THERE ARE NO FORGOTTEN BIRTHDAYS

The humble one’s stories are too easily forgotten.    This morning as I checked my Facebook I had 69 friends whose birthday is January First.     On an average day I should have  11 friends to wish "Happy Birthday."   (4,140 Facebook friends divided by 365 days in a year equals 11.34 friend’s birthdays per day.)    Today, there is a 608% increase in birthday averages.   What is up?

A couple of my Bazungu (white, or those who wander in circles) friends truly know that January 1 is their birthday.    A couple of my friends from Africa who were fortunate to have their mother deliver in a hospital during a day of relative peace truly know that January 1 is their birthday.

Yet, for the majority of my 68 Facebook friends today they were born during a season of absolute chaos.    They were born in places like remote villages, refugee camps, and urban slums.   Their mom was one of the world’s poorest of poor.    She was likely on the run.  Their mom was thankful to have lived through delivery, and today is exceptionally thankful the child born on that day is alive.

These friends of mine share a common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   He too was born in poverty (Luke 2:1-21).     Stables and mangers in church nativity scenes frequently miss this point.    If you can’t smell the manure your church has understated the chaos of Jesus’ birth.    Jesus was born in forced circumstance as his nation, Judah was under Roman occupation.    His parents were forced to travel near the end of his mom's pregnancy just to register for a census and pay tax.    Forcing a pregnant woman to travel is the height of oppressive government policy.    

These friends of mine likely share another common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   His family was forced to flee for their safety as refugees (Matthew 2:13-18.)    An evil despot intended to kill all rivals, and that included infant boys in a remote village.     Despots do the same things today.

Where is God in such circumstances?

Paul in describing the riches of knowing Christ tells an unfathomable truth (Ephesians 1.)    Before creation God in His infinite knowledge knew His creation would rebel.     God’s holiness could not dwell with rebellion.    Our rebellion would cause eternal separation from the God of infinite love.     The consequence was as horrific as an infant child abandoned and left to die in a field (Ezekiel 16:4-6.)    God chose to rescue us by sacrificing the life of His own Son.    In the process He took us rebels, and adopted us into His family.    Can you imagine?    He knew every sin we would commit.   He knew the horrific costs.   Yet, He chose to create what He would redeem though sacrifice.    Amazing.  Jesus is Emmanuel, God near and with us.

In the chaos that humanity lives God watches every movement of life.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.  His word states,

“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast (Psalm 22:9.)”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13.)”

“This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid… whom I have chosen (Isaiah 44:2.)”

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself… (Isaiah 44:24.)”

“Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. (Isaiah 49:1.)”

“And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:4.)”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (Jeremiah 1:5.)”

 
In eternity, God will redeem each one of these chaotic births.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.   Yet, we do live in the here and now.   Is there hope in this life for God to bring good out of chaos?

Absolutely.    God is sovereign.   He is good.    He is full of love.  His ways are mysterious.   Yet, His ways are just.    History is full of stories of God bringing good from chaos.

One of the privileges God gave me during my season in Rwanda was to be a facilitator in the Presidential Scholars program.   Facilitator sounds important.   All I did was pragmatically pastor.  I made friends.    I helped friends communicate to one another.    Sometimes it was rather mundane.   One of the mundane moments was filling out visa applications.    The applications required filling out a date of birth.    Many times we wrote in the application January 1, _______.

Most of those bright young Banyarwanda who wrote January 1, ______ were not born on January 1, ______.    Instead they were born during absolute chaos.     All their family can remember is a year filled with turmoil.    In some ways, God has helped them forgive the sources of the chaos, and in the process forget a few details that would even include the month of the birth.  

Rwanda Presidential Scholars at Hendrix College

Yet, something wonderful happened in the years following the traumatic birth.    Enough peace came that a family could survive.    They could put down a root somewhere.    The kids could go to school.    Many times the schools were barely functioning.    Yet, somehow learning happened.    The brightest students found a place of marginal stability and success.    They kept at it for years.    Then they sat their final secondary exam.   They scored near the top of all the students in the nation.     Then they received an opportunity to interview with the different universities offering scholarships.    For some of these bright Banyarwanda, this was the first time they had even been in the capital of Kigali.   If there was no God they would have had no chance.    Yet, there is a God.  He is good.   He enjoys showing His grace upon the most humble.   These kids whose families don’t remember their birthday were offered scholarships to attend prestigious universities in the United States.   God is good.

