Reader Questions- Religion in Literature

Continuing from your question about comic books and superheroes, what is your take on some Christians considering comic books, superheroes and other fictional characters false idolatry. Particularly when some of us learn many lessons about good and evil and morality from superheroes (eg With great power, comes great responsibility).  -Jymm

How do you read religious themes in fantasy-Harry Potter, LOTR, etc.? Do you consider them to be clear allegory like in the Narnia books, or something else? And how do you feel about their usage, whether positive (Harry Potter) or negative (His Dark Materials)?  -Kitty

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These two questions were related nicely, and so I figured I'd bring 'em together. Thanks for writing, Jymm and Kitty!

We'll start with yours, Jymm. I have said repeatedly in this space that Christians claiming to read the Bible literally is highly problematic, no less because very few people actually know what that would mean. What they SEE it meaning is taking everything read at immediate face value, no looking for metaphor, or symbolism.

Highly Improbable Cosmologies aside, the Bible is full of stories that were plainly meant to be read as object lessons, fictional stories with morals, rather than history. Jesus' Parables are a huge example here, likewise the story of Job, which is so plainly a philosophical thought experiment. So much of the Bible's meaning gets lost when the "everything literal" approach is taken that it makes me crazy. But oddly enough, that might not even be the worst consequence.

Because what you get, with groups like these, are people who are actually be trained to read without seeing metaphor. An entire culture of Drax the Destroyers, and sometimes the title becomes achingly accurate. Before long, it isn't just the Bible, but ANYTHING that they read that is taken literally, all in order to keep on the devastatingly comprehensive blinders required to avoid noticing that the "all literal, all the time" approach to Bible Scholarship is patently ridiculous. 

This, I feel, is where so much of the oft repeated Christian problem with fantasy and sci-fi multimedia (including comic books) comes from. People are suddenly unable to get past the metaphors and so take things only at value. ("The Harry Potter books teach witchcraft! Wonder Woman gets her powers from Pagan Gods! Dungeons and Dragons are devil worship!" etc, etc, etc.)

Sigh.

You can't spend all your time with blinders on and not expect to end the day with blind spots. While that isn't a distinctly Christian problem (some of my atheists have some pretty impressive blind spots) this is a very distinctly Christian approach to it, and robs so-called "Christian Culture" of so much. That might be another part of the reason why I so often dislike "Christian Movies..." in order to meet the viewing needs of their target audience, most metaphor gets tossed out of the window, which is why they so often feel as subtle as a shovel to the face.

But once believers DO read the symbolism, we transition to Kitty's question. And I have actually seen other believers make this transition, find this huge magical word where works of literature (including the Bible) are deeper than a literal interpretation.

They often go, shall we say, a little crazy with it.

I mean, so did I as a kid. I remember the first time I read The Wheel of Time series, by Robert Jordan, I started reading EVERYTHING like I was combing for clues and vague hints and taking single phrases out of context to extrapolate huge meaning where it probably wasn't intended. Once you calm down a little, and start really reading (rather than the other, which is astrology without starlight) then I have the following advice.

In general, few things are true allegory, and unless they straight out SAY they are allegory (like Narnia) then it is best not to treat them that way. There will be meaning to glean, for sure, but creating the 1 to 1 comparisons is only one step removed from literalism, in the end.   

Read first to enjoy. If you find lessons that you like, take them and apply them. There is wisdom to be found everywhere, a bit of God in everyone from the most devout believer to the most stalwart Atheist. Get out there and find it, when you find it, share it! Just remember someone else might read it differently, find something you didn't, something that may stand apart (or even against) what you found.

That holds with pretty much all reading, scripture, fantasy, or otherwise.

Reader Question- Why Comics?

You seem to talk about comic book characters a lot. What is so fascinating about them to you? It seems like a strange thing for a pastor to like. Not trying to be offensive, it just seems weird, I guess is what I am saying.  -Alex
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You know, I often wonder what it is that people think Ministers do in their spare time. Some people seem to think we're kept in cryo sleep at the church until we're needed, or something. Worth asking about, I suppose. In any case, thanks for writing in!

