A Lion’s Lesson: People Are Not Black-and-White

Bryan College has had a special place in my heart since 2010. The beautiful hilltop community was my home-away-from-home for four years, the place where I met some of my dearest, closest friends and where I grew intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. Rubbing brains with the best of the best, engaging in deep conversations in the cafeteria, wrestling with ideas and practicalities, embracing opportunities to be both logical and creative, and just plain having fun—these characterized my days as a Bryan Lion.

To this day, I am still realizing the depths of the lessons I learned on that hill in Dayton, Tennessee. Many of them were excruciatingly painful to learn; many were thoroughly enjoyable. Some were accompanied by laughter, some by tears. But all have shaped the woman I am today.

One of the lessons that has served me well in years since truly hit home in the spring of 2014, my final semester at Bryan. I don’t have the time or the desire to hash out all the details here, but for the sake of context I will do my best to summarize the circumstances that led to my learning this lesson…

In early 2014, the college’s administration took action that contributed to what has since been referred to as a “purge” of faculty and staff. The way this action was carried out led to many in the student body involving ourselves in organizing respectful means of protesting and voicing our concerns to the administration.

Unfortunately, the action in question involved a particular passage of Scripture—one about which there has been a history of intense and passionate debate. Because of this, the administration was able to frame the entire situation surrounding their action and any opposition to it as one that was very black-and-white—either you were for the administration’s action and therefore for upholding the truth of God’s Word, or you were against the action and therefore an enemy of the truth of God’s Word.

As someone who personally agreed with the administration’s stance on the particular passage of Scripture and who also disagreed with their action, I myself became living, breathing proof that their black-and-white assertion was a false dichotomy. In other words, it was possible to stand on the truth of God’s Word and to oppose the administration’s tactics. But as the college’s president persisted in the black-and-white characterization, I struggled to recognize this reality.

Being an incredibly loyal person and having grown up in a largely conservative, though not legalistic, spiritual community where those in authority were often revered, I became incredibly troubled when my president began to paint the issue with these all-or-nothing brushstrokes. He was not only a man I respected in many ways but also was one of the reasons I often gave for why I chose Bryan in the first place. So to have him tie my disagreement with him to unfaithfulness to the Word of my Savior left me questioning the strength of my own faith.

I am almost ashamed to admit that now, because I see how foolish and wrong it was of me to fall for that kind of spiritual abuse where a leader equates support for himself with support for God, but I share honestly in hopes that others can benefit from the lessons I have learned.  

My struggle only increased when a nationally prominent man, who was highly respected in the communities in which I had grown up, publicly promulgated the same black-and-white dichotomy. I was crushed. How could this man, whom I had never thought anything but good things about, perpetuate such an unjust claim?

It was then, like a flickering candle with the force of a lightning bolt, that it began to dawn on me that I was guilty of the same all-or-nothing approach when it came to other people, this man included. Either they were trustworthy and upright and everything they said or thought was to be embraced, or they were suspect and foolish and everything they said or thought was to be rejected.

This man ironically, in practicing such foolishness himself, was instrumental in my seeing the same fault in my own life and in recognizing that neither the pedestal nor the dog-house are accurate places for people to be placed. That is, just because someone is godly or wise does not mean he or she will never ever be off-base. Likewise, just because someone is ungodly or unwise does not mean he or she will never ever speak truth.

This realization and the accompanying repentance in my life led to such relief and freedom! It was okay to evaluate what people said independently of who I thought they were or what opinion I had of them as individuals. More than that, it was healthy and good. I could legitimately agree with people on one thing and disagree with them on another, and disagreement did not have to necessitate lowering my opinion of them as people.

And then, as if I didn’t appreciate the mind-expanding education I was receiving at Bryan already, I realized how this balanced posture is precisely what I was being trained for. The questions my professors and staff mentors had been asking me and prompting me to ask on my own for years were uniquely fitted for maturing my mind to be able to achieve this balance.

I can’t count the number of times since graduation that I have gone back to the moment the light first dawned, the moment the Lord first convicted me that I was unfairly raising some up and pushing others down instead of holding them all in open hands and evaluating their messages against His own Word.  That moment left its mark, and I have drawn upon its lesson over and over again.

So now, I seek to be like the Bereans who examined what they heard from a man against God’s revealed word in the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). I seek to maintain that balance whereby I can honestly see and acknowledge both the virtues and the vices in others instead of thinking of them as all-good or all-bad. And I’d like to challenge you to do the same.

Let’s fix our eyes on the only One who is truly and thoroughly Good and ask Him for the grace to treat others equitably and to discern what to hold on to as truth and what to discard as falsehood. Let’s be quick to repent when we either idolize or demonize mere men. And in all of this, let’s ask God to help us remember that, while people come in all different pigments, none of us are black-and-white.   

