Nathan Key

A new year often means New Year Resolutions so I thought I'd take a few moments to ponder this tradition and see what the word really means. Perhaps a short study of resolutions will help us realize why our yearly focus on new things often falls short.

Merriam Webster gives a number of different meanings to the word,  I'll be responding to each definition with an appropriate address.

Res·o·lu·tion
1: the act or process of resolving: as a: the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b: the act of answering : solving. c: the act of determining d: the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance e: the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents f (1): the division of a prosodic element into its component parts (2): the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable g: the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum

This first definition is a rather long string of words that basically states that resolution means that things work out. For a lot of us, 2008 has been a year that needs solving. There's something off about a year where the economy has gone down the crapper, a little less than half the country voted for the Other Guy, and unemployment is reaching the highest levels we've seen in decades. There is a need for a solution. We've been living in a dissonant chord progression that's left us suspended and we want a New Year, a clean slate, a fresh beginning.

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

Res·o·lu·tion
2: the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)

This second definition basically means that the craziness settles down. Again, with the markets jumping all over the place, fear being sung on the news every evening, and ethics committees investigating businesses, politicians, and private citizens, we're all hoping that the craziness that was 2008 will subside, settle, and flatline.

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

Res·o·lu·tion
3 a: something that is resolved <made a resolution to mend my ways> b: firmness of resolve

Finally, here at definition three we have the foundation for what most people consider a New Year Resolution. What's stated here is resolution as a decision. It's a commitment to make things different or to stand firm in our convictions. It's a conscience choice to make life better than it was. For some, it means the gym, or a diet, or a new career.

But it's deeper than that. It's a cry of the soul that will not be held back. It's Scarlett, screaming at the camera: “With God as my witness, I shall never go hungry again."

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

Res·o·lu·tion
4: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group

I never really understood resolutions in this context until a few years ago when I realized it's a way for people to take a stand, especially against violence, without resorting to violence themselves.

Today, as I write this blog, we can see a perfect example of this on the news as world leaders are making resolutions against the violence that's happening between Israel and Palestine. Government Officials and National Leaders are joining together and saying- "we don't like this." It may not seem like a very effective measure at first glance, but in reality it's a way to end the perpetuation of violence.

"We have the means to stop you by force," They say, "but instead we're going to tell you to knock it off. Please respect that."

I've heard meekness described as "power under control" and so these resolutions are actually a great modern form of meekness. They represent a diplomatic rather than violence way of resolving conflict.

And in our own lives, it's possible that we, too, can begin to work toward resolutions rather than violence. Our violence isn't always graphic and bloody like the violence of war, but the internal violence of interpersonal conflicts between coworkers, families, and churches are emotionally violent at times. They're spiritually violent as well, and there's a better way to address them than to rip each other to shreds.

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

Res·o·lu·tion
5: the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out

This year, I've had the wonderful opportunity to study story and narrative. It's been a tremendously fun time exploring what makes stories pop and what makes them memorable.

One of the chief pieces is this idea that in order for a story to be fulfilling to its audience, the ending must reconcile the conflict. Good or bad, it doesn't really matter- but there must be a definite "END" to the situation at hand. And if it's an end that points toward a human truth or primal desire- it's even better.

Pixar creates these kinds of stories (which is why their movies are always multi-million dollar hits). We like to go watch them because the thing is, most of us don't live storybook lives where things get complicated and then work out. Things may get complicated, sure, but they don't often resolve in a way that allows us to move on to the next part of the story. And so, we're always stuck in the past, unable to let go.

We want the story of our lives to match the storybook.

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

Res·o·lu·tion
6 a: the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light b: a measure of the sharpness of an image or of the fineness with which a device (as a video display, printer, or scanner) can produce or record such an image usually expressed as the total number or density of pixels in the image <a resolution of 1200 dots per inch>

Oddly enough, this sixth definition of resolution is probably my favorite for the coming year. It's a word that means clarity and focus. Better resolution on a photo or a video or a computer screen means that images are sharper and better understood.

