in the Old Testament, if it's in a New Testament letter, and if it's spoken by Jesus Himself, it must be a valid commentary!

2.  Getting to know you

• The act: Almost immediately, we read that "Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived...." (Genesis 4:4). As most students of the Scripture are aware of, the word "know" means "have sexual relations with." This is not surprising, since one of the reasons for marriage is reproduction: "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply..."(Genesis 1:28). Notice that reproduction is one of the reasons, not the only reason or even necessarily the main reason for sex. But nobody would argue that it's irrelevant, because without it, the human race would have ended with Adam and Eve!
• The fact: Not to get too far into Biology 101 (or worse, the dreaded "birds and the bees" talk!), but the Man and the Woman are uniquely equipped for the sexual act. And if we were to get into the conversation about reproduction, it is a biological fact that a man's sperm and a woman's egg are required to create a new life. So we see the constant reference in Scripture: "he knew his wife and she conceived."  "He knew his wife and she conceived." "He knew his wife and she conceived."
  God invented sex and He intended for the Man and Woman to enjoy it, and, through it, keep producing the human race. What a great command to keep!

3.  Famous examples

• Ruth and Boaz (the line of which produced the Messiah!)
• Song of Solomon--yeah, I know, the man Solomon blew it and later had a bunch of wives and porcupines, but this erotic romance ballad is a tribute to the love of a man and a woman (and has also served as an allegory of the relationship between Israel and God and later, Christ and the Church).
• Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptizer, faithfully married for years without a child, until one day, Zechariah enters the Temple....
• Mary and Joseph
• The apostles. It seems that many of the apostles had wives. Reference is made to Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30) and 1 Corinthians 9:5 alludes to the right of Paul to travel with a wife, "as do also the other apostles."

4.  Let me illustrate

• Marriage is used to describe the union between Israel and God. There are a few examples in the Old Testament, both negative and positive, but one of my favorites is in Isaiah 62, which describes the restoration of Israel. In verse 5, we read, "For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."
• Marriage is used to describe the union between the Church and Christ. After a description of the relationship of husbands and wives in Ephesians 5, Paul concludes by saying, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (verse 32).
• Marriage is used to describe the descent of the New Jerusalem. Regardless of your eschatological leanings, this is a beautiful picture: "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)It's no wonder the bride's arrival at a wedding is accompanied by such pomp and majesty! Every wedding is a royal wedding!

As always, I welcome your comments, but please be respectful. Rudeness, name-calling, foul language, and so on will cause your comment to be removed.