The Twitter Golden Rule

Do you know the Golden Rule? Of course you do! "Treat others, the way you want to be treated." Can I change the words of Jesus or will lightning strike me? In the 21 century, I believe, we need to "Tweet others the way you want to be tweeted." I'm calling this the "Twitter Golden Rule." 

Sadly, I have a Facebook account. I mean, I love being on Social Media. There are some really cool ways to connect with family and friends that I wouldn't otherwise see on a daily basis. I love getting sports updates on Twitter and seeing the pictures of Instagram. But the downside, people post their opinion without thinking about the feelings of others. No, Im not saying we need to "cancel" or "edit" what we say or believe but I do believe if you are a follower of Jesus then you should literally follow Jesus. 

You might say, "Jeff, on what authority do you have to tell me what to do!" I do not. Do what you please. And perhaps this is simply the pot calling the kettle black. Btw, I LOVE that phrase! But I do teach digital citizenship as apart of our tech curriculum at SLS. Its found on commonsensemedia.org if you are interested but it talks about media balance, bullying, your digital footprint, and more. 

Another thing we teach our children at SLS is virtues. So I was wondering if there was a way to apply our virtues and the opposites (deadly sins) to the world of social media. This is just a rough draft from the top of my head but I'd love your input! 

Let's start with deadly sins. Do you know them? 

1) Pride- Are you seeking affirmation from your social media account? Our identity should be rooted in the firm foundation that we belong to God not how many loves we get on Instagram. 

2) Envy- Do we look at the lives of others and become jealous? 

3) Greed- Do we covet what we do not have?

4) Gluttony- Do we spend SO MUCH time on social media that we do not spend time with our family/friends and spend time outside?

5) Sloth- Are we on social media as a zombie or are we actually engaging with other people in a positive manner?

6) Lust- Do we share pictures that are inappropriate and dishonoring to God? 

7) Anger- Do we post emotionally without thinking about the feelings of others?

What about the positive side of social media. We can also show virtuous behavior online. 

1) Faith- Are we using social media to encourage others by sharing what God is doing in our lives?

2) Hope- Are we conveying a positive message that gives hope to others. 

3) Charity- Are we sharing our likes generously? 

4) Fortitude- Are you demonstrating the strength to behave appropriately in adversity?

5) Justice- Do you treat others as you would wish to be treated. 

6) Temperance- Do you spend all day online? Pray, live, love. 

7) Prudence- Do you think before you post?

I don't know? Just a thought. Hope you enjoy my post at virtues and deadly sins of social media. 

In Spite of Everything.

I don't know Big Ben

You can know things but you can also KNOW things. 

Like I know Ben Roethlisberger. He is the quarterback of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions- Pittsburgh Steelers. I know his age. I know his stats. I know his past. 

But I don't know him. I don't know what inspires him. I don't know what keeps him up at night. 

And he certainty does not know Jeffrey Edward Slattery from 109 Van Buren Ave, Ridgway, PA.

People aren't ALL Bad. 

I was having a conversation, over Facebook, with a friend and he reminded me of a truth I thought I knew. I was recalling a person that caused a lot of conflict in my life and in lives of those around me. I tried to help. I tried to help him but was pushed aside as of it were not true. And it came to a point in my life where I could no longer live in the toxic relationship. So I set boundaries. And it was hard. But I did it. For me. And for my family. That was in 2017. 

Its 4 years later. 

It's easy to see someone that was going around setting fires and not listening to your advice as a villain and it many ways, he was. But I was reminded of something that  I thought I KNEW today. You need to remember that, "He did a lot of great things for a long time."

Of course he did. It's easy for one moment, one fight, one event to cloud our memories. You can be having a great day and then BAM something happens. Do we need to grieve and heal? Yea. And time does not heal all things, God does. But he is patient and waits for us to be ready. 

So how then should we deal with those that we have conflict. I want to look to 2 great inspirations-Both Jewish. One Girl and One man. One hide in the attic from Nazis, the other taught spark one of the most popular world religions. 

First the girl. Her name- Anne Frank. 

Anne Frank was social distancing before it was cool. But she wasn't hiding from the virus of Covid-19, she was hiding from the virus of hatred. Hitler was going after her people- the Jews. He rose in power in Germany and inspired many to hate Jewish people. So she hid. And she wrote. And we did the one thing people who write in their diaries don't want you to do....read their DIARY!!!!!

But I think she would be okay with it. She wrote many inspiring things in her book. My favorite is her view of her enemies... Somehow, she viewed the people coming after her as "good at heart."

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”

How often do we build a foundation of confusion, misery and death? That is NOT a firm foundation. Anne Frank died. Hitler is dead. The Nazis that arrested and put her to death are dead. Because hate leads to hate. 

But Anne Frank, in my opinion, died a content girl. She had peace because she did not hold the hatred of others as the foundation and view in which she lived her life. What if we choose to do the same. It sucks when people burn us. It sucks when you thought you had a good relationship with someone than they stab you in the back.....

But what if we believed that in spite of everything, people still had good in them?

Now to Jesus. The Jewish Carpenter. 