So today I ask that if you definitely know the day of your birth thank God.    Much of the world does not have that luxury.   If you’re one of those who wrote January 1, _____, but really don’t know; also thank God.   If you meet someone with a January 1, ____ birthday, listen to their story.   Thank God.   He is good.  There are no forgotten birthdays.

Christianity and the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA): A reply to good friends

On September 15 2014 my good friend, Andrew Mwenda wrote in The Independent “AHA: A reply to “Christian” critics” http://www.independent.co.ug/the-last-word/the-last-word/9317?task=view  He raises many good points that are both Biblical and represent historic Christian teaching.  Yet, I think a deeper discussion is merited.  

            I’ve sat with Andrew in Monitor FM’s studio discussing our disagreements about Jesus’ virgin birth and resurrection.  I’ve never been able to forget the caller who said, “Hitler, Stalin, Amin, and Mwenda will all have a special place in hell.”  Wow.  I fear God’s judgment too much myself to declare it to another.

Social media now shows us how deeply engrained such sentiments are into misplaced theories

of Christianity.  Those commentaries miss what it means to be “Christian?”   Though our contemporary times frequently use the term, “Christian” it is only used in the Bible three times (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.)  Many scholars conclude this first usage of the word, “Christian” was actually an insult to those who believed in Jesus of Nazareth’s resurrection.  The second time is when an imprisoned Paul tries to persuade King Agrippa to believe, and King Agrippa flippantly asks, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”  Lastly, Peter uses the word, “Christian” to explain suffering without shame.  Thus the very use of the name Christian should never entail a sense of towering over one’s opponent.  Instead to be “Christian” means coming to be near and suffer with those suffering.  It is in that relinquishment of hunger for human dominance that we become truly “Christian.”

As we suffer we process through faith.   How did we get here?   Why is this world so full of pain?  The Bible teaches that humanity is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27.)  All humanity possesses infinite dignity.  Yet, sin enters into the world (Genesis 3.)  Then all havoc breaks out.  Pain is part of life.  Our bodies fail.  Sickness catches us all.  Our work is frustrating.  The corrupt prosper.  All will die.  We can blame others for the mess of humanity.  However, we are all guilty (Romans 3.)  

The Bible speaks of a day coming when like the creepiest of science fiction movies not only will every deed be exposed, but every thought and motive will also be on display (Matthew 12; Luke 12; Hebrews 4:12.)  No one will come away blameless.  The Radio Katwe rumors of Rwanda may not be true, but Jesus makes it clear that somewhere in heaven is stack of files, photos, and videos of our most embarrassing moments.  We’ll all be on our knees begging for mercy when twitter leaks our secrets (Philippians 2:10.)  Thus the best we can do in this life is act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly (Micah 6:8.) 

            With such fear and trembling, but hope of forgiveness we live a Christian ethic that makes many friends (Luke 16:1-14,) and treats others as we want to be treated (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31-33; Luke 10:27.)  With this Christian ethic of shared suffering because of humanity’s shared failings I offer humble suggestions.

            First, can we stop the name calling?  An old pastor, Dr. Royce Dickinson once told me, “Always, describe people the way they describe themselves.  Otherwise we are name calling, and stripping people of their dignity.”  I’m using the word “gay” now as homosexual seems offensive.  When a few use courser language let us either ignore it or call it unacceptable to our civil community.  With the same reasoning, can we cease to use the term “homophone” or “homophobic?”  The terms assign the motive of fear and hate.   Let’s allow God to sift our motives.

            Second, Uganda is a sovereign nation.  She has the right to make her own laws.  History tells us only emperors try to tell sovereign nations what to do.  Those of us who don’t hold Ugandan citizenship can speak as friends offering advice (as Ugandans also speak to us.)  However, let us not take the place of God and attempt to direct history.   After all history calls those who attempted to direct history names such as “emperor” and “dictator.”  We wouldn’t want those name assigned to us.


            Third, Andrew, Fox Odoi, and others went to court and raised an important issue of justice.  The Anti-Homosexuality Act was passed in Uganda’s Parliament without quorum.  All laws that are just must be established by respecting constitutional process.  The Anti-Gay bill did not follow a just process.   

