I Wonder As I Wonder

Hello readers!

It has been so long, I may need to reintroduce myself. That may come later. I apologize for the silence; this past year has been incredibly busy and difficult to balance, and I’m not exactly Wonder Woman-- which brings me to today’s topic.

I recently went to see the new Wonder Woman movie, and I’ll spare you a plot summary and movie review, but if you have not seen it, I would highly recommend. The rest of this post will explain why, but if you have not seen it, you might want to see it before you continue reading. I won’t intentionally spoil anything, but little spoilers may slip out.

There was a lot to love about this movie, and also a few things not to love. The dialogue was patchy in some places, and there were some small holes in the plot that were not filled by the end of the movie. However, the action was breathtaking and well presented, characters were developed cleanly and in good detail, and Gal Gadot is absolutely perfect for the role of Wonder Woman. But what really stood out to me in this film was not any good work of cinematography, performance, or effects. The elements of this film that pleasantly surprised me most were the undertones of spirituality and the subtle but effective proclamation of the gospel.

This is not the first time this has been evident in a DC storyline. Batman vs. Superman, the film in which Wonder Woman is reintroduced, explored the storyline of resurrection and of the role of a god (implying a capital G in many places) among his people. These elements of Christianity, though refreshing to observe, were not carried out particularly artfully, but an effort is an effort. However, this effort pales in comparison to the masterful work in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, the second installation of the recent Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight addresses the idea of a hero who saves people despite the fact that they do not, have not, and will never deserve it. This concept was such a dramatic turn from all other hero storylines (at least in recent years) in which the hero takes out the “bad guys” so humanity can be its inherently good self again. The Dark Knight’s premise was that humanity is not inherently good, and is in fact so broken it is beyond self-redemption. Nolan’s Gotham City does not need a helping hand, it needs devastation and destruction, the only way through which it can be truly saved and redeemed. Gotham serves as a symbol for all people. Our only hope for redemption is to be put to death in our sin and be made completely new in Christ. The Dark Knight could just as well have ended with scripture recitation with how accurate a portrayal of the gospel it is.

In all honesty, I never expected another superhero, or any movie, to proclaim the gospel as beautifully or effectively as is done in The Dark Knight. But then I saw Wonder Woman.

Yeah. It’s that good.

Wonder Woman’s character arc is primarily centered around the fact that she is a deity, but no one bothers to tell her this information. However, she thinks like a goddess without knowing she is one. She desires to protect humanity and destroy evil. Her reasoning for this initially is a naive belief that humanity is inherently good, but that people have been corrupted by external forces. The climax of this story occurs when she thinks she has destroyed the external forces, and the war and corruption continues. She soon realizes the external force she sought was actually elsewhere, but as she fights this force, she begins to understand that humanity truly does not deserve her. However, she does not stop fighting. As she fights, she explains to her adversary why she fights-- not because she is required or obligated to, and certainly not because anyone deserves the salvation she is able to deliver, but because of love. She loves people. So though they truly do not deserve a redemptive hero, she carries out her act of redemptive heroism for no other reason than because she wants to. It is her great expression of love for people.

So often we find ourselves watching movies and reading books about great heroes and wishing they were real, and that they could swoop in and save us. And while we can be pretty certain Wonder Woman will not be crossing No Man’s Land for us any time soon, we have a far better and more beautiful reality: our savior Jesus descended into our broken world and even into the grave so he could save us, and he did not do it because we deserved it or because he had to. He sacrificed himself willingly and with joy, for no other reason than because he wanted to. It was his great expression of love for people.

The greatest art is not necessarily that which expresses ideas the most clearly. Great art effectively and beautifully begins conversations about the ideas it expresses, whether these ideas are explicitly stated and elaborated on in that art or not. By this definition, Wonder Woman is a beautiful work of art because it opens up an area of conversation as to its meaning and implications about our world, our philosophy, and our faith. The gospel proclamation may not have even intentional (although it certainly appears to be), but Jesus said if the rest of the world was silent, the rocks would cry out his praise. Sometimes the most effective reflections of the gospel are those that happen unintentionally, because our world exists for the glory of God, and the glory of God is always ultimately achieved.

I look forward to seeing Wonder Woman’s  impact on the superhero movie industry and on viewers everywhere who may or may not have been previously introduced to the truth framed in beauty that is Christianity: that though we do not deserve a hero, our hero already came. And no matter how many plot twists we may come upon, we have something citizens of the superhero universe do not: our hero is already victorious.