Scars and Stars

When you think of God, do you think of Him as a supreme, almighty Being set apart from us or as a comforting, nurturing Father ever near? Have you ever thought of Him as both?

When we look at what God tells us about Himself in Scripture, we see that both are indeed true, and to succinctly describe both aspects of God’s nature, we say that He is both transcendent and immanent.  That is, He is wholly separate from us and yet incredibly close.

One passage that I think beautifully reveals the complexity of this two-part reality is Psalm 147:3-4 (ESV):

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

At first, it seems that verse 3 speaks to God’s immanence, while verse 4 indicates His transcendence. The imagery of comfort and care brings a sense of God’s closeness, while speaking of stars conjures a sense of immensity. It’s as if in these two verses we begin wrapped cozily in a blanket, resting in the relief that comes after draughts of pain, before suddenly being catapulted into outer-space, flung into the vastness of the universe. Our view goes from microscopic to galactic in a matter of breaths.

Taken as a pair, these two verses show the immanence and the transcendence of God, but a closer look reveals that each verse on its own does the same.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

Yes, this verse shows us that God is close. He draws near, enters into the mess of our bloody wounds, and with abundant care holds us through the excruciating pain, cleans away the blood, and bandages us. But he doesn’t only do that. He actually heals us. He takes us from open wounds, to scars, to complete restoration. There is His transcendence.

Other humans can help us through our pain, to an extent. They can offer encouragement and help us stand strong, but only God can heal. He is the only One who is big enough, wise enough,  powerful enough to actually heal us—body, spirit, and soul.

“He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names” (Psalm 147:4).

Yes, this verse reveals God’s transcendence. He is so beyond us that He decides how many stars will be in existence at any given moment. That means not only can He create them and sustain them, but He can count them too. Yet he doesn’t just manage star production and lifespans. He gives each star a name. There is His immanence.

Names are a very personal thing. They relate to identity and reveal relationship. If you want to get to know someone, one of the first steps is learning his or her name. Calling someone by name shows that you value that person; actually naming someone can be even more significant. Thus, while 
knowing someone’s name is a semblance of intimacy, giving someone a name is indicative of a much deeper intimacy. So when God names the stars, He shows that He is intimately involved in their existence. He creates them, but then He continues to hold them together. He determines not only their existence but their identity as well.

These verses, both individually and as a pair, remind us, then, that God is both wholly other and intimately nigh. He is holy and powerful yet compassionate and gracious. Perhaps that is why the Psalmist began with these words:

“Praise the LORD!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting”

(Psalm 147:1, ESV).

Fitting, indeed, for He is far enough above to see and know all yet close enough beside to hold us and minister to our deeply felt needs.

Praise be to God! There is none other like Him!

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

.لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا

When Hindsight Is Blind Sight . . . History to the Rescue!

Chances are, most of you are familiar with the phrase “Hindsight is 20/20.” The idea is that when we look back on certain choices or events we are able to see more clearly what course should have been taken or why it was imperative or fortunate that we took the course we did. Closely related is the principle that we can and should learn from our mistakes, and there is certainly an element of truth to these concepts, but there is also a flipside.

The opposite of 20/20 hindsight is what I’ll call the “Good Ol’ Days syndrome,” i.e. looking at the past through rose-colored glasses resulting in (or perhaps resulting from) a chronic dissatisfaction with life as it is in the present, a discontentment with circumstances and with society, a pining for the glory days when all was well--or at least better--with the world.  This kind of past-gazing, I’ve found, is rarely 20/20. In fact, it’s more akin to blindness. How so? Let’s explore a bit...

Have you noticed lately that there have been increasing cries for unity in America as constituents, pundits, and politicians alike bemoan the harsh and often vitriolic tirades that are so prevalent all across the political spectrum? Certainly verbal assaults and physical violence are uncalled for and are rightly rejected, but a careful observance of the sentiments expressed by those who point out just how out of hand the political culture is becoming reveals that there is a good bit of the “Good Ol’ Days syndrome” sneaking in.

Time and time again, I’ve heard pundits and commentators remark, “I haven’t seen anything like this in my lifetime,” or, “Tensions are higher than they’ve ever been, at least in my time.” And maybe they are, but the implication is that our current state is far worse than anything most people have seen. Woe are us.

What so many seem to be missing is the fact that, in many ways, the level of hostility among us is nowhere near what it was during numerous periods of our country’s past. To illustrate this point, let’s play a game, shall we?

