The Dark Side:  The Fine Line Between Good and Evil

"MISTAKES: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others."   DEMOTIVATORS poster with a picture of a sunken ship

What is the purpose of your life? Many spend their entire lives trying to answer that question. Sometimes we learn a lot by studying the lives of those courageous individuals that made a difference and triumphed over evil. We love superheroes and applaud when they save the day. But lately I have wondered what we can learn from the "bad" guy. As the poster I mentioned above says, could the purpose of your life be to show others how "not" to live? It is an important question that deserves consideration.  If you are not a Star Wars fan, I apologize for some of the references. But I think you will get my point if you hang with me. 

I have watched Star Wars for years, as far back as the first movie that came out in the late 1970's. I have always been intrigued by the characters and I even hung in there for the prequels of Episode I and II in the early 2000's. In the newer movies, the dialogue was cheesy and they obviously were developed to appeal to a younger audience. Then along came Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It was a much darker and serious movie. Almost everyone has heard of Darth Vader, the evil looming figure in the black robotic suit with raspy breath and the voice of James Earl Jones. Episode III reveals the creation of Darth Vader from a young Anakin Skywalker. Uprooted from his home planet in Episode I and trained to be a Jedi Knight, Anakin is given the weighty responsibility of being the “chosen one” that will bring peace to the universe. He is burdened with fear and anger and seeks approval and power to fill his emptiness. Along the way he falls in love with Princess Amadala, which is forbidden for a Jedi Knight. By the end of the movie, through the deception of the Sith Lord, he moves over to the dark side (aka bad guys) to save his wife from death. To lure him into his dark service, he was promised the power to suspend death by the emperor. It is the saddest of the Star Wars movies, rich with deception, death, and betrayal. It is a tragic tale that reminds me of the Greek tragedies and men and women of the Bible who failed in dramatic ways. 

I am intrigued by the “bad” guys, not because I aspire to be like them, but because I want to learn how things went so terribly wrong. Did all evil men start out with the intention of causing death and destruction? Did they all aspire to be evil when they grew up, similar to little boys wanting to be firemen or police officers? Are all evil people insane, or are they driven by fear and a need for approval just like us? What worries me more than anything is that there are usually only a few key events or choices that tip the evil person over the edge. These choices make the difference between a life of good or a life of evil. One road leads to destruction. The other leads to life. The downfall of Anakin Skywalker reminds me of Judas from the Bible. Was his deception and ultimate betrayal of Jesus planned from the beginning? Were there specific events that tipped him over the edge? Was it greed or fear or a longing for power? We will never know this side of heaven. 

I think the lesson from Darth Vader and other bad guys is this: we are all capable of life-changing and ultimately evil choices. When I see videos of people in prison or hear of those who are facing the consequences of their behavior, all I can say is “There but for the grace of God go I”. I pray that we can recognize when our choices are leading us down a path of destruction. I pray that I can be diligent and recognize when I am heading the wrong way. No one is immune to the scars and consequences of bad choices.

Sometimes when I watch a movie that demonstrates a battle between good and evil, I feel pity for the bad guy. It is not because I approve of his bad behavior, but because I know that we are one breath, one heartbeat, one bad choice away from being in their company. Happy endings are within our grasp. Let us not let them slip away.

Why I Go to Church

"You really don't have to go to church to be a Christian."
"Well I don't go to church..I just watch it on television."
"You don't have to worship God in a church building. You can worship Him anywhere...even at the lake."

I have heard these and other arguments about church for years.  I have heard numerous opinions and I have come to a very important conclusion for my own personal life:  I need to go to church. I think back to my 10 year-old self and remember my grandmother taking me to the Catholic church and Bible study. I remember being around people who seemed like they honestly enjoyed being there. I still remember sitting beside her...the smell of her coat...her laugh and smile. I remember the solemn quiet and reverence of the service.  My denomination may have changed, but my respect and reverence for the house of God has not.