“He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’” -Luke 19:40

Now In Part

I see in a mirror dimly.

I must remind myself of this fact every time I open my mouth to speak or my browser to blog. It goes without saying that when I say something, I say it because I believe it is right. I have never known of a person who boldly proclaimed or even quietly accepted something he or she did not believe to be true. But yet, the things we believe are not always true. Why?

Because we see in a mirror dimly.

Most people quote 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 almost daily, but rarely do people acknowledge the end of the chapter, in which Paul stops talking about love and starts talking about knowledge. More specifically, Paul talks about how fleeting and insignificant knowledge really is. What do we really know? What do I really know? We seek understanding from the wrong side of a two way mirror, and we see in it dimly. Our omniscient Father gave us the gift of limited understanding, and even things we think we really know change sometimes. One can look to math, science, or history to see how quickly knowledge passes away.

So, if knowledge passes away, we must cling to what does not. Seems easy enough, right? But yet I personally struggle to do so. Thankfully, Paul addresses this struggle in Ephesians 2:18-22. We as believers are to cling to each other, and more importantly, cling to Christ. Our faith is one entity; one structure held together with Christ as the cornerstone.

Because we see in a mirror dimly, sometimes our perception is skewed. Sometimes we do not see things the same way. In some cases, one side is wrong and the other side is right. But in most cases, no one can say whether either side is right. Because we see in a mirror dimly. Because of this, we cannot trust in what we see, but solely in what we cannot see: Christ, the perfect cornerstone of our faith. Although our perception tries to tear us apart, we cannot be shaken because of our resolute foundation in Jesus Christ.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." --1 Corinthians 13:12

The Art of Christianity

Hello, readers! It has been several months, and for that I sincerely apologize. I had been busy with my school newspaper, and when school got out I traveled to Italy, both my excuse for spotty blogging and my topic of choice. That said, I will attempt to blog more regularly from here on out, so please keep coming back.

As I said, I recently traveled to Italy with my school choir. We visited Verona, Siena, Florence, Venice and Rome with performances in the latter two. The climax of the trip was in Rome, and more specifically, the Vatican. We spent a full day in the Vatican touring the museums and churches and finishing the day as the choir in Mass held in St. Peter's Basilica, a most unforgettable and reflective experience.

As many of you have guessed either by knowing me or by reading prior posts, I am not Catholic. As I make my points, please know that my intention is not to offend or argue-- merely to proclaim the gospel. Please interpret my words as nothing more or less than that.

A sweeping glance of the interior of St. Peter's filled me with awe and reverence toward Peter, the other apostles, and Mary, but I couldn't help but feel something was missing. Everywhere I looked a new beauty overcame me, but still there was a hole. Suddenly it occurred to me: I did not see a cross or any other representation of Christ anywhere. After more searching, I managed to find three representations of Him, but it did not ease my mind. There was one painting of Jesus, not on the throne, but rather as an infant in the arms of Mary on the throne. There was one statue of Jesus as a man, lying dead in the arms of Mary. And there was one cross, with Jesus hanging on it.

Regarding the painting: there is absolutely nothing wrong with portraying Jesus as an infant. Luke 2:12 clearly describes Jesus as a seemingly helpless child wrapped in swaddling cloths: literally portraying a little lamb. The problem does not lie in the helpless demeanor of infant Jesus, but in the question of who sits on the throne. Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus, not because she was special in any way, but specifically because she was not special. In Luke 1:46-49, Mary acknowledges God's marvelous grace in choosing to do great things through her. She explicitly states her unworthiness and His greatness. Jesus, however, is one with the Father, and is forever seated on the throne. Mary is not above Jesus; she is not even his equal. John 19:25 paints a picture far more real and far more somber: Mary is not above or level with Jesus, but beneath him at the foot of the cross. When he took his last breath and all the sin of humanity died with him, Mary's sins were included just as completely as yours and mine. Just like us, she inherits the Kingdom of Heaven, but unlike Christ, she did not inherit the throne of God.

Regarding the statue: Christ died, and our sins died with him. The wrath of God was poured out on Christ in our place and he died the death we deserved. As incredible and unfathomable as this is, however, it is not the ultimate cause of our joy as believers. See, Christ died, but he also rose again, defeating death. Ephesians 2:1-3 tells us we are all born into this world spiritually dead, but the passage goes on to describe how we are made alive (Ephesians 2:4-9). We rejoice as believers because  we have been brought to life through the death AND resurrection of Christ. As vital as it is to convey the significance of Jesus' death, it is even more important to acknowledge that he did not remain dead. In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus tells John he has conquered death, sin, and hell and is alive forevermore. So although portraying Jesus as dead is certainly not wrong, the image is not complete without His resurrection.

