If You Didn't Like the Commercial You Won't Like the Song Either

I was enjoying a bowl of warm chili and the fellowship of friends watching the Seattle Seahawks ravage the defenseless Denver Broncos last night. Having thoroughly enjoyed seeing Stephen Colbert's head splitting open in a pistachio ad, we eagerly anticipated the next commercial breaking the monotony of the game. Suddenly our TV was filled with an image of a beautiful southwestern landscape and a familiar tune graced our ears. We continued to watch as several singers serenaded us to "America the Beautiful" in various languages including: Spanish, Hebrew, and Keres Pueblo, while people of various cultural backgrounds drank coke.

When it was all over, I thought, What a beautiful commercial! I am not particularly patriotic, but I am reminded again why America is indeed beautiful. Not just for her mountains majesty, but for the beautiful people who have come from every corner of the earth to unite as one nation. People who have escaped poverty, tyranny, and oppression to seek opportunity, prosperity, and freedom. It reminded me of another poem I've heard: 

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!*

With all the bad things we can say about our country these days (and there are plenty to choose from) the melting pot of immigrants and the hope they bring with them is one of the things we still get right in America.

I can't say I am surprised at the backlash. My wife and I predicted it within seconds of the end of the song. There will always be those who will look back to the glory days of the past and say this is what America is supposed to be. Soon after the commercial aired, Twitter flooded with statements like "Characters in these Cola commercials, from Mexicans to Indians, learn to #SpeakAmerican already!” and "Nice to see that coke likes to sing an AMERICAN song in the terrorist's language." (What language do terrorists speak anyway? Pueblo?) I can only hope the people who made these comments don't realize how much they offend Americans who recently immigrated here, Native Americans, Jewish Americans, and many others.

If this is your take on America, so be it, but don't deceive yourself  into thinking you have any claim to the song "America the Beautiful" If the commercial was so offensive to you, then you probably won't like the song much either.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!**

We are fighting over a song that idealizes brotherhood, the idea that we are all equals, that we all have something in common that connects us to one another, that draws us to love one another. For the follower of Jesus, we already have a mandate to love our neighbor as our self. But for the rest of the populace, this song proclaims that as Americans we love each other as brothers, or at least that is the ideal we strive for. So if we are going to say things in order to offend our brother Americans we are spitting in the face of the very song we claim to be defending.

There's more in the second verse

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law**

The "beautiful pilgrim feet" are not just the feet of the "Pilgrims" who landed on Plymouth, but of all those who made a pilgrimage to America, every immigrant from those first Puritan separatists to the ones who stepped off the plane today. America has always been a nation of immigrants, just ask the Cherokee. And each successive wave has struggled to blaze their thoroughfare of freedom, their place in our society, their American dream. And we are all better because of it.

So if you sing this song, sing proudly of the country where by God's grace your ancestors landed or you yourself were able to reach. But also sing that God would "mend ...every flaw" in our country, including every root of hate and prejudice. Sing for the brotherhood of the diverse people who have immigrated here and those who (willingly or not) welcomed us here. Because that is what "America the Beautiful" is about. And that is what makes America beautiful.

#speaklove

*"The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus 1893 was originally mounted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty

**"America" penned in 1893 by Katherine Lee Bates. I quote the version which first appeared in 1913 as "America the Beautiful" and reflects how it is usually sung today

It's a Wonderful World (Jan 31, 2014)

3 Good Things That Happened This Week Around the World

Don't watch too much of the news. You will quickly become depressed. Regardless of your political perspective your side is always on the verge of loosing. Calamity abounds. People are killed. Fortunes are lost. War is just around the corner. All news is bad news.

In his book "What is Wrong with the World," G.K. Chesterton discusses the problem with only focusing on the evils of the world. 

  The only way to discuss the social evil is to get at once to the social ideal. We can all see the national madness; but what is national sanity? I have called this book "What Is Wrong with the World?" and the upshot of the title can be easily and clearly stated. What is wrong is that we do not ask what is right.

And there are a lot of things that are right with the world. Each Friday I will post 3 good things that happened in the world during the week, big and small along with links to articles about them. You may have heard of some of them already. Others might have gotten lost in the noise of all the bad news we are accustomed to hearing.

Take a moment to let the cares of impending war and financial meltdown fade away. Refocus on what is good in the world, following the advice of Paul the Messenger of Christ, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Phil 4:8)

1. Toilets.  Diarrhea is the number one killer worldwide. The two big ways to bring it down are clean drinking water and proper sanitation. UNICEF reported this week that 2 billion people have gained access to toilets since 1990.  As a result of this and other factors, child mortality in developing countries continues to fall. We're winning the war, one toilet at a time.