Recently I have lost some faith in humans (churchgoing humans)...especially in the area of those who are being judgmental and overspiritual.  I have also come to the conclusion that people will fail you because they are human. Churches are made up of imperfect people. As one preacher said "Don't try to find a perfect church because when you join it, it will not be perfect any more."  There are some very mean people and some people who say things that are hurtful. There are those who think they have it all figured out and those that profess to be perfect (or a model of perfection). All this being said, it does not deter me from church. I realize that the reason we go to church is to worship God, and He is perfect.  When I stand up and sing and worship God, I pretend that God is the only person in the audience and I am performing for Him alone. If the others want to join in and lift up their praise to God, they are more than welcome. God deserves all of our praises and we have to remember why we come to church: to worship Him and grow in our faith.

I agree with many experts that say the church (as a body of believers) is losing its power. However, I also believe the church is the only way that Christ made possible the spread of His gospel. There is no Plan B. There is no secret code leading to a Church 2.0. We are all that separates God and his perfect will and purposes from the world. We are His mouthpiece...his testimony.... and He depends us to change the  world.

I still believe in the church. Don't give up on the "bride" just yet.   Let's rebuild the church (the body not the building) one member at a time.

So you will find me in a pew or on a church stage leading worship nearly every week.  There is no place I would rather be on a Sunday morning.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

“Time has taught me well and I can tell you

The good things people do

They really care and I’ve been there

Seen it with my eyes

You can tell that they’re God’s people

By the goodness in their lives.” Good People by Audio Adrenaline

In one of my college courses we watched the old black and white version of Twelve Angry Men with Henry Fonda. The jury had just convened into a room and were about to decide the fate of a young man who had allegedly killed a man with a knife. The jury had to reach a unanimous vote to convict him. Everyone was ready to go home. Ready to get this over with…to see their family…to do something more important. The votes were cast and Henry Fonda was the last holdout. He had serious doubts. Reasonable doubts. And that’s all it takes. Finally he convinces almost all the jurors of the reasonable doubt, and the vote that was originally 11 for conviction turned into 12 who voted for acquittal. It was a good movie and it taught me a lot about human nature and also about leadership.

The movie got me thinking about whether man is inherently good or evil. It is an important question and not exactly an easy one to answer. All the evidence points to evil. The atrocities of Adolf Hitler. War. Corruption and chaos in governments. Death and mass murder conducted by terrorists. It’s unanimous...a slam dunk conviction. But before the jury votes, we must consider the evidence. First, I want you to consider this quote:
"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death." ~Anne Frank

Anne was about to be captured and killed by the Nazis and we have her diaries that tell the story. How could someone experience these atrocities and see people killed and tortured and still believe in the goodness of mankind? Was she simply young and naïve? First, I want to say that, as a Christian, I believe in the concept of original sin and the verses that tell us that there are “none righteous, no not one.” And I do believe that idea and supposition. However, I believe there is more to the story. Just as man is capable of atrocious acts of evil, he is also capable of amazing acts of goodness. What a contradiction we are. Left to our own devices, we usually chose the path of least resistance and the choice of sin. But, as the song I mentioned by Audio Adrenaline talks about, there are so many good people in this world. And, like Anne Frank, I have to believe that there is some goodness in everyone. I will agree that it is hard to find and it has dissolved away in some individuals by a lifetime of anger, abuse and bad choices. Maybe like Anne, I am naïve and I only see the good in people, which could be a character flaw and cost me my life one day while trying to find the “good” in a mugger with a gun.

I guess, in the end maybe we are asking the wrong question. Maybe we need to ask: Are humans capable of great goodness? And for that question, I think the answer is a resounding Yes! If the answer to that question is “Yes”, then there may be hope for mankind after all. We must never stop believing in the potential for people to make good choices.

I end with a quote from one of our generation’s greatest theologians: Mr. Rogers.

“Sometimes people are good, and they do just what they should. But the very same people who are good sometimes are the very same people who are bad sometimes. It's funny but it's true.”

