KEEP BUILDING: A New Year's Meditation

"Then Judah said, 'The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.'" ~Nehemiah 4:10

Some Bible verses are full of joy, but this one is full of discouragement. The details are that Nehemiah, a Jewish man living in Babylon, had moved to Jerusalem. The year was around 445 B.C. The city of Jerusalem had been conquered, burned, and destroyed in 586 B.C., 140 years earlier, and it had been lying in ruins ever since. 

About 70 years before Nehemiah's time, a different group of people finished rebuilding Jerusalem's temple (a whole story in itself). But the actual city had remained pretty much uninhabitable for all those decades (Nehemiah 7:4). Now, though, with Nehemiah's encouragement and leadership, the people living in other Judean cities had joined in to repair the city walls.

Almost immediately there was opposition by those who did not want to see Jerusalem prosper. Through mockery, ridicule, insults, and outright aggression they tried to stop the workers. In response, the builders prayed to God and kept right on building.

The verse quoted above, though, was a different sort of danger. It's one we all face. There was literally 140 years' worth of rubbish and rubble that had to be removed if the project was to continue. I know what my office looks like after only 14 days, so I can just imagine what 14 decades of disarray would be like! The workers of Judah said to themselves, "There is so much junk around here that we will never actually be able to build anything."

Are you saying to yourself, "There is so much damage from the past that I just can't move forward"? Maybe this last year really took a lot out of you. Or maybe you have been dealing for years with other kinds of damage, and now you think of yourself, others, and even God in some type of way that is filled with doubt.

Listen, that damage is real. It was real for Nehemiah's builders. They were not exaggerating about how much garbage was around. But it was time to talk back to the garbage. They had to stop letting the garbage mess up all their good efforts so far. They had to stop letting the garbage tell them what to do and what not to do.

It was going to be exhausting work. Building always is. But those builders persevered in the end. It helped when they focused on God and on each another (Nehemiah 4:14). They saw that the garbage of the past did not have the right to prevent Jerusalem from becoming what God intended it to be.

The garbage of your past does not have the right to stop God from strengthening you to become what He has always wanted you to be. It's going to be exhausting work. Building always is. But keep building.

WHAT WILL YOU DO ON WEDNESDAY?

Here in America, Tuesday is our Election Day. That means we need to decide now what we are going to do on Wednesday.

Decide now what you will do if
your candidate wins the election. What will you do to heal the divided hearts in your community or your family? Many people have hurt each other. What will you do next?

But more importantly, you should decide now what you will do if your candidate loses. Will you vilify and demonize the winner? Will you tell everyone that all hope is gone? After some previous election, maybe four or eight years ago, you said you were shocked-- simply shocked!-- at the harsh anger of your opponents when they lost. Will you express the same type of anger this year if your candidate loses?

And for my Christian friends in America: By now you should realize that there are true Christian believers who have considered the issues, weighed the merits, and reached conclusions that are the complete opposite of yours. Is it even possible to be a Christian and look at certain issues differently than you do? It is.

Therefore, decide now how you will speak about your fellow Christians, those in the brotherhood of faith. Be careful! If you look across the political aisle and call them morons and idiots and fools, God the Judge is at the door (James 5:9). He hears your grumbling words and your loud accusations against your brethren, and He will not take them lightly.

The time is long past for Christians in America to raise their sights to a point higher than the White House, higher than Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court. If you are a follower of Jesus and yet you feel heartbroken, angry, or afraid because your guy loses on Election Day, then lift your eyes higher! There remains another kingdom which cannot be shaken! Raise your voice and cry out, “Lead on, Almighty Lord! There remains a path ahead! My soul, hope in God, who is the strength of your life.”

It’s one thing, my Christian friends, to have opinions about political philosophies and economic strategies. It’s another thing to defend them as if we are defending our faith. The followers of Jesus have flourished for centuries in every sort of culture and condition. Whether your guy wins or loses on Election Day, let this be the moment when your faith finally rises higher than your politics, when your roots finally break through the substrate of this temporary soil to find their nourishment in Christ alone.

Here in America, Tuesday is Election Day, and we need to decide now how we are going to act on Wednesday.

MUSINGS ON CHRISTIAN HARMONY, #10: Simple, but not easy

Look over there-- see those hikers with all their equipment? When you ask them what it's for, they say, “With this gear we will climb Mount Everest.” Their answer is simple, yet it might be the hardest thing they will do in their lives. And that is the metaphor to embrace as we conclude this series. Can we actually experience and enjoy Christian harmony? The answer is simple, but it is certainly not easy.

Here’s the simple answer: The Bible is all-sufficient. That's not a glib or dismissive way to push difficult questions aside. If we want Christian harmony, we must read the Bible and then actually Do What It Says (read that phrase slowly). When the Bible says, “Christ Himself is our peace, who has broken down the middle wall of separation” (see Ephesians 2:14), we are going to have to start living as if that is true.

--If Christ is our peace, then change your tone. Christian conversation is peaceful. If you love to argue, you are wrong. If you aren't building up the faith of others, you are wrong. If you don’t speak with grace, you are wrong (Ephesians 4:29).

--If Christ is our peace, then accept your brethren. Go out of your way to prove you enjoy fellowship with Christians different from yourself (Acts 11:17). And if you don’t enjoy it yet, fake it till you make it, by God’s transforming power. There won’t be ethnic neighborhoods in heaven.

--If Christ is our peace, then discuss ideas. Don’t become angry or insulted when someone sees things differently. Listen. Grow. Change. If someone might be your eyes, why remain blind (compare 1 Corinthians 12:21)?