My New Year Resolution in this context could mean that I begin to see things around me with more care and precision. It means taking a closer look at the details and figuring out the depth and scope of my relationships and my surroundings.

And that's my wish for all my readers. That you will have a depth of understanding this year that surpasses anything that you've experienced before. I hope that we all enjoy a clear picture of what life is all about, who God is, and what our relationships with work, friends, and family are supposed to look like.

You've heard talk of revolution,
But we want resolution.

"Be careful, lest in fighting the dragon you become the dragon."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

This year, having been an election season, was a rather difficult time for those who have religious beliefs. Christians, especially, have always had a difficult time figuring out exactly what sort of balance to strike between isolating their religion from the public square or integrating it into politics.

Sometimes, as was the case for men like Charles Simeon and William Wilberforce, stepping into government roles with religious conviction has meant putting an end to evil and oppression. Simeon worked hard to put an end to the debtor's prisons and Wilberforce almost singularly shut down slave trade in England. In countless other instances, men and women around our planet have seen evil through the lens of their religious convictions and used their lives to petition their governments, engage in civil disobedience, and ultimately bring an end to tyranny and the mistreatment of other human beings. And when this happens, all the world cheers.

But integrating our beliefs into our politics does not always have such wonderful results. And unfortunately, when the Church becomes as powerful as the Government, it often becomes a force of evil, perpetuating oppression and bringing new tyranny instead of new freedom. The Crusades and the Inquisition come to mind immediately for those who have a good eye on history- and even more recently, we must admit that there were religious communities in the 20th Century who actually welcomed the Nazis (because of the initial moralism their regime brought to Europe), fought to maintain segregation in the South (I have no idea how this was rationalized), and even today fight hard through legislation to keep homosexuals from receiving the same rights and benefits that heterosexuals enjoy.

I think the problem is that Christians often forget that the Bible is a call to be different, rather than to force others to be different.

God called Abraham and Israel out from their lives amid the tribes and nations around them and gave them a new calling. He assigned them to be a light in the darkness- a people who would be an example for others.

Jesus told his disciples that they were salt- a seasoning to the world that made it better. But he didn't call them the full course. And he made it clear that if the salt loses it seasoning ability, it is thrown out and trampled by men.

Paul wrote a lot of instructions to the church body, about how they should act and what they should and should not do- but he didn't give instructions to those who were NOT part of the church. He didn't tell Rome what to do. He didn't try to force the New Way on those who weren't a part of it.

Philip Yancey says in his book What's so Amazing About Grace that one of the worst things Christians can do is confuse religion and politics. This is because religion is supposed to be an avenue of Grace while politics is almost always an avenue of Ungrace. Is it any wonder then, that when Christians use political muscle and authoritarian pressure that we end up looking foolish and hateful?

Politicalized Religion is almost always hypocricy for the Christian because politics usurps the very essence of our belief and replaces it with something terrible. Namely, that when we Christians force others into our paradigm through the use of ungraceful politics: We are anti-Christ.

Yikes.

Yes, I said it... the use of ungraceful politics is the opposite of Christ. It's contrary to the gospel. It's not helpful. It's anti-Christ and anti-Kingdom.

Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that we disengage completely from politics. We must participate in democracy! We must vote and pray and petition when it's appropriate. But we must always be careful that we don't become the dragon that we're trying to fight. We must watch for ungrace at every step of the way. And the moment it slips in, we need to change course, even if it means allowing things to go differently than we'd like.

On Christmas Eve, would you believe that:

@ 4:30pm: We were in my in-laws church, singing Christmas Carols and trying to keep Ethan from eating a wax candle that would be lit during the last song.

@ 4:38pm: My wife's brother and sister-in-law entered with their one year old baby girl, Paige. Ethan decided that he'd like to hang out with her.

@ 4:42pm: Some guy on the stage started telling a story and Ethan decided that he'd make all sorts of noise to let us know HOW MUCH he really wanted to hang out with his cousin.

