JohnPalmieri.com

Reconciliation

I recently read Michael Emerson’s and Christian Smith’s book; Divided by Faith – Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. I resonated with Emerson’s conclusion that evangelicals tend to live and thrive in the land of the urgent. Evangelicals revel in the activism of the imperative, crusade, rescue and therefore have little time to reflect inward and think through processes and systems that contribute to systemic societal ills – like racism. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to appreciate the slower and more contemplative approach – before taking action. Emerson quotes Mark Noll in, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, effectively stating; “The evangelical ethos is activist, populist, pragmatic and utilitarian. It allows little space for broader or deeper intellectual effort because it is dominated by the urgency of the moment.” (171). Emerson also quotes N.K.Clifford’s poignant take on the evangelical mind; “The Evangelical Protestant mind has never relished complexity. Indeed its crusading genius, whether in religion or politics, has always tended toward an oversimplification of issues and the substitution of critical analysis and serious reflection for inspiration and zeal.” (171)

I do not subsist on activity and mission – God, my Father, energizes me. My life in Him and His in mine, this ignites my activity and mission. Intimacy with God is what comes first – empowering, clarifying and sustaining my role in partnering with him in his mission.

Works based mission flows out of a “performance based mindset”. For example, Jihadists benchmark intimacy with their god based on mission (aka Jihad/holy war). On the other hand, Christ followers base mission out of relationship with God. Genuine Christian mission always flows, first, out of intimacy with God - the God that sacrificed his Son Jesus.

Let the Walls Fall

I think there is great joy, benefit and yes vulnerability when we are ready or honest enough to allow the walls, the pretensions, the self made protective devices around our hearts to tumble. There is beauty and warmth in being naked of soul before God in silence then saying; “My God, here I am – what say you? What truth, what healing balm applies to this heart? Touch me my God and Lord with truth and grace.” This is the place where God wants to take us, yet for a multitude of reasons we don’t go there, except when pain marks us. Pain brings us to a place of choice – go into the chambers of heart and allow the warm work of renovation or build the walls thicker, turn off the switch, get busy…busy that is building a castle of sand – alone.