Previous Post – Chiara House: Prayer Request
A friend on Facebook posted the great video, “Labels”, by LifeBridge Ministries about the dangers of labeling people (ourselves included). Instead of seeing the people through their circumstances or choices- lazy, waiter, addict, slut, cashier- we need to see them first and foremost as people, human beings created in the image of God who need to be connected to in relationship and with love.
This is a critical reminder. Much of our work in the inner city has us sharing life alongside those who are most prone to be labeled: homeless, prostitute, gang-banger, poor and mentally ill. While referring to people through these labels is not always done negatively- most often it is simply convenient in addressing the need you are seeking to meet- it is all too easy to reduce those people to their circumstances and/or choices. This dehumanizing approach robs us all of possibility for deeper relationships borne out of the complexity of our mutual beautiful and broken lives.
Some time ago, while preaching at a large, suburban Christian church, I told the story about the public suicide of my friend Andrew and the impact his life and death had on our community. After the sermon, as people filed by to shake my hand, several people pulled me aside and quietly (clearly not wanting to be overheard) thanked me for talking about suicide and mental illness. Each told of a friend or family member who had attempted and/or succeeded in taking their own life. Most had been encouraged to keep the issue quiet within their home, never able to bring the raw brokenness of the experience to the communities of faith they had been part of at the time.
This reality, alongside the years of life and ministry along side those living with mental illness, has me an important parallel lesson to the resisting labels: the power of truth-speaking. Mental illness is still deeply burdened by cultural and social stigma, even (and sometimes especially) in the church. While we have made great strides in changing this, it is a reality borne out of our own ignorance and discomfort that leaves those living with these dynamics to feel ashamed and alone.
Without question we should resist the impulse of defining people by the limiting labels of their circumstances and choices. However, we must never let that commitment keep us from speaking the truth about our brokenness. The liberty that comes from stepping out of the shadows of stigma and shame is an essential first step towards wholeness. While my friend Andrew cannot be summed up with the title “mentally ill”, his inability (borne out of fear and shame) to acknowledge the reality that he was, indeed, mentally ill, contributed to his eventual descent into the illness and ultimately, his death.
These lessons in no way contradict each other. They exist in dynamic tension, drawing into the challenge of living lives of authentic, deep relationship while facing our brokenness without shame or fear. We must keep both every present in how we present ourselves and how relate to one another. Only then can the genuine relationships of love and grace be truly developed.
Gospel of Matthew – Resonate Series Review
Monday, November 7th, 2011Previous Post – From Labels to Liberty
I first became aware of the Resonate Commentary Series while I was in Haiti. I had been asked to read the first volume, “Gospel Of John: When Love Comes To Town” by Paul Metzger, and give an endorsement. I had never sat down and an entire commentary through, so I was initially skeptical. However, I was quickly drawn in. Here’s what I had to say:
“The need for practitioners and theologians to come together to engage Scripture and its import in our lives has never been more apparent. The first of what promise to be many exciting volumes, The Gospel of John: When Love Comes to Town offers an exploration of the text that is accessible to the average reader without compromising the depth and complexity in the process. I cannot wait to see more!”
So I was thrilled to receive a complimentary copy from InterVarsity Press of the newest addition to the series: “Gospel of Matthew: God With Us” by Matt Woodley. I was even more excited when I was able to participate in a blog tour about the book, with my contribution being a review of Woodley’s take on Matthew 5-6. Of course, having spent the last few years deeply in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) for my book “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom”, I am going to go the extra mile (see what I did there?) and review all three chapters of the gospel.
As someone who is so passionately committed to living out the Sermon on the Mount, having explored the beauty and depth of that text, I wondered how Woodley would cover it is just a chapter rather than a whole book. Would he have to soft pedal the message? Would he rush past anything critical? I was somewhat concerned as I dug in. It turned out I had nothing to worry about. While it necessarily had to be explored in less detail, the author did not compromise the radical and demanding heart of the text.
Woodley begins by acknowledging the preposterous nature of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ words seem to defy every bit of logic and common sense that we have. It’s like He is inviting us to step through the looking-glass into a bizarre fantasy world. Yet, rather than judge Christ by our standards, the author reminds us:
“Maybe the world as we know it is upside down, but we’re so used to it that it seems right side up. When Jesus announced the coming of the kingdom (Mt 4:17), he initiated a revolutionary movement to set things right, to restore this upside down, off-kilter, broken world by turning it right side up.”
He then continues to draw us into this wonderful and costly invitation by Jesus to live the fullness of life that comes with following Him. And he does so in such a way that Christians of all varieties could understand, while never condescending to the readers nor compromising the text. It is a rare balance to strike.
Of course, the limited space does leave the reader wondering at times. For example, on pg. 74 he says:
“In Matthew 5:41 Jesus instructs us to walk the extra mile with a Roman soldier. Jesus isn’t giving us a law—i.e., you must be extra nice to soldiers even if they are torching your village. (Again, that would require a different response.)”
While he and I agree that simply being “extra nice” is not what Jesus is calling us to, I wonder if we might differ on what kind of “different response” is appropriate in the face of having your community destroyed by an invading military force. On one hand, this uncertainty can be frustrating in the face of such a provocative parenthetical comment. On the other, it also drives the reader deeper into the word and it other sources, such as my book (see what I did there? Ok, I’ll behave).
I did not always agree with the details of how Woodley handled certain sections of the text, but never is such a way as to disqualify the resource- I will be using it often in my work as a writer and pastor, not to mention my personal study of Scripture. Further, there were times he would use examples that felt like an out of context distraction from the flow of the text (i.e. In the chapter I read, there were several comments about marriage being only for one man and one woman. Despite the importance of that particular issue, I felt it distracted from the heart and flow of the chapter). Again, these were minor differences that should not discredit the book.
I am grateful to Matt Woodley and to IVPress for producing this book. The whole Resonate series is a worthy venture that deserves to get more attention (aka buy these books!). I will be awaiting the next volume(s) eagerly.
(Interested in the Gospel of Matthew? Check out the links to my Sermon on the Mount series here.)
Links For Resonate Series at IVPress:
Gospel of Matthew – Resonate series – IVPress
Gospel of John – Resonate series – IVPress
Resonate Series – IVPress
Tags: Bible, commentary, Jesus
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