Peace, Be Still

"There's a peace I've come to know....Though my heart and flesh may fail.
There's an anchor for my soul....I can say 'It is well'". ~Chris Tomlin

Many years ago, fresh out of college, I took a job as a summer youth minister. I had heard that youth ministers were supposed to do lock-ins, so we scheduled one for the middle-school and junior high students. They showed up in droves (not sure how much that is but I know its a lot!). I believe over 50 students showed up. It is not an understatement to say that tweenagers are rambunctious and energetic. About 3am, I was at my wit's end. I hid in an office area for 30 min and took a cat nap, but the mayhew and noise continued into the morning hours. Then I had a revelation. These kids needed to know how to have a quiet time (I was young but I wasn't stupid). We talked briefly about quiet times, read some scripture and then I made them listen to "Peace, Be Still" by Al Denson. You old school Christian music fans will remember that song. Within two minutes of the song playing, the majority of the little darlings were asleep and stayed that way for nearly two hours.

This story reminds me of the peace that God promised us. Peace in the midst of a storm. Peace in dire circumstances. Peace in the middle of our failures and feelings of inadequacy. Peace. It is so elusive to some, but we know when we have it in our grasp. The ability to enter God's rest. To know that everything has a purpose and it will all work out no matter what we do or don't do. Knowing that someone else much more powerful than us has it under control and has everything taken care of. We can only sense that peace when we get still and put everything in perspective. It's an amazing feeling. But how do we get there? Is there a magic formula?

Recently we experienced a lot of rain. However, today it is cool and the sun is shining. I have already forgotten the dreariness of the clouds and rain and all I see is the sun shining and I can feel the cool air on my skin. The pain is gone. The sunshine has changed all our sorrow into joy. Will the rains come again? Of course they will. But so will the sunshine. And knowing that the sun will shine again makes the rain bearable.

So when peace comes does it stay forever? I would love to say that is the case, but that is not the way life works. When the rain is falling, all hope of sunshine is blurred by the rain. Peace is a mindset; a perspective that has to be renewed occasionally as we remind ourselves that all is well.  It is sometimes elusive and hides when we desire it the most. But it eventually appears when we we least expect it, just like a ray of light as it peeks from behind the clouds after days of rain. The sun is shining. All is well.

Get What We Deserve?

"All you need is love." ~The Beatles

Do any of us deserve to be loved? That's not an easy question. If you mean deserve in the sense of what we have done to earn love, maybe so or maybe not. If we don't "feel" loved, does that mean that we are not loved? Some of us spend our entire lives trying to answer this question. When I look at the life and legacy of Christ, again the picture is unclear, but I think it leans in favor of a resounding "No!". We don't deserve God's love because of what we did to Christ and because of the nature of our sinful lives. But he still loves us.

There have been many times I felt unloved. In the loneliness and quiet I experienced after my divorce, I felt as unloved as I have ever felt. I am a Christian so I know the verses that tell me I am loved. But did I deserve to be loved at that point. The world might say no, especially if they disagree with the whole idea of divorce. Does the alcoholic deserved to be loved by God? the overeater? the perverted? the thief? the "fill in the blank" sinner? Common sense says that they have messed and up and deserve everything that comes to them. But many things in the Christian life are not common sense. Common sense says we don't deserve to be loved. But Christ flipped everything we know about love upside down. He said he loved us anyway. He said he wanted fellowship with us. He said that we don't deserve to be loved, but he loves us in spite of ourselves. THAT is amazing and confusing and exhilarating all at the same time.

For the Christian, heaven is the eternal leveler. I was thinking about what I might say in heaven to those I had wronged or those who had wronged me, but all I could visualize saying is "No matter what happened in our lifetimes, it does not compare to this place. All is forgiven." There is no more drama or tears or worry or fear or diets or stairmasters or pain from losing a loved one. Only eternal joy and unadulterated love in its purest form.

So the answer is not as easy as it sounds. We do not deserve to be loved, but we are loved just the same. So that compels me to love others and be loved by others since we are all on the same level playing field when it comes to love. So when someone says they love you, don't cower your head and flog yourself like a monk. Say thank you and take it...and give it back to them the best you can. The only thing we will take with us into the next life is love. That includes the love of ones we have enjoyed on Earth and and the love that compels us toward the light of eternal and everlasting love-- a loving hand that invites us into His presence. I AM loved, whether or not I deserve it!!! And that is a gift in and of itself.