Greatest Job

During Thanksgiving week I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with my paternal grandparents listening to some of the incredible stories from their lives. I live about 200 miles away from my family, which isn't necessarily too far but far enough that visiting requires some planning, so time spent with my family throughout the year is limited. Recently my grandfather has been restrained from getting out of their home due to health concerns so my grandparents were delighted to have visitors, and I was just glad to hear about a life deserving of a movie (or at least a book).

Past visits have brought about remarkable stories that I love to hear over and over again, and this time I wanted to record some of those stories. Accompanied by my girlfriend, pug, parents, and one of my brothers we listened while my grandparents recounted some of these life events, and some of them were recorded thanks to smart phone technology (you won't often hear me admitting gratitude for smart phones, but I can sometimes admit the ease they can offer in certain situations). Of these stories I am particularly fascinated by my grandfather's brief history as a moonshine runner, which is sometimes overshadowed by the time he wrestled a black bear for a carnival as a means of travelling across the United States. Not only did he wrestle the black bear, but he also transported the bear in the cab of the truck he drove to each destination and gave that bear one bottle of soda a day.

Some people may question the veracity of stories like these, but knowing my grandpa and the rest of my family, I have no reason to doubt them. Especially when considering the humility of my grandfather. Near the end of our visit last week, my dad asked my grandpa which job he enjoyed the most. And my grandfather did not hesitate to answer, but the answer was not bootlegger, bear wrestler, Air Force pilot instructor, nor even the time he had a job rappelling cliffs to place dynamite in rock walls. His answer was his last job as a custodial worker at a school.

I was amazed and taken aback. I admire all his stories of adventurous and dangerous jobs, but he relishes the time spent maintaining the school property and developing relationships with the staff, faculty, and students at that school. And the love he put into that school is apparent in the awards and praise he received during his time there and when he left to move closer to family a few years ago. It's that kind of love and service that I believe the kingdom of God is built upon. Hopefully that humility will come with age and experience, because I often seek out those opportunities that contribute to an exciting, adventurous life but often these opportunities overshadow and distract me from seeking the real opportunities to love and serve others. I certainly do not suggest that the kingdom of God requires a dull life, but the wisdom of others often reveals that a life of service to others is a life well-lived. Ultimately, it's the healing and joy given to others that will matter. It is lessons like these that I am thankful for family and friends to love and to learn from.

Jesus Politics: Why Christians Should Not Vote At All

*The following post is part of the synchroblog hosted by The American Jesus. And while you are at, go ahead and check out Keegan's post at Paper Crane Library.*

During my research for my Master's thesis on an ethic of nonviolence in and for the Wesleyan tradition, I was introduced to Christian anarchism. My curiosity about this topic stemmed from reading Stanley Hauerwas's book War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity. Hauerwas exposes contemporary American patriotism as a form of religion with its own set of beliefs and idols of worship that has been perpetuated on the basis of owing our allegiance and gratitude to those who have made sacrifices in previous American wars. Consequentially, future wars are deemed necessary to justify previous wars, and we are now in a seemingly never-ending cycle of state sanctioned violence.

Hauerwas does not explicitly espouse anarchism as the better alternative, but his book explains how contemporary American patriotism has captured the allegiance of its citizens, including those who willingly describe themselves as Christians. A narrative has been espoused by many influential American Christians that conflates patriotism with faithful Christian living, and the questioning of the validity of the "Christian" nature of patriotism is an act of heresy. It is in response to the dichotomy between Jesus's model of living and American patriotism that has drawn me towards Christian anarchism that is equipped Hauerwas's suggestion that the Church is called to act as an alternative political reality to that of the United States.

I believe Hauerwas has correctly identified a major issue in regards to patriotic Christianity, and he has provided a compelling alternative to American politics. In the United States allegiance is placed on "American traditional values" and the leaders who remain faithful to them, but not solely on God. The counter-argument is that God places these leaders in power, which results in God's will being fulfilled through the American government, but this argument fails to acknowledge the focus on self-serving policies that guide the presidential debates. Listening to the presidential debates reveals that the major issues are focused on the wealth, health, and prosperity of the United States. In contrast to the inward focused dialogue of the presidential debates, the will of God is focused on humanity becoming a source of service and redemption of all: including those beyond the US border. 

Anarcho-pacifist/Christian anarchist flag

But neither of the two main political parties that plague our media outlets are concerned with universal well-being. They are both in service of the self-serving desires of the citizens of the United States. And even worse, most of the political discourse in the United States buys in to the myth of our "democracy," but our vote is only important if it is cast for a republican or a democratic candidate. There are third party candidates that stretches the political imagination of what is possible, but they are silenced by the lack of attention from mainstream media, and support of these other parties are considered a wasted vote, which would have been better used in support of the lesser of two evils. The fact alone that we are limited to choosing the lesser of two evils is a sign that moral integrity is not a driving force of politics, and I refuse to submit to and perpetuate this broken system. Perhaps, I would be more inclined to vote if other parties were taken seriously, but as it stands the "choice" remains limited and the two leading parties contradict the servant leadership of Jesus Christ. You can either vote for a republican that wishes to increase a military budget, or you can vote for the democrat that permits the secret murders of people in other countries via drone attacks. 