            Fourth, since we’re all guilty let us very cautiously offer anecdotal evidence of hypocrisy.  I’ve been a respected husband, father, uncle, coach, teacher, pastor, and mzee to my community, but I’m just as guilty of hypocrisy as any.  I’m thankful to all who treat my failings with grace.  

            Fifth, Andrew raises a contemporary Christian proverb, “Love the sinner.  Hate the sin.”  It’s a good attempt to live out a difficult Christian ethic.  Yet, I think Tony Campolo recently said it even better, “Love the sinner.  Hate my own sin.”

            Wow.  Preaching is a horrible task for those who have the courage to wrestling with their own hypocrisy.  Countless Scriptures have men and women speaking for God to indict cultures of sin.  Pastors are accountable to call, “Sin,” “Sin.”  Yet as they do that they know they are guilty of all they are addressing.  No wonder Isaiah said, “Woe to me (Isaiah 6:5-7.)”  Grace needs to continually be applied to our preaching against sin simply because the pastor needs so much of it.

         

   Paul said it well when he wrote, “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.   And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11.)”

If Paul planted a church in Kampala it would be made up not only of reformed gays, but reformed street thieves, religious conmen, corrupt government officials, drunkards, bang smokers, and sensationalist journalists.  I hope Uganda’s pastors have similar visions today.

            Yes, Andrew gets it right that the best pastoring helps people become new.  Churches must   When we pastors don’t lead in the process of redemption we should repent before we demand another’s repentance.  Andrew also gets it right that Uganda is not a theocracy and Christianity is itself very divided on many issues related to gays.  Most importantly Andrew gets it right when he writes, “Jesus said he came to earth to save sinners, not to dine with the holy.”

Alexander McKay

lead in the process of human redemption.

            Yet, I think Andrew misses that a significant part of being a religious leader is being a prophet.  Contemporary health and wealth pastors miss it when they think being a prophet is profitable way to predict the future.  Instead being a prophet is a lone voice of truth to intimidating earthly authorities and howling mobs.  Uganda’s history has had many.  Some were missionaries like Alexander McKay who spoke against slavery, war, human sacrifice, and homosexuality.   Some were leaders like Bishop Festo Kivengere who with a pure heart proclaimed his love for Idi Amin while calling Amin’s killings evil.  

        

Bishop Festo Kivengere

    Those voices of the past remind us again – The colonial impulse to control is wrong.  Sexuality should be practiced between a man and woman who are married.  Murder is a heinous sin.  We’re all guilty, but redemption is possible.  Thus we’ll preach not only on homosexuality with which a small percentage struggle, but also address our more pervasive sins of greed, prejudice, and lust.  We’re all part of the sin problem.

            Those prophets of old were advocates in policy debates.  Their voices should still be heard.  In a society where there are many religious thoughts we should listen well to all whether they are rabbi, guru, haji, or pastor.  Each represents millions who have found enduring truth in their religion.  We dare not make the mistake to exclude any just because religion is part of their reasoning.  In fact, we’ll find when we’re really in trouble frequently we’re healed at a religious hospital, educated by religious scholarships and schools, and someone we meet at a religious gathering helps us find a new job.  If we turn to religious leaders for health, education, and business it seems hypocritical to exclude them from participating as citizens in governance.

            Andrew closes his column with a story of a gay Christian in Uganda.  It’s heart breaking. 

How about if the next time I’m in Uganda Andrew and I go visit him with the same grace we give one another?  Friendship is about loving one another when we know each other’s failings.   Then we gently point to the ultimate friend, Jesus of Nazareth who ultimately makes us into something new. 
 
            Bottom line:  Andrew has well pointed out Biblical holes in the Anti-Homosexuality Act.  Yet, I think Andrew’s closing story is a whisper of God that a day will come when Andrew combines his journalistic excellence with a pastor’s calling.

THERE ARE NO FORGOTTEN BIRTHDAYS

The humble one’s stories are too easily forgotten.    This morning as I checked my Facebook I had 40 friends whose birthday is January First.     On an average day I should have 8 or 9 friends to wish "Happy Birthday."   (3,200 Facebook friends divided by 365 days in a year equals 8.77 friend’s birthdays per day.)    Today, there is a 456% increase in birthday averages.   What is up?