2. Snow. People came together across the ice covered south to help those stranded by the crippling storm. People provided food, shelter, and assistance to complete strangers. Businesses across the south such as a Chick-fil-a franchise near Birmingham also joined in to feed motorists stranded on the highway at no charge. One doctor even traveled six miles by foot to perform a life saving surgery. It turns out that there really are good people in the world. And even flawed people often do great things for others when the need arises.

3. Peanuts. For some people, exposure to peanuts can be life-threatening due to an extreme allergy to the protein in peanuts. This week, researchers in the UK announced that peanut allergies have successfully been treated with small doses of peanuts. Who would have thought? After six months of peanut therapy, 85% of participants were able to consume 5 peanuts without a reaction. Please note, this study was done under intense medical supervision. Don't try this at home!

Stop Studying Theology

Stop studying theology if it fails to change your life. If it's a mere academic pursuit, then just stop it. It's worthless. Worse than worthless, it deceives you into thinking you are right about something. That you've found the way when you haven't. Academic knowledge is never the way. Following Jesus is the Way.

Stop talking about your beliefs if you don't act on them. So what if you understand the Trinity. You don't have the love of the Father, the leading of the Son, the fellowship of the Spirit. Admit you don't believe that God is good if you are going to repeatedly fail to do good when you have the power to act.

Don't tell me you believe people are made in God's image if you are going to walk out the door and ignore the people you pass by every day. Cease your rants about man's sinful nature if you do not mourn the sin in your own life.

Don't tell me about the doctrine of God's sovereignty and then go worry and fret, as if everything depends on you. Don't explain how man has freewill and then live as if you have no control over your own body.

Your knowledge sows death as you parse Greek tenses and debate textual differences. You are quick to condemn those who interpret your Bible differently than you. And the dying world looks on in wonder, glad to keep their distance from you and your theological correctness.

Don't deceive yourself into believing your lofty  teachings are a service. Avoid the delusion that correcting bad theology is a benefit to God and others. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can write a blog about following Jesus in place of actually following Jesus. More often than not our talk is just a waste of time. Our study is an exercise in futility.  Our teaching is hypocrisy.

God does not need any of us to explain Him, as if we even could. Here is what he wants from us.

"Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously."
(Micah 6:8, The Message)

I Don't Really Care About Global Warming

As I'm writing this in my warm cozy apartment, it's 3° Fahrenheit outside. It didn't get over 10° today, as we sit underneath a voracious polar vortex. I laugh to see people using this singular cold snap to prove global warming is a hoax.  I find it equally humorous when people see the deep freeze as sure evidence of global warming.  What?

I'm not a meteorologist, and neither are most of the people who make such brash claims. So I don't really know the truth about global warming. I don't know if the earth is warming, or cycling. I don't know if humans are to blame for the alleged warming. It doesn't seem unreasonable that we are. But it really doesn't matter to me either way. The threat of potential global warming will have no impact on the decisions I make about consumption, fuel, food, or waste.

But this is what does make an impact on my decisions about consumption, fuel, food, and waste: God said "Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.” (Gen 1:28 MSG) God holds me responsible for the world he has made. God has given us a mandate to take care of that world. We are co-rulers with God. And if we reflect God's heart, we will rule in a way that blesses everything under us. We will be a blessing to the land, the plants, the animals, and the people who depend on them.

God's greatest gift to humanity up to the advent of Jesus was the world itself. Designed by a masterful planner, the world has given us resources to build and grow and make an easy life for ourselves. God gave us a world full of animals, fish, trees, minerals, and farm-able land and fossil fuels. And every good gift comes from God (James 1:17). But the gift was given along with the responsibility to rule wisely.

It blows my mind that people who allegedly believe the Bible are often the harshest critics of responsible care for the earth. They drive their big SUVs and drink water from disposable bottles, and throw away excessive amounts of garbage, while refusing to support policies that protect the earth from the destruction humans are capable of. This is not responsible rule of creation. This is not obeying God's mandate to be responsible for every living thing on earth.

Regardless of the latest scientific views on global warming or popular environmentalist fads, followers of Jesus should be leading the way in responsible care for God's creation. Christ-followers should be the first to recycle, even when it's not convenient. Those who claim to be Christians should go out of their way to reduce their use of fossil fuels and other polluting chemicals. People who love Jesus should be champions of green energy, public transportation and better urban design, biking, walking, and green space. We should be using the creative powers God has blessed us with to find new ways to protect His creation and preserve it for those who will come after us.

We can do better. I want to be a better ruler of creation, so I am dedicating myself to being responsible for the environment around me. I challenge all of my readers to make a resolution to pick up one new habit this year to improve the part of creation you rule. Perhaps you can reduce your waste by  recycling or composting. Perhaps you reduce your consumption of fossil fuels by biking to work when the weather is suitable or even using public transportation for the first time. You could start by getting a refillable water bottle to take around with you. The possibilities are endless, and we don't have to join Green Peace to do it.

Refuse to let the world pass by. Be the ruler God intended you to be. He has given you an amazing gift called the world. Use it well this year.