Regarding the cross: In Galatians 6:14, Paul says he cannot boast in anything except in the cross of Christ. We as believers still use the cross as a symbol of the lengths to which Christ went to reconcile us to our King. Furthermore, the cross symbolizes our own death: our death to sin. Our death to death. The cross is indeed a powerful symbol, but it is powerful, in large part, because it is empty. When Jesus died, he said "It is finished." In saying these words, Jesus preached the Gospel even to the men who nailed him to the cross, in that the work of the cross was finished. The wages of sin were paid, the atonement had been made, and Christ's mission to rescue us from death and sin was complete in that moment. Our death, too, was finished. Though we will still die a physical death, we have been made alive spiritually for eternity. Before Jesus, the cross symbolized death, but because of Jesus, the cross now symbolizes life. Therefore, the cross is empty. It is finished.

One might wonder why it matters so much that art portrays Christ a certain way. Art is expression-- expression of thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, beliefs. If we believe Christ belongs anywhere other than the throne, we sin in diminishing the authority and power of Christ. If we believe anyone else belongs on the throne, we sin in diminishing the sacred and set apart nature of Christ. If we believe Christ died and nothing more, we sin in diminishing the sufficiency of Christ. And if we believe the cross means nothing to us, we sin in diminishing the grace and mercy of Christ. In an attempt to appeal to the world around us, we cannot sacrifice the powerful, sacred, graceful, all-sufficient miracle of Christ's death and resurrection.

"We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." --Romans 6:9-11

Pray for Paris

No matter what any terrorist has ever said, terrorism does not see religion, ethnicity, culture, values, or crime. Terrorism fires blindly at the human race and destroys lives out of pure malice, and nothing more. With this in mind, I implore you, Pray for Paris.

As of this moment, the death toll still rises and some of the people responsible are still at large. This is not a news report; this is a call to turn on your TV, pick up your phone or computer, and tune in to the worldwide devastation. Do not be deceived in telling yourself it does not pertain to you because you are an ocean away. This affects all of us. Today we weep, mourn, and bleed along with the French and we acknowledge that no man, no organization, and no force has the right to shake us to our core, even in the midst of this tragedy.

We must not be shaken. We must stand strong and support our beloved brothers and sisters, regardless of the miles, years, and experiences between us. We who are not directly affected by this act are now the shoulder to lean on for all who are. Today we acknowledge that the only way we can stand is to stand united.

In recent times, the world has beat to the rhythm of comfort and pleasure. If any action, thought, or word offends someone, it is frowned upon and forbidden. But today the difference has become all too clear between being offended and being broken. Words and thoughts cause people to bend, but not to break. Contrary to how a tweet or headline makes you feel, you keep pressing on. But when a man with a trigger uses it to end lives, we cannot continue in our blind offense to hurtful words and thus ignore powerful weapons. Now is not the time for words of defense. Now is the time for action. Most of all, now is the time for prayer.

Many people turn bitter in the midst of tragedy. The general tendency is to have questions, and who better to direct them to than God? But when there is no immediate response, anger ensues. Make no mistake: anger, among many other things, leads men to pull the trigger to end lives. Today we aim to restore lives that have been shattered. We cannot spare a moment to ask God "why?" or "how?" or "who?" In situations such as this we need only ask for help.

In the midst of the rubble of the fall of mankind, we have only two directions to turn: towards God, or away from him. Regardless of who you are or which way you have gone to this point, I plead with you once more: turn to God. In your hour of need and in the world's hour of need, we can turn to other people if we want to. But people tend to break things. We are currently seeking restoration, and we WILL find it if we lift our eyes beyond the breaking news and to the Heavens. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, drop it and Pray for Paris.

 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." --2 Chronicles 7:14

Kick-Drum Complex

There's just something about a kick drum and a lead singer with a moderately priced haircut that really opens hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit.

At least that's how it always feels. In that moment, those who gathered to worship become aware of their desperate need for grace and hearts change. Yet they then return home. Some might read the Bible the next day. Others may be able to keep it up for several months, but eventually most people fall away. As it turns out, hearts weren't really impacted- only eardrums and tear ducts.

