the reluctant leader

Crashing Planes and Crushing Myths

This was originally written for Evangelicals Today magazine. I thought I should repost it on the 10 year anniversary of 911.
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September 11, 2001. As always, I phoned my dad to wish him a happy birthday. I was getting ready for bed in Manila. He was getting ready for work in Mississippi. After a brief discussion about the US stock market, I handed the phone to my three sons so they could speak to their grandfather. As soon as we hung up, I heard my wife calling, "Quick, you have to see this. A plane just crashed into a building in New York!"

Like thousands of others around the globe, I was glued to CNN for the next few hours, watching in disbelief as three more planes crashed, killing thousands, wounding a nation, and terrorizing the world. Over the next few days the news moved me to tears, to anger, and to prayer.

I was amazed that the same news producers who usually mock and vilify preachers, were now putting them on primetime asking their perspective on the attack. The line-up included Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, TD Jakes, Dr. James Dobson, and others. Courtesy of CNN, these men probably preached the gospel to more people that week than at any other time in their lives.

Of course, the newscasters interviewed plenty of "experts" who had nothing to say, but kept talking anyway. I did not know whether to laugh or cry when they interviewed novelist, Tom Clancy. I suppose he qualified as an expert on terrorism because he once wrote a novel about a hijacked plane that crashed into a building. It's a sad commentary on contemporary culture when all it takes to be an expert is the ability to make up a good story. Here's what Mr. Clancy had to say about the situation: "We need to be careful not to overreact to this. We must realize that WE ALL SERVE THE SAME GOD OF LOVE."

Do we all serve the same God? Do all religions present a God of love?

Tom's comments about the tragedy are typical of most post-modern pseudo-intellectuals. Unfortunately even Christians get sucked into this pagan way of thinking. It is my hope that the events of September 11 will forever expose and crush the following myths that corrode the foundations of the Faith.

THE MYTH OF RELIGIOUS SINCERITY
Anyone who was ever attempted to be a witness has heard some variation of this statement: "As long as you are sincere, it doesn't really matter what you believe or which religion you follow." It seems that sincerity has replaced truth as the ultimate religious issue of our day. Unfortunately, many today are sincerely wrong.

Suppose we are both on a sinking ship and neither of us can swim. We are told to get into the inflatable lifeboats and we will be safe. We both sincerely believe what we are told and act accordingly. You get in one boat and I get in the other. One problem: my boat has a hole in it and sinks. It does not matter how sincerely I believe the boat will save me, if it has a hole then my sincerity is useless. Unfortunately many people sincerely believe in religions and philosophies that are filled with holes, destined to sink.

Don't ever forget that the pilots who crashed into the World Trade Center towers, killing thousands of innocent people, were very sincere in their service to their god. This is the result of elevating human sincerity above divine truth. Let September 11 be a reminder that truth, not sincerity is the ultimate issue.

THE MYTH OF RELIGIOUS EQUALITY
Another common myth everyone engaged in evangelism has heard goes something like this: "All religions lead to the same God."

If one person studies and practices the teachings of the Bible, another the Koran, another the Veda, another the Book of Mormon, will their values, beliefs, and lifestyles be the same? Of course not, because all religions are NOT basically the same, they are fundamentally different.

For example, Jesus taught his followers to love and serve pagans in hope that they will voluntarily turn to the true God. Even if this has not been obeyed in history, this is what Jesus taught. And it is a far cry form declaring holy war on infidels and unbelievers.

So, do all religions ultimately lead to the same God? Do all roads really end up at the same place? Does it matter which road you take if you are trying to go home? Of course it matters because all roads do not lead to the same house. If you take the wrong road, you will not reach your destination, no matter how sincere you may be.

When Thomas said to Jesus: "Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5) Jesus did not answer: "Thomas, my son, it does not matter which way you go because all paths ultimately lead to God."

No! Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Jesus was very narrow. He said there was only one way, not several options.

May the same acts of violence that took the lives of thousands of innocent people also destroy the myths that blind the minds of millions around the world.

Stupid Statement #4: The Prodigal Dog…Bites Again

This was big news last week.

"I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum…"

As stupid as that is, Leona Helmsley’s last will & testament actually gets worse. Running out of people to give money to, the billionaire left 12 million dollars to Trouble, her dog.

