jesus

Jesus, the Good Coyote?

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Victor Chininin Buele

It’s time for another unpopular take on the intersection of the gospel of Jesus Christ and what we profess such gospel to be in the days the Lord has called us to live. It is easy to profess Christian Nationalism and win one side of the audience. It is easy to come and call for ICE to be abolished and stand with another side of the audience. I stand with neither. It is harder to figure out where is the “sensible middle,” and that shows us that we live in times that are so absurd that they require some very serious and sober biblical and cultural engagement knowing full well we are creatures full of emotions and presuppositions and intellectual and social commitments that affect our view of what things are. I also am not able to line up with the current theological persuasion that starts with a right affirmation of the image of God in the human being and calls for essentially free immigration. I even read a theological paper that called Jesus the Good Coyote, who comes to us in our illegality and crosses us into the kingdom against the law, by grace. There is no agreement on this inside or outside of the church. The world is a mess.

The events of the last few days have once again taken me to one of those uncomfortable places I do not enjoy: my experiences with church protests and with immigration collided. And I would like to say a few things.

I briefly wrote something on Facebook. I said, “If you came to protest while I am preaching, I will not call the police on you, much less ask for your arrest after the fact… We must be consistent with the gospel we claim to believe.” A friend commented that Cities Church did not call the police. I did not say they did. And his implication was that the pursuit of justice is not vengeance. That is something that I fully affirm. Many in our evangelical world silence the pursuit of justice under the desire to protect the “honor” or reputation of sinful leaders, even equating it with the honor of Christ. We say that we care greatly about what the world thinks of this alleged dishonoring of Christ and His church by exposing such characters to the public and ultimately decide it is better to be silent. But, what are we to do when our worship is interrupted or if it were like it was put in several places, terrorized? I suggest that arresting Don Lemon is not the Christian thing to do.

Why People Protest

I am a Protestant. I am a theological and intellectual child of that man who went against the thinking of his age and nailed some theses for dialog at the door of a church building. He did not go looking to destroy the church but to seek reform. The Christian must always reform because we are sinners, and our mind is to be renewed constantly as Romans 12 clearly states. I protest. I am a Protestant Christian.

I protest after dialog has proven unfruitful. I protest after hardness of heart is revealed. I protest after repentance has been sought and has clearly been rejected.

It is not driven by emotions, though it is deeply emotional. It is driven by that mix of anger and compassion that the Lord Jesus modeled for us on the earth and that ought to characterize our response when we encounter hardness of heart and its fruits. We don’t always get it right. We are sinners. But we have no excuse to not be repenting sinners.

People protest when the basic, reasonable, polite efforts to seek change fail. People protest when they get impatient with the state of things. People protest when their emotions are triggered. People protest as a result of deep hurt and deep pain. People protest because of ideas. People protest for many, many reasons. And not everybody who protests has the Spirit of God dwelling in them. This complicates everything.

When Protestors Show Up at Church

If I am right, and protest is the natural response of the human soul to the hardness of heart of another and its fruit, protest is a sign of things going very wrong already. And if protest comes from a hard heart as the response to a perceived offense of another, things are even more volatile. Yes, we are living in times clearly affected by Saul Alinsky’s legacy, and outrage is off the charts. But that does not deny the need or even the right to protest.

That means that somebody could come protest while I’m preaching on a “regular” Sunday. There is no such a thing as a regular Sunday, anyway. Somebody could come protest because my hard heart has created a situation for which there appears to be no other recourse than to protest. I am very unlikely to hear the message I will be confronted with because of… my hardness of heart. But since hardness of heart is a spiritual problem, it has a spiritual solution: the proclamation of the gospel. Only through the gospel the heart can be softened and revived. It is also possible that through no fault of my own, somebody comes to protest unrighteously, and they shout and scream and say nasty things and expose themselves. If my response to that is to feel as if my worship is being interrupted or that such worship is being terrorized, I think we have reached a fundamental point of confusion about the whole objective of worship on this earth.