Below are four sections with several statements each, all describing the state of affairs of a given time in American history. Read them and decide if you think that given time is today (i.e. 21st century)

Section 1:

a.   Critics of the President highly object to his extended absences from the capital.

b.    A high-profile individual expressly wishes bodily harm to befall the President.

c.    People who previously were cordial, even close friends, go out of their way to avoid each other due to deep ideological differences.

d.    Differences of opinion and conviction result in physical violence.

e.    Divisions exist not just between parties but within parties as well.

f.     The media uses inflammatory language to rile up supporters and opponents of the administration and of each party.

Section 2:

a.    Americans find that politicians in neither party represent their views.

b.    Members of Congress take personal offense at the President’s decisions and let that offense influence their vote on bills.

c.    The Secretary of State, nurturing Presidential aims, calculates what advice to give to the President in such a way as to be able to benefit from association with the administration if things go well yet to avoid blame if things go badly.

Section 3:

a.    Campaign financing is corrupt.

b.    Immigrants not yet eligible for citizenship are allowed to vote anyway.

c.    Party workers incentivize specific ethnic groups to win their votes.

d.    Partisan media outlets use extreme language and condone violence against their ideological opponents.

Section 4:

a.    A former President rebukes the incumbent, accusing him of hypocrisy and immorality for his positions.

b.    A man disgruntled with the current political system detonates a bomb in the middle of a crowded street.

So what do you think? Would you be surprised to learn that the statements in Section 1 all describe the late 1790s, that those in Section 2 describe the 1840s, thosein Section 3, the 1850s, and in Section 4, the 1910s-1920?  Take a look below the signature in this post to see the exact years and exposition on each statement from David McCullough’s biography John Adams for Section 1, Robert W. Merry’s A Country of Vast Designs (Section 2), James M. McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom (Section 3), and David Pietrusza’s 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents (Section 4). It’s fascinating stuff, largely because the similarities to today are so striking.

So what are we to learn from this? Well for one, we’re really not worse off today than we’ve ever been. Granted, I am in no way diminishing the seriousness of the current climate. Instead, I’m hoping to put it in perspective, helping us make more informed and relevant observations, which in turn can lead to more effective solutions. When it comes to observations, here are just a few:

1. There is nothing new under the sun.

When we see tensions rise, slurs abound, and vilification of “the other” increase, we don’t need to be surprised or think that these are new human phenomena. Sure, the specifics might change, but the underlying issues are the same, which brings me to my next observation:

2. Man is fallen.

We deal with the same issues as our forebears because we, like they, are human, and there are certain things that are always (with the exception of Jesus’ case) included in being human after the Fall--namely, a sinful nature. Because we inherit the fallen nature of our first ancestors, we are given to pride, selfishness, anger, hatred, callousness, and the list goes on. We are, in short, at complete odds with our Creator who also happens to be the supreme God of the universe.

When we understand this fact about ourselves, we begin to see why there is so much commonality across eras, and we see that, while there is capacity for good in humanity because we are made in the image of God, our default is evil because that image has been marred by selfish rebellion. This leads to the next point:

3. Only an outside Entity can effect the fundamental heart-transformation that is necessary for changed conduct.

There are schools of thought that either posit that we are inherently and overridingly good or that we are somewhat defective but on our way to becoming the best version of ourselves, evolving into a purer state. Yet the reality of the steadiness of vice across generations should be evidence enough to convince anyone otherwise.

The very fact that the same division and viciousness among fellow humans exists today as it did in each previous decade, century, and millennium shows that no amount of education or legislation can root out the evil seed in our hearts. The only solution is for us to get new hearts, for our souls to be made alive, and this can only happen “by grace, through faith” in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for us (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

So we want to work towards a more unified nation? A more compassionate and considerate citizenry? Let’s do a heart check, examining our own lives for evidence of belief and one-step-at-a-time change (i.e. sanctification). Once we, through faith, have received a new heart from God, then let’s help others examine their own hearts, lovingly, graciously, walking them through the process of assessing their own lives and their own standing before God and helping them discover the new life that is to be found in Jesus.

As God draws us closer to Himself, we can lose those rose-colored hindsight glasses, put off the “Good Ol’ Days syndrome,” and, with imparted wisdom, start using our understanding of the past to inform our present and shape our future.

