The Vote of America

 I voted in the Presidential election for the first time in 1992 in Southern California. I put my vote in the box, walked home, turned on the television, and they told me who won the election. I stared. My vote still sat at the bottom of the box. It didn’t count. Now, when I go on social media to see the life of my friends, I have people explaining that if I don’t vote like them, I’m doomed and will lose my salvation, which the Bible does not endorse.  How would that happen if my vote didn’t even count? 

Other people on social media scream that when we vote, we do the most important thing that we can ever do. I disagree. I did the most important thing in my life when I gave my life to Christ. 

Something in our country must change. We must not give into the same deeds of the media and taunt and call people names or threaten the salvation of others. We cannot allow the wrong voices to lead us into an area that we don’t belong. 

Jesus did not come to die on the cross so we would have the freedom to vote. In fact, the Israelites waited for a political king and got Jesus, a sacrificial king who died for our sins. Voting has importance, but it has its place, and we must keep it in its place. 

Whoever becomes the leader of the country, the state, or city does not determine your life. You make your life. You must discover how you can manage living in a world in which people think and believe differently than you. It may not always be safe and comfortable, but it will be a world in which you can live for Jesus. So, how do we get to this point? 

1. Stop Guilt-Shaming

One of the manipulative tactics that affected my spiritual faith from the church came in the form of guilt-shaming. Guilt shaming questions your Christianity. In the political world, people use it to question how a Christian could vote for a specific candidate or a policy. Jesus never guilt-shamed. 

Our salvation does not rely on how we vote every four years. Jesus didn’t shed his blood for you to manipulate people or guilt-shame them. Could Christinas be sinning with their vote? Absolutely. You know what? Focus on your sins, and the ones that you need Jesus to take from you, and America will be a better country. 

When you respond to someone guilt-shaming, call them out on the guilt-shaming and not the rhetoric. You will not win them over with, “But your side believes…” Point out that when they guilt-shame, they sin because they commit the sin of lying because manipulation fits in the arena of lying. 

2. Listen to the other side to understand

I voted Republican, Democrat, and Independent. If you listened to my story, you would understand my vote. We must start at the root of the problem. Most of the political issues have a root that must be upended. Work on discovering the root issue with the party you support and begin uprooting it to find a solution. 

Most voters want our country to have freedom and help each other, but different visions of how to do that. People have a different journey than you. Instead of screaming on social media, listen. 

Listen. Ask questions. Don’t demonize. Don’t guilt-shame the other person. Listen. Listen to the heart of someone. Find what you have in common. 

When you listen, see the individual. One of the quotes about Auschwitz stated that the Nazi’s gained power over the Jews because they saw people as a group and not an individual. Just because ethnicity, a religion, or a career does something doesn’t mean everyone associated with that does that same thing. 

Do Something

It may sound trite to not be so concerned with the election, but the fact remains that we must live and do life not just wring our hands because we don’t agree with who leads the country, state, or city. 

If you have an immense passion about an issue, then begin to serve and volunteer within that area. If you already do that, step up and find the root cause of why the issue exists. You may be surprised that your political pundits have caused more problems than solutions. I did. 

When I started working in the urban community in education, I thought I could make a difference in those schools, and the education system would change. I was wrong. It took me four years to discover the root issue of the deplorable conditions of the academics in the schools in our poor communities. 

Find your passion. Go volunteer. You will discover that problems can be solved when you do something because solutions come with acts of love not passive acts on a device. 

Love with the love of Jesus

People on both sides of the political aisle love to quote Jesus to fit their agenda. Then, they guilt-shame or berate those who vote differently than them. They do not display the love of Jesus. Jesus loves everyone. Have you seen the commercials “He Gets Us”? I don’t care who does those. I fear that too many judgmental people don’t hear the message of those commercials: Jesus loves everyone. 

Jesus loves democrats, republicans, independents, and even those who choose not to vote. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to go the extra mile for them. He didn’t tell us to eliminate them from our lives. 

In 1988, I asked my friends at my small Christian college which college basketball team should I cheer for in the NCAA tournament. My Indiana friends said Indiana University, and my Kentucky friends said the University of Kentucky. On spring break that year, I watched the Final Four and found my team. They had the best looking guy in the tournament! I chose Duke University, and yes, that cute guy was Christian Laettner. I’ve been a Duke fan ever since. So, telling me who to vote for could result in me still picking my own choice. 

