Response To Shane Claiborne’s “What Would Jesus Say to the NRA?”

Response To Shane Claiborne’s “What Would Jesus Say to the NRA?”

My name is Shawn Dugan. I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a pastor and a patriot. In an era of sharply divided worldviews it is not surprising to encounter perspectives that do not reflect my own personal convictions. I do not expect that everyone share my views on everything. In fact, disagreements often make us reevaluate the veracity of our own belief systems, and we emerge the stronger for it. I enjoy healthy debate. But, when one publicly claims to speak the perspective of Jesus as it relates to current political events, he should do his homework. Mr. Claiborne, your insight into the person of Jesus Christ is sorely lacking.

  

First, you confuse the response of the individual believer to “turn the other cheek” (Matt 5:39) in the face of scorn and persecution with our responsibility to protect our families.

·      Jesus was, in fact, sent to earth with a personal bodyguard until He was an adult – his name was Joseph. And when the violence you speak of threatened the young child’s life, Joseph protected his family as the Lord directed him by fleeing to Egypt (Matt 2:13).

·      In contrast to your picture of Jesus as “a nonviolent, grace-filled, forgiving victim,” Scripture indicates that when His Father’s house was being defiled, Jesus was filled with a calculated and righteous anger and, with whip in hand, overturned tables and drove out the moneychangers – arguably, on more than one occasion (Matt 21:12, Mark 11:15, Luke 19:45, John 2:13).

·      Jesus does mention the right to bear arms. In fact, it’s not given as a right, it’s a command to His disciples after the Last Supper to protect themselves by the sword in Luke 22:36, “He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.’”

·      This is all certainly consistent with Old Testament instruction by Nehemiah while the Israelites were doing the work of the Lord by rebuilding the protective wall around their city in the face of violent threats. He said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (Neh 4:14).

Mr. Claiborne, you say the lesson that Jesus taught us is “(v)iolence will not rid the world of violence.” You have wholly misunderstood the centrality of Jesus’ message. The lesson Christ taught was that the works of man – violent or non-violent – will not achieve the righteousness of God (Eph 2:3-8). Only the singular, sacrificial act of our sinless Savior could achieve that for us all, and through faith in Him alone can we procure it. Jesus would let no man stand in His way as he set out to accomplish that goal.

Lastly, your pallid characterization of a soft and gentle savior may play nicely as we focus on His first advent at Christmastime, but is ultimately shortsighted and fails to encompass the totality of His character. For, when He comes again, it shall not be in the form of a babe in the manger, or the suffering servant, but rather as the war-waging, battle-bloodied, sword-swinging Righteous Judge, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:11-16).

Admittedly, we are instructed as followers of Christ to obey the laws of the system under which we live – insomuch as they do not contradict the instruction of the Lord (Acts 5:29). The supreme law of this land still states that, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” It is not, as your article implies, unchristlike to stand up for the rights that our forefathers bled and died to give us and had the foresight to protect for us in our governing documents. WWJD? He'd live "as one under the law" (Gal 4:4).  He’d live by the constitution. We should do the same.

Discipleship Training

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that after my last blog entry on a new-found settledness, that I should be buffeted about by some pretty tough trials. I'm sure I'm not the first to notice that the pinnacle actually makes up a very small percentage of a mountain's mass. Mountaintop experiences are very real, really empowering, and powerfully short in light of the entire range of hills.

I'm tempted, like Peter the Impetuous Disciple, to desperately desire to dwell on the mountaintop; "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah..." (Matt 17:4). In thinking like that I betray the belief that trials are, in themselves, negative at best - to be avoided at all costs. Yet, in my gut I know that what I wish is not His desire.

Consider this, had Jesus allowed Peter to pitch a few tents on the mountaintop to basque in the spiritual sunshine of His radiance, what would have happened - better said, what would NOT have happened? Well, with Peter chilling in his holy hammock, he would NOT have been present in the upper room on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 119 others who met there. He would not have been empowered by the Spirit to address the crowd as recorded in the second chapter of Acts when 3000 were added to their numbers in a single day. Am I suggesting that God's work wouldn't have been done that day? Not likely. God has His ways of getting His purposes completed - He could have used someone else, but Peter sure would have missed out on seeing the power of God poured through a previously impetuous vessel.

