The last few weeks, as I have watched and read the news, I can physically feel my heart begin to sink. With the events that have been taking place in Egypt, Arizona, Russia, and throughout the world, I am often overwhelmed by the amount of violence that seems to surface on an all too regular basis.

And, this is not just something that happens somewhere else…senseless acts of violence occur every single day in your town, your school, your place of employment. While the scale of violence differs, there is violence nonetheless.

And so, when I hear and read the news reports of all of this violence that occurs in our city, our country, and our world, I find myself feeling hopeless and desperately crying out, “What can I do?”

This morning, while doing some devotional reading, I found a bit of encouragement in Romans 12.

Verse 3 says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

When I hear of violence, I tend to lash out in self-righteous judgment. And, I’m pretty sure that just does not help things.

So, for me, the first step is to have a clear understanding of who I am. Generally, when I hear reports of violence, I puff myself up with prideful arrogance…patting myself on the back for not being like “those” people. If I gain a clear understanding of myself, I’ll see that I’m really not as perfect as I like to think that  I am…that I’m really not so different from those who commit heinous acts of violence. Gaining a proper perspective on who I am just might keep me from so quickly lashing out in judgment.

Romans 12:9-21 offers up some wisdom on how we may be able to overcome some of the violence and evil that seems to prevail in this world. It says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I’ve always wondered how we can practice peace in such a violent world.

Romans 12 tells us to “live peaceably with all”. And, it seems that peaceful living is closely associated with love.

The answer to the question of how we can practice peace in a violent world, the answer to the question of what I can do in light of the violence in our world seems to be love…genuine love…love for all…even our enemies.

This love is the kind of love that isn’t just love in theory…this is meant to be love in practice. Feeding and giving drinks to our hungry and thirsty enemies…not seeking revenge…instead, seeking to do good…to all.

The call to love one another…even our enemies…is overwhelming! And, yet, it is central to the message of the Gospel.

I wonder, what would happen if Christians began to take the call to love God and love one another (even our enemies) seriously?

Maybe the violence in this world would begin to decrease and peace and unity might increase. How will you show love today?

I always find it interesting when groups of Christian believers get together and determine when “the rapture” will take place. Lately, a new group proclaiming May 21,2011 as “the day” has been getting some attention. I’ll give them their props…they have some effective PR. Billboards…bus stop benches…even a Subaru (keep Lafayette driving!)!

But, ultimately, all of this kind of saddens me because it’s just another case in which people have missed the point. I don’t think Jesus goal in coming to teach people how to truly live had anything to do with people trying to figure out when He would return. I believe His goal was more about faithful living, not end times scare tactics…but I could be wrong.

The verse on the side of the Subaru is Acts 17:31, which reads, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Okay, so God has set a day. The problem I see is the idea that we can somehow calculate that date. I mean, let’s be honest, many of these calculated dates have come and gone over the years.

In my mind, if May 21, 2011 happens to be “the day” it will simply be a bizarre coincidence.

It just misses the point. In Matthew 24, Jesus (the Dude who will be the One to return on “the day”) talks about the end times. He talks about not letting anyone deceive you (like people who tell you to “save the date”). He talks about what things could be like.

Then he clearly states in verse 36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.” So, according to the “we can know” folks…I guess that only God and Harold Camping can know the day and the hour.

Jesus, again…the Main Dude in this story, states in verse 42, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Pretty clear.

You know, the truth is, we all miss the point at times. We all can be tempted to focus on things that are non-essential and ignore the essential.

Maybe the “save the date” campaign will inspire some people to deepen their faith. But, what will the impact be if the day comes and goes and Jesus doesn’t return? How will that impact the faith of those saving the date?

So, what are you doing on May 21, 2011? I’m thinking about throwing a big party…and we’ll see who’s left behind! It will be awesome!

Check out the Washington Post article HERE.

Check out the We Can Know website HERE.

Yesterday, while doing some reading, I came to a passage of Scripture that reminded me of how God is continually with us…loving us…and being “for us”, whether we realize it or not.

There are moments when I’m totally baffled at how I’ve ended up where I am on this spiritual journey.

I’ve been a Christ-follower for as long as I can remember. I may not have realized it at the time, but in hindsight, I see how much influence the Church has had on my life. Many of my childhood memories center around the Church.

I remember the old First Church of the Nazarene in Muncie. I say “old” because my memories of this church are from its days near the downtown Concannon’s Bakery. In fact, Concannon’s is pretty much the focus of this memory. I can specifically recall the pastor sharing a donut with me…it was a yeast donut with white icing. I really liked that pastor!

I remember attending services at Park Place Church of God in Anderson, IN. Both of my parents families have long associations with that church. It’s a beautiful facility. The sanctuary is huge. The pipe organ is incredible…and loud (in a good way). I remember the wonderful music the Coolidge family brought to that church. I can remember Aunt Lee’s singing voice. What she lacked in pitch and tone she definitely made up for in passion and enthusiasm. And, I’m pretty sure she never picked up the hymnal and yet knew every word.

I have numerous memories of growing up at Center Chapel UMC. I recall various pastors and people who have played a major role in shaping my faith. Pastors like Mark Gough, Mike Anderson, Chris McPherson, Ken Puent, Bud Probasco, and, of course, Rusty Clements (who has been and continues to be a great friend and mentor). Youth leaders like Robin and Tim Criswell, Ron Wilson, and Dave Ring. And, then there are the people who are more like family than church folk.