Even the discussion of participation in elections as a political act stands outside of what it means to be a Christian anarchist. A Christian anarchist is not passive (much like a Christian pacifist is not passive either), but is pro-active. Christian anarchy is not withdrawal from political discourse and activity, but rather the Christian anarchist's political activity occurs outside of the realm of the American political system. The guiding principle for Christian anarchists is allegiance to God, and this allegiance alone requires faithful followers to bring healing and redemption to the consequences of laws and policies that shun the poor and needy. As a Christian being political requires hands on engagement with the community around them; to assist in those places where there is life happening, and to try and bring healing to those places where there is pain and suffering. The claim that voting is your highest civic duty contradicts the good news of the Gospel, because it leads us to believe that we have done all that we can to improve our political conditions merely by voting. Instead of actually embodying the redemption of God modeled by Jesus, a vote just means that we expect politicians to take care of it for us and we can go on living our lives without hands on community improvement. Political action can come in the form of protests, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, or simply befriending that lonely neighbor. Whether you vote or not, just remember that the Gospel is political, but only when Christ's disciples manifest the good news of redemption in their lives.

Serving a Single Master

 (Thanks to Paper Crane Library for bringing the following article from Forbes to my attention.)

Forbes has created a list of the best and worst Master's degrees for jobs. Surprisingly, the MA in Religion and the MDiv was not included in the worst list (they probably earned an honorable mention that just wasn't mentioned). Yet, I could not ignore the list, because the second best Master's degree for future jobs is Computer Science. When I began my undergraduate studies I had declared myself as a Computer Science major because I knew that it would be a financially beneficial field, but after a semester of computer programming and calculus I could not stand the thought of a life devoted to computer science. I always knew that computer science is not limited to my worst enemy - programming - but if that task is the foundation of various computer science careers I decided that it would be foolish for me to continue computer science since I was headed for a life of jobs I would not enjoy regardless of potential wealth. I respect those who have chosen and enjoy a path in computer science, but it was not the path for me. It was during that time that I began to realize that my studies should be based on the enjoyment I will receive from advancing in whatever field  I chose.

At the beginning of my sophomore year I chose Philosophy and Theology for a few reasons, but, admittedly, among the reasons for my switch to this major the most compelling was the small number of units required for that particular major. Still, I had other reasons for switching to Philosophy and Theology. I was also fascinated by the historical contexts of the biblical books, the variations in type of literature that make up the whole of scripture, the length of time between the writing of the earliest books and the latest books and what that means for the biblical narrative, the historical development of doctrine, and the variances between the various expressions of the Christian faith were just a few of the ideas that would begin to grab my attention and fuel my desire to learn more about philosophy, biblical studies, and theology. The joy I continue to receive from my academic studies is priceless. The Forbes article explains that the criteria for the list admits that the jobs on the worst side of the list can be pleasurable to people, but the author's intent is to warn readers about the low availability of jobs, the medium pay, and the potential struggle for advancement opportunities in these fields. Ultimately, the worst and best list is based upon financial gain, which is assumed to be the way to achieve happiness. Coming from a family that often faces financial struggles, I see how poverty can lead to depression when basic needs are barely being met. But I have avoided seeing career success and big paychecks as the way to avoid that depression. I began with a redefinition of needs and happiness. The former cannot be defined as the accumulation of objects, which means that financial wealth does not fulfill the latter.

Personification of Mammon found on Wikipedia.

Happiness must come from joy found in meaningful, healthy activities that comprise our daily lives. In one particular essay,  The Minimalists offer a wonderful exposition on how genuine happiness is best found in free activities. Their entire collection of essays are helpful for taking my focus away from materialistic desires. Their essays are not theological, but it does express a truth found throughout all of scripture that continuously reminds us of how the things of this world (money, power, possessions, etc.) distract us from finding ways to express God's radical, unconditional love. Therefore, I am troubled (but not alarmed) that the list of best and worst career pursuits is based on financial criteria. I do understand the author's warning that it is not wise to pursue an education that you will not be able to pay for, but to categorize academic pursuits as "worst" and "best" based upon potential income still express an outlook on money in terms of terrible definitions of happiness and need. I am content and completely happy without a six figure income. I am especially encouraged by Jesus's declaration that you cannot serve two masters, God and Mammon (or money) (Matt. 6:24), and I will continue to recognize that happiness comes from serving others as an expression of God's love for all of creation. I love pursuing theological studies, and I hope theology will merely serve as a step of toward making my daily life a reflection of the kingdom of God. As Wesley often proclaimed, happiness is found in service of God's love. In his sermon "The Circumcision of the Heart" he says,

Very excellent things are spoken of love; it is the essence, the spirit, the life of all virtue. It is not only the first and great command, but it is all the commandments in one. "Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable," or honorable; "if there be any virtue, if there be any praise," they are all comprised in this one word, -- love. In this is perfection, and glory, and happiness. [cf. Phil 4:8]

Perhaps I am young and my financial burdens are currently light, which allows me to be happy and content right now, but I hope and pray that my life will always be defined by serving God without the burdensome distraction of fulfilling my most basic needs.