I use the word they because it's not really considered proper writing technique to speak in first or second person. Forgive me for breaking that rule, but I would be lying if I said I hadn't experienced the Kick Drum Complex myself. So, what went wrong? Obviously we know change is necessary because we felt convicted, and we know that the end result of this change is Christ-likeness. We know where we finish, but we don't know where to start.

It's always possible because we serve an omnipotent God; nevertheless, it's highly unlikely that anyone can go from a spiritual drought to daily sincere time spent with God. The reason for this is not that God cannot or does not work in us quickly, but generally that we tried and expected to do it ourselves. To put it simply, if we set out to grow in our faith alone, we set ourselves up for failure. A flower does not grow because of its willpower. It requires sunlight and water, and it grow faster if fertilized. Plants may be considered autotrophic, but they don't provide their own water or fertilizer. The caretaker of the plant must provide for basic needs in order for the plant to become something as opposed to shriveling up in death. Ephesians 2:1-9 describes Christ in a similar fashion. He provides for our spiritual needs not so that our lives can be sustained, but so that we can be given life in the first place.

As Ephesians 2:9 says salvation is not a result of our own works. Sanctification works the same way. The motto of my youth group is "Gospel, Community, Mission." The first of those is always the starting point. Have you been changed by the gospel? That's something only you and God truly know. If the answer to that is no, you physically cannot go further until God makes you alive. In spite of what AMC says, dead people don't walk anywhere. Those who are spiritually dead cannot start down the path of sanctification. The good news is that in spite of what you did, what you do, and what you will do, God does make you alive by grace through faith in Christ. That's where transformation has to start; you can't skip it. Once you are alive, however, you begin to transform beginning with the next word in the motto: community.

Genesis 1:26-28 briefly describes the creation of man. In this description, God makes two very important things known: first, God is in three persons, hence the use of the pronoun "us." Secondly, God created man in his image. In essence, humanity was created to desire and to need community, obviously with God, but also with other believers. That's why God designed the church. We need accountability. So if we want our faith to grow, we cannot settle for just a daily quiet time. It is important to be actively involved in a church and to dig into the word not just alone, but also with fellow believers. Pray for each other and hold each other accountable. Find someone more spiritually mature and ask them to be your accountability partner. Be at church and don't just go out of obligation. Go joyfully, and pray for God to use his word and his people to work in you. Ask God for wisdom. Ask Him for faith. Ask Him to change you.

Most importantly, don't just ask. Ask in faith; in other words, expect God to work in you. Ask him and know that he will. That's what faith is. Faith is not just abstractly or intellectually believing something. It demands to be put into action. Certainty does not come instantly, but the phrase "leap of faith" doesn't generally refer to certainty. When we begin to leap, we begin to see God's faithfulness not to provide earthly reward, but to constantly change us and sanctify us. Once dead, we have been made alive, and day by day we become more beautiful. That's what faith looks like from the seemingly invisible starting point to the beautiful finish that is yet to come.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord." -James 1:5-7

Desperate Soles

When you think about it, shoes say a lot about a person. When you look at someone’s shoes, you can probably guess an approximate age, and usually if you are dealing with a he or a she. For example, little pink Crocs generally fit young girls. Massive black Nikes are more likely to go on a massive young man, and so on. If you take a closer look, you might be able to tell a person’s hobbies. Cleats suggest a football, baseball, soccer, or softball player. Jordans and the works suggest a basketball player. Stilettos suggest a businesswoman, black dress shoes, a business man. If you read the brand name, you can get a pretty close guess at a person’s financial life. Off brand shoes cry out, “This person has a low income!” while Chacos, Uggs, and Sperrys might as well be sandwich boards that say, “I just got a raise!” And then, if you get really, really close, you can find out the most important thing about a person—what kind of road he has been on, and how long. As you read this, it might be occurring to you that your shoes might need replacing. So if the shoe fits, maybe we should stop talking about footwear.

A common mistake Christians can make (and I’m not immune to this myself) is getting so caught up in the theology and theory that the gospel gets stomped down to irrelevancy. In the attempt to be wiser, we make ourselves fools—the gospel is the center of the relationship between God and man, and therefore the only reason we have any theology to argue about.

