Sacrificing Everything

“Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Nike launched an advertising meme in the summer of 2018, using Colin Kaepernick as the exemplar. It took the nation by storm. Kaepernick became a galvanizing figure in 2016 when he took the knee during the national anthem. He did this as a silent protest of social injustice, at a time when the “Black Lives Matter” cause was on the rise. He was scorned by some and appreciated by others. To many he was a traitor and a two-faced opportunist. But to others he was a hero. He sacrificed his NFL career as a quarterback, (although he did pick up a great sponsorship from Nike, who also reaped a huge profit). Midst all the debate and backlash, though, the actual slogan was hardly even noticed or appreciated.

I happen to think that the slogan is a good one. Perhaps even a great one.

Apart from the debate over disgracing the national anthem, or the legitimacy of the social cause to which Kaepernick was seeking to draw attention, the slogan is profound. It should stir our mind and our heart to think about causes which we endorse, and the level to which we are willing to be “all in”. You see, most of us are animate and opinionated about causes, but our level of involvement is merely to repost on facebook, or forward some cute email, remaining pretty safe in a circle of friends that mutually endorse our cause. There is another saying for that, “preaching to the choir.”

For those of us who hold a reverence for the Bible as God’s word to mankind, there are many stories which illustrate this slogan, “believe in something even it means sacrificing everything.”  Jesus is the greatest story of them all. He believed in the eternal plan of his Father, a plan to redeem mankind from the penalty of sin by his own death on a cross. He believed, and it led him to willingly sacrifice everything. But there are many other examples.  Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees to go to a land where God led him. He sacrificed family, security, position and prestige. He is known as the father of faith. Many prophets of old sacrificed their respectability in their community and nation by believing God’s call to deliver the word that He told them to proclaim. They were shunned, mocked, tortured, and many were killed. The widow who gave her two mites at the temple treasury was praised by Jesus, because she gave everything she had, not just a small portion of her pocket change. Twelve disciples of Jesus believed in the Messiah enough to leave behind their nets, their occupations, their families. They were persecuted but would not look back. They sacrificed everything.

Not everyone can appreciate my own stories of sacrifice, but my children need to know. In the early days of my ministry as a youth pastor in Gladstone we became involved with helping a teenage girl be set free from demon possession. As it grew more and more complex, confusing, and demanding, we had to repeatedly make the decision to press on, rather than abort the mission.  Even my wife, Carol, helped, in the face of fear and uncertainty. She knew the risk, the possibility of retaliation upon her own family, but she would not back down. God told her, “If you can trust me with your life you can trust me with your children.” God told me, “I called you to help. Don’t expect any one else to understand.” The girl was miraculously set free, but we eventually were dismissed from that church, after a heresy trial, and lost everything – our home, our income, our respectability, our ministry. 

Another time, another place. We were grievously disappointed that some good friends were “fired” by the elders and run out of the church. We sought to bring about reconciliation, first gently, then more confrontively. While many in the church were willing to accept it and move on, we lost our ministry in that body, becoming less and less welcome, the rug pulled out from under us.

People, always, should be our greatest cause, not winning arguments over political or religious issues.

“There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Kavanaugh and Integrity

Brett Kavanaugh was recently confirmed to the US Supreme Court. It was a process which this nation will not soon forget. The testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was compelling, and that of Brett Kavanaugh was riveting. The rancor of the senators was so partisan that it lowered the bar of respectability almost below the horizon.

Politics, though, is not my concern. From my perspective, integrity was on display during that process. Or shall I say, the lack of integrity. What I have to say, though, will be viewed in the light of Trump-era politics.  My conservative friends will read this and conclude that I have sold out to the enemy. I am a flaming liberal, or a conservative that just doesn’t understand how important Trump and Kavanaugh are for this country. If not a liberal, then a total ignoramus.

Funny, though, that those who so staunchly believe that this process played out right, they used to be called the “moral majority.” Abortion was the battle cry back then. But incessant lying, hiding behind denials, cavorting and covering it up, sexual abuse, and power-mongering, these are all moral issues as well. These will destroy lives and a nation every bit as much as abortion destroys unborn fetuses.

What if the testimony of Blasey-Ford was real, but just not provable. What if her story, buried deep inside her soul for all those years, was every bit as much an emotional firestorm as that put forth by angry Kavanaugh. If Kavanaugh is fully innocent of his high school age drunken misbehavior and sexual attack, then it is Blasey-Ford whose integrity is to be totally questioned. But that is most likely not the case. I am not alone in coming to that conclusion. Over half the population of the country, and millions upon millions of women, would agree. And also a few brave men who know that the era of sexual abuse and demeaning of women has got to come to an end.

Kavanaugh, being an expert lawyer, calculated the risk, the lack of corroborating evidence after 36 years, and chose the route of total denial. In his mind his entire reputation and lifelong ambition were at stake. The lack of evidence that could prove his guilt, though, does not categorically prove his innocence. Integrity is the issue, remember. There is a huge difference between innocence and unprovable accusations. “Innocent until proven guilty” is a legal phrase. It is not related to integrity.

So here is what I think Kavanaugh should have said before the Senate. “In all honesty, my high school days were out of control. I am embarrassed to have to own up to it. I am so glad that is not who I am now. But what Dr. Blasey-Ford has said about a sexual assault is true (or, may very well be true). I want to apologize to her for all the pain and embarrassment I have brought upon her. It may be more important to this nation, and to my family, that integrity rule the day, than for me to sit on the Supreme Court. If my humble disclosure and apology can bring deep healing to this one woman, and to a nation deeply divided, then I will choose the path less traveled and hopefully help to turn us all back toward the moral high ground.”

Very few people can own up to their moral failures and trust the grace of God, as well as their community, to forgive and restore. King David told the story, himself, about his sordid affair with Bathsheba, when he could have simply had the prophet Nathan put to death, like he did Uriah.  Likewise, Samson told the story about his downfall with Delilah, when he could have easily kept it secret. But in both instances God graciously restored their life and their powerful anointing.

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God… that I may teach transgressors your ways.” (Psalm 51)