Follow Jesus. Follow the two greatest commands: Love God and Love people, including those who voted differently than you. Our country will be better because of it. 

Art Offends

 Art offends. Art is subjective. The opening of the 2024 Olympics offended some, and some saw the beauty of art. I found most of it repulsive and the 1980s screaming that they want their fashion back! I also had disappointment that the focus moved off the athletes and focused on art. No matter who hosts the Olympics, the focus is sports, even if the artsy fartsy people of this world do not like sports. 

The problem didn’t exist in the art. It existed in the responses to the response of the art. Does it sound confusing? Let me explain. The responses to some people’s response to the opening ceremony remind me of why I struggled with the church. 

I struggled in the church because people would call me ignorant or laugh at my claims. One claim got securely founded when a congregation erupted in applause when the pastor said the exact same claim. I felt validated in my claims and my beliefs, but the healing from the insults and gaslighting took years to overcome. 

Telling me not to be offended can be a form of gaslighting. At least, that’s what all the offended people on social media inform me when they get offended by conservatives. Anyone can be offended. No one has ignorance because they get offended. You don’t know everything about their life and what can trigger them. 

We must stop gatekeeping. Here’s how you learn to look at art. Look at it. What do you see? Take the example of a picture of the ocean. Some can see a beautiful ocean. Others see a monster of danger depending on their life experiences with water. The artist may have depicted peace or the depth of life. Your view may differ from the artist’s origin of thought.  

I have heard many screenwriters claim that it makes them smile how people see their film, but that they never intended for it to be taken in the way the people viewed it. Some artists do create art to offend and make a message. They love the response that they receive. They love the conflicts that it produces, and so many of us fall right into it. 

So, how do we move from gaslighting and being offended that someone gets offended? We take a step in the other person’s shoes. In other words, we put the words of Jesus into practice. “Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.” (Matthew 6:31; CSB) Do you want people to tell you not to be offended? Do you want people to call you stupid? If you don’t, then stop doing it to others, even on social media. 

First, realize that people get offended because of their lived experiences and beliefs. Humble yourself and realize, especially on social media, you don’t know everything about everybody. Let them be offended. Validate their point of view. “I see how that can hurt.” Then, explain how you see it. “This is what I see.” Validating people’s huts brings peace and conflicts can be avoided. 

Next, don’t respond. You don’t have to respond to everything on social media. I started responding to this stupid debate over the opening of the 2024 Olympics and immediately regretted it. I’m not boycotting sports. I’m cheering hard for those young people who do incredible things with their physical bodies and have worked so hard. The young people sitting at home need to learn from the hard work and their determination. 

Finally, find a way to be productive. Post art that brings healing rather than controversy. For those of you who live in the USA, when the Olympics return to our country in 2028, come and serve. They need volunteers for the events. Meet the tourists and with your kindness represent Jesus. Find a way to heal the many who will come with all kinds of hurts. 

We must do better as human beings. The church has struggled with gaslighting and using harmful words, but I see progress that many leaders have attempted to teach their congregation to be better. We can all be better. Let art offend. Then, let the light of Jesus bring healing to a world that has so much hurt. Jesus didn’t come to save the righteous but the sinners. Let’s reach out to those who need Jesus. 

For my Olympic viewer friends: GO USA! 

Summer Break

Every child looks forward to summer break from school. You get a break from the monotony of the schedule of waking up early, having an early bedtime, and no schoolwork. Teachers enjoy the break from lesson planning and grading. Parents get a break when the kids go back to school. 

Everyone needs a break or vacation or a rest. Society tells us to keep going even when our body has complete exhaustion. Looking at scripture, God demands that we take a break or a rest. 

God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. (You can argue the time frame of those seven days because a day is like a thousand years to God, but the point remains that he took a rest from creating.) In the ten commandments, God commanded the Israelites to take a Sabbath from their work. He even commanded them to take a year of jubilee every seven years so the land could rest from planting and harvesting. 

Since God created a time for humans to rest, we must rest. We must stop with excuses and create times in our lives to rest. Unlike school children, you may not be able to take a two month break from work, but with consistent times of rest, you can become more productive in your family, friendships, and your career. 