Trouble is now in legal trouble - for literally biting the hand that fed her. That wounded hand is attached to the Helmsley housekeeper, who is suing Trouble for millions.

Only in America could a dog inherit 12 million dollars, then get sued by its legal guardian, who is probably an illegal alien (that last part is pure speculation).

Here are 3 leadership lessons inspired by this edition of Stupid Statements:

1. Plan. You don’t have to be rich to prepare an inheritance for future generations. Proverbs 13:22 says that it is a “good” man - not a rich man - that leaves an inheritance. I am thankful that my father planned ahead, saved and invested money when he had little – so he could leave an inheritance. He didn’t wait until he had a lot, and neither should you. 

2. Patience. It’s usually better to get an inheritance latter, rather than sooner (Pv 20:21). Remember the younger brother, the prodigal, who got his inheritance too soon and made a mess of his life. Trouble, the prodigal dog, did the same thing. 

3. People. Biblically speaking, an inheritance is for children and grandchildren - people. It is not for animals, law firms and socialistic governments. 

New post on my accidental missionary blog about some of the new Every Nation church plants around the world.

Stupid Statement #3: Thankfulness Run Amuck

He was the top NBA draft pick a couple of years ago. A teenager. Right out of high school. A gifted athlete. An instant millionaire. 

And, apparently a real thankful guy.

Before thanking his momma, his shoe company, his agent, his high school coach and the man upstairs, he said:

“First of all, I want to THANK MYSELF.”

Being thankful is a good thing. But this guy took it to a new level. An absurd level. I have never heard of thanking yourself. I’m not even sure why anyone would want to do that.

Here’s the leadership lesson: we need to be thankful people.

Whether you are a famous teenage millionaire athlete with a shoe deal who can dunk from the 3-point line, or a balding middle-aged middle-class weekend-warrior with a 3-inch vertical and no shoes - you have plenty to be thankful for. 

Specifically, we need to:

1. Thank God. If our heart is still pumping blood and our lungs are still sucking air, then we owe God thanks - every minute of every day.

2. Thank our family. All of us are who we are because of the love, care and help of family. Husband. Wife. Dad. Mom. Brothers. Sisters. Sons. Daughters. We owe them lots of thanks.

3. Thank our friends. Friends who are “born for adversity” and friends who “stick closer than brothers” deserve our thanks. (Pv. 17:17, 18:24)

4. Never thank ourselves. Also, it’s probably a bad idea to congratulate ourselves and to honor ourselves.

*** New post on my multiply site called, "A Message to Worship Leaders" ***

Loud Obnoxious Know-it-all Christians

While minding my own business in my favorite Barnes & Noble, reading Simple Church (great book for church leaders), I had a close encounter with the poster boy of the religious right, conservative republican, home-schooling, fundamentalist, fish bumper-sticker, God’s gym t-shirt, track distributing, loud, obnoxious, know-it-all, us-against-them, Rush O’Reilly, cultural-warrior Christian.   

This guy was so loud, that I had a hard time reading my book. I eventually moved to another part of B&N, but could not escape his running commentary on creation, abortion, church & state, the US Supreme Court, the 10 Commandments, church unity, cell groups, worship styles, pastors, youth ministry, restoration of fallen ministers, evangelism, Christian education…

Did he realize there were other people in the bookstore? Did he realize how loud he was? Did he care? Or, did he think that the rest of us wanted, or needed, to hear his opinions? Did he have an opinion on absolutely everything? 

Weird thing is that I actually agreed with many of his opinions - just not the volume or venue of their expression.

How can a person be so smart and so clueless at the same time – simultaneously so right and so wrong?

It is not just WHAT we believe that matters, but HOW we live those beliefs and how we communicate them to the people around us.

*** New post on my multiply site called, "Christmas in September" ***

More Thoughts on Living Life as a Long-Term Project

Inspired by my Stupid Statement #1 blog and your responses, I’ve been thinking a lot about time and the future. Maybe that “live every day as if it were your last day” statement was not so stupid after all, since it inspired deep thought and meaningful discussion.

Question. Should we live in the past, for the moment, or for the future? Should we live as if today is our last day, or as if we have a thousand more today’s?   

My eclectic religious experience supplied me with the foundation to be either very balanced or very confused, because it enables me to do all three.