@ 4:43pm: In the row in front of us, an older couple looked back at Ethan with a condescending look of disapproval.

@ 4:45pm: Beth took Ethan out to the foyer so that he could crawl around without interrupting the people around us.

@ 4:57pm: We were in the middle of the second verse of Silent Night when it suddenly clicked. "The cattle are lowing the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes."

Well, he'd better not. Because the last thing we need in a worship service is a fussy baby.

@ 4:59pm: I head out to the foyer to see if Beth wants to switch places. When I left the auditorium, I saw Ethan crawling toward a little boy who was bubbling over with energy. His dad proceeded to tell us that they have him on speed so that he won't be so hyperactive. But even with the medication, he was too antsy for the service and so they were out here, too. Passing time until all the proper worshipers were done singing and celebrating the Virgin birth.

@ 5:09pm: The service is over and everyone begins filing out of the building, heading home for Christmas Eve festivities. I turn to Don, Beth's grandfather and joke with him that baby Jesus probably wouldn't be welcome in the service.

He laughs and says "You, know, you're right. They'd probably send him to the nursery!"

And then to children's church, youth group, and the college & career ministry. Maybe then, we'd allow him to be a part of our weekly spiritual rites- but only if he behaved well.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope this is a happy day for you. It's been a wonderful for me, thus far, and I just wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, too!

Also:
If you haven't read Christopher Cocca's post "Is This The Month? Is This The Happy Morn" yet, do yourself a Christmas Favor and read it right now. I'll forgo writing anything else for now so that you have the time to check it out.

Tomorrow marks the advent of Christ's Mass, a yearly ritual in which Christians celebrate the birth of the God-man on whom they have placed the hope of salvation from our human condition.

A lot of people really enjoy this Holiday a lot more than Easter because unlike the crucifixion, the lowly manger scene with the angels and the shepherds and the three wise men represents opportunity and anticipation rather than the stench of death. It's a lot easier to celebrate Baby Jesus, the infant, than it is to celebrate the carnage of the nail-pierced, flogged, bloodied Jesus with a crown of thorns piercing His brow and chunks of meat hanging from his back.

But even Jesus' birth is a messy affair. He's born to newlyweds under questionable circumstances- practically seen as a bastard child. He's hunted by the King of Israel and barely escapes the slaughter of innocent babies that Herod undertakes, just in case the rumors of a New King are true. And then there's the fact that He's born into a nation that's living as conquered people. I think the closest thing that we could compare it to would be US occupied Iraq- a place where violence is rampant and zealots who hate the occupying forces are ready to use whatever force necessary to drive out "the oppressors."

There is a feeling that everything could fall apart at any moment. And that's the story that Christ is born into. It's a story that's a mess.

Kind of like the world we find ourselves in today.

That said, this year I have a new perspective on the nativity. I, too, have a newborn son who has been born into some rather interesting times. Sure, our economic, political, and social state are not nearly as bad as the story that Christ was born into (especially considering that as US citizens, we're more like the Roman Empire rather than occupied Israel), but things are uncertain and messy nonetheless. And for some reason, even in the midst of crazy economy, the potential of life that's represented in Ethan- this bundle of energy and passion- makes me very peaceful and hopeful.

There's a relentless optimism about new life that's represented in a baby. That's why older folk fawn over him in the grocery store and why everyone wants to hold him and see him smile.

Babies create hope because they're a clean slate, a chance for something new and different. This is a perfect symbol of what Christ represents. There is an old way of doing things- an old law that's been set within the human condition. We strain against it and see nothing but frustration in our lives. But then comes along a new way- Christ calls it a New Kingdom.

Tomorrow is a time to celebrate Jesus. But it's also a time for us to wrap ourselves in the New Kingdom.It's a time to reevaluate what we do with our finances and begin using what we own to lift oppression rather than enslave ourselves in debt. It's a time to rethink our relationship with work and with our coworkers and with our friends & family. And most it's a time to realize that there's a NEW and BETTER way to approach God.