First, put rest in your weekly schedule. You can create time with family or friends in that time, but make sure not to do any work. As a teacher, I had to develop the skill of doing work at school and be creative with lesson planning and grading while at school. Guard your time off from people who want to fill it with tasks that become burdensome, that includes the church. 

Along with scheduling a day of the week to stop and rest, schedule time in your daily schedule rest. Cut off your screen time and go to bed at a specific time. Your smartphone has a bedtime app you can use. This also helps with health. Once I got into this habit this last year, I had better results with being less tired and even lost weight

Find a hobby that relaxes you and brings creativity into your life. This means putting down the devices, unless you read from a device, and bring peace into your life with enjoyment of a hobby. You don’t have to create a masterpiece of art or even share with everyone what your hobby is, but the less time you spend online and the more you spend on something purposeful, the stronger you will become. 

God took a rest to set the example that we must rest. Don’t let others guilt-shame you into thinking that you must serve at a specific task all the time, or the church will crumble. God has more power than any human. The church will stand with or without your service. Take the time to rest and guard it from guilt-shaming people. You may need to dissolve those relationships so you can have healthy decisions in your life. 

With the heat of summer upon us, take the time to schedule in days of rest. It may be a slow start, but the more you do it, the more you will crave more. The more you rest and regather your thoughts, the better your life becomes. Let God lead you to rest this week. Who knows, you might find the one thing that you needed to be doing all along. 

One Shining Moment

 “The ball is tipped, and there you are. You’re running for your life. You’re a shooting star.”  This line gets sung by every college basketball player during the tournament. All of them hoping to win a championship, but all of them desiring that one shining moment that they get to be in the spotlight for that montage of great plays at the end of the tournament.

For some, like the players at Grand Canyon University, they know they will not play professional basketball. For others, they hope that their shining moment will propel them into the professional league. Whatever it is, it’s good to recognize our shining moments.

Throughout my life, people have noticed and pointed out my flaws. I have many of them. I know that. Many times, including Christians, people do not recognize our shining moments. Since other people don’t recognize them, we think that they don’t exist or that we just need to humble ourselves and sweep our shining moments under the rug, but that’s not letting our light shine.

Our shining moments reveal the use of our gifts and talents that God has given us. We can be humble and still acknowledge our shining moments. If we don’t recognize our shining moments, we then struggle to repeat them, and they need repeating because people need the light of Jesus.

So, how do we acknowledge our shining moments and remain humble? I wish I had put this into practice better than I do, but I have seen this set as an example, and it has a unique beauty. My professors at my colleges that saw my abilities had that unique way of letting their light shine without bragging. They accepted praise and didn’t apologize for it. They continued to grow and move forward.

 Moving forward disables bragging and acknowledges what you have done well. When you stay stuck, you just want to repeat the shining moment and live in that moment forever, but you can’t. You must move to the next level.

Society will try to silence you. They get on social media and tell you to be quiet and let others, who have not helped anyone, shine. They claim that you speak too much. They don’t want you to be successful in your talents and gifts because they are filled with envy. If we don’t share our light, then we become greedy. Greed and envy will destroy any society.

If we don’t share our light, which consists of our gifts and talents, then we hoard the love of Jesus and have become greedy with our faith. Just because some people in society want to silence others doesn’t mean Christianity is under attack. It means we allow other people to monitor and control what we do. We cannot hide.

We don’t have to stand on the street corner and scream at people. We just need to use the gifts and talents that God has given us to bring someone into the presence of Jesus. The more we use those gifts and talent, the more people see Jesus.

Our talents could be baking for others, painting, creating homemade cards, singing, balancing budgets for individuals or churches or other groups that desperately need a balanced budget. We can write, meet with others, and empower them with our encouraging words. We can read and research the truth. We can have conversations instead of trying to prove to everyone how right we are. Whatever we do, we can use our strengths to bring glory to God.

So, this week, find your shining moment. Document it. Share it with a friend or family member. Let it be in the montage of your memory. In the end, you will be able to sing. “And when it’s done, win or lose, you always did your best because inside you knew that One Shining Moment you reached deep inside. One shining moment, you knew you were alive.”

