Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:07 Welcome to that makes total sense. A podcast dedicated to exploring God's generosity and justice. I'm Alexis resetting the Christian, aiming to ask good questions and encouraging you to do the same. Every one of us is wired by God to live out generosity and justice, but the house sometimes alludes us. That makes total sense is a way for us to get together, posture ourselves as learners and challenge one another to practice generosity and justice in a tangible way. Every day. It's been more than 20 years since I first heard this quote, but the words, thankfully haven't left me. I think about them in completely random times often, but this week I just couldn't shake them. So the first time I heard the recorded clip of Brennan Manning saying these words was, I'm trying to think if it was on my boombox, it was probably on my boom box in my bedroom.
Speaker 0 00:01:11 And I was playing the CD of DC tox Jesus freak album. Yes, I am that old. And the track four. What if I stumble starts with the little crackle, kind of like what's at the beginning of, of this podcast and then his voice comes and he says the greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledged Jesus with their lips, walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable over and over and over and all week this week. And I think, I think I know why.
Speaker 0 00:02:01 So I'm recording this episode on a Sunday after like a pretty intense Newsweek. I feel like, and, and of course I'm saying this in October and I feel like we've been having only intense Newsweek's since March, at least. Um, on Friday we heard that the president and the first lady along with several other people on his staff and others who had been in close contact with one another are starting to test positive for COVID-19. So I'm sure that you are joining me and countless other people in praying for their healing and complete and quick recovery. Um, but that, wasn't the only thing that was in the news this week. And in the national news, we had a, um, nomination for a new Supreme court justice after, um, Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and we had the first, uh, presidential debate of this cycle. And that's just in national political news.
Speaker 0 00:03:08 I mean, we all have whatever's going on around us locally. Um, I mean, of course also the fact that we're just, we're just trying to make it right now. Right. We're just trying to, um, work and get our kids educated and, and, and go on in our, in our lives in some sense of normalcy, even though it's just not very normal right now, but this quote is sprinting, meaning quote, coming back to that, I, I just keep going over it and over it again in my mind. And I am trying to make this a very self reflective moment, but I will tell you the reason why I think it's been going over and over in my head again, um, on Tuesday night, just as a recap, if you didn't watch the presidential debate, there was a moment when the moderator, Chris Wallace specifically asked the president to denounce white supremacy, and then it became kind of this odd question of did he, or didn't he did he, or didn't he say the words during the bate?
Speaker 0 00:04:18 Did he debate, uh, did he, or didn't he say the words, um, you know, in the last several months or years, and it's pretty important, our words matter, it matters what we say, and frankly it matters what we don't say at times we should all as believers, especially be ready in season and out of season to give an answer for questions like this, to say, I denounce white supremacy. I denounce any mindset or group or organization that would promote the lie that any one individual or group of individuals is more or less value than any other individual or group of individuals, because it is in direct contrast to the truth that we are all made in the image of God. And we're all valuable to him, equally valuable to him and should be to each other. It's not that the words are unimportant to say they are important. They're very important. It's just that words are relatively easy. And that's, what's been going on over and over in my head. I can say the words, but am I backing them up? Like Brennan Manning says, am I acknowledging Jesus with my lips, but denying him by my lifestyle?
Speaker 1 00:05:50 This isn't okay.
Speaker 0 00:05:51 The question that was raised by Brennan Manning or was raised the president's comments this week. This is a question and a problem, frankly, that is as old as Christianity itself. The apostle John writes in his first letter, chapter four. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, quote, I love God and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all those who don't love their brothers or sisters, whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen this commandment we have from him. Those who love, who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister. Also,
Speaker 2 00:06:48 I just,
Speaker 0 00:06:51 You have to let that one sit with me, even though the debate prompted these words. It's not about that for me, it's about me. I can't do anything about the president's words or actions. And I can't do anything about your words or actions, frankly, or my husband's or my kids or my neighbors or my friends. Um, this is an area where I have to ask God to help me focus on my words and actions and take them to him and say, Lord has searched me and know me. Am I acknowledging you with my lips and denying you with my lifestyle specifically? Am I saying, I love God and hating my brothers or sisters because in Brennan Manning's words, that is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. Our neighbors don't get it. They don't understand how we could say I love God, but hate them at the same time. Okay. Now here's the deal. I don't think any of us would honestly say, I hate that person, but how do we act? How do we show up when somebody needs help? How do we respond to the vulnerable people around us?
Speaker 0 00:08:24 A trickier question right now, especially in this current season, when we're all looking at policies and um, political issues might be, how do my stances on certain issues? The things that I say, um, how am I representing them? And how am I showing love to my neighbor in light of those stances? It's kind of easy for us to define someone else by what we see them do. Um, which isn't ever a good idea, but taking a look at that in ourselves can reveal if we have some incongruities in this area. So as an example, we can say, we're pro-life, that's awesome. How is that showing up on our actions? Is there a foster or adoptive family that we can support around us? Is there an organization that we can donate money or time to that supports, um, women and their children? I say black lives matter. Great. How am I showing up? How am I educating myself in that space? How am I communicating that to people that I love? I say integrity and character are important. Cool. That's how it should be. How am I showing that? Am I being completely honest in my interactions? What about how I act at work or with my employer?
Speaker 0 00:10:04 John says, I say, I love God. How am I showing that with my neighbor, with my brothers and sisters loosely paraphrasing, how am I framing their dignity? Doing that? Loving our neighbor, affirming their dignity, uh, loving our brother and sister is super easy. When they look like us, it's almost as easy as just saying the words. I mean, Jesus did not play when it came to this. And he said, you, you say this, it's easy to love somebody that you agree with. Even the people who don't know me do that, but I'm asking you to love your enemies. It's easy to love people. When we have stuff in common, we live in the same area. We look the same. We hold the same beliefs. So I'm gonna end with this words are easy. So I want to challenge all of us to go beyond the words, to the actions, the actions that make a significant difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters, after all those who don't love their brothers or sisters, whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen.
Speaker 0 00:11:27 I want to be someone who says the words and does the actions I want, frankly, to be the neighbor I would want to have. I want to acknowledge Jesus with my lips and walk out the door to represent him well with my lifestyle. I want to love Jesus and my neighbors. Well, we love because God first loved us. This commandment we have from him, those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister. Also the links for all the resources mentioned in today's episode can be found in the show, notes, music, and podcast production by Seth city. Be sure to give us a review on iTunes and subscribe at your favorite podcast, listening app, you can also visit us at <inaudible>
Speaker 2 00:12:20 <inaudible>.