I'm pretty sure I got my love of comic book characters from my father, who collected comics as a kid. I never really collected comics myself, but I loved the stories, the idea of these people who regular faced impossible battles with courage and moxy and super-powers. There is also something about comics that is irreversibly silly... and that is part of the appeal, too. Comic Book heroes can challenge us on any number of levels, but at the end of the day, they are cartoon characters, and so you are left with breathing room.

I think that might be why I prefer DC in TV animated shows to the big screen. I loved "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" as much as anyone, but the Nolan-verse always seems to have a sort of contempt for its subject matter. The desire to be dark, gritty, and realistic starts to go beyond an aesthetic choice and starts to remove the silly... the fun.

DC TV Cartoons, though? Count me in. From Batman the Animated Series to Batman and Superman to the Justice League, To Justice League Unlimited, to Young Justice, they manage both the fun (and the deep issues) in spades. And because it's all drawn, no one feels bad about putting invincible Titans in tights. I like it.

I think that Comic Books are the new Mythology. Every culture has a mythology, and I think the worlds of the Comic Book Heroes are becoming ours. And I'm fine with that. In fact I encourage it, and always want to add to it, hence my Wonder Woman script in process and multiple short stories. I think this shared mythos (Everyone knows Batman and Superman's Backstory, basically) gives us a common ground that is approaching a universality that I don't think Humanity has ever had before.

And it's not based in combating religions or Political Ideologies. We have superheroes representing countless nations, both genders, many religions, and they interact. And you know what? If it is possible for the Avengers to Assemble... maybe there is a chance for the rest of us, as well.

Or maybe it's all just silly fun. That would be okay, too.

Reader Question/Blogger Clarification- I am not a Savior

What's the first thing/things you do to save someone? Do you have lots of unsaved people in the congregation? How do you find people to save/ what's your favorite way?- John

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Hey there, John, and thanks for writing in!

Your question made me grimace a bit, for a very, very simple reason. I don't save people. never have, never will. I am not a Savior, that kind of thing is WAAAAY above my paygrade. That's God level stuff. And if I haven't made this clear yet, then let me do so now... I am not God.

I strongly dislike it when Christians used "saved" language in this way. We do not save each other. We can't even save ourselves. It's a twisting of language that makes us feel like we are the ones in charge, the ones with power, anything but the broken, sinful people that we actually are.

It gives an excuse to ignore or justify our own behavior. What is more important than someone's eternal soul, right? So you can do pretty much anything to them if your goal was soul saving. It's the ultimate "ends justify the means" approach.

I do not save people's souls. NO human being does. Ever.

The state of peoples souls is dependent on precisely one thing... God. The Almighty Creator of the infinite multiverse HAS GOT THIS COVERED. And thank goodness, because we humans? We're class A screw-ups. We do things like harassment under the flag of soul saving. Thank God we're not actually in charge, or we could do some REAL damage.

Imagine if every person ever turned off of religion in general, or Christianity in particular, was a lost soul because one of us screwed up.

I for one would NOT be excited about having to fess up to that before the pearly gates. 

I guess the question made me grimace a lot, actually. So, just to set the record forever straight, I am not a Savior, I don't save people's souls. I do my best to offer a helping hand to them as we go along, struggling together, hoping beyond hope that when it comes to the actual saving, God has got us covered. Because if in the end it is down to you or me? Then we are ALL in a lot of trouble.  

Reader Question- Non-religious Children in Religious Pre-school.

Fellow Nerdfighter here. I consider myself "non-religious" and am raising my almost 3-year-old daughter without religion. (My husband agrees on this.) I do have a religious background, which is not really a positive thing for me. However, I just landed a fantastic job opportunity and the best child care program for our situation is a church program (Presbyterian Church of America based). They incorporate religion into most of the day's activities. I'm not anti-God or anything, but I want to enable my daughter to make her own decisions, and I worry that this level of exposure at this age will be difficult to overcome. I also don't want to be negative about the program to her, because surely that wouldn't be helpful. How do I teach her to respect her teachers and classmates while also encouraging her to wait until she's old enough to understand religious concepts?  --Sara

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Thanks for writing, Sara.

You know, I have heard variations on this concern over and over again and I have to admit I have never really understood it. I get confused because, almost invariably, I hear it from people (like yourself) who were raised with religion and eventually went away from it. My impulse is usually to say; "Well, YOU managed to do it."