--If Christ is our peace, then call out sin. Too many Christians with assertive personalities have gotten away with sinful words and actions. We are going to have to correct them. We are going to have to stop saying, “That’s just how he is,” or “That’s just her way.” And divisive, aggressive attitudes should be disqualified from Christian leadership (2 Timothy 2:24).

I am aware that some believe the Bible is not, in fact, all-sufficient. Even some Christians have embraced various theories and sociologies about race and personhood, believing them to be required reading because the Scriptures do not seem to be enough. For the Church, though, this is perilous and untenable. Certainly it’s true that unbiblical expositions, including the “curse of Ham” (Genesis 9), have been used to perpetuate inequalities in the past.

But let us affirm that the Scriptures are indeed profitable for all things which pertain to life and godliness! The answer is simple: Christ is our peace, and the Bible is sufficient. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. We don’t just prescribe two Bible verses and tell people to call us in the morning. It will be messy, and it will be hard.

But there is something glorious in doing something hard, especially when God Himself has equipped us for the climb. So now, take a step.

MUSINGS ON CHRISTIAN HARMONY, #9: The two sides of “No”

It’s time for a follow-up question. To review, we have affirmed that Christian harmony is both an established fact and an essential goal. We have identified some thoughts and habits which keep us from enjoying true harmony. We have acknowledged the terrible ideas which treat Christians (and anyone else) differently due to ethnicity, skin color, and other classifications.

Here, then, is the follow-up question: Are these the only problems we face in the Church? There are two answers to that question, and they both start with “No.”

The first “No” response is this: “No, so don’t focus on them exclusively.” It’s not good to become a specialist who is known for only one subject. Even Bible writers who emphasize certain themes cannot be completely pigeonholed. Paul taught many truths about the Church but also spoke pointedly about the kingdom of God. Peter emphasized kingdom truths but also taught the spiritual house and holy priesthood of the Church.

Even the most wholesome, delicious foods would become tiresome if we ate them exclusively. Scripture supports the need for variety. In time to come, the tree of life will bear 12 types of fruit; and at present, the wise steward of the house sets out both timely food and a diversity of treasures (Revelation 22:2; Luke 12:42; Matthew 13:52).

In our days we face so many challenges in Christian congregations! If people can predict the subject you are going to discuss before you even begin, it's a signal to diversify the food you are setting out for the Lord’s sheep. The manifold grace of God, like a finely cut gemstone, has so many beautiful facets that it would be a shame to appreciate only one or two.

But returning to our question, the second “No” is equally important. Are problems of unrest and discord the only ones we face? We reply, “No-- but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.” Every problem is important. The Lord Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic, but He also enabled the man to walk again. He taught the multitudes, but He also fed them. He raised up Lazarus, but He also wept with Mary and Martha.

It is tone-deaf at best and insulting at worst to notice a problem and then change the subject. If I go to the doctor with a broken arm, it might also be true that my cholesterol is high and my hearing is bad-- but, to be frank, I don’t want to discuss those things at the moment. If a brother or sister is facing a specific trouble right now, don’t say, “What about these other problems?” It's biblical to meet urgent needs (Titus 3:14), offering real help instead of empty blessings (James 2:15-16).

Yes, the root cause of all our problems is sin. Yes, we all need to search our own hearts. And no, prejudice and inequality are not the only problems Christians face. But that doesn’t mean the needs of this moment are not important. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,” because this moment is all we have (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

MUSINGS ON CHRISTIAN HARMONY, #8: People matter most

Back in 2012, some New Yorkers took a second look at their doorstop when an auction house ad caught their attention. Their little doorstop turned out to be a 600-year-old Chinese flask from the Ming Dynasty, and it later sold for $1.3 million.

In the Christian family, relationships are often taken for granted, too. If trouble interrupts the relationship-- well, it’s only a doorstop, and although we might miss it we can always find another one. But Christian harmony is far more precious than that! Here are five principles to apply:

--People matter most. If we disagree, do we mainly try to convince each other or get along with each other? Whether the concern involves vital principles, local church discipline, or simply matters of personal conscience, responses are only biblical if accompanied by a persistent effort to maintain relationships.

--Discussion is biblical. While rejecting clearly anti-orthodox teachings (Jude 1:3; 2 John 1:7-11), we must at least try to understand other ideas. Heavenly wisdom is, among other things, easily entreated (James 3:17), a phrase variously translated as “open to reason” or “willing to yield.” We expose our fleshly attitudes if we simply refuse conversation.

--Confirmation bias is real. In recent months, many have posted articles on social media with the comment, “Just as I thought!” or something similar. This is not wise. It takes no effort to become entrenched in our own views. Personal growth and Christian harmony depend on seeking to understand other viewpoints.

--Disagreements are often legitimate. It’s the way we disagree that matters. “I see it differently” is a much better phrase than “You are so wrong.” Besides, if things were as obvious as you think, there would be nothing to discuss! If you know someone who honestly sees things differently, especially a Christian you have trusted in the past, why don’t you value those ideas now? (Note: This truth is not a hammer to use against others but a mirror to use for ourselves.)

--Divided paths are not divided hearts. Some disagreements might affect certain levels of Christian fellowship, but that is no reason to discredit, demean, or demonize another believer. In the Old Testament, Abraham and Lot ended up living separately, and later Lot’s testimony even became rather questionable; but when Lot was in trouble, Abraham went to rescue the one he still considered “his brother” (Genesis 14:14, 16).

Right now Christians face challenging questions not to be ignored, some about health and others about prejudice. But what will we do if we disagree about wearing masks or seeking justice? The enemy of our souls will be only too happy to help us discover ungracious thoughts, insulting remarks, and divisive attitudes. Christian harmony displays God’s own heart. People matter most.