1.    My liturgical Episcopal experience taught me to appreciate the past. Gothic architecture. Gregorian Chants. Ancient rituals. Organ music. Ornate robes. Incense. Candles. Priests. Everything seemed to be about looking back and learning from the past.

2.    My spontaneous Charismatic experience taught me to savor the moment. Much of my varied experience in the Charismatic movement had little connection to the past or the future – it was about the moment, the divine touch that would knock you to the ground and change you forever, or at least until the next meeting.

3.    My Reformed Presbyterian experience taught me to prepare for the future… the eternal future and the temporal future. Thankfully, I am reformed enough to see the future through the filter of the sovereignty of God and the promises of Scripture. Therefore, I see time as my ally not my enemy. Real spirituality takes time.

I guess when it comes to time, I lean not to the inexplicable mystery of traditional liturgy, not to the instant cure-all of the charismatic zap, but to the slow and sometimes painful process of sanctification and discipleship.

From the Reformed perspective, time really is on our side, because God really is in charge.

Stupid Statement #2: Dogs with Guns?

American talk radio is an endless source of material for my Stupid Statement blog category. It’s hard to know where to start. How about yesterday…

While in my truck listening to a call-in discussion about what seems to be the biggest news item of the summer – millionaire pro athlete involved in dog fighting scandal – the callers kept comparing dog fighting to hunting.

In the middle of this heated hunting/dog fighting debate, one anti-hunt anti-gun caller uttered this soon-to-be classic Stupid Statement:

“I just think it’s wrong to shoot an unarmed animal.”

Huh? Are there other kinds of animals?

I can’t remember the last time I encountered an ARMED animal. I guess that’s why I haven’t shot one lately.

But, if I ever do see a deer, a duck or a wildebeest with a gun, a knife or nunchucks, then trust me, I’ll fire away like Yosemite Sam on a ‘roid rage.

Yea, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot an armed animal. And, you shouldn’t either. No matter what PETA says about it. It’s kill or be killed, in this dog-shoot-dog world of ours.

A few leadership lessons from the "unarmed animal" stupid statement:

1. Don’t speak like an authority on topics that you know nothing about. Some people expect pastors and spiritual leaders to be experts on everything from real estate to relationships to politics to child-psychology. Most people can tell when you are just making stuff up, so don't.   

2. Don’t argue, blog, preach or call talk radio shows when you are emotionally worked up. You’ll probably say something stupid and regret it later. Follow the advice of James and try to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)

3. Ask God for wisdom before you open your mouth or click post. A little wisdom could stop a lot of stupid statements.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

4. Stay away from armed animals. However, if you do encounter an armed animal, shoot first and ask questions later.

Check out the new "accidental missionary" post -- Inspired by a Catholic Monk & Chick-fil-A.

Stupid Statement #1

While on the cross-trainer this morning, I was flipping channels and landed on a sports interview program.  The interviewee was the latest ubiquitous Eastern European teen tennis star/fashion model.

Since most top shelf tennis players/fashion models join the pro tour at 12, they unfortunately and obviously don’t get a lot of education. 

In response to a simple question about being a rich and famous tennis star/model, she spit out one of those pithy but profoundly stupid statements that they must teach at celebrity school, since 78% of all celebrities parrot it. 

I just couldn’t resist commenting on it. In fact, it inspired a new category of reluctant leader posts that I am calling "Stupid Statements."

Here’s the inspirational quote:

“I just live every day as if it were my last.”

What the heck does that mean?

What if you really lived every day as if it were your last?

-    You probably wouldn’t spend 2 hours doing hellish conditioning drills.
-    You definitely wouldn’t spend 2 hours working on your kick serve preparing for next week’s tournament.
-    You wouldn’t go to class or study for tomorrow’s exam.
-    Your diet would be over.
-    You wouldn’t worry about the price tag or your credit limit. (Probably don’t do that anyway.)

I suggest all leaders do the opposite of living every day as if it were your last, and do life and leadership as a long-term project.

Live and lead as if this is NOT your last day.

- Get the best education and training you can, so you can have a better future.
- Take your time and do things right, rather than speeding through life.
- Earn, save, and invest so that the next generation will have an inheritance.
- Invest in long-term relationships, because this is probably not your last day.
- Commit to the painfully slow process of training home-grown leaders. 

When we learn to think long-term, we will see that time is not the enemy. It is actually our ally.