A great number of formerly religious people that I know have something of a skewed perspective on the process that lead to them leaving their faith... a narrative gets built where they broke away from some great indoctrination or brainwashing process, a narrow escape managed only through their own ingenuity and strength of will. Now it's their story, and they're welcome to tell it however they want, but it does make things a bit tricky when they are forced to relate to others who might approach religion differently, or in respecting the ability of others to do what they did.

My guess is that you won't have to worry about your daughter. She will hear the stories they tell her in pre-school, enjoy them or not, but noting that they aren't important to you, they probably won't be very important to her, unless at a much later age she chooses to become religious on her own. Hearing the stories and closing her eyes at prayer time aren't going to magically make her a religious person... at this age, those cues will be taken from you and your husband.

If you're really worried about it, though, the best way to deal with it is to talk to her about it. Ask her what stories they learned in class, and then ask her what she thinks about that story. She may like them (The Bible has some really fun stories, especially if your daughter shares your nerd genes) but just because someone likes a story doesn't mean they'll be a believer. The lessons at that age are pretty basic, Golden Rule type stuff. Fables with morals. Check out the morals, and if you jive with them, then no harm, no foul. If they are problematic, well then you probably don't want her in that program, anyway.

Faith is an abstract thing, and it will be years, at least, before your daughter is even capable of really embracing religion on her own terms. Until that day comes, she will embrace it on yours. And so the best way to model respect is to be respectful yourself. Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Reader Questions- Dealing with the Neighbors

Hey Pastor Dan! As a fellow believer in Christ, I find myself having a difficult time figuring out how to deal with my neighbors and could use your help. My neighbors change routinely as the unit next door is rented out by the LDS Church. Every few weeks to few months new missionaries come to live there and serve their mission. Every time new ones arrive they immediately ask us as their neighbors to discuss why we should become a part of their church. Every time we tell them how we also are saved and have a church of our own. We both agree that God's gifts are alive and continually blessed upon his people (gifts of prophecy, visions, etc) and have many of the same opinions. We just disagree that the bible should be added to. That's really it.

So my concern is that although they know we are committed to Christ, actively pursuing what he has for us, and have accepted Him in our lives, that's not enough for our neighbors and they constantly push to have us meet more with them until we say yes. When accepting and pursuing Christ is not enough for someone, it is extremely concerning for me. Maybe you could help me understand why they keep doing this? Also, how can I tell them that now it's just disrespectful and that their time is better served sharing God's love to those who haven't experienced it for themselves and not on my wife and I who already are saved? Thanks!!!!

Regards,
Zachary Thomas
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Ooh, tough one. I like it! Thanks for writing in.

As I read your situation, I was cringing internally, because here is the bad news... this problem probably is never going to just go away, short of moving. That house will always be full of young, excited Missionaries who are gonna get out there and change the world and by golly look! Nice neighbors! Let's help THEM, first! And even if they do get the hint, it'll all start over again a few months later, every...single...time. 

It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

To your second concern, the reason they do what they do is that they don't know better. These are young people who are scared to death at the enormity of what they have to do, and so now that they are actually doing it, they're all gung ho and not really thinking it through. Plus, you're nice, kind, and so hours they spend talking to you are not hours spent going door to door with who knows who answering. I'd probably spend a lot of time on you as well, never thinking that A) You'd been through this a million times before and B) I'm actually being pretty insulting at the same time. Their intent is probably not to insult your faith. 

That said, it's perfectly reasonable to want the constant doorbell ringing to stop.  

There are a plethora of solutions on how to get rid of door to door missionaries out there on the internet, but most lean far closer to the Worldsuck side of the Awesome/Worldsuck meter. There has to be a way to get these folks off of your case without having to be really mean to new neighbors every few months. 

My first bit of advice is to contact the local elder of the LDS community in your area and let them know about the situation. Ask if, as a neighborly favor, he could point out that you get visited by a new group of missionaries every few months and so maybe could he remind the missionaries themselves of that, and maybe buy you a bit of peace and quiet? He may or may not be receptive to this, but its worth a try. 

Even if the Elder doesn't seem to take your request seriously, another approach is to go on the offensive by greeting them first. When a new group arrives at the house go over and visit them, say hi, maybe bring them cookies or something. Introduce yourselves and welcome them to the neighborhood. Give them advice on good places to eat, good places to avoid (dangerous neighborhoods, etc) and invite them to knock if they need something.  

