Singing before time

I was thinking this week about Mary's trip to Bethlehem. Not the one she made with Joseph in order to get enrolled or taxed or whatever the reason. I was thinking about that long journey she made from her home in Nazareth to see her relative (cousin? aunt?) Elizabeth. What was she thinking?

She was just a teenager, pregnant, no husband — yet; traveling alone nearly the length of Israel. Didn't she know she was risking everything God had planned? What if she fell, what if she got sick on bad water or spoiled food? Didn't she know that life is very fragile — especially new life?

Was Nazareth too hard a place to be for her? Did she have something to say that she couldn't say at home to her own mother that she needed to say to Elizabeth? Had the whispers become too loud, the glances too sharp? Did she just need some place to go where she would be welcomed, to find someone who would listen to her, to perhaps hold her close and tell her that she is brave.

As her son would be driven to the wilderness after his baptism, Mary was driven into the wilderness to sing her song.

Barbara Brown Taylor points out that Mary's song is sung past tense and that prophets always get their verb tenses mixed up because for them God's actions are always happening ahead of time. There is no distinction between then, now, and tomorrow.

All Mary had was the promise and the song that God had done great things for her, that God wanted her to be part of what is yet to come.

Those Little Advent Candles

There is not one of us, I imagine, that is not profoundly moved and deeply sorrowful over the murders of the children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut. And for that tragedy to happen at this time of year — Christmas and Hanukah — makes it even harder to comprehend and to understand.

Rachel Held Evans began her blog post on Sunday (Dec. 16) this way:

"Those little Advent candles sure have a lot of darkness to overcome this year… Their stubborn flames represent the divine promise that even the smallest light can chase away the shadows lurking in this world, that even in the darkest places, God can’t be kept out."

She is right. We need to keep those little Advent candles and those little Hanukah candles burning well past their seasons. There is "a lot of darkness to overcome this year."

Shining the light of Advent and Christmas into dark places is what Christians should be doing, especially now. Christmas is not about us, it is about God and God’s actions. Advent and Christmas prepare us to face the real challenges that lie before us. They center our lives on what God is doing for his children.

The coming of Jesus is the end of the rule of the powerful, an end to the damning Law of value and worth that we impose on each other. Jesus is a threat to the way things are now and stands as a beacon to the way things will be.

The beacon of good news that shines from Advent to Christmas and into Epiphany is that God is with us, God is for us. It is the good news that makes us brave and gives us the confidence to say, "God bless the little children and the poor. God bless the weak and the outsider. God bless the lonely, the sick, and the disturbed. God comfort those who mourn."

It will take a long time for the wounds of Newtown, Red Lake, Columbine, and the wounds of poverty, war, and hatred to heal. It will take a long time for the soul of this country, and of we its people, to repent of our lust for money and our trust in violence and power.

Yet for me, the center of this season and my faith is this: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (John 1). And I have faith, as Rachel Held Evans said, "that even the smallest light can chase away the shadows lurking in this world, that even in the darkest places, God can’t be kept out."

Telling the Truth III: Facebook Time with Pete

The following exchange was a "chat" I had with my son, Pete Hanson, on Facebook on Sunday, August 7.
Pete Hanson
Question. how would you respond to this comment then?
“Jesus IS pure myth...you are absolutely correct and bolstered by the FACT that there is no historical account or records (and there are many that exist today from this time) from the purportedtime of Jesus that mentions, Jesus, his family and family business, the apostles, any of the miracles or any births or deaths regarding all these people. Not to mention, No business licenses, No travel permits, No tax records, No homes of record, No birth certificat­es, No death certificat­es, no newspaper accounts, No accounts by popular journalist­s (scribes) of the time...jus­t No No No No No. NOTHING”


Pete Hanson
just a question
it wasnt my response, but someone elses


Thomas Hanson
Nope. None. No paperwork. I guess I must be totally stupid and have wasted my life because we can't find Jesus' birth certificate--Obama's either, I hear. Thanks for setting me straight and putting me back into reality. Again, I'll ask you to consider the lives of people you know, Jon Bean, Bill Sanden, Andrew, Bishop Mark Hanson. Maybe you could look into their lives to see Jesus rather than musty old government records. Just askin'.