A baby is one of the best symbols of hope and optimism that we could ever find. This Advent, let's embrace that symbol and revitalize our own lives to correspond with the New Kingdom that was born with Christ's entry into our humanity.

Something I've been really grappling with over the past few years is that as post-industrialists, we share a worldview unlike any that humans on our planet have held throughout history. Unlike the hunter, farmer, gatherers that make up the majority of our planet's time-line, our worldview is dominated by the scientific method and a mechanistic/industrial approach to life. We know the science behind the weather. We have the ability to plant and grow at anytime of year due to modern heating and greenhouse technology. We understand personality theory so we can understand people and we've got a systematic theology to our religion that explains away the nuance and mystery of problematic beliefs such as Trinity, Virgin Birth, and Angels.

Thus, whether we like it or not, our interactions with each other, with our work, and with our spirituality have in some ways been reduced to a modern, mechanical thing- ordered, sound, and much less messy than the craziness of centuries before.

And one downfall to our modern life is that we've become detached from the natural world. The bio-rhythms of nature were an important part of the farmer, the hunter, and gatherer's worldview. Nature, itself, was an integral part of their life and spirituality. But compare the life of the fisherman to that of most Westerners today- there's been some days when I've never left the house! And when I do, there's been plenty of times when my only interaction with "nature" is manicured lawns, cultivated hedges, and pavement. It's not exactly what I'd call God's Green Earth.

With this in mind, is it any wonder that we miss out on a lot of what the scriptures mean and what God has for us? For instance, Paul says in Romans that, "By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being."

Oh really?

Well, what about those of us who haven't spent much time looking at things that God has created? If I can spend most of my time looking only at things that man has created, then are the things of God really all that apparent to me?

Richard Dahlstrom, the pastor of the church we went to in Seattle tells a story about this very problem in his book- O2. When he was younger in his life of ministry, he thought he knew all the ins and outs of rational, reasonable Christian belief and would spend hours teaching through apologetics. But it wasn't his intellect that persuaded one young girl who spent a weekend under his teaching. Her understanding of God came through an afternoon hike in the mountians. When she finally saw the beauty of nature and the wonder of the peaks and valleys, she knew that Someone Good must have made it. She came to love Christ because she saw creation.

Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that we should necessarily go back to caveman living and give up our cars and houses and internet connection (unless God calls you to that). Rather, I think what it means for us is that we must be aware of the LENS (or worldview) that we use to study scripture.

We must be aware that we see the world- and therefore GOD- through the lens of modernity. And we must also be aware that these scriptures we share weren't written through the lens of modernity. They were pre-industrial revolution. They were pre-mass production. And with that in mind, we also need to be aware that what we think things mean in scripture- aren't always what they meant to someone else who read them during a different age and a different time. So, instead of trying to figure out what God is trying to tell ME, the individual living in the 20th Century, it may be helpful for us to find out what it meant to the original audience and then making an application to modern life.

But it's also helpful to pay attention to the rhythms of the world a little more, too. It's helpful to behold creation and to be a little more in tune with nature so that we can be a little more in tune with the One who Created it!

The newspaper is filled with dreadful stories about the economy. The Today Show is showing segments on how "regifting" is OK in the current state of the nation. Families are frightened that they won't be able to make enough money to cover their budgets. And those who are currently employed aren't sure that their jobs will be around next month.

In some ways, however, we've actually been able to live better lives because of all the craziness that's happening in the business sector. OK, making a subjective claim like "better" is rather difficult to do when things are so tough out there, so I'll give you four examples of what I mean when I say that we can still live well in desperate times.

One: In desperate times, people learn that they aren't ultimately in charge of the way things work. When we "make money" and "amass wealth" it's easy to feel like the masters of our own destiny. But the reality is, we're all one paycheck away from poverty. And none of us have a secure future simply because we've worked hard. Now, this can be rather depressing for some who have put all their hope in the work of their own hands. But, it should actually be a very freeing thought. There is a relief that sets in when we realize that we don't have to control everything- that there are forces outside of our influence that will have their way no matter how hard we work, how much we pray, and how good we are.

