Nicodemus

A person approaches your home. You are inside, alone. As the person walks by, they glance in through the window and something catches their eye. They want it. Instantly, they enter your house. You are startled because you did not expect it. You are frightened because you fear for your safety. The person grabs what they wanted and races back out of the house. At the end of the block is a police officer. The officer has witnessed the entire event and apprehends the individual. The officer is ready to arrest this person, pending your decision on whether you care to press charges or not, since the offense is against you. What is your decision?

Your decision should come down to one of two things:

1) What did they take?

2) Why did they take it?

If they stole your television, or your gaming system, or your laptop or tablet, you would probably want to press charges. Those are valuable material things that belong to you, and that idea of possession should be protected. But what if they stole your bible? That's a material object that holds a lot of personal value for many people. I would certainly be distraught if someone stole my bible, the first one I was ever given, personalized with my name in it, signed by a dear friend. I may not use it as much as I should, but it's one of my most cherished possessions. But if somebody stole it from me, should my first reaction be to punish them? To want them imprisoned for this "heinous" act? What could possibly have driven them to steal a bible? If someone had a list of things they were to steal, shouldn't I want a bible to be at the very top of that list? I would be strongly inclined to encourage that "crime." Far be it from me to prevent someone from pursuing the Word of God.

That scenario is a little far-fetched. Say they did steal an expensive piece of jewelry or an electronic device of some sort instead. Something with high monetary value. Pressing charges becomes much more desirable. But what if the perpetrator was homeless, had a starving family and nowhere else to turn. The stolen item was going to be sold for money which would pay for food. Would it still be so easy to turn them in? 

Laws exist so society doesn't crumble under its own selfish and destructive desires. They are meant to protect citizens and instill order. But sticking to the letter of the law (the literal interpretation and enforcement with no regard for the situation) versus abiding in the spirit of the law (why the law was created in the first place) is a blurry line to straddle.

In the third chapter of John, a man named Nicodemus finds himself entangled in this philosophical battle. 

Nicodemus is described as a Pharisee, a "ruler of the Jews." Pharisees were known for their "strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah." (Merriam Webster) In other words, they interpret the laws of Moses to the letter, and anybody who fails to comply with those laws is not observing the Jewish code. Eventually, God would send a Messiah (a king who will save the Jews), but that person had still not arrived. 

Then... Jesus. Verse 2 says, "(Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.'" First, Nicodemus' arrival "by night" implies he is keeping this meeting a secret. As a Pharisee, mingling with someone who is performing deeds the way Jesus is would be frowned up, to say the least. Then, Nicodemus concedes that Jesus is doing miraculous things that only God is capable of. This is blasphemy, to be sure.

So here's what we have: a man who has spent his entire life learning to live by a set of laws, teaching and enforcing those laws. All of the sudden, he encounters someone who appears to legitimately make those laws irrelevant. Nicodemus comes to Jesus confused, hoping to receive confirmation one way or the other as to which path his life is supposed to take: the one dictated by the Law, or the one Jesus is preparing. Jesus could respond in a straightforward way and make this a very easy decision for Nicodemus. Instead:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

I know what "born again" means. You know what "born again" means. Nicodemus, however, has no idea what on earth Jesus is talking about, and makes that obvious when he responds with, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" As are most of the things that Jesus describes to those around him, this concept is unclear. Nicodemus just wants to know what to do, and all Jesus did was confuse him more. Jesus responds to Nicodemus' puzzlement with a more thorough explanation. Things get sorted out now, right? Wrong.

Nicodemus: "How can these things be?" (Verse 9)

Jesus: "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ... If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (Verses 10 and 12)

One of the reasons I love reading about Jesus in the Bible is his range of emotions are so relatable. Everything Jesus says makes perfect sense to him, and yet nobody around him ever understands. Jesus is often incredulous and frustrated when the people he talks to are unable to grasp what he is saying. If you ever wanted to know what it felt like to be a teacher, this is a perfect example.

Jesus came to the world so "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." (Verse 15) Jews at the time believed that the only way to be with God was to follow all of the laws given to them by God through Moses. Jesus turned that on its head, to much criticism and disbelief. People were so caught up in the letter of the law (You must do every one of these things exactly in order to get to God) that they missed the spirit of the law. God (in the person of Jesus) had come to them and was standing right there in front of them! Jesus couldn't say it outright lest he get persecuted (and eventually crucified), so he had to be vague to protect himself and those around him.

The takeaway: It is incredibly easy for me to lose sight of the bigger picture in favor of what is right in front of my face. The phrase "too far in the forest to see the trees" comes to mind. I have to remember that everything that takes place around me is part of a grander world, with motives and reasons that I am not privy to. Jesus wants us to read between the lines, because that's where the words actually are. Rules and laws help guide us towards generally appropriate behavior, but don't let them get in the way of doing what is right. Seek God, then the rest will follow.

#BlackLivesMatter

The Black Lives Matter movement has been a difficult one for society to process, myself included. One need look no further than their Twitter or Facebook feeds to see angered, depressed, frustrated, confused, sympathetic, agitated, analytical, uneducated, aggressive and ignorant posts across the board. I have abstained from contributing my own thoughts and opinions, mostly because I did not know what they were. Even as I write this, my goal is to process what I think/know/believe as opposed to convince you towards one side or the other.