Pete Hanson
if youre writing a book email to me.
wow


Thomas Hanson
No book. Just a post card. Books won't convince you but maybe the lives of others will.


Pete Hanson
im having a simple debate.


Thomas Hanson
Me, too.


Pete Hanson
but youre obviously taking it way to personal.
you believe what you want. im not knocking it. im just stating what i believe.


Thomas Hanson
Then why be so harsh on those who express their faith in ways that are loving and caring? Go ahead, rant and rave against the fundamentalist haters who warp the gospel, but consider the benefits brought by those I have mentioned. They deserve no anger from you.


Pete Hanson
there never has been any anger from my end.
im just stating what i believe.
and on michaels post he's asking a question and i answered how i believe.


Thomas Hanson
Rather than demand that faith play by modern, secularist philosophy, let's try to have a discussion starting from faith's perspective that without a saving God, we're in one hell of a mess. What if you give me three legitimate PROOFS for God's presence? I understand your perspective pretty well. Maybe its time for you to see things from my perspective for a little while.


Pete Hanson
I did look at your prospective for the last 25 years
and im not just talking about christianity, im talking about religion as a whole


Thomas Hanson
No, you fought it. But what I'm asking is that you "walk a mile in my shoes" first, understand the argument from my side. That's always a good place to begin in any discussion.
I don't believe in "religion." It's too self-centered and destructive. All I know about is the loving, forgiving faith I have tried to express in my preaching and life. I can't debate from "RELIGION'S" perspective.


Pete Hanson
i do understand your argument. religion gives you a purpose. you dont need to be religious to be a good person. and i think you know that. being religious, doesnt define you as a human. you, yourself define you as a person. no god, religion or anything but yourself
i dont need to believe in a god to be loving, faithfull or forgiving. thats who i am as a person.


Thomas Hanson
Yes, you are right. You don't need religion to be a good person. All I am saying is that I have found purpose and meaning in my life through Hebrew/Christian scripture and the faith traditions that have grown up around them and their central story. I know I can never argue anyone into believing. I can give no proof or evidence. All I can say is "It works for me," and I think it might give you the same purpose, meaning, and peace that it has given me. I am just a witness to my faith, not its guardian. My faith pulls me out of myself and points me toward others who need they help and care I can give and I do that not to earn God's favor but because I want to follow the lead of Jesus, who is God with us. (Sorry, I started preaching there.)


Pete Hanson
im totally fine with that, that it gives you purpose. but for me, im the complete opposite. and like you said, i fought it pretty much my whole life because i probably never did truly believe. heck, i remember getting basically bribed into getting comformed. i think thats how you spell it. but anyways. im gonna head to bed. i had a long day of walking around minneapolis between art fairs


Thomas Hanson
I have to go to bed. I am indoctrinating 7 kids this week in Vacation Bible School. Maybe the problem is that you thought you were getting conformed and not that you were confirming your faith. It makes a big difference. When you are conformed you are pushed into a mold. When you confirm your faith, it is something you do. G'night. Thanks for the chat.-- but you still owe me three "proofs" for God or faith in God. Love ya.


Pete Hanson
three proofs?
there are no proofs.
whatever
good night


Thomas Hanson
No! I want you to think about what might be three proofs from my perspective. You can't just stand there and say No. You have to explore all perspectives. Okay. on the count of three, both of us are going to sleep. I will say, One, Two, and you say...


Pete Hanson
good night

Telling the Truth II: Truth and Fact

From my son Pete Hanson's Facebook wall:

Paul Berczyk responded (8/4/11) to my comment about the Bible's contradictions: "Hmm, I dont think you can get any truer than facts. I mean, facts are facts. The bible used to be looked at as an encyclopedia or a textbook. As people became more educated with modern science they started questioning it. Answers like the one you just gave explained nothing except that you don't have an answer for the questions. The Christian religion wasn't taught the way you are talking until people started questioning. In fact it still isn't. No matter what our beliefs are the more educated society gets Christianity needs to come up with some better answers than that to exist."