Two: In desperate times, those who have much are given the opportunity to share with those who don't have much. I've witnessed this personally over the past few months. Since losing my own job, my family and friends alike have offered encouragement, housing, and help at every step of the way. It's a little overwhelming sometimes to see the generosity of others at work in my life. And to think that I might have missed seeing that side of my friends and family if it weren't for our current situation. I'm glad for the chance to see their generosity, and I hope that I can be generous with what I have, too.

Three: In desperate times, we assess what's important and we cut out a lot of the needless extravagances that weren't really important in the first place. Living within our means, within our budget, without the excesses that we might have indulged in when we had disposable income, usually gives us more time and energy to focus on what we really wanted to do in the first place. For instance, a walk is a much better way to spend time together than a movie (although there's nothing wrong with a movie, either). If we cut the entertainment budget and fill that time with personal interactions- the rewards are priceless.

Four: In desperate times, we remember to pray and fast and fill our lives with those who are practicing spiritual disciplines. I read an article the other day that said that church attendance across the nation is up 30 or 40 percent. When things are going well, people forget that they need salvation from the human condition and of course, this is why the persecuted church thrives. Desperate times requires letting go of the idea that we can "make it" on our own. For we cannot continue to hold onto a rugged individualism when caught in an economic downturn. If we do life the same way we always have, we've missed out on the chance to learn something new from our situation.

Don't miss out on the bigger meaning of life.

Note: I neglected my blogging on Thursday and Friday due to a back injury that made it rather difficult to sit and type. I'm doing much better today after a few days of rest.

Today is the third anniversary of my marriage to Elizabeth Nicole Kennard. Since that rainy Saturday afternoon when we said "I Do" we've been through a lot of different celebrations, arguments, friendships, adventures, beliefs, and living situations. Today, I want to honor her by focusing on that memory for a moment instead of my typical philosophy, politics, and religion (although marriage is one of those things that definitely covers all three aspects of thought).

Beth, I love you so much and I'm so glad that you've stuck it out with me for the past three years. You're a wonderful wife and an amazing mother. I'm am so honored to call you my bride.

Recently, I've been subscribing to an RSS feed of the bible that provides a few big chunks of scripture from different places in the Old and New Testaments each day. It's one of those read through the bible in a year plans, but I've been using this one in particular because it's not a "read straight through" method.

Here's the reason- when we're dealing with a book like the Bible (which is actually a number of books, poems, stories, genealogies, historical accounts, and letters encapsulated into one binding) it's important to take context seriously. Every word must be read in the context of the sentence, every sentence in context of the paragraph, ever paragraph in context with its chapter, and so on and so forth. But rarely do we read a passage in the context of the entirety of rest of scripture. We usually limit ourselves to the context of the particular setting in which its found.

For the ancients, this wouldn't have happened. Most boys (sorry girls, this was before women's suffrage) grew up in Synagogues and memorized the entire Torah. And if they were really good at it, they'd go on to memorize the rest of the scripture as well. Until the proliferation of paper and mass production of books, anyone serious about their faith would have done the same. It was the only way for them to have ready access to the scriptures in the same way we do today.

So for them, after having memorized entire books and themes of the bible, each verse and each chapter would resound within the context of the entire Biblical account. They would read the ten commandments within the context of the ENTIRE narrative of the bible, not just within the context of Moses' climb up the Mountain.

Unfortunately, my brain hasn't been programmed for memorization the same way the ancients were and so this is why, these days, I'm reading big chunks from all over the scriptures each day. It's the only way for me to mimic the understanding of someone who would have read John's Revelation within the context of their ever-present knowledge of Exodus, Isaiah, Micah, and Luke.