 

Palm Sunday-Living by Faith and Not Fear

Having knowledge of the events of Palm Sunday did not increase my faith. Experiencing a church taking a risk and moving on Palm Sunday increased my faith in God and the church. The church decided to move, literally. The pastor, Erwin McManus made the announcement at the end of the service. “Join us next week for Easter at our new location in Hollywood.” I would like to explain the reaction of the congregants that day, but I can’t because I wasn’t there.

Our church met on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. The announcement of the move would create commutes for the people who attended the services at the school campus. In Los Angeles, commuting can be an inconvenience. You can leave with time to spare and get caught in a traffic jam on side streets and arrive for the worship service to start in the evening. I had no idea how this move would end.

Not only did the congregants go to that worship service on Easter, they took time out of their week to go to the location and prepare the old church for an Easter service. With all the sweeping and dusting, we could see the particles of dust shining through the windows in the service, but God worked in ways because we moved.

Since that move, Mosaic Hollywood has made an impact on the community in Hollywood. People from all walks of life came to Jesus. The tour buses stop at the front of the church and explain how the church renovated the old building and has many services. The praise team created their own praise songs that many churches have added to their repertoire.

That Palm Sunday that the pastor informed the congregation about the move allowed God to work in my own faith in the church which had been tarnished after sixteen years of full-time ministry. I come from a home church that fought over the color of carpet. I worked in churches that whenever people wanted to do something innovative, they created committees that sat around and talked but did not act. This time, a church acted.

Having a church service in a school requires payment for rent. The owner of the building on Hollywood Blvd. offered us a year of free rent. We moved in on the first week of that free rent. God supplied and the church responded. We must all move when God calls us.

On the first Palm Sunday, most Christian teachers focus on the people waving palm branches for Jesus when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. What most people omit is the part that since Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, the religious leaders wanted to arrest and kill Jesus if he entered Jerusalem. Jesus didn’t just enter, he came in with pomp and circumstance. He exemplified living by faith and not fear.

We had to move. It meant that we would change. Our small gathering grew into many gatherings because we added more people. Change comes because we have grown. We must always grow. We can only grow and change when we take a step of faith and leap and not fear what the future could hold.

Too many Christians choose to live in fear. They want to be comfortable. Jesus said that the peace he gives is not of the world. He gives us contentment throughout our trials. He doesn’t take the trials away from us. He gives us the tools to thrive during trials. We must decide if we will choose comfort and fear or faith and risk.

Risk, change, and growth bring trepidation, but they all create a way for God to work in our lives. Palm Sunday will always be the day that God worked in my heart and revealed people who step up and step out.

This next week, many Christians all over the world take time to remember the sacrifice Jesus did for us. He died for us. He could have had angels rescue Him, but he took the leap of faith and died for us. This next week, find a way to live in faith and not fear. It may be inconvenient and uncomfortable, but it will be life changing.

He Gets Us

 “Jesus doesn’t Hate. He Gets Us.” The words filled the screen after the plethora of images of people washing other people’s feet. Then, the Internet blew up. “Heretics!!!” “He doesn’t condone sin!!!!” Did the ad say that he condoned sin? Did Jesus ignore and judge sinners or did he eat with them? Did he wash the feet of eleven, no ten, righteous disciples, or did he also wash the feet of Judas who betrayed him hours later and Peter who denied him three times hours later? Jesus loves everyone. He wants us to serve others to reveal the love that Jesus has for them. That’s where it BEGINS. 

“But they showed washing the feet of a woman outside an abortion clinic!!! Jesus wouldn’t do that!” So, your church would accept all sinners except women who have had an abortion? So, Jesus can’t forgive those who had abortions? Are you limiting the grace of Jesus? Does your church limit the love and grace of Jesus? I’ m not condemning those who have screamed, and I’m not condoning sin, but I am going to proclaim that those behind this campaign got it right this time. 

People get offended if you breathe wrong, so I’m done with people being offended. I got this because Jesus does get us. Some of you get ready because you will get offended. 

Jesus loves all of us with all the filthy sins that we obtain. I never understood why so many Christians expected people to clean up their lives on their own before they came to Jesus who forgives all sin. Jesus healed people when He walked on earth, but He also forgave their sins. Jesus came for the sinners not the righteous. Although Christians believe in the love and grace of Jesus, we struggle for sinners to walk into our presence and especially our churches. 

