Maybe there are no such things as "Bad Guys"

I'm adding to my other rants about how being bad has come to be acceptable (here and here). I actually get to go on a date with my wife tomorrow night (thanks Mom!), so I began searching the movie listings. One of the current movies out right now is Twilight. It's about a romance between two high school teens - one a normal, pretty girl and the other a very good looking ninety year old vampire. It is based on a series of books that starts with a novel by the same title. I know nothing about the books or the movie beyond what I've already stated. Nothing except this - all the girls in my classes LOVE this story. Several of my students have read every book in the series (three or four?) twice already this school year.

Vampires as a whole are finding a resurgence in popular literature, even without Anne Rice. I've seen what are probably some more traditional fare about vampires in the hands of my male students. But this post is about taking something that is bad and pretending it is good.

I suppose we can begin to place the blame on Anne Rice and her novels The Vampire Chronicles, particularly how she made Lestat a sympathetic character in spite of his evil tendencies that were no fault of his own. When Rice became a Christian, she went into seclusion to figure it all out. She stopped writing the Vampire novels and instead published a fictional account on the life of Jesus as a child. Don't quote me on this, but I seem to recall having heard that Rice has returned to the Vampire stories, this time with a Christian flair and vampire in them.

Permit me to sound ludicrous here, but we also see this move of making vampires "good people" in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy of course began her career slaying these demon killers of the night. As the storyline progressed, one of the characters that assisted Buffy in her daily business of fighting off and killing whatever evil creature threatened the world was in fact a vampire. There was another tv series on last fall whose main character was a "good" vampire in a committed normal relationship.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe vampires aren't really bad people. Maybe they have been given a bad rap by all the fantastic and imaginative gore written about them over the last several hundred years. Maybe contemporary fiction (and by extension contemporary ideology) has taken a necessary corrective action is showing us who vampires really are.

For argument's sake, let's say that vampires are inherently evil creatures. Why are we cleaning them up? Why are we making them acceptable? Why are we mooning over romances and relationships that conquer all the odds when it includes one? I would hope that the reason is because these creatures of evil have been redeemed. I hope it's because in each case we see a change in character and action that turns abruptly from the evil ways of a vampire and turns toward that which is more human, perhaps even more Godly.

Just to play fair, let's say that vampires are not inherently evil any more than your average regular human is inherently evil. Vampires are affected by the fall in the garden of Eden in the same way that humans were. We are told in Scripture that all creation was affected and that creation itself groans in anticipation of its eventual completed salvation when Jesus returns. Does that justify the willful murder and consumption of human blood? Can a vampire really invoke the "I can't help it, it's not my fault" clause? At least the vampire family in Twilight strives to live a human blood free life.

As silly as all this sounds, I think this whole thing comes down to the question of what does it mean to be Godly. In some family devotional material we have been using with the boys, the first week focuses on the issue of Godliness. It defines Godliness as wanting to please God in everything you think, say, and do. That's a pretty good definition. It gets us away from legalism, though it could lead to liberalism if argued "correctly". When I begin to apply that definition to whether or not I'm going to root for the bad guy, imitate the habits of the bad guy, or try to make the bad guy out to be something else entirely, I think I'll discover that I really can't do any of those in good conscience.

Yes Virginia, there really are such things as bad guys. We're all one of them at birth. The good news is there really is such a thing as a really good guy, a perfect guy even. He died for us so we could become one too.

Finding the right path

Several months ago I posted some thoughts about Rooting for the Bad Guy. The only comments that post received focused more on the fictional elements of character development and the spiritual dimension of everyone can find salvation and redemption. There was a deeper sociological thread that I was pointing to in that post that bears revisiting here. My next statement is certainly not original and will come across as a "No Duh!" to many of you. Our world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Perhaps it is better to more specifically state another obvious truth. Our society is becoming increasingly tolerant and accepting of violence. I don't just mean the carnage we see in movies or the unedited news clips. We have moved from being tolerant of violence and all the subcultural elements associated with it to promoting it. In doing some research on gangs for one of my novels in progress, I came across some shocking search results.