Check out the third and fourth chapters of Acts and the incredible opportunities afforded to an out-of-work fisherman that Peter would have slept through like Rip Van Winkle had God granted His fleshly request to hang with the Big Three on the mountaintop.

Yes, mountaintops have their place, they are delightful and filling; enjoy them as they come. But, don't miss out on the valleys where our lives are poured out for the watering of the seed and the harvesting of eternal crops for His glory.

Impecable Timing

I can't help but admire good timing. In jokes, commercials, music, the internal combustion engine. There's no substitute for great timing. Have you ever considered God's timing? I mean, He's never late and rarely early (according to my expectations). He's always right on time. Yet the back-story is often even more intriguing. "Let me s'plain; no, there is too much, let me sum up":

Recently, I have come into a new-found settledness in life. I'm sure many factors are at play, but not the least of which is a marital book my wife and I have been reading at over the last year. You know, it's one of those "good things we need to do" that gets marginalized by real life so it takes an eternity to plow through. After some frank encouragement by my wife the other day that my life priorities were - once again - out of whack, I picked up the book again, mostly to prove her wrong...and say I'd read more than she had.

What I read was a mirror of myself, a brutal spiritual autopsy that helped to tweeze the putrid motivations of my heart from the candy wrappers I conceal them in. In that exam, I found the only thing within me worth holding onto was Christ Himself.

In that conclusion came release. Peace and contentedness. I don't have to measure up, I just have to move aside. I don't need to search for the next fix, I just need to seek His face. I don't need to constantly be searching "over there" for His perfect-er will, when Life - with a capitol "L" is "right here, right now" (to quote a little Van Halen...or U2...or Fatboy Slim).

I couldn't have known how perfect the timing would be. 24 hours later I had an epiphany, of which I've previously written. And in another 24 hours I stepped into a situation which would have boiled my blood and incited me to "spittin' tacks," as my mother would say. But that day, I was in His peace. I didn't retaliate. I didn't have to suppress my temper, it wasn't at play. It was as though the Prince of Peace had taken up residence within me. He had.

What timing! What if my wife hadn't chided me to prioritize? What if I hadn't responded by diving back into the book? What if I'd gone to bed instead of contemplatively to the moonlight the next night? What if, over a year ago, my mother hadn't of sent us that book? What if she hadn't attended the conference where this author was speaking 18 months ago and purchased it? What if the author hadn't committed to take the speaking engagement 2 years ago? What if he hadn't published the book 8 years ago?

Do I mean to suggest that God's has had plans in the works to affect His changes in our hearts for days, months, years and even decades before we see the fruit of them in our lives?

Yep.

Galatians 4:3-5 says, "In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Impeccable Timing.

Complex Simplicity

Did you notice how every new invention or innovation lauds it's own ability to bring profound simplicity into your life? Apparently, many of us are longing for that 'cuz we jump rather quickly onto that bus, only to find that this new-found "simplicity" will require X amount of hours to overcome the learning curve. By the time you feel you've garnered some elementary sense of mastery on the subject, the novelty has run it's course and been trumped by the next marketplace marvel promised to simplify your existence.

Why is simplicity so complex?

Somewhere along this endless road we wake up and realize we've lost any sense of life whatsoever. Adventure, awe, marvel, and delight are things we read to our children but rarely encounter ourselves anymore. There's just no time; I'm busy trying to simplify.

I'm sure we're not the first generation of people to fall prey to this distraction. In fact, I wonder if that's not why Jesus had to teach the way He did, "Consider the lilies..." "Consider the birds..." - I mean, did He really have to tell people to look at something they saw every single day as they bustled thru life?

Yep.

We just don't see it. We're too busy trying to simplify. I woke up the other day after a long day's work and an afternoon of family tasks, summer preparations and mutual nesting rituals in preparation for a new arrival. Exhausted, everyone else was in bed, I sat on the deck under a clear sky, beaming moon and twinkling stars, I woke up.

I realized I didn't have any reason why I shouldn't be completely content with my life. Not because I had mastered the latest widget, but because I find myself, despite my shortcomings and character flaws, in love with a God who loved me first and thought of me long before I ever thought of Him. One who blessed me with a loving family, quirks and all, and "gives us richly all things to enjoy" (I Tim 6:17).

I unearthed a paradox in my own heart and mind: the more I seek adventure and novelty, the less satisfied I am in my pursuit; but as I sow the seed of true simplicity, the adventure of it all overtakes me.