“You have to stop letting the BAD kids come to this youth group. Church is for the good kids whose parents come here.” Said the parent of one of my students in youth ministry whose kid wreaked havoc everywhere he went. I looked at her confused. I said something like, “Jesus wants all the children to come to him.” I then walked away disappointed and confused. My youth ministry just started reaching the kids in the community, and the righteous church goers didn’t want them. So, when I say getting fired was the best thing that happened to me, this was just one of those reasons. 

In my years of attending church, Lakewood Christian, Mosaic Church, and Eastside Christian have always allowed sinners to enter. They allow Jesus’s power to work. People don’t come to Jesus because they see Christian’s super righteous behavior or ideals. They come to Jesus because they experience His love. The only way people can experience the love of Jesus is through Christians demonstrating His love by serving them. 

We cannot limit who we serve. We cannot just serve the righteous. The Dream Center in Los Angeles has served anyone and everyone without any questions. The community around them changed for the better. The love of Jesus spread into the lives of people who many would deem undesirable. 

So here comes the righteous. “If we love them, then we tell them the truth.” That’s correct. Ephesians 4:15 informs us to speak the truth in love. We serve and wash their feet. Then, they see the love of Jesus. Missionaries told me people come to Jesus when they trust you. Trust takes time. For the people screaming, it’s taken many of us time to trust and love you. 

Others criticize those behind this campaign that the money could be spent on the poor. Don’t quote Judas. If you want money to go to the poor, give your money to the poor. This commercial reached people. It made people think. That’s why people screamed. We don’t want to serve. We want others to see our great righteousness, and then we become confused that they just see our flaws and sins. Let’s love with serving. 

Here’s the challenge. Rewatch the commercial. Find that person in your life that you need to wash their feet. Don’t lecture or give a sermon, just serve them and their needs. Then, watch Jesus do His work. Then, maybe you will see that, "He Gets Us." That is the true love. Now, have a Happy Valentine’s Day with chocolate and an attitude of humility to love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, so not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a; CSB) 

Revisiting the New Year's Goals

 Th gyms have become empty which make me wonder how everyone is doing on their New Year goals. We have completed one whole month of the New Year. How are you doing on your goals? Did you set any goals? Did you create habits to reach your goals in the beginning of the month, and did not keep up with them toward the end of the month? Did you even start? Many people see the month of February as the month of love. We focus on loving others and doing kind things for others that we forget to focus on loving ourselves. Jesus even made it clear that we must love ourselves. 

When I grew up in the church, they tried to teach me that loving myself went against the Bible. When I went to Mosaic Church in Hollywood, Erwin McManus revealed to me an important part of the second greatest commandment. The first command is to love God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30; CSB) We all strive to love God in all these areas. It’s the second command that many people struggle to read. “The second is, Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” (Mark 12:31; CSB) You cannot love others until you love yourself. 

Jesus lived in a society where people loved themselves. They understood how to love themselves. They struggled to love others. Today, we struggle with both of them because if we can’t love ourselves, how can we love others? Having goals and creating healthy habits to reach our goals are ways that we can love ourselves, which in turn becomes loving others. 

It may not be the first day of the New Year or even the first day of the second month, but it is a new day. Set goals for yourself and create daily habits that will push you towards your goals. This reveals just one way that you love yourself. When you can work towards your goals, you can help others in your life. When you get too busy helping others and forget about yourself, you become useless to both others and you. I know because I did that in youth ministry and my ministry and I struggled. 

People grow. When you stay stuck and think you can help others, the growth becomes stunted. When you grow, others around you see it, and they want to grow too. Find the time to work on your healthy habits. Take one thing away or spend less time on an unhealthy habit like mindlessly watching television or binge watching or social media or playing games on devices. These can all become my vices. I have discovered that with less time on my unhealthy habits and more time on my healthy habits, I have become better at reaching my goals. 

So, take the time to revisit your goals or make goals. Decide to grow in 2024 and work on creating healthy habits. You can always start fresh and new every day. God created each day for us. Let’s honor him with our time and habits to create a better life so others can see the love He has. When we love ourselves, we can love others, and that connects to God’s love.