Worship Was Never Meant to Be Comfortable or Safe

It is easy to cry out persecution on things that are not persecution. I once heard a group of people (who would say they are a church) singing a song about persecution as somebody who was deeply sinned against stood outside in protest. Instead of hearing the very uncomfortable truth they were being presented with, they chose to say they were being persecuted by a vengeful person. I think that the average American worship gathering has become something we take for granted. The fact of having freedom to gather has become a way to forget that Christian worship is by its very nature offensive and its result is persecution. There is nothing comfortable or safe about Christian worship. It ought to awaken persecution against the Name that is above every name in those who have hard hearts. If a congregation feels terrorized and victimized because people came to protest, I suggest that two significant shifts have already occurred: (1) As Welch would say, God has become small and people have become big. I have heard reactions about the interruption to the gathering, the terrorizing of youth and kids, and the disrespect of the place or the gathering or the Lord or the law that ought to warrant the freedom to exercise religion. The thing is that the pluralistic law the United States has does protect the freedom of the protesters to protest as well. The other thing is that the gospel is not about coercion. It’s a free message of grace. So, we can’t just go on forcing people to believe or acting as if believing were something that can be forced. God is the giver of salvation. When I hear people-centered reactions, I want to say that we are missing the missional element of the protest. If they truly were unbelievers, that is, sinful people with hardened hearts, our job to them was to present to them the gospel. Our Master was truly victimized, and even a peripheral reading of the gospel accounts tells us that he responded in a certain way that we don’t. Worship cannot be centered on people. Yes, pastor, you are entrusted with the care of sheep. There are pastors who have to guard their flocks against governments who want to kill them for proclaiming the gospel. I think we are on a very different place than that. And (2) we have forgotten that to be a Christian means to die. To be a Christian means to be humbled. To be a Christian, in other words, is to be a loser. A loser to the world. That means that we don’t win. Yes, I am a postmillennial who believes the gospel’s triumph is guaranteed. I am a Christian who believes His Lord is coming back in victory. I would have no hope were it not for the eager expectation that the Lord will come again to rise the dead and usher in the consummation of His Kingdom forever. But today we don’t have to win. But we are to leave it all on the field. We have to proclaim without hindrance, with boldness, with joy, with patience, with sensibility, with truth, with compassion.

Did They Have a Point?

The old saying goes that even a broken clock is right twice a day. We ought to listen to protestors. We ought to examine what we are presented with. Even if they are wrong, I can overwhelm them with kindness, hospitality, patience, and surprise them with the truth of the gospel.

Should a pastor be the director of ICE? That is a terribly difficult question. Just as the question of whether I can be what I am professionally and be a pastor.

Why? Because Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Lord over everything. He knows everything, and He rules over all. It is not enough to seem to be good. It is not enough to do things that people think are OK. We must be obedient and sensible to His will.

That means that He is the Lord over every border made by man. And every person ought to tremble to cross them if we disobey God’s will. Not every migratory situation is equal. I am concerned about people’s hearts, and yes, their physical wellbeing as well, but we ultimately don’t gain anything if earthly good is sought without eternity in view.

I have been reading all I can about migration: theologically, sociologically, politically, psychologically, historically. And my conclusion so far is this: The Bible calls us to a radical hospitality of the foreigner that must have as its goal and prayer, the foreigner’s inclusion in the Kingdom of God.

We are called to make disciples of all nations. That does not allow room for racism, superiority, discrimination, violence, abuse of power. It also does not allow room for willful violations of God’s will or of righteous law. It is a call to bring the world out of the power of sin and into the authority of God. We cannot ignore sin whoever it may be that is sinning. And we are all sinners.

Being a Christian means understanding that something may be right with one heart and totally wrong with a different heart. You can be a naturalized American citizen, obedient of the law to the fullest extent and be a sinner lost without Christ. You can be an undocumented worker fearing for his life because of repented sin from his past in his homeland and be agonizing in repentance over how to be right before God. We cannot make blanket statements about immigration. And we cannot make blanket statements about submission to government.

So, the call is incredibly complex: everything all the time must be subject to the all-knowing gaze of God. Everything.

That includes a government’s application of law, the militarization of a police force, the crossing of boundaries (churches, schools, and others) that have historically not been breached, the reenactment of the racism and segregation that was seen in the west with Asian immigrants. Read some of those historical Supreme Court decisions about Chinese immigrants in the past. Donald J. could have written them last week. History we ignore is history that is repeated. Unrepented sin is sin that hardens our hearts even further.

So, so much to write to say what? Protest is God’s tool to a hardened heart to be pressed to repent. It may be righteous. It may be unrighteous. But it is disruptive because it needs to disrupt something. It needs to disrupt something that clearly has not awakened any action for a long time. And if our first reaction is not to see God’s Kingdom advancing before our very eyes through God’s foolishness crushing our wisdom, well, are you really a Christian?

Final hope: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you (Hosea 10:12 NIV).

There is a lot to say about immigration, but I will leave that for my doctoral dissertation that I pray God helps me write to His glory and all of our good.

¿Por qué no te invito a la iglesia el domingo?