We are no longer surprised by the link between street gangs and certain types of music. We are slowly becoming numb to the growing association of certain professional athletes and gang symbols. What disturbs me is how the rest of middle class America is getting in on the action. Apparently it has become the craze for every sub group of people to develop their own "gang signs". I came across webpostings of the gang signs for everything from Unix programmers to self-proclaimed nerds. Social networking sites and online games that are not "violence" oriented even use gangs as a method for organization, somehow trying to sanitize the use of the word. Maybe not the most disturbing but certainly ranking up there was this description of one college student's personal webspace - "You can find cool links, infos about gangs and theirs signs and slang, and much more here." (emphasis mine)

Going back to my post about rooting for the bad guy - Yes, multi-dimensional characters are more exciting and believable. I use them myself. Yes, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, can find salvation and redemption. BUT, we must look a little more carefully at what appears to merely be multidimensional and what is a symptom of a larger issue. Bad things are bad things, whether they are part of a larger reality or not. Acceptance of these things is not acceptable.

Just as society needs to be careful about how it views, accepts, and passively promotes social mores and behavior, someone on a faith journey and the entire Body of Christ need to be equally mindful of the behavioral and philosophical standards they espouse actively AND passively. What are the things we practice or tolerate that are acceptable to Christ? What are the things that stand in contradiction to being his disciple?

I know I am beginning to sound like some kind of fundamentalist, holy roller, out of touch with the real world religious zealot/bigot. If you know me personally, you know that I have been more often accused of being too worldly instead of the opposite. Speaking from the perspective of someone on a Christian faith journey who desires to encourage others doing the same as well as help some begin their own faith journey, this is a reality that must be addressed.

I find myself struggling as of late with what is meant by phrases like "the narrow way". I'm searching for that middle way that is still path of complete obedience, allegiance, and desire to be like him. It is the path between legalism and full-blown liberalism. I believe the way is narrow and that is does lie between these two extremes.

I don't have a good way to wrap up these thoughts. This more of a on-the-fly posting. It certainly is a bit heavier than the usual fare here. But just as the blog says, it's just a thought.

A Christmas Card

This has been an interesting year for us in terms of Christmas cards. We have received very few. Part of the reason is I am no longer a pastor, so I don't have a congregation full of people giving us one. But we still have the same number of friends. I've even noticed at work that few Christmas wishes are exchanged. Perhaps the assault on Christmas is beginning to have effect.

Of course, I'm not complaining. I'm just making an observation. To be completely honest about the situation, we did not send out ANY this year. We just ran out of time. For once, my wife listened to me when I said not to worry to about them (literally worry about them). However, we would like for all our friends and family to know we wish them a Merry Christmas. Thus this post. Unfortunately, only about three or four of said family and friends read this blog. But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

So without further ado, to make this an official Christmas card, here is our first annual Christmas newsletter.

Wow! Can you believe Christmas is here already? It seems like it has only been a year since last Christmas. 2008 was a busy year for all of us. Here are the highlights for each one.


Matt resigned as pastor of New Life Wesleyan Church in February. It was a timely move since Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for president, asked him to head up his campaign. Matt protested that he knew nothing about running a presidential campaign. Bob insisted and Matt needed the job anyway. This probably explains our poor showing in the elections. Sensing the campaign was not going to end well, Matt resigned from that position in August to begin teaching seventh grade math at Clayton Middle School.

Tammy continued her present career path as mom, homemaker, and lead teacher at Trinity Christian Academy. Not many days went by that she didn't ask herself why. In addition to this already busy schedule, she started her own curriculum consulting company. Considering the hours she has put into researching this field, she figured it was a great way to make all that work payoff financially. It will also pay the medical bills incurred so that we can have the strained eyesight and carpal tunnel syndrome fixed from all that time on the computer. If you have a curriculum question, give her a call. Her next goal is to apply for the vacant superintendent position of Johnston County Schools.

Joshua began the year taking up a new pasttime - hunting. Using the pellet gun he received last Christmas, he rescued the neighborhood from a rabid bear that was terrorizing us all. Discovering that he had a special gift, probably due to some unknown Native American heritage in his bloodstream, Joshua opened his own hunting guide service. If you're interested in hunting moose, rhino, or any other exotic big game in our neighborhood, Joshua can ensure your success. In addition to discovering a love for hunting, Joshua continued to hone his Cub Scout skills. He is only one activity pin away from earning all twenty pins available to Webelos Scouts. He is anxiously counting down the day to when he crosses over to Boy Scouts in only three months.

Noah's year has been equally exciting. He finished his first year of Cub Scouts in the spring. This put him one step closer to his dream of living as far away from civilization as possible. We began renting out his bedroom for extra cash since he decided to move out into the yard. The large nest in the tree out back leads one to believe that either Big Bird or an African lowland gorilla has moved into our backyard. Despite his desire to live in the wilderness for the rest of his life, Noah continues to work on his education due to legal requirements. Most days demonstrate excellent progress even though he will never use anything he has learned.