So, what is the gospel? In as few words as possible, I would point you to the Bible. Before you agree with or argue against anything I say, give it a read. Many people reject the Bible as an antiquated instruction manual. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. I’m sure I’m not the only one who searched everything in my home closely related to a wardrobe for Narnia and rummaged through the mail for a Hogwarts letter at least once. Many people want nothing more than to be a part of an epic story. Little do they know the Bible IS that story. It has a beginning, in which everything that was and is in existence was created except for the Creator, who is uncreated. The creation was perfect for a time, until the first ruler of the world disobeyed God for the first time. All of our past, present, and future hinged on the moment Eve took a bite of that fruit. The centuries following were filled with rape, murder, war, and death… not so different from the world we live in now. Man tried to climb back up to perfection through sacrifice and obedience, but always fell short. God’s people were thrown into slavery not once, but twice. And then… silence. Man didn’t hear from God for three-hundred years. So ends the Old Testament.

All seemed hopeless. Man had fallen too far. Had God given up? So begins the New Testament. But then one night in the town of Bethlehem, a baby was born in a barn. How climactic, right? But alas, this baby wasn’t born to be a shepherd and lead a flock of sheep; the ruler and king, the son of man God had promised as early as Genesis 3 had come. He came into the world and claimed to be the Messiah. After many witnessed miracles and sermons, he died on a cross. But he didn’t stay dead. After three days in the grave, he rose again. He later ascended into heaven with the promise to return.

One certainly can’t argue that these events were at the very least supernatural, but how did an entire religion stem from them? That’s where the gospel comes in.

As Christians, we do not merely believe that Jesus died on the cross. Something happened there: something we call the Great Exchange. Before his death, all the sin of the past, present, and future was placed on him. God himself took on every sin. That includes that time you looked your parents in the eye and disobeyed them. It includes the time you lied to your best friend, even though it was just a “little white lie.” It includes the murder and adultery you have committed in your heart. Every sin ever was on Jesus’ shoulders. He saw it all, felt it all, and took the blame for it all. How could he see that and still love us? I guess you could say God only knows. Because he does. Your sin was on his shoulders because you were on his heart. It wasn’t a general love for humanity that led the King of the Universe to die on the cross, it was you. It was me. It was each individual person that deserves death and hell but instead receives Christ’s righteousness in the Great Exchange. This is the gospel.

So what does all of that have to do with shoes? Well, if you thought your Converse sneakers needed some polishing, look at your life. Look at all of us. It doesn’t take a shoe expert to know our soles aren’t the cleanest, and it doesn’t take a moral expert to know the same is true of our souls. But Jesus Christ put himself in your shoes. Not your best dress shoes or your ratty old sneakers, but your own physical state of sin and death. Now you get to put yourself in his shoes and stand before God as a son or daughter. So stop looking at your shoes, and lift up your eyes to the Father.

"Ponder the path of your feet,; then all your ways will be sure." -Proverbs 4:26

"Good News Changes Everything"

This weekend, my church had a youth event called Impact. It's similar to what other churches call Disciple Now. The theme at Impact this year was "Good News Changes Everything."

In light of the Gospel, this really is true. The Gospel changes everything.

The Gospel isn't just about how we are saved. It isn't just a cute little list of steps that gets us to heaven.

The Gospel is the great story of God's incomprehensible, incredible, mind-blowing miracle designed before the beginning of time and fashioned entirely out of love.
The Gospel the front page headline that we don't even deserve to be alive to read that says "SIN IS DEFEATED, WE ARE FREE."
It is the victory in a war mankind fought and continuously lost from the early chapters of Genesis to approximately 33 A.D.
It is the story of Jesus Christ, who, according to Ephesians 2:1-9, didn't merely save us, but makes us alive.
The Gospel is a massive, flashing arrow back to the King of the Universe who made you and me and everybody else and the world we live in for the sole purpose of his glory, which is our sole satisfaction. It is only through Jesus's blood and righteousness that we are made righteous before God. Through this God is glorified, and through this and only this we are satisfied. Not only that, but now we are truly alive and truly free.

We are free to enjoy God's creation as it was intended.
We are free to feel unspeakable sorrow and rest in Christ.
We are free to feel indescribable joy and sing loudest praises to our King.
We are free to love one another unconditionally.
We are free to build each other up.
We are free to proclaim this good news of freedom from the rooftops and along with the mountains.
We are free from sin,
free from death,
free from hell.
We are free to live eternally with our creator.
We are free to someday see our savior face to face.
We are free to enter the courts of the King unashamedly robed in Jesus's righteousness.
We are free to rejoice,
free to love,
free to hope.

Good news changes everything.

"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." -Romans 6:6-11