He is the G.O.A.T. (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) as the cool kids are saying. But what about him is remarkable? Is it that he was a Mr. Rogers type of character? No. I think what sets Jesus apart is his teaching and example of living a life demonstrated by love and forgiveness. 

There are many places we could go when talking about and thinking about Jesus but I need to go to the cross. Jesus was murdered. Why? He was trouble maker? No. Because he was claiming to be God? Kinda. 

Rome was in charge of Israel. Rome allowed the Jews to practice their religion as long as they kept it quiet. But the type of love that Jesus taught was anti-power system. He offended both the church and the state of the day. And it got him killed. On a tree. On Good Friday. 

The crowds went from "Hosanna" on Sunday to "Crucify Him!" on Friday. 

The Passion (meaning suffering) of the Lord is amazing study. He was beloved on Sunday, riding into town on a colt with Palm Branches. But soon the Last Supper came. And Judas betrayed. And Peter denied. And the other disciples ran. 

On the cross- he was alone. But he wasn't alone. There were two thieves with Jesus. One on the left and one on the right. The one said, "We deserve death but this man does not" while the other insulted Him. 

But the words that mean the most to me when Jesus was on the cross were "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

JESUS! They are killing you! Murdering you. AND YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. But Jesus accepted death. He laid down his life and forgave the very people that killed him. 

Conclusion 

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. If you are in an abusive relationship. Leave. Call the cops. If something is bad for you not do it. Don't drink Poison. It will kill you. And usually it is a slow death. 

But....

Many times we are quick to judge those based on one action. Maybe just maybe that's a horrible way to live your life. That sounds like a life built on hate, misery, and death. We need to remember that if we judge someone based on their worst moment that we wouldn't want people to judge us based on our worst day. 

I'm still trying to learn this. I'm still trying to grow-up. Sorry, I know I should get this by now. But if we can error on the side of love I think we are better off. I'd rather love too much than love too little. I'd rather forgive too much than to forgive too little. Not that they deserve it but because I would want people to love and forgive me too. 

The Gospel according to Neil

 Listen to this conversation I had with Neil this morning: 

Neil: "I think Jesus was lonely." Me: "Why do you think that." Neil: "He didnt have kids and a wife" Me: "Yea, but did he have friends?" Neil: "He did but he also had enemies-wicked people from Nineveh"

Do you remember the story of Jonah? "Go to Ninveh, and tell them to repent!" Jonah, a prophet of God, would not go. In fact the book of the Bible with his name on it says, "He boarded a boat and went the opposite direction." He didn't go because he was afraid of them. He didn't go because he thought they would rejecct his message. He didn't go because he actually believed there was a chance they would repent and come to know God.

WOW! Who let that guy be a prophet?

This story is strange until we remember the culture that Jonah was living in. In his world, people were incredibly tribalist. This is having strong loyalty to one's own tribe or social group. WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS AND THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS!

And To BE HONEST..... our world is still filled with tribalism. Usually centered on religion or politics. Not much has changed....has it?

But God sent Jonah to the outsiders because God wanted them to know of his love. So he sends the prophet. It takes a while, including spending 3 days in the belly of a fish, before Jonah FINALLY proclaims the Good News that even they can turn from their wicknesses and be saved. AND THEY DO BELIEVE! They repent. They fast. They turn away from their wicknesses.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, said it this way...

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 

The story of Jonah is foreshadowing Jesus. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish for 3 days so Jesus would go and die for 3 days. Just as Jonah went to preach forgiveness to his enemy, so Jesus would declare from the cross, "Father forgive them." 

The Gospel is so simple but we make it complicated. Love your enemy. Include the outsider. Be friends to the outcast. Why? Because it is what Jesus would have done in that moment. 

And Yes. Neil is right. Jesus missed out on being married and having kids of his own. I'm sure there were times when he was lonely and confused and frustrated. And Yes. He had friends. Like Peter, John, and James who believed in him (as best as they could) for 3.5 years of ministry. And He had enemies. 

But all those things didn't stop him from choosing to love and be a person of love. So happy Saturday. Go out and love someone who doesn't deserve it because the world could use a little more love today.

Let my children tell the story

Is the Bible true?

How bout that for a Friday morning loaded question. As a Christian, I would say YES! The Bible is true. But how we define “true” might be impacted by a few things. The most important of course would be our upbringing. What church, if any, did our parents bring us to? Which country, or part of the country, do we live in? Who has impacted our lives the most? Who carries weight in our change of mind currently? 

This question of “trueness” can be a touchy subject. Some do not care if any of the stories are factually true. They may say the only thing that matters to me is Jesus and the cross. To them, Jesus is the center of their faith and the other stories are less important because everything leads to the cross. On the other hand, there are people that are in the other camp. They believe everything in the bible HAS TO be 100% true or it is 100% false. 

Most people find themselves somewhere between those two camps. What do you do if you believe that Jesus really was the Son of God but God did not tell people to commit genocide over a whole people group? What do you do if you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin but maybe it wasn’t God’s idea to kill the firstborn of the Egyptians? 