1a. 1799: “Convinced he could run the government as well from Quincy as at Philadelphia [then the nation’s capital], [John] Adams stretched his stay at home from late March to September, fully seven months. From the views expressed by his vociferous critics, it was hard to say which annoyed them more, his presence at the capital or his absence. At worst, his absence seemed an arrogant abdication of responsibility. At best, it seemed a kind of eccentric scholarly detachment” (McCullough, 526).
1b. 1799: “Another riled Federalist [of the same party as Adams], Robert G. Harper of South Carolina, Hamilton’s chief spokesman in the House, privately expressed the hope that on Adams’s way home to Quincy, his horses might run away with him and break his neck” (McCullough, 524).
1c. 1797: “Feelings ran deep, dividing the parties, dividing old friends. ‘Men who have been intimate all their lives,’ wrote [Thomas] Jefferson, ‘cross the streets to avoid meeting and turn their heads another way, lest they should be obliged to touch their hats’” (McCullough, 493).
1d. 1798: “Vicious animosity of a kind previously confined to newspaper attacks broke out in the first physical assault to occur in Congress. In the midst of debate, when Federalist Roger Griswold of Connecticut insulted Republican [not to be confused with the modern Republican party] Matthew Lyon of Vermont, Lyon crossed the chamber and spat in Griswold’s face. Soon after, Griswold retaliated with a cane. Lyon grabbed fire tongs from the fireplace, and the two went at each other until, kicking and rolling on the floor, they were pulled apart” (McCullough, 494).
1e-f. 1797: “Regional and party differences had made a tinderbox of American politics. It was not only that Republicans were divided from Federalists, but Federalists were sharply at odds with themselves, and the role of the strident, often vicious press was changing the whole political atmosphere” (McCullough, 484). 

2a. 1844: “Whatever might be said about the eloquence and soundness of these arguments [on whether or not to annex Texas], their underlying significance was clear: The political establishment of both parties had taken a position at variance with the strong sentiment of the broad electorate” (Merry, 77).
2b. 1846: “By July 11 [President Polk] feared many northeastern Democrats [members of his own party] would line up against the [tariff] bill--in part, he surmised, because of lingering animosities over his patronage decisions. ‘There is more selfishness among members of Congress which is made to bear upon great public measures, than the people have any knowledge of,’ he wrote” (Merry, 274).
2c. 1848: “Polk wasn’t fooled by [Secretary of State] Buchanan’s machinations. Though the conversation was ‘unpleasant to me,’ he put in his diary, ‘. . . I thought I ought to rebuke him, and let him understand that I understood the motive that governed him”--namely, Buchanan’s presidential ambition. He wished Polk to send up the treaty [ending the Mexican-American War] against his advice because he would then be well positioned irrespective of the outcome. ‘If it was received well by the country,’ speculated the president, ‘being a member of my administration, he would not be injured by it in his Presidential aspirations, for these govern all his opinions and acts lately; but if, on the other hand, it should not be received well, he could say, ‘I advised against it’” (Merry, 428).  

3a-c. 1856, 1858: “The War and Navy departments had awarded contracts without competitive bidding to firms that made contributions to the Democratic party. Postmasters in New York and Chicago under both [Presidents] Pierce and Buchanan had siphoned public funds into party coffers for years. Democrats had used some of this money in congressional contests in 1858. They had also bribed judges to naturalize immigrants prematurely so they could vote in the crucial states of Pennsylvania and Indiana in 1856, and had “colonized” Irish railroad construction workers in Indiana to help swing that state to Buchanan” (McPherson, 226). 
3d. 1856: “The Richmond Enquirer pronounced ‘the act [of caning Senator Charles Sumner] good in conception, better in execution, and best of all in consequence. The vulgar Abolitionists in the Senate are getting above themselves. . . . They have grown saucy, and dare to be impudent to gentlemen! . . . The truth is, they have been suffered to run too long without collars. They must be lashed into submission’” (McPherson, 151). 

4a. 1917: Teddy Roosevelt on a Woodrow Wilson speech: “I do not regard any speech as a great speech when it is obviously hypocritical and in bad faith; nor do I regard the making of such a speech of service to the world. I regard it as a damage to the cause of morality and decency. So far as concerns what Wilson has done in the past few months, I think on the whole it has been badly done; and, what is more, that it has been badly done because of very evil traits on his part” (in Pietrusza, 62).
4b. 1920: “When authorities indicted [anarchists] Sacco and Vanzetti (‘the best friends I had in America,’ said Buda), he swore revenge on the capitalist system and headed for New York. After obtaining a horse and wagon--and a hundred pounds of dynamite--Buda, at noon on Monday, September 16, parked at Wall and Broad Streets, in front of the House of Morgan. [...] A minute later, 12:01 P.M.--lunchtime, with the streets packed with workers--hell broke loose. Five hundred pounds of shrapnel perforated the sky. [...] The blast would eventually claim thirty-three lives” (Pietrusza, 153).

Sources:
McCullough, David. John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989.
Merry, Robert W. A Country of Vast Designs. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Pietrusza, David. 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents. New York: Basic Books, 2007.