Category: Theological Thoughts

I grew up in a tradition that was vicious about that little thing called drinking; and then there was that little thing called dancing; and then there was that other thing called playing poker; and then there were about a hundred other things that consumed some pulpit time, and a lot of ink. My father tended to be a bit more moderate on these issues privately, but by and large the tradition I called home cared a whole lot about matters of liberty which offered myriad of opportunities for inconsistencies. It’s an important note to affirm that the Bible does address drinking (Eph. 5:18, I Tim. 5:23), dancing (Jer. 31:4), and playing (Zech. 8:5). All these things are good in and of themselves, but can also be abused. But for these authority structures with whom I spent my early years, all these things could only lead to our demise.

In that large scale of diatribes, I do not recall once a pastor speaking of the need for healthy bodies. It could have been a footnote in a sermon on gluttony, a brief monologue on a sermon on Romans 12, or it could have been an observation on the nature of living well. Not once! And I have a sharp memory when it comes to sermons and lectures I have heard over my lifetime.That incongruity struck me back then and still does today.

Since then I have heard my fair share of exhortations on health and a hearty life unto the Lord. Thankfully, we have slowly but surely taken a few hits on the Gnostic icon and from the looks of it, there is some slight discomfort. At least those are the rumors! But we should ask ourselves why is it that in a time of crisis where our health is in many ways–though not always–a pre-condition for the virus’ abode we are hearing so little about the importance of living a healthy life. And, of course, the Holy Bible, yes, even my tradition’s favorite translation, the blessed and most ever pure King James Version mentions its value. “It doth profit,” says the 16th century King.

I have always been relatively concerned about my health. In my early teens, I played beach volleyball and soccer. Once I entered the academic world, there was a lot more discussing about sports than the engaging of it physically. Still, I kept some relative common sense about exercise. I come from a tribe of feasters. My fondest memories growing up in Brazil are of a multitude of family members enjoying an all-day churrasco with festive music. The whole thing was glorious. But when kids come along, there is an uncertainty about what ought to take precedence: exercise of changing diapers? And really, we are making friends into enemies. We should prioritize our family precisely by being lucid, energetic, and present for your family. I have failed in this area numerous times and have asked God to forgive me numerous times.

Godliness is supreme in the Bible. It profits much, while exercise in comparison to godliness profits little. The comparison stems from man’s fascination with self-glory. If we make our bodies central, we turn our bodies into the telos, but if we view the well-being of our bodies as a means to pursue godliness, we will be well. Caring for the body is not a neutral matter. The Bible specifically cautions against gluttony and sexual immorality and it ties it to the body as the temple of the Spirit precisely because God intends to use you to be strong when others are weak; to be sober-minded when others are drunk; to be physically equipped when others are not.

So, don’t waste your body. Be the most equipped to serve physically and mentally now. Don’t wait until you are later in life to turn things around. Like C.S. Lewis go for a walk. Like Eric Liddle go for a run to the glory of God. Even good Frodo had to do his share of walking to destroy evil. It’s a conversation we need to have. Th exhortation is fairly direct: Strengthen your body so that your mind can be ready to answer, your hands ready to lift, your legs ready to run with the kids and your mouth ready to sing praises to God.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed an image bearer. He is a barbaric human being whose history of violence did not begin on May 25th, 2020. In his 20 years of service to the MPD, there were 17 complaints about him; several of those complaints entailed violence. Shame on the MPD for not removing such vile from their midst.

A white male named Kristopher Bergh in 2013 recalled being accosted by Chauvin and another police officer in what he described as a “terrifying” experience. When hearing about the death of George Floyd, Bergh noted: “I think Derek Chauvin intentionally escalated incidents because he enjoyed having that power over people.”

Though he is not a solitary example, Chauvin does not represent the entire police force nor is he a common example of the systemic racism of an institution, this was a tyrannical man in search for “power over people.” In fact, here is the heart of the matter: the abuse of power. Such cases exist in politics, religion, and other institutions where power is used as a tool of abuse.

What we are witnessing is the unadulterated disobedience to the fifth commandment. The Westminster Larger Catechism notes that the sins of superiors (those in authority) are the “inordinate seeking of their own glory” and a failure “to protect others and procure the glory of God” with the authority given him.

What Chauvin did is to assume that the power given him was a carte blanche to de-humanize those whom he was called to serve and protect. Once a human being forsakes truth and righteousness and submission to a greater Superior–God himself–he has nothing left but whatever authority is given him to use for his own selfish ambition.

Sin is insanity, and the remarkable power of sin is to make you lose the ability to see reality–to abuse power in the light of day under the watching eyes of recording devices, and a man screaming for mercy. Others in authority may abuse power in the dark, but Floyd suffered by the hands of an abusive man who long ago forsook the reality of what he was called to do. Chauvin is the embodiment of the demonic: the epitome of the union between man and the offspring of the serpent. May judgment be swift!

It’s important to affirm that the Church in America is not suffering persecution, narrowly defined. When they persecuted the prophets, the end of that pursuit was death. We are not candidates for that noble calling. Our brothers in China and Iraq (as examples) are suffering persecution every Sunday. They see their lives in constant peril and risk an inherent part of their humanity. As Christians, they grow up with opposition. They know that to be a Christian is intrinsically dangerous. Yet, they press on in hopes that one day the Gospel will open doors and that their message will go farther and farther.

What the American Church fails to grasp–at times–is that opposition presents opportunities to witness. We are not suffering persecution (though we may hyperbolize at times), what most of our churches are suffering is self-pity; a victimized mentality that convinces us that we are being persecuted.

On the other hand, those churches shouting the claims of King Jesus understand that self-pity happens precisely when we fail to be living witnesses to Christ in our culture. Opposition of any form does not mean we have less time, but more time to witness and speak of the ascended Lord. The Church is to redeem the time because the days of self-pity are evil.

When Chicago’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, launched a police raid on a black church a couple of days ago, whom she claimed was defying her shutdown orders, you can be sure that that congregation was not sitting around in self-pity. The pastor stated rightly the goal of the mayor: “The mayor wants to educate everyone into compliance – which means intimidate.” Precisely. What many politicians want to do is not persecute in its narrow sense, but to make us so docile that closing our doors is treated as an act of love where we are subtly catechized into compliance.

I do not believe we are persecuted. I believe we are too easily seduced into self-pity. We are victims of our victimization. If, however, we intend to use these days as opportunities to proclaim Messiah Jesus boldly, then our first task is to acknowledge we are ambassadors of Christ who gives us the Spirit of courage.