Woah, woah, woah. Quit the cherry picking! Quit picking what you like about the Bible and throwing away the rest! 

I’m not saying we throw out parts of the text we don’t like. This is just an invitation to wrestle with the text. This is an invitation to say: “I don’t have to be certain of everything.” Because if I were certain why would I need faith. 

So let’s say some things in the Bible didn’t happen. Is that okay? Or should we throw out the baby with the bathwater. BTW that is the worst metaphor EVER! 

So Let’s start with a fun one! Did God murder every person on the planet with a giant flood (well except a family and 2 of every animal). Which begs the question, how did Cats and Birds coexist on the ark?

Did you know that when this story was told (not written btw for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time) that there were multiple flood stories. This was just one of many.  Same with the creation story. Which makes us ask a deeper question. Why was the story of Genesis (the first book in our Bible) told in the first place? 

Scholars believe that it was written during the Babloyian exile. God’s people were away from home. They needed to remember who they were as a people. So they wrote their story. They told their oral history that had been passed down. Telling the story of creation, flood, and then Abraham. 

Remember Abraham? He had many sons and many sons had father Abraham? No…. just me..ok. 

He is considered the father of the Jewish faith. He was handpicked by God. To be what? The father of many nations. The problem? They didn’t have one child and his wife was “past child-bearing age.” Which is the nice way of saying.... She was old. 

But God came through. And Abraham had faith. Even though he didn’t for a lot of the story. Including giving away his wife because he was afraid of the Pharaoh. If you haven’t read Genesis you need to! It's an EPIC story! 

But eventually Abraham and Sarah have a son. Issac. And Isaac got married and they had twins. And so on and so forth. 

But remember this is God’s story of saving his people. We meet some awesome (but flawed people in the OLD TESTAMENT). Like Moses- Let my people Go. Some Prophets, some kings, and some down right evil people. God’s people tend to fall away and get rescued, fall away, get rescued. Sometimes they are in the promised land and others they are in exile. Sometimes they are in power and sometimes they are the underdog. And God uses it ALL! To progress his story. 

Until one day an angel visits a teenage girl named Mary and says, “Hail Mary- full of grace.” And this virgin gives birth to this bastard child named Jesus. Who would grow in wisdom with his people. But then he was baptized. And everything changed. He grew a following. He healed the sick. And he taught love and forgiveness. And his followers grew so large that those in power did not like it. So they tempted one of his followers, Judas, to betray him. And killed him. And he died on a cross.But death could not hold him down. The story of Easter is Jesus choosing the path of love and died only to rise 3 days later. 

From there his now 11 disciples (and later added a 12th) changed the world. They were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.They preached the Gospel. They believed that God was not mad at us. That God loved us so much that he sent his son into the world to die for us and conquer death, sin, and the devil. And these “chicken of men”, could not stop talking about Jesus. And they got killed for it TOO! But every time someone died for their faith it continued to spark more interest like a wildfire across the globe. 

And even though church history has had some ups and downs at the core it has always been about Jesus. The focal point of the Christian story. 

What a story! 

But what if there are some parts that make me uncomfortable? 

Remember the global flood or the stories of Canaanite Conquest?

There have been many theories over time as to why these stories are in the Bible. I will give the 3 most logical reasons. 

1. God's ways are above our ways.. 

I get it. God is God and I am not. We cannot understand his ways. Even though there is much mystery in the world, this is such a cop-out answer. And please don’t tell someone who had a spouse die “You just need to trust God.” Don’t tell someone who had a child die “Wel, I guess God just needed another angel.” WHAT? STOP! 

Let’s agree there is mystery. We don’t see the whole picture. But we are smarter than this! Aren’t we? As a Christian, I always go back to Jesus. If Jesus didn’t act a certain way I know His Father didn’t act that way. 

Jesus is perfect revelation of the Father.

2. God changed. 

Maybe God was a jerk in the Old Testament. He had to be. He had to get rid of the evil people living in the promise land. So he told his people to rape and kill them.

God the Father is Bad COP and Jesus the son is Good COP.

No. 

What does that say about God that he could and would change his mind about something so big as his nature. Either he is a judgemental God, holding us over the fire or He is a God of love and forgiveness. HE CANNOT BE BOTH! 

3. We have changed. 

This is the view I want to share with you today. 

Have you ever had your child share a story with you. Maybe even an event where you were there? Is the story accurate? Kinda. I mean...not in the same way I would describe it. But I love when I hear my 4 year old tell a story. 

It’s so great. I’m always on the edge of my seat saying, “Yeah, then what happened?” 

I could stop him. Tell him he is wrong. That is not what really happened. But why? For him, the story he tells is what happened. And I need to give him the freedom to share his story.

And God is a MUCH BETTER FATHER than I am. 

I want to suggest: He lets his children tell the story. That is the Bible. The Bible is God’s children telling his story.

It isn't perfect. But it is GOOD. It is the progressive revelation of a God who is faithful to love his bride and teach us to love Him and each other. It's a story of inclusion and unity. Because ONE DAY we will all be welcomed back home and it will be good.