A couple of my Bazungu (white, or those who wander in circles) friends truly know that January 1 is their birthday.    A couple of my friends from Africa who were fortunate to have their mother deliver in a hospital during a day of relative peace truly know that January 1 is their birthday.

Yet, for the majority of my 40 Facebook friends today they were born during a season of absolute chaos.    They were born in places like remote villages, refugee camps, and urban slums.   Their mom was one of the world’s poorest of poor.    She was likely on the run.  Their mom was thankful to have lived through delivery, and today is exceptionally thankful the child born on that day is alive.

These friends of mine share a common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   He too was born in poverty (Luke 2:1-21).     Stables and mangers in church nativity scenes frequently miss this point.    If you can’t smell the manure your church has understated the chaos of Jesus’ birth.    Jesus was born in forced circumstance as his nation, Judah was under Roman occupation.    His parents were forced to travel near the end of his mom's pregnancy just to register for a census and pay tax.    Forcing a pregnant woman to travel is the height of oppressive government policy.    

These friends of mine likely share another common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   His family was forced to flee for their safety as refugees (Matthew 2:13-18.)    An evil despot intended to kill all rivals, and that included infant boys in a remote village.     Despots do the same things today.

Where is God in such circumstances?

Paul in describing the riches of knowing Christ tells an unfathomable truth (Ephesians 1.)    Before creation God in His infinite knowledge knew His creation would rebel.     God’s holiness could not dwell with rebellion.    Our rebellion would cause eternal separation from the God of infinite love.     The consequence was as horrific as an infant child abandoned and left to die in a field (Ezekiel 16:4-6.)    God chose to rescue us by sacrificing the life of His own Son.    In the process He took us rebels, and adopted us into His family.    Can you imagine?    He knew every sin we would commit.   He knew the horrific costs.   Yet, He chose to create what He would redeem though sacrifice.    Amazing.  Jesus is Emmanuel, God near and with us.

In the chaos that humanity lives God watches every movement of life.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.  His word states,

“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast (Psalm 22:9.)”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13.)”

“This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid… whom I have chosen (Isaiah 44:2.)”

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself… (Isaiah 44:24.)”

“Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. (Isaiah 49:1.)”

“And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:4.)”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (Jeremiah 1:5.)”

 
In eternity, God will redeem each one of these chaotic births.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.   Yet, we do live in the here and now.   Is there hope in this life for God to bring good out of chaos?

Absolutely.    God is sovereign.   He is good.    He is full of love.  His ways are mysterious.   Yet, His ways are just.    History is full of stories of God bringing good from chaos.

One of the privileges God gave me during my season in Rwanda was to be a facilitator in the Presidential Scholars program.   Facilitator sounds important.   All I did was pragmatically pastor.  I made friends.    I helped friends communicate to one another.    Sometimes it was rather mundane.   One of the mundane moments was filling out visa applications.    The applications required filling out a date of birth.    Many times we wrote in the application January 1, _______.

Most of those bright young Banyarwanda who wrote January 1, ______ were not born on January 1, ______.    Instead they were born during absolute chaos.     All their family can remember is a year filled with turmoil.    In some ways, God has helped them forgive the sources of the chaos, and in the process forget a few details that would even include the month of the birth.   

Rwanda Presidential Scholars at Hendrix College

Yet, something wonderful happened in the years following the traumatic birth.    Enough peace came that a family could survive.    They could put down a root somewhere.    The kids could go to school.    Many times the schools were barely functioning.    Yet, somehow learning happened.    The brightest students found a place of marginal stability and success.    They kept at it for years.    Then they sat their final secondary exam.   They scored near the top of all the students in the nation.     Then they received an opportunity to interview with the different universities offering scholarships.    For some of these bright Banyarwanda, this was the first time they had even been in the capital of Kigali.   If there was no God they would have had no chance.    Yet, there is a God.  He is good.   He enjoys showing His grace upon the most humble.   These kids whose families don’t remember their birthday were offered scholarships to attend prestigious universities in the United States.   God is good.

So today I ask that if you definitely know the day of your birth thank God.    Much of the world does not have that luxury.   If you’re one of those who wrote January 1, _____, but really don’t know; also thank God.   If you meet someone with a January 1, ____ birthday, listen to their story.   Thank God.   He is good.  There are no forgotten birthdays.