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Víctor Chininín Buele

Este domingo se celebra el momento más importante de la historia de la humanidad: la resurrección de Jesús.

Es el tiempo en el que veo mis redes sociales llenas de publicaciones, bien intencionadas debo afirmar, de mis amigos invitando a las personas a sus iglesias el día domingo. La intención suele ser que queremos abrir las puertas de nuestras iglesias a toda persona para que venga a escuchar el evangelio en el día más importante para el cristiano: la celebración del evento que transformó no solo la historia sino nuestras vidas, nuevamente, la resurrección. Verdaderamente es cierto lo que Pablo escribe a los corintios: “Y si Cristo no ha resucitado, la fe de ustedes es falsa; todavía están en sus pecados. Entonces también los que han dormido en Cristo están perdidos. Si hemos esperado en Cristo para esta vida solamente, somos, de todos los hombres, los más dignos de lástima” (1 Cor 15:17-19).

También hay quienes en sus invitaciones no resaltan el tema de la resurrección pero enfatizan la experiencia de la visita a la iglesia: huevitos de Pascua y caramelos (en los Estados Unidos), la música, un mensaje inspirador y motivacional, comidas, invitados especiales que vienen a predicar o a enseñar.

Quizá alguien haya notado que yo no suelo invitar a las personas a la reunión de la iglesia del domingo de resurrección y pensé que era una buena idea dar una pequeña explicación de lo que pasa en mi mente y corazón.

Primero, la iglesia es un cuerpo formado por todos los creyentes regenerados por el Espíritu que se reúne para adorar a Dios los domingos (y otros días también). En el contexto de la iglesia de habla hispana escucho mucho la palabra “templo” y no me gusta invitar a nadie al “templo” porque el templo como se lo ve en el Antiguo Testamento ya no existe ni tiene importancia. Es claro que el cuerpo de la iglesia se reunirá el día domingo de resurrección a celebrar a Cristo. Y podría invitarte a la reunión de mi congregación este domingo, pero no quiero invitarte usando palabras que describen un lugar que lo llamamos por un nombre que hasta tergiversa el mensaje de la resurrección. Porque Cristo vive, ya no hay un templo. Al contrario, todo creyente en quien mora el Espíritu es templo del Espíritu Santo.

Segundo, yo creo que hemos invertido el orden. Pensamos que la meta es traer a alguien a la iglesia y no a Cristo. Incluso a veces sentimos que alguien más le va a predicar ahí. Pensamos que el pastor le va a predicar el evangelio y que mi tarea es llevarlo a la iglesia. Y mucho mejor en el domingo de resurrección porque ese día obviamente van a predicar el evangelio. Estoy convencido que alguien debe venir a la iglesia por convicción. Pienso que debemos presentarle el evangelio y confrontarlo con la necesidad del arrepentimiento de su pecado. Uno de los frutos de ese arrepentimiento va a ser el quererse reunir con sus hermanos y hermanas en Cristo a adorar a su Padre a quien ha sido reconciliado por la fe. Si alguien no quiere a Cristo, venir a la iglesia hasta le puede llevar a tener una falsa paz: porque estoy haciendo algo “bueno”, estoy bien. Y si fallamos en predicar el evangelio siempre, le vamos a dar espacio para que pueda establecerse en la congregación sin ni siquiera creer.

Tercero, ¿a qué estamos ganando a la persona? Recientemente alguien a quien estimo mucho en Cristo, informaba en las redes sociales que se había traído huevitos con caramelos para los niños en helicóptero. Pues, no dudo que sea una estrategia altamente llamativa y novedosa. No dudo que sea memorable. Pero ¿qué Cristo fue predicado? No podemos ignorar las lecciones de Neil Postman–el medio que usamos para comunicar puede volverse el mensaje y va a transformar el mensaje. ¿Qué le digo a una madre en crisis cuando su hijo le dice que hay un Cristo que manda caramelos del cielo y no tienen para comer esa noche en casa? El mensaje de la resurrección es el único mensaje que puede traer esperanza a ese hogar, pero si lo tergiversamos quitamos la esperanza verdadera. Y cuando damos falsa esperanza, damos un Cristo falso que va a decepcionar.

Jesús no es un bien comercial que podemos vender.
Jesús no es la poción mágica que va a quitar todos los problemas de alguien.
Jesús no es un espectáculo en el que los mediadores del mensaje en el escenario van a convertir a nadie.
Jesús no es un evento social, una costumbre o una tradición.
Jesús no es el cajero automático que dispensa nuestros sueños.