Example of why the whole story is important: Today, my friend Chris picked up on a literary technique that Matthew was using in his genealogy of Christ. As Matthew tallies through a long list of people at the beginning of his gospel account- he uses 3 sets of 14 generations as a narrative hook and may be subtly hinting that Joseph is Mary's Kinsmen-Redeemer in the same way Boaz was Ruth's. Just one of the things that a Hebrew would have possibly picked up on because he's so saturated in all the accounts of scripture. Why does this matter? I haven't figured that out yet, but it's kind of cool none-the-less.

Eugene Peterson mentioned in the book I'm reading- EAT THIS BOOK- that we must never forget the entire narrative of scripture when reading any one verse of passage. He writes that: "...it takes the whole Bible to read any part of the Bible. Every sentence is embedded in a story and can no more be understood accurately or fully apart from the the story than any one of our sentences spoken throughout the course of the day can be understood apart from our relationships and culture and the various ways in which we speak to our children and parents, our friends and enemies, our employers and employees- and our God."

Northop Frye adds that: "the immediate context of the sentence [any sentence in Scripture] is as likely to be three hundred pages off as to be the next or preceding sentence. Ideally, each sentence is the key to the whole Bible. This is not a factual statement about the Bible, but it helps to explain the practice of preachers who knew what they were doing, like some of those in seventeenth-century England. In the sermons of John Donne, for example, we can see how the text leads us, like a guide with a candle, into the vast labyrinth of Scripture, which to Donne was an infinitely bigger structure than the cathedral he ws preaching in."

So, with this memes in mind, I've decided to saturate myself with big passages from all over the Bible instead of reading from cover to cover or focusing only a single account. This is probably the best way to do it considering that the Bible isn't in chronological order anyhow. I'm hoping that this way of reading scripture train my brain to see the nuances and narrative of the WHOLE story instead of merely the smaller narratives that are captured within one piece of the puzzle.

You can get your own feed HERE if you're interested. The translation is English Standard Version which I've found to be more readable and accurate than NIV (although a few of my friends will argue with me on that).

I love searching around on the internet for other folks like me who blog about politics, philosophy, and religion. It makes me feel good that I'm not the only one who's blogging about it, and also, I think it's a good idea to find contrary opinions so that my orthodoxy doesn't become narrow or uninformed.

That said, today I want to point you toward four of my blogging peers. I read each post that these guys write and I truly believe that each of the, add really great words to the conversation surrounding the intersection of philosophy, politics, and religion. Go check them out, subscribe, and enjoy!

Micah Tillman: http://micahtillman.com
Micah Tillman is a Lecturer in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America and I recently found his blog when I did a google search for philosophy, politics, and religion. He's got a lot of really great posts, usually leaning toward religion more than politics and philosophy. I really enjoy reading his blog because he usually brings up points that I've thought of in the past, but articulates them better than I.

Richard Dahlstrom: http://raincitypastor.blogspot.com/
Richard Dahlstrom is the pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle, WA where I attended while we lived there. He is smart, funny, and provocative. I absolutely LOVE sitting under his teaching and reading his ideas in print. I find that I disagree with him often on matters of philosophy and politics, but we agree almost 100% on religious matters and, in fact, he's causing me to rethink a lot of the praxis of my beliefs.

William Bradley: http://ethicalexhibitionist.blogspot.com/
William Bradley, the self-proclaimed Ethical Exhibitionist, teaches at an unknown Florida college and blogs prolifically about ethics, politics, philosophy, and writing. I began reading his blog during the election. He is an ardent Obama fan and it kept me grounded in the reality that there are those who are passionate about the same things- yet end up with different belief systems.

Christopher Cocca: http://christophercocca.wordpress.com/
Chris and I were elementary school and middle school chums. We've stayed in contact through the years and recently I've begun reading his blog religiously. He's a brilliant writer, he's got a lot of stellar ideas about the role of the church, the politics of Jesus, and the practical applications of Christian Philosophy. He's probably going to be the next Ernest Hemingway because, let's face it, his poetry and short stories are worth reading over and over again.