What this does is it moves you, in their minds, from the position of mission field to caretaker. They don't need to worry about you... you're worried about them! By doing this, you change how they perceive you and so how they behave towards you. It won't always work, but when it does, you'll find that, for that cycle anyway, you have some very nice neighbors.

Hopefully.

Reader Question- Foxhole Faith

How do you respond to someone who only believes in God when they need someone to blame for their problems?   -Katie

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Hey there, Katie, and thanks for the question. I know what you're talking about, people for whom God is essentially a non-entity until things go wrong. But when they do...

There are several ways to go from here, and I refer to all of them as "foxhole faiths," from the old saw that there are no atheists in a foxhole*. Some people get really religious really fast, using the fanciest language they have at their disposal to make grandiose promises to whatever deity might be willing to listen in exchange for getting out of their jam.

(Those prayers often amuse me in the sense that, once whoever it is gets delivered, I often imagine the one who prayed trying to go back over the list of deities they made promises to and then trying to figure out who came through so they know what is now expected of them. I imagine it would be like an interview process, with a waiting room and everything. I want someone to make a cartoon of this for a t-shirt.)

Others go the other way, blaming God for putting them in this jam in the first place, cursing the divine for creating a world where such situations could exist. I have actually heard someone use the phrase; "You see? THIS is why I didn't believe in you!" which is a very, very interesting statement, theologically.

Finally, there is the middle road. It isn't euphoric, angry, or bombastic, but quiet, considered, a soft plea. Think Everett's prayer when he's about to hang in Oh Brother, Where art Thou? and you'll get the idea. This person wants to retain their dignity, but on the off chance there is something listening, well, why not?

For people who believe more regularly this sort of thing can be very frustrating. In my time as a chaplain in a Children's Hospital, I often heard parents making the grandiose promises in return for their child's life. If their child stabilized, they often looked very awkward when they saw me next, like I was going to deliver the spiritual bill for services rendered... but that really isn't how it works.

I have always said that one of the great things about believing in God is you always have someone to yell at. Even better, if you believe in an all-powerful God, like I do, then you also believe your God can take it, so yell away, God will still be there afterwards, still ready to listen. In really hard times, it is a great thing to have (yes, even if it is just a crutch) and I would never think of denying that to anyone.

Because when you believe as I do, you also believe that God loves people, and cares for them, whether they believe in God or not. Imagine a parent who almost never hears from their adult child, save when things are wrong. Sometimes the child makes grandiose promises of how things will be better, sometimes they come back raging, sometimes they make quiet apologies and requests for assistance.

A lot of their friends would probably tell them to just cut that child off, that they're just being used. But most of the parents I know just shrug it off, knowing that they will be their when their child needs them again, and hoping that, maybe this time, the child will actually keep talking after the crisis has passed.

So how do I respond to them? I pray with them, and for them. I don't try to deliver the spiritual bill. I just hope that, once this wave of crisis has passed, that maybe the conversation, this time, could continue.

*I would like to take this moment to point out that I have not done the research on whether or not there are any atheists on foxholes, not having yet been in a position to properly survey foxhole spirituality.

Reader Question- Happy or Holy?

It seems that recently I've heard several Christians (prominent and otherwise) declare that God doesn't want us to be happy, but holy. Also, along those same lines, they proclaim that if a Christian is "living with sin" that they temporarily lose their vital connection with God (not their salvation, just their personal connection). My question is what do you think about that line of reasoning? Does God care nothing about our completeness and ability to live a full and joyful life as long as we end up "holy" that side of the grave? Why is it that whenever the righteous character of God is emphasized, it always seems to be at the expense of his compassion and grace?    --Sarah

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Sarah, before I take my shot at your question, I want you to know that I read it awhile ago, and then went on vacation, not intending ANY posts while I was gone, and then suddenly it came back to me and hit me like a hammer. I just HAD to answer it. If that doesn't scream "good question" then I don't know what does, so thanks for the question!

I, too, have heard that God wants us to be holy, not happy. And it's bullshit. But it's the kind of bullshit that resounds and strikes a chord and even occasionally rings true, and that is because of the truth it contains, which is to say, just enough to be harmful.