I'll leave it up to you to decide what's true and what isn't, what's dead on and what's embellishment. One thing is true, our year, just like yours, was filled with joys, excitement, and struggles. God was with us every step of the way. We always knew he was there, even when we had no clue how we would get through some of those struggles. And we of course gave him praise in each moment of joy and triumph. I'm sure 2009 will bring more of the same, including his ever abiding presence. This Christmas, we wish for you to experience that same presence as we remember how he became flesh and dwelled among us.

Merry Christmas!
Matt, Tammy, and the boys

A Christmas Poem

For the last 24 hours we have been suffering from a stomach bug that for now we are blaming on my niece. In between spurts of energy and other things, I composed this Christmas poem with a special tongue in cheek message. My apologies to Clement C. Moore.

'Twas three days before Christmas and all through the house
Not an adult was stirring, not me nor my spouse
The trash cans were positioned by our places with care
In hopes that when we got sick that they would be there

We were lying about, on the couch and the bed
Because of the turmoil that filled our stomachs with dread
The children did their best to play nice and get along
While our intestines played a not so sweet song

When out of my innards there arose such a clatter
I sprang for the restroom and hoped it wouldn't splatter
Away to the porcelain I flew like a flash
Make up your own line here that ends with the word splash

The moon outside, well, I didn't care
How it shone on the world out there
When to my own wondering mind should appear
That cramps in my stomach would cause a great tear

Two holiday affairs have already been canceled or at least postponed
A third one's in danger so stay by the phone
As we lay immobilized we wished it would pass
We meant the whole sickness and not just the gas

Despite our discomfort and change of plans
It is the season we celebrate the greatest gift to man
A time of Joy, and Hope come down
To fill a manger while giving up a crown

The gifts of love we share with each other
Are symbols of love modeled on another
God became flesh to dwell with us here
And then later died so that death we might not fear

So, no matter where you are or how you might feel
Remember the Christmas story that is very real
Discover Peace and walk in its Light
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

What does it take to make a community?

As part of our children's study of colonial America, we have been watching Colonial House, a reality tv program from PBS. A group of people try to recreate the experience of the Massachusetts Bay Colony of 1628. The gentleman serving as the governor of the colony has been faced with the difficulty of trying to enforce 17th century Puritanical law with a group of 21st century individuals. It just didn't work. People, especially women, complained about what we would now consider ridiculous regulations - required Sabbath worship attendance, no profanity, modest hair coverings, corsets, etc. Finally, the governor suspended enforcement of all Sabbath laws. What resulted was an gradual protest against all such laws.


The problem was not with the ridiculous nature of the laws. The problem was that not everyone had a shared worldview. One atheist woman wondered aloud whether she would have kept her mouth shut in 1628 or martyred herself. What she failed to see is that had she lived in 1628, her worldview would have probably been quite similar to that trying to be enforced. (Not all the laws were simply Puritanical. Some were actually commonly accepted English customs of the time.) It does cause one to wonder more deeply about the gradual evolution of societal norms that led to the more pluralistic society we have today. Who were the ones to begin the question and rebel? Had they always been there, choosing to remain quiet? What caused them to finally speak out?

More importantly to me are the questions that begin to arise about religious belief. What is that binds a group of people into a religious community? Even in the Christian community, you have many different types of communities. You might even think of them as denominations. Even within denominations you get different flavors on the local church levels. There MAY be a common agreement on what the Core is, but usually the common bond centers more around a very specific set of convictions or interpretations. In today's society those do not even hold as people move on to the next church (community) when something about their current situation is not satisfactory. Or, they will fight to make it like they want it.

After pondering these thoughts for a couple of days, I came up with the following conclusions. I think the root of it all has to be a certain degree of self-sacrifice. In order for to community to remain together and function properly, everyone has to be willing to sacrifice specific preferences. The hard part is choosing which preferences those would be. As idealistic as it sounds, if everyone sacrificed everything, would that be better or would it simply lead to anarchy because there would be no standard.

Which leads me to what is the greatest example of self-sacrifice I know - Jesus death on a cross as payment for our sins. When we accept that sacrifice, we become part of the body of Christ that assembles into local communities. It is this standard that we sacrifice our personal preferences to. We sacrifice our personal preferences to the will of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. When the Holy Spirit is able to govern our interactions with one another in our self-sacrifice, true community is formed AND maintained.

The problem comes from the fact that as human creatures, we still struggle with that notion. Local churches (communities) experience rifts all the time. There is a failure to maintain the unity in Christ. Which is sad because we don't have to create the unity - it's already there.

Just a thought.