Jesús es el Salvador del mundo. Él nos llama a morir a nosotros mismos y a dejar atrás todo aquello que nos da confianza y falsa esperanza.
Jesús nos salva y nos da el privilegio de compartir Sus sufrimientos y a consolar a quienes estén sufriendo con el consuelo que solo nos puede venir del Dios de toda consolación.
Jesús es nuestro Señor y si lo es de verdad, no podremos callarnos de compartir Su evangelio con toda criatura. Nos veremos como los heraldos de tales grandes noticias. No haremos un outsourcing de ese privilegio.
Jesús es la verdad, el camino y la vida.
Jesús resucitado es nuestra esperanza.

Romanos 8:23 Y no solo ella, sino que también nosotros mismos, que tenemos las primicias del Espíritu, aun nosotros mismos gemimos en nuestro interior, aguardando ansiosamente la adopción como hijos, la redención de nuestro cuerpo.

It’s Been a While

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Victor Chininin Buele

I have not made time to write. Perhaps it is because people don’t read. Perhaps it is because I don’t know how to write.

The world burns. I’ve been watching forest fires from a distance for several weeks. A fireman is powerless against the rapid and devastating advance of a line of fire. But it doesn’t mean that he gets to quit. And the fireman is faced with a big question: will he call for help or will he give up? And, while he waits for help, will he fight with all he has?

Four years ago, I am reminded by Facebook, I made a big mistake. I made a decision that changed my family’s trajectory. What was that decision? What I can tell you is that I was tired. A lot of bad choices start with that. I chose to be lazy. I said, I have reasons to trust this one person, so I am going to check out my brain at the door and just go with the flow. I was tired of fighting evil, and I just wanted to sit back and rest. I wanted somebody else to do the fighting for a while. I wanted to follow.

That was a terrible thing to do.

That is most definitely not Great Commission thinking. The Kingdom of heaven is not like that, a man who felt secure in the world but spiritually beaten up, gave up on the idea of doing what His Lord called him to do: make disciples. He checked out his brain at the door and embracing pragmatism and his own fleshly desire for convenience did what the others were doing.

What is Great Commission following and thinking?

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

It means that we follow Jesus and not man.
It means that all authority is His, not man’s.
It means that all authority is derivative. If it doesn’t find its origin, purpose, calling, and empowerment in Christ, it is not legitimate authority.
It means that His authority is over everything. That I am not the Lord of my choices and my calling.
It means that making disciples is the goal, not studying the Lord and His Word as if it were an intellectual hobby or merely as an academic pursuit. It means reflecting on how to help disciples know the Lord, not just turn on the firehose of an expository sermon at them without regard for whether they are living and loving the Word and the Lord revealed in that Word. It means not equating “healthy doctrine” with healthy discipleship. You can say the right words but be in great sin.
It means that we actually have to evangelize and proclaim the truth of the gospel, not manipulate emotions and desires to produce baptisms as if changing the heart is something we can do with the right prayer or the right argument.
It means actually going. How much of Christianity today is about staying put, using the Word as an excuse and reason to not obey the Great Commission. About seeking our on comfort and goals, our own interests and pleasures. About not being uncomfortable.
It means teaching all that Jesus taught us. And to teach without hypocrisy, we actually have to do these things ourselves.
It means resting in the Lord who has promised the gift of His presence with the believer. Who else is going to be with you when persecution comes, when things get harder instead of easier, when loss for His name strikes.

[15] And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

It means that going into all the world is not a question. It means we are not to shelter in the safety of our homes, groups, or church buildings. It means we cannot be ingrown, using Jack Miller’s accurate description of many churches.
It means that we go out with a message: the gospel. In Mark that message is taken back to 1:15. The Kingdom of heaven has come near to us. What do we do with that? We repent and believe the gospel.
It means we must live repentance. Repentance is the tune of the life of the believer. Imagine if our churches would smell like repentance.

[46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:46-48).

It means that suffering is in store for us. Our Savior suffered to give us eternal life. Why do we treat the Christian life as the preservation of comfort and the delusion of our security?
It means that it is resurrection life. We were bought back from the dead. We were dead in our sins of trespasses. We want others to also be free. And we must never subject ourselves to slavery to sin again.
It means not only that our lives are to be constantly full of repentance but that we proclaim this repentance to the world. This would go a long way in destroying these cultures of permissiveness and secrecy, self-protection and deceit, that we talk ourselves into saying that we are protecting the reputation of Christ when we are actually protecting our own.
It means that we are witnesses of Christ. It means I must tell the truth. It means I must tell you that even as I was writing this, I needed to repent of sin and ask for forgiveness.

What a Savior!