Humility... Jesus' Way...

It is no secret as to what I believe are the unfaithful empire values of Jesus' teachings as we have them in the Gospels.

Greed - love for wealth that is meant for God and Neighbor
   A sickness of being insatiable when it comes to our acquisitiveness - "affluenza"
   Being conservative with one's abundance, rather than generous
  
   Jesus taught generosity with liberality regarding our abundance (anything beyond
       having just enough), toward the well-being of all.

Lust for Power - driving desperation to have power over other people
   To have control over others so that they may be exploited for one's own gain
   To have the ability to manipulate systems and other people for one's own pleasure

   Jesus taught self-control and the sharing of power with others toward healthy,
       loving community well-being.

Desire for Status - a desire to be recognized above others, honored more than others
   To have influence by virtue of position and standing in/above society

   Jesus taught humility instead of hubris, servitude rather than entitlement and
      an unassuming character rather than arrogance.

In my earliest (bad) writing, I called this America's UNHOLY TRINITY:
   Mammon
   Mars
   Bacchus

Even in the church, we find false and unfaithful theologies and teachings to feed these forms of
idolatry, which is, of course what this is - the raising of self in importance above others... even, to the level of where God should be in our lives.

Churches have given in to America's Idolatry with:
   Prosperity Theology - the false belief that Jesus wants us to be rich, or that a person
         who worships, praises and tithes will be blessed monetarily by God, when Jesus
         taught that all should have enough, rather than some having in abundance while
         others go without, and that we should find satisfaction in enough and give thanks
         and praise for that.  Community well-being is found in all having enough.  Some
         being "more" blessed and highly favored than others does not edify all of God's
         children, and the truth is that the only ones getting rich off Prosperity Theology
         were the preachers who conned people into believing them.
  Self-Righteousness - the false belief that one can be righteous through one's own
         purity or holiness and is justified in judging others for being less pure or holy,
         and justified in trying to coerce, force or legislate them into compliance with
         one's own standards and/or recognize one as being spiritually superior.  This
         renders us with no need for Jesus' redemption or Grace, and to believe that we can
         save ourselves.  The focus on personal salvation as one's only concern also leads
         us to abandon the living of Agape Love with Neighbor and God.  It divides
         community instead of lifting it up in love.  This false sense of one's superiority leads folk to
         believe that they can and should have power and control over others, rather than being a part of
         community in love.
  Church Growth - the false belief that some churches and pastors grow because God
         has blessed them above others with "the truth", when the truth is that it is usually
         built on a cult of personality around the leader (rather than faithfulness to the
         Christ) or an exclusive club masquerading as a church body.  Distinctions are
         drawn and falsely identified as entitlement, superiority or elite, which tears down
         community rather than building up and divides the body of Christ rather than
         drawing it together. 

These are just a few expressions of the ways that empire values have crept into the church over the past 37 years.  These values are now seen as normative in church culture, which fly in the face of what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us in how we should live, being His followers in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now - they fly in the face of Kingdom values, according to Jesus.

Our nation has been living these values of Greed, Lust for Power and Desire for Status and perfecting its empire values for almost four decades as well, so that we find ourselves in a country that once was known for its exceptional willingness to work with, defend and cooperate with other nations, even protecting those who could not protect themselves, but in the past 37 years has become a nation that
claims Jesus by name but consistently ignores what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for living,
because it would not get us what we want.

We are a nation that values a very inequitable distribution of wealth, just like Rome.
     A nation that willingly makes its own (and the world's) environment uninhabitable
     for future generations, just for the sake of more profit for a few now.
We are a nation that uses its power to exploit its own people and other nations.
     A nation that walks away from allies and embraces autocrats, because we want to
     be just like them, even to the abandonment of our own democratic ideals.
We are a nation that desperately clings to notions of superiority, "exceptionalism" and entitlement.
     A nation that lifts up false claims of superiority with regard to race, ethnicity, sexuality,
     faith practice, economic class and intelligence, artistry and character.

We are a nation of rich fools, rich men who ignore those in need who are in front of them,
     religious and political leaders who ignore those beaten down, debtors who despise other
     debtors, arrogant party guests who take the seat of honor, people who ridiculously display
     their position and wear fine clothing, people who sell out anyone for their own profit,
     people who lord any authority they can muster over others -  a nation of wolves in sheep's clothing
     who ourselves believe the deception, a nation of blind guides who think we know God, of
     hypocrites who pray publicly and crow our own (false) superiority over others - a nation of goats
     who think we are sheep in the eyes of God.

We are seeing our true nature more clearly now in our racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, homophobia, classism, religious intolerance - in our Greed, Lust for Power and Desire for Status.

Of what are we afraid to behave this way?
When will we truly have faith in Jesus and Jesus' Way of Agape Love and Grace that draws together and builds up in humility, rather than dividing and tearing down?
Indeed, will we?
Or will we, like empires before, implode and fall because of our hubris and hatefulness?

Pastor Jamie