The problem we face is not a new one. Racism exists down every street, around every corner, and across every border. Some people are forced to engage it head-on in their day-to-day actions and encounters. Others live in blissful ignorance a majority of the time. I live with two men who deal with the situation every day. One of them confidently points out the atrocities committed against his people on a regular basis, holding back no punches, challenging any and all who dare oppose or try to diminish the relevance and significance of his views. The other roommate uses his spoken word artistry as his outlet, creating thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, anger-inducing poetry as a means to process his experiences and shed light on realities that frequently go unnoticed by the rest of us.

By the "rest of us" I mean "privileged white people." I never knew what that phrase meant until I moved into this apartment, which is proof enough of its existence and attachment to who I am. I do not have to worry about what neighborhoods I walk through. I do not stare in my rearview mirror in worried anticipation of flashing lights. I have never had to carry the burden of injustice levied against my ancestors. Instead, I go where I want, when I want, and never think twice of it. Was I ineligible from certain scholarship opportunities when I applied for college because I was white and lived a comfortable middle-class life because I had two parents with full-time incomes? Yes. But if that's the only discrepancy I can think of, then I think I have been privileged with a comfortable life.

It is possible I do not agree with every sentiment my roommates express every time social issues come up in living room conversation or social media commentary. But it is likely my eyes have been opened (not wide, but enough) to view the world through a lens that is slightly less rose-colored than ever before.

The BLM movement is our generation's response to the wide void that still exists in this country, both between races and between the various beliefs and ideals regarding race relations. Some people interpret the phrase "Black Lives Matter" as "Only Black Lives Matter." This is not the point, nor the intended sentiment. As many have said before, saying "All Lives Matter" is not an untrue statement, but it does disregard the matter at hand. This cartoon is the best example I have seen of what "Black Lives Matter" is trying to describe:

Just because black lives are the ones being acknowledged does not imply the others do not also have importance. April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Does that mean sexual assault doesn't matter the other 11 months? Or that other violent offenses are disregarded in April? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During August do you ignore your aunt who has breast cancer because it is not her time yet? Or your friend with leukemia doesn't require treatment just because it happens to be October 10? Of course not. That would be preposterous. These things have designations because it allows for a focus during that time to draw attention to that one thing in the hopes of improving or changing it, when it most certainly would not receive appropriate attention otherwise.

There are extreme views to both sides of the BLM movement that are heart-breaking for me. Some people see the death of these black individuals and their first reaction is "Well, he had a gun and was being aggressive. The cop wasn't given a choice." The first reaction to death should never be, "He had it coming." It should be sorrow and grief. Explanations and blame come later. These men had families that lost a son/brother/father/cousin/uncle/nephew. They had friends who lost a confidant/wingman/supporter/encourager. Their lives will forever be void of a presence they care about. The loss of life is first and foremost tragic and unnecessary. It is important that we all see that, and all lament that anyone's life had to be sacrificed in the course of confusion and uncertainty.

The other extreme view is to see white police officers using excessive force against young black men, assume racially-motivated targeting, and desire instant and equal retaliation. Statistics will substantiate the racial-targeting claim based on percentages of arrests and incarcerations. I cannot and will not speak to the racial motivations (or lack thereof) of police officers as a general group. I am not informed or qualified enough to do so. I can only speculate at the pressure law enforcement officers have to deal with ranging from confronting kids on loitering, to making traffic stops, to breaking up violent crimes. Any of those could be concluded without incident or end fatally, depending on the individuals involved, and the officer has to be prepared for every one of those scenarios to play out at any given moment. It is tragic, to say the least, that officers reach a level of desperation where they feel they have to resort to firing their gun to control a situation or protect their own lives. It is despicable if this decision is made ahead of time and carried out intentionally, as some would claim. I would hope, to the depths of my soul, that the people we entrust with our overall safety and well-being are trained to avoid such measures at all costs, and would resort to them only as absolutely necessary. But based on a number of incidents, I cannot truly fault those who do not trust police to carry out their duties rationally and without bias.

All that being said, the problem lies in the near-sightedness of the American public on the whole. We are quick to judge. We are quick to ignore. We are quick to react, hate, disregard, assume, criticize, and any other list of verbs that do not promote peace, grace, mercy and love. We are trained and conditioned to be individuals, seeking our own success, putting ourselves before others. Therefore, our words and actions follow suit. It is much easier for me to tell you why you upset or anger me than it is for me to put myself in your shoes and try to understand where you are coming from. If this ideology is where we allow ourselves to exist, these problems will persist.

In the end, I don't have an answer. I don't know what to do differently when I wake up in the morning and interact in the world around me. I know that my first priority needs to be to focus on God; who He is, His character, and what His plans for the world are. Then, I need to love others. Everyone I know and will come to know in the future is made in His image. Jesus would not hesitate to reach out to those who are marginalized, oppressed, abused, persecuted or exploited, and neither should I. Throughout history, different people groups have fallen under these umbrellas. Right now, the black community needs to be heard, embraced, supported, and loved. One day, you may feel like you need the support of your community. Should that day come, you will not want to have to worry about biases, rationales, motivations, or agendas. You will simply want to know someone cares about you, sympathizes with you, and seeks to help you move forward.

#BlackLivesMatter #LoveGod #LoveOthers