I wrote: "You can get truer than fact. To think otherwise, means you have let the fundamentalists set the agenda. The "facts" of the Bible, however they are presented, are the "stage" on which humanity's relationship with God happens, not the relationship itself. As in human relationships, the God/Human relationship cannot be quantified and squeezed into "facts" --whatever they are. Faith is more like poetry or a symphony. Both are often truer than the reality they describe. So, the "more educated society gets" the better it should be able to see truth in that relationship, and not be bound to the single level of the so-called "modern" interpretation of what is fact and what is truth." (115 words)

Telling the Truth I: The Bible's Contradictions

I wrote the following on my son’s Facebook wall in response to a Bill Maher video in which Maher makes fun of Christianity by asking questions to (stupid) fundamentalist/rightist Christians, who are not "conservative" but reactionary.

I am tired with the so-called "Christian" Right setting the agenda and definitions for what it is to be a Christian. I posted the following on my son Pete Hanson's Wall in response to a Bill Maher video: "I am willing to give honest answers to anything about the Christian faith from the perspective of a progressive, non-judgmental Christian. I'll do it clearly in no more than 80 words. (I'm Pete's dad)

Pete Hanson wrote: "I'd be willing to say that he (Maher) could pick the Bible apart, with all it's contradictions. Are you saying there aren’t any contradictions?"

Sure, there are tons of contradictions. The Bible is a collection of human experiences with God over 3,000 years. It's written by hundreds of writers expressing their own understandings and insights. They, like most ancient writers, were after the deeper truth and meaning behind their encounter with God. The Bible is not an encyclopedia or textbook. The sun did not stop nor did a whale swallow Jonah; but if you're smart, you will discover that truth is truer than facts. (80 words)

Getting Ready

I think it may be time to restart this blog. I'll think about it during my upcoming vacation back to Minnesota.

Everyone Who Left Us

I clipped and saved this poem from The Atlantic Monthly in April, 2000 and have moved it from notebook to notebook. Over the years, I have returned to it several times. I find it’s message very powerful and moving. I am also fascinated by the line-rhyming technique the poet used in constructing it. The verse rhythm works so well with the mood of the poem and is technically incredible. I hope you will find as much in it as I have.

EVERYONE WHO LEFT US

Everyone who left us we find everywhere.
It’s easier now to look them in the eyes —
A gravesites, in bed, when the phone rings.
Of course, we wonder if they think of us.

It’s easier now to look them in the eyes,
Imagine touching a hand, listening to them talk.
Of course, we wonder if they think of us
When nights, like tonight, turn salty, warm.

Imagine touching a hand, listening to them talk—
Hard to believe they’re capable of such coldness.
When nights, like tonight, turn salty, warm,
We think of calling them, leaving messages.

Hard to believe they’re capable of such coldness—
No color, no pulse, not even a nerve reaction.
We think of calling them, leaving them messages
Vivid with news we’re sure they’d want to know.

No color, no pulse, not even a nerve reaction:
We close our eyes in order not to see them.
Vivid with news we’re sure they’d want to know
We don’t blame them, really. They weren’t cruel.

We close our eyes in order not to see them
Reading, making love, or falling asleep.
We don’t blame them. Really, they weren’t cruel,
Though it hurts every time we think of them

Reading, making love, or falling asleep,
Enjoying the usual pleasures and boredoms,
Though it hurts every time we think of them
Like a taste we can’t swallow. Their names stay,

Enjoying the usual pleasures and boredoms,
Then they leave us the look of their faces
Like a taste we can’t swallow. Their names stay,
Diminishing our own, getting in the way

At gravesites, in bed, when the phone rings.
Everyone who left us we find everywhere,
Then they leave us, the look of their faces
Diminishing, our own getting in the way.

— Steven Cramer

(The Atlantic Monthly, April 2000, p. 108.)