The "S" Word

The subject of submission came up recently in one of our Elder Board meetings and we talked briefly about the culture we find ourselves living in today. No one submits anymore. We live independent lives, relying on ourselves and our own intuition to get us through the highs and lows of life. This is not just a phenomena of the younger generation, but applies across all segments of our society. Old or young or in between, we don't put ourselves very often in situations where submission seems desirable or profitable. And yet, shouldn't that be something we cultivate in ourselves out of humility and respect for the wisdom God grants to others?

I include myself in this lack. The very word makes my palms sweaty. Images of being controlled, taken advantage of, misunderstood, rise up in my mind. It's one thing for Mike to submit to a golf pro he's paying, but another thing for me to act on the advice of my friends, family or spouse when it seems counter-intuitive to the usual way I approach my life. Still, there's something freeing in voluntarily giving up my own way of doing something, to be humble and accept the advice when I know the giver is thinking of my best interests. Whether it's in the revising of a poem or in the way I pray about a situation, I am trying to cultivate "experts" to help me grow. It has been an interesting journey for me over the last year to give up some of my freedom and listen to wise counsel and then act on it and see where it takes me.

What reminded me of this today was the thought of the Virginia Tech student who so resoundingly did not submit to authority and well-intentioned advice in his life. When we think we are above the wisdom of others, we leave ourselves terribly open to pain and confusion that might have been avoided. If you look at your life and notice only one voice giving direction to it, I would encourage you to experiment a little. Find an area where you are "stuck" and seek out an expert, and then submit to doing what they suggest. Maybe (like Mike) it's your golf swing, your relationship with a family member, your stale approach to God, but there are surely people you can find who will look at it from a different perspective and give you real help. Ultimately, our expert is Jesus and the wisdom he has for us. If God is the most brilliant being in existence, maybe we should pay a bit more attention to what he is saying to us, both through his word and through the considered opinions of the people he has put in our lives to guide us to him.

Do you submit to the authorities in your life (pastors, counsellors, teachers, parents, friends, small group)? If so, I would love to know if the discipline of submission has taught you new things about yourself and opened up new vistas in those "stuck" places.

Do They Know Us?

When I was a girl, we used to sing a song with the refrain, "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they'll know we are Christians by our love." I feel so drawn to that hopeful sentiment. I want people to see Christ in me and in each of my brothers and sisters in the faith. I think that Christians should be in the forefront wherever the need for the compassion of Christ exists: homeless shelters, AIDS ministries, Katrina cleanup, refugee camps. The list of places and people who need the love of Christ is without end. But is this really what the world thinks of first when they hear the word "Christian"? Are we truly known for our kindness, compassion, love and humility?

I read a lot of book reviews, both for business reasons and because I love to read, and there has been a disturbing trend lately in anti-religious book publishing. These books draw distressing conclusions about us as a people of faith, calling us "poison" and worse, "fascists". The case seems to be that many in our nation believe us to be people who are "known" by our intolerance, our active discouragement of dissent, our fomenting of fear, our aggressive politics, and even violence against our perceived enemies. I'll admit I was really shaken by this level of vitriol. I don't mind if people disagree with my beliefs, but these accusations are the opposite of what I consider to be the Way of Christ.

Now let me say I don't see this as being the true state of us as Christians. I know far too many wonderful believers who are serious about being transformed into the likeness of Christ and they will never give up in their pursuit of having Christ formed in them. The elder board hears marvellous stories of people who sacrifice their time, money, and vacations to make a positive difference in the world. Yet, there is enough negative press out there to make me pause and reflect that the ideals of Christ have gotten skewed in the hearts and lives of many.

If someone wants to dismiss us as Christians, let it be for our honesty, humility, charity and goodness. Let it be for our faith beyond reason, for our passion and compassion for justice and the poor. Let it be for the right reasons.