I have fond memories of Young Life. YL was tons of fun…surrounded by great friends…awesome leaders…and, to be honest, girls were a major motivational factor in my involvement. I remember the incredible leaders who helped me realize that following Christ could be exciting! People like Tom Davis, Mark Moore, Chris Theule, and Mrs. Baron. Real people who love Jesus and love others.

All of these experiences with the Christian faith helped build a solid foundation that would prove to withstand moments of doubt and questioning.

During my late high school and early college years, organized religion definitely took a backseat to my rock star pursuits. While I still held on to my faith in Christ, I had a growing distaste for the Church.

In times of doubt and questioning, I encountered Christian leaders who made it clear that doubts and questions had no place in the church…well, at least in their church.

During my freshman year at Ball State, I found myself at a bit of a crossroads. I was having an inner struggle with my pursuits of rock stardom, the party lifestyle, and my faith. It wasn’t that I believed I was doing anything wrong. I just desired to be plugged into a Christian community that would accept me as I was.

You see, I knew that Jesus desired to have a larger role in my life. And, I desired that too. At that time, I began to search for a connection with a group of Christians. To be honest, that’s exactly where things went wrong!

I had heard about a number of Christian ministries on campus and decided to check one out.

On the surface, it seemed fun. It was reminiscent of YL, but much more “in your face” and fundamental in their approach to the Gospel. It was very black and white…cut and dry…this is the truth. That sort of turned me off, but I continued to give it a try.

I sought out a leader with whom I could discuss life and faith. We grabbed coffee at the mtCup. Within 15 minutes, I began to find myself desiring something stronger than coffee. He came down hard on all kinds of issues. If I had a question, he had a very clearly defined answer…no wiggle room. Drinking? No. Partying? No. Music? Christian only. Friends? Same as music, Christians only. At the end of the conversation, I was pretty turned off. But, I figured the guy was just one person and maybe didn’t set the tone for the whole organization.

So, I went to a mid-week gathering that was a bit better…a bit more like what I was looking for…prayer, study, conversation, fellowship. The only problem was that it was only guys. I guess the organization believed that discipleship best occurred in same-sex groups.

At the end of the evening, I received an invitation to a party. Now, I had just been told that parties were a major “no-no”. I thought the dude seemed a bit risqué for the group…and he seemed pretty cool. So, on Friday night, I grabbed a friend and we stopped by the shindig. “Party” is obviously a term that has numerous interpretations. Let me tell you about this party:

1. The evening started with prayer.

2. We played board games.

3. We drank diet caffeine free soda.

4. We ate pretzels.

5. We listened to lame and quiet music.

6. People continually talked about “all of those sinners out there”. One guy seriously referred to all the “loose ladies out there whoring it up” during the prayer time.

I began searching for a quick out. I needed to stay long enough in order to be polite. But, I desired to get the heck out of there because:

1. I’m all about prayer – but I came to party! (“I like to picture my Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I’m here to party!” Thanks Talladega Nights!)

2. Board games are for bored people. And, I was bored…at a party!

3. Diet caffeine free soda? Give me a break. This is BSU, people! And, I’m pretty sure Jesus’ first and most amazing miracle was turning water into wine!

4. I don’t like pretzels. My non-church-going friends always put out a much more appetizing spread than pretzels!

5. Pump up the jams! It’s a party for crying out loud!

6. “Those sinners” – well, I was one of “those sinners”…my friends were “those sinners”…and my understanding of the Gospel told me that Jesus loves “those sinners”…and we’re all “those sinners”.

I found myself thinking that, if this is what the Christian community is like, I’m pretty sure I don’t want anything to do with it.

I made up a lame excuse (something along the lines of, “I don’t think these pretzels are agreeing with me”) and hit the road. After we left, I apologized to my friend over and over for dragging him there. I had promised a party and I delivered something very different from a party. We immediately proceeded to find a real party.

The following Monday, I ran into someone from the “party”. Here’s the conversation (as I remember it):

“So, I hear you went to Nick’s party after you left our place.”, he stated.

I replied, “Um, yep. Did you guys follow me or something?”

“No, I just heard. You know, Jesus doesn’t approve of that kind of thing.”, he answered.

I asked, “He doesn’t approve of what?”

He replied, “The kinds of things that take place at Nick’s party. Oh, and lying about your stomach being upset.”

I said, “I’m pretty sure Jesus doesn’t approve of your judgmental attitude.”

The person continued to talk as I walked away…blah, blah, blah. And I never associated with a campus ministry from that point on.

You see, I had grown up in Christian communities that encouraged, loved, and cared for one another. I grew up in Christian communities that accepted people with open hearts and open minds. I grew up in Christian communities that wanted people to know that God loved them. At a time of questions and doubts, I sought out this kind of community and instead encountered one that judged, demeaned, and discouraged me.

I continued to have faith, but I wanted nothing to do with the Church.

But, I know this sounds cliché, God works in mysterious ways. Mostly, he worked through two dudes (Scott Greene and Shane Hartman) who were honest, real, and transparent. They accepted me and loved me for who I was…warts and all. And, they invited me to join them on the journey…along with other honest and real folks who played a major role in reaffirming my faith in Christ and my love for His Church!

And, somehow I ended up in full-time ministry! I’ve even learned from that experience.

In my ministry, I desire to offer hope, peace, love, joy, patience, compassion, tolerance, and grace…to all! I don’t want to come off as judgmental or as if I have it all together. I don’t want to turn people off from Jesus or the Church. I don’t want to be the kind of Christian that focuses on others flaws, ignoring my own, and puffing myself full of pride. Rather than pointing out what Jesus doesn’t like, I’d prefer to point out how much He loves each and every one of us.

Here’s the passage that stirred up these memories:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” ~Jeremiah 29:11-13