God does, indeed, want us to be holy. God loves us, and our unholiness forces separation, and so of COURSE God would rather we were holy.

What's more, holiness itself is quite conducive to happiness. The things we do in order to be happy often fail to make us actually be happy, and so lead to unhappiness. Often, the sort of thing I just described is also unholy. (The correlation is quite high.) When raising children, we often find ourselves forced to do prevent them from doing things that would make them happy in the short term because of long-term consequences.

And while those parents could say that they want us to be healthy, not happy, they usually don't, because while even in the sense I described above you could claim that statement to be loosely true, it is also totally misleading.

God loves you, wants you to be happy. Holiness is a means to that end, practiced in the light of long term understandings that go far beyond what any parent is capable of with a child. Your happiness is deeply, powerfully, important to God. And ever implying otherwise is horrifically wrong, because deep down most (I even feel comfortable saying all) of us have those moments when we are not only unhappy, but feel that our unhappiness is somehow deserved. And so when we hear that God doesn't care about our happiness, we might be inclined to believe it, which moves it squarely into the bullshit category.

So why does it get spouted so much? As it happens, your next question touches the reason nicely. Not only fun questions, but you practically planned my segue for me as well! How thoughtful!

"Living in sin" is biblical language that has become divorced from its original meaning. Once upon a time, someone who lived in sin was someone who sinned, well, a lot. Now, it means someone else who sins a lot in a way of which the speaker doesn't approve.

You see, when you define "living in sin" as "sinning a lot" you have just described, well, everybody. And it's really hard to point fingers and feel self-righteous when the phrase you use also applies to you. It's a real buzzkill, in fact. And so, our definitions changed.

"Living in sin" has since shifted to describe people who live openly in what some others would describe as a particularly naughty sin. For instance, living with someone without being married to them. Or living married to a divorced person. Or living with a gay person. Because we all sin a lot, sure, but THOSE people are LIVING in sin. I at least feel bad about my sin! (Sometimes. Mostly. When I'm reminded of it. And I really did it. I mean, I think I'm doing pretty okay...) THEY aren't even repenting! And so we can live comfortably in the knowledge that they are worse than us.

But they're in love, you say? They nurture and support one another? Care for one another in a way that is suspiciously and alarmingly beautiful and (dare I say it?) Christ-like? Well, no matter. God wants us to be holy, not happy. So long (and this is important) as my rubric for holiness is being observed.

(I really look forward to the above paragraphs being quoted out of context. In fact, I hope it happens. I'll feel I've really arrived, Internet-wise.)

God's love is often hugely problematic for people who like to grind the holiness axe. I believe that this is borne of fear, of the need to believe that we are worthy of love and happiness. This can be a huge problem for (and I am speaking generally here) everybody ever, and one of the easiest (if least fulfilling) ways to assuage such concerns are by throwing others under the bus so that we can feel superior to them.

Ever heard someone give a powerful opinion on an issue that affects them, apparently, not at all, and wondered why they bothered? THIS is how it affects them. They have built their happiness on an illusion of superiority, and if they ever (even for a moment) allowed the idea that God loves those other people as much as them to permeate, the whole thing would come crashing down.

Such as state is pitiable, and as I said, pretty much everyone can empathize. But building your concept of self-worth and happiness in such a way is a short term fix at best, and has long ranging negative effects for everyone involved, including you. It isn't healthy, it isn't happy. It most definitely isn't holy.

And God wants you Healthy, Happy, AND Holy. 

Vlog- John Green and Batman

Reader Question- So Why Christian?

Why Christianity? As in, why did you chose to be a Christian instead of , say, a Buddhist or Hindu or Baha'i?- Krista

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Good question, Krista, and thanks for asking it!

I guess it's pretty interesting that I've answered a question on why I'm such a big geek, but not on why I am Christian, specifically. I did talk a bit about my perspective on other religions here but that still doesn't really answer why I chose Christianity. So here we go!

For starters, I cannot discount the fact that I was raised Christian. I've mentioned before that I am the son and the grandson of pastors and so that family connection cannot be denied. I am also a white guy raised in the US in the 21st century, if I was inclined to be religious (which I think we can all agree I am) then Christianity was always going to have a great shot.

