More JC: Less PC

If Jesus had hired a campaign consultant to help him launch his earthly ministry, the PR guy would have walked out the second week! I've been working through the first year of the Lord's ministry, and it has been eye opening- even jarring. The Master never tried to cultivate broader acceptance or take advantage of political influence. From Day One, he was a wild man out to take the world by storm.

I mean, the first thing he did upon arriving in Jerusalem on that first Passover was to kick the merchants out of the temple! Sure, they were charging fifteen times too much for the sacrificial animals, and even demanded a day's wage to make change. But they were legit- officially sanctioned by the city fathers. Jesus insisted the Temple was for holiness- not hype- and he sent the peddlers sailing out of the courtyard! You can imagine how the good old boys at the temple responded to this outrage.

Then he was handed the perfect opportunity to make amends, and schmooze a respected religious leader. Nicodemus came calling by night to get a handle on what Jesus was all about. Did the Lord pat him on the back and say, "Thanks for giving me a shot, bro?" Far from it: he told him that anybody hoping to see God would need to be born again. When Nicodemus asked for a little clarification, Jesus replied, "You're a religious teacher and you don't get this?"

Then on his return home to Nazareth, he ventured into Samaria where he encountered Sychar's equivalent of Desperate Housewives. In a world where a respectable man did not even speak to his own wife in public, Jesus broke through the clutter and chatted with 'the village slut.' She'd given up on marriage after five divorces, and had just nailed her latest boy toy.

Jesus took the time to speak the truth in love. He didn't invite her to come to church. He invited her to come to him. First she realized he was a prophet. Then she discovered he was the Messiah. She confessed her sins and finally rushed off to return with her neighbors. While we can be sure the angels in heaven were celebrating, it's also fairly certain that the priests back in Jerusalem would be incensed when this report drifted south!

Jesus wasn't rude to Nicodemus. And he wasn't tender with the woman in Samaria. He treated them differently because one was religious, and the other was anything but. And yet he respected both of them enough to be firm with them. He didn't waver on the truth in order to come across smooth as butter. Instead he was patient, persistent and clear. He respectfully pointed out the wise man's ignorance and the coy woman's sin. Significantly, they both became his followers and worshipers.

Some times we church people try to be too smooth by half. We try to look loving, but we come across as insincere. We hope to avoid offending people but wind up omitting them. Most of all, we aspire to be lovable. But there's a lesson here: history's most effective Christians rarely attempted to win the affections of skeptics and doubters; they wanted most to win their souls.

Sex & Chocolate

Valentine's Day is the annual celebration of America's love affair with chocolate. Sure, we'll talk about romance and exchange lovey-dovey greeting cards, but the names that bring smiles to our faces are Hershey, Cadbury and Godiva. Diamonds may be Forever, but Chocolates are Forevermore!

Americans consume more than 3.5 billion pounds of chocolate annually. That's about 12 pounds for every man, woman and child in the country, but I'm fairly sure I eat that much in only a month! Sales increase here every year, and in many European nations, people enjoy chocolate even more than in the USA.

Here's what's ironic: chocolate has changed very little over the years. Yes, there are dark, milk and white varieties. And because this is America, there's something called "premium" chocolates which are more expensive. But it's all pretty much the same- smooth, rich, sweet, velvety, grand! Centuries have come and gone, but basic chocolate continues to satisfy.

Which brings us to that other delicacy we associate with Valentine's Day: sex. In 2010, Americans have achieved a degree of sexual freedom that rivals the excesses of 1st Century Rome. Today the potent forces of Hollywood, contraceptives and American affluence have created the Perfect Storm. Sexually speaking, anything goes, and the term "anything" is redefined every year.

Here's my question: now that Americans are so sexually free, why are many so sexually unfulfilled? You'll notice that while basic chocolates continue to delight everyone, basic sex is not nearly enough for the stars and celebrities of our decadent culture. First they passed from one marriage to another without much success. Then they decided to leap from partner to partner without the benefit of marriage or divorce. Then they spiked their "fun" with all kinds of booze, and drugs, and oddities. Today there are expensive restaurants in New York City where salad bars and sushi bars are arrayed atop naked women lying on display.

Modesty demands that I choose my words carefully here. But you don't have to be a TV addict to realize how far things have devolved today. The popular culture freely encourages bi-sexuality, threesomes, orgies, random hook-ups with strangers in elevators, the Mile High Club, etc, etc. Before long, even the most depraved kinkiness grows stale, and still more bizarre extremes are required.

In stark contrast to all that wretched excess, there is the New Testament principle of moral purity. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that sex is a sacred bond between one man and one woman, forever. We believe that celibacy is the most desirable condition for single men and women, smart people who reserve themselves for marriage. The Bible teaches that the human body is a temple- not a playroom. Sex is not only a good thing: it's so good, that it's worth waiting for.

And not surprisingly, most research documents that married people enjoy more frequent sex, and more satisfying sex, than single people. Sex is like chocolate: the traditional variety is still the best. Happy Valentine's Day!

Little Snowflakes of Love

Sometimes it takes a crisis to persuade busy Americans to lower our defenses and act like fellow travelers in life. The last serious snow storm back in December had that effect. People were sliding off the roads into ditches and stopping dead when they turned right and bogged down in a snow bank. It was almost comical watching cars sliding around on hazardous main roads- unless, of course, one of those vehicles was sliding towards yours.

Everywhere you looked there were neighbors and fellow travelers leaving the safety of sidewalks and automobiles to help stranded strangers. Because I drive a Jeep, I had no trouble navigating snowbound neighborhood roads. But I can't count the number of neighbors who had a lot of trouble. So I found myself constantly pulling up behind other automobiles and using my protected bumpers to give them a boost out of snowbanks. Strangers were laughing and giving each other high fives.

If the snowfall actually approaches 24" or more this week-end, there will be a thousand opportunities for you and me to love God with all our hearts, and love our neighbors as ourselves.

• When you see a stranded driver, find a way to assist and get him moving again.
• If you have neighbors who limit their driving under normal conditions, you can be sure they won't venture out in these conditions. Drop by to make sure their heat is working. Offer to pick up groceries for them.
• If the power fails, find a way to heat up some hot chocolate and invite your neighbors in for some laughter and conversation.
• If your neighbors are elderly or disabled, offer to shovel their driveway. And if you've decided to hire a neighborhood kid to clean up your paved areas, add a few bucks to the fee and ask him to shovel your neighbors' sidewalks as well.
• Keep a snow shovel visible on your porch in case motorists get bogged down near your house.
• If you have an SUV, call a nearby hospital and offer to help transport nurses and medical staff into work.
• Be ever on the look out for little opportunities to lend a hand.
  

It's odd how much priority we place on movies and TV shows which will soon be forgotten. When those things no longer occupy even a corner of your mind, you will fondly remember good deeds done for neighbors, and laughter shared in the snow. What's more, those neighbors are likely to remember as well- the next time you invite them to worship with you, for example.

Don't risk your life on treacherous highways while the blizzard is still in progress. And don't waste golden moments for showing neighbors what the love of Christ is really all about. Make this a weekend to cherish- forever.