I've described faith to you before as a sense, and senses get trained. My spiritual sensitivity is trained to connoisseur levels when it comes to Christianity, so that was always going to be my default, which makes it a legitimate question whether or not I actually "chose" Christianity at all. This is the sort of thing I often see more skeptical Nerdfighters refer to as indoctrination, though thankfully rarely to people of faith they actually know.

There was an element of choosing however, because as I have said before I wasn't always a believer. There was a period of time when I was an atheist, and then eventually came back to the faith. The experience was a personal one, an interaction with God. So I did choose to come back, but it's not like I did research to see what other options there were. I had interacted with the Christian God. So that was the direction my new found faith was going to take. My research went into what form of Christianity I was going to try to follow... and while I stayed Presbyterian, that at least was an informed choice based on research and experimentation with alternatives, but that experimentation never went beyond the bounds of Christianity.

Even reading this, I know my atheists are going to be a bit (or a lot) skeptical about it and that is your right. I mean, it's faith I'm doing here so it's not like I can prove anything, and if you assume that faith is bogus, the above just looks like indoctrination or brainwashing.

Could I have had an equally powerful reaction elsewhere? Possibly. I have prayed with Muslims, Jews, Native Americans, Buddhists, and Hindus, felt the presence of God with them, and had I been doing so when I had my faith moment, maybe faith would have been flavored that way from then on. I can't say with any definiteness because I honestly don't know.

But when you have that strong faith tugging, it's not the sort of thing that calls you to check alternatives. It makes you want to know more about that faith, specifically, to research your options within it and learn how best to follow it. Any other reaction is not an attempt to educate your newfound faith, but rather an attempt to break or distance yourself from it.

You should, of course, be aware of and responsible for your own actions. If people try to use that faith impulse to, say, get you to harm yourself or someone else, then you need to look for answers elsewhere. But if/when you feel the tug of faith, a spiritual spark that you can't otherwise explain? Follow that thread, at least for awhile, rather than grabbing at others.

Reader Question- God Gendered?

At a church I was visiting the person speaking (who was a visiting academic, which thrilled my little grad school soul) intentionally flipped between pronouns when referring to God. So...what's the deal with God being a "he"? Is there a reason for it other than "because the culture at the time much more strongly valued masculinity and it was different from Pagan goddesses?" Do the pronouns we use for the Divine matter?

-Curious

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Oooh, fun question. Thanks for writing in, Curious!

As anyone who has been tortured with a high school foreign language class can probably attest, English is a rare language that does not explicitly gender nouns. So, when translating many languages, (including Biblical Greek and Hebrew) the pronouns are the only way we have to convey the gender that comes built into some of the words we are translating. A lot of those words (though not all) are male, and so the speaker MAY have just been going for felicity to the text, but in all honesty, was probably just flip flopping randomly. 

So why gender God, outside of a linguistic imperative to gender everything?

Well, for starters, in the scripture God is not simply a gendered noun. God is repeatedly referred to as a parent in the Bible. sometimes in the language of a Father, other times as a mother. These are usually analogies, attempts to explain attitudes and behavior, to make the unknowable a bit easier to relate to.

I'll get the elephant in the room out of the way, first. There is not a Great Divine Penis up in the sky. God is not limited to one gender, but has attributes that are often understood AS gendered. The point of the gendered language was not to make the Hebrew God distinct from pagan goddesses (the pagan gods the Hebrews interacted with were as likely to be male as female, if not more so) but to help people understand the motivations of a being beyond basic comprehension.

The eternal creator of the universe caring about mortal life was hard to swallow... but a Father caring for his children? That got across. A timeless being of light and love providing sustenance was a bit too abstract... but a mother suckling her children? Easy. 

Do the pronouns we use matter? Yeah. Using "He" or "She" provide a friendliness and familiarity that we are encouraged to use that cannot be reached through "it." But beyond that, the specific choices matter as well. Because when we use exclusively male language, important aspects of the character of God get lost. Father/male  language has its place, and it is an important place, but Mother/female language is equally important.

All the more so because of who WE are. When humanity is first created, according the book of Genesis, God created humanity in his own image, "Male AND Female, she created them." We are made in the image of God, male and female both. So if we exclude the female, then we lose a part of that.

So, there's your answer. The proclivity we have shown towards a wholly male understanding of God is most certainly a product of male dominated society, but the origins of male language are not. Properly combined with female images, we actually get a better understanding of God.

Reader Question- How to Share the Love

I shared your blog with some friends of mine, and their reaction was; "What do you care what some pastor thinks?" Normally that would've been my reaction as well, but I've always liked to read what you write. WHAT IS THIS DARK MAGIC YOU HAVE WROUGHT UPON ME!? -Perplexed
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It's possible you didn't mean for this to be a reader question, Perplexed, but now it is for two reasons. A) It brings up an interesting subject and B) It is INCREDIBLY well serving to my ego, and I had a rough night last night, so bring on the ego boosting!

It also gives me an excuse to talk about my grandfather Spencer.

Grandpa was a minister for the United Methodist Church. He was also, quite possibly, the most boring preacher I have ever heard in my life. Now this isn't to say that he was BAD... bad preaching can be VERY interesting, like watching a carwreck or being super-offended by something. No, Grandpa's preaching was kind, loving, theologically sound, and really nothing you hadn't heard before. Whats more, it was delivered in his soft, soothing, soporific tones. The same voice that was so brilliant at calming down a belligerent two year old was not quite the best at delivering moving rhetoric.

Now it only stands to reason that his churches would usually be glad to be rid of him, but they weren't. His churches all adored him (to be fair, pretty much everyone did) and were always sad when it was time for him to move on. When grandpa died, the church that hosted his funeral was packed to the gills with boatloads of people, all come to pay their respects.

Why? Because he was a genius of Pastoral Care.

Every last person in the pews knew, within months of him arriving, that he would be there when they needed him, in the hospital, in the funeral home, He would sit beside them, hold a hand in a way that made you feel like someone had put a warm blanket on you, and pray with that sense of depth that made you think he could move mountains.

That was why people loved him, and why they didn't complain about the preaching (at least never in my hearing, but I WAS his adorable grandkid.) He was there for them, he took care of them.

Newcomers to ANF are often a bit perplexed at the way I am received there. I would like to think that the reason I have become known as well as I am is at least somewhat because they know that if they need something, they can message me and I will talk to them about, whatever, and won't try to take advantage by evangelizing or anything like that.

Perplexed was likely joking, but in all honesty, that is the magic that I would guess I have wrought, and why people who don't know me don't get as excited about this blog as Nerdfighters from ANF might. I could be wrong about that, but hey, it's as good a reason as any.

But to those who are trying to think of ways to spread their faith, I think my Grandfather serves as an absolutely brilliant example. All the great rhetoric in the universe can go for naught if people couldn't give two shakes about what you have to say. But if they know you'll be there for them if they need you? If they know you care about them?

Then they'll be willing to listen to anything you have to say.

Reader Question- What is God?

What is God?   -Radical Bacon
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Oooh, we're getting deep now! Thanks for writing in, as well as for being delicious!

As it happens, today is an anniversary for me. I was ordained a year ago today! Hoping that either my recent ordination (or abuse of exclamation points) won't turn people off of my supposed authority, let's jump in and take this question on.

Do you need me to caveat that my answers will be specifically Christian, because I am specifically Christian? Probably. Okay, just as a reminder, if my answers seem Christian slanted, it is because they are. That's who I am, and what I believe?

What IS God? 

The closest the Bible comes to answering this question directly is the simple statement that God IS love. I'm guessing that won't suffice as an answer for most people though. What is a difficult question for a being that exists over and above creation, but I'll give it my best shake.

God is All-Present, All-Powerful, and All-Knowing. God existed before anything existed, through all time and space. God's name is translated as "I Am" or "I will be what I will be." God is a verb, so beyond comprehension and definition that any means of comprehending God will ultimately fall short. We can never assume we have the full picture.

This has me transition from the question of What to the question of Who. God, being personable, has personality, or at least appears to in the scripture. Relationship is important, and it seems that God has even chosen to be vulnerable to humanity, to care enough about our relationship to be vulnerable to pain and even jealousy. God loves us, truly loves us, with all that entails.

So what is God?

I believe that God is good and loving, a spirit beyond our ability to comprehend who nonetheless continues to try to allow us to comprehend as much as we can, even to the point of becoming human.

Doesn't seem to really sum it all up, does it?

But then again, if God was easily definable, God wouldn't be GOD.