The Story of 2013

Welcome to my written life. Look back at my posts over the last year and you get a bit of a story. This is the story of how I have tried to be more like Jesus in 2013.

I pondered a lot of theology this year. People or events raised my awareness to certain issues and I sought to not just be right about them, but to live right about them. I noticed injustices, sex trafficking, underpaid workers, even whole nations of people who are being oppressed and forgotten. and felt compelled to speak out on their behalf.  But I learned that the biggest injustices are the ones I perpetuate with my own excesses. So for much of the latter half of this year, I have set out to mark my life with simplicity and discipline. It has not been an easy path, but one well worth taking.

Here three of my favorite posts of the year. These each represent lessons God has been teaching me. They are personal. But they also represent the common condition of all who seek to follow Jesus in the real world. If you only have time to read three, these are the one's I'd suggest.

1. Let's Talk about Fasting - No one ever taught me how to fast, or even that I should fast. I set out to discover what it was all about, and at the end of my first seven day fast I came to this conclusion: we need to spend a lot more time on this.

2. Because We Can - This is about the time my seven year old daughter challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to help others. Sometimes the Holy Spirit sounds a lot like a second-grader.

3. Running to the Fire - Who was Ronnie Smith? Learn about his genuine life, his beautiful death, and how he isn't all that uncommon among Christ followers. "Ronnie ran to the fire. Ronnie fought the fire. And in the end, Ronnie wins."

There are a lot of things about me that I am still not happy with. I get caught up in a lot of the same old hangups I have struggled with for years. I can be kind of self-serving at times. It's not that I don't care about you, I just didn't notice that you exist. Sorry about that.

But when I look back at the last year, I can also see a lot of things I am happy about. God is not done with Zach Spiering. I am a different person than I was January 1, 2013. I have learned to be a more disciplined person (usually). I have a better perspective to view my money and possessions. I have learned a lot about being a better father. I have become more active in serving people.

This year I saw my readership expand. I am not a breakout success. None of my posts have gone viral. But more and more people are reading what I write. Maybe there's something to that.

I am not done changing. I am not done growing. As long as my journey can help and inspire yours, keep walking with me. Let's see how God leads us in 2014 as we seek to live like Jesus every day of the week.

4 Reasons Why Jesus is Better than Santa Claus

"So what's this Santa Claus about?"
When I am hanging out with international friends around the holidays, especially those from a non-Christian background, the most difficult thing to explain is the relationship of Jesus and Santa Claus. Who is this Santa guy and what does he have to do with Jesus' birthday?

The short answer is that Santa was basically adapted from various traditions by retailers to create a demand for toys and other gifts around the holiday season. But his impact in the holiday traditions goes far beyond that. He is celebrated in art, film, stories, and song. He has become the spokesperson of a holiday in a society that is desperately trying to avoid anything religious or controversial.

But Santa is both deeply religious and controversial. The religion he represents is practiced throughout the year in America. The religion he symbolizes is also in conflict with the religion centered around Jesus. So we need to look at the two carefully and decide which religion we want to embrace. Or rather we need to decide which person to put at the center of our lives. This holiday season when you are deciding who to lift up in your graven images, religious stories and worshipful songs, consider these four reasons why you should pick Jesus over Santa.

1. Jesus Loves Bad Kids.

"...he knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake."

Santa is presented as a jolly guy watching over all the kids, determining who is good enough to get Christmas presents and who isn't. If you're on the "nice" list you get a new toy. If you're on the "naughty" list, you get a lump of coal, or so the tradition goes. Lately he's enlisted the help of the elf on the shelf to keep a close eye on everyone. Perhaps kids are sneakier than they used to be and Santa can't keep up with all that naughtiness. Santa represents a love that is conditional. Be good and you get blessed.

Jesus represents a love that is unconditional. It's not that Jesus doesn't see what's going on. It's not that Jesus doesn't care. "Go and leave your life of sin," he tells one "naughty" girl. But Jesus does not hinge his blessing on someone being good enough to deserve it. Jesus frees us from the elf on the shelf, or anyone else looking over our shoulder to judge. The gospel emphatically proclaims, "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1)

2. Jesus Loves Poor Kids.

Each year Santa brings the rich kids big expensive presents like IPads and XBoxes and ponies. The poor kids of the world get little or nothing. If Santa does bring them a nice present, it often coincides with their mother's wedding ring disappearing and Dad trying to get it out of "hawk" wherever that is.

Jesus favors the poor. He loves everyone the same, but he knows the poor need a little something extra. So he came to heal their diseases, loosen their bonds and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, good news to the poor (Luke 4:11). Jesus said blessed are the poor and woe to the rich (Luke 6:20 & 24). Jesus knew the rich had everything they needed. They didn't need more toys and games and electronic devices. The poor needed his help, and he helped them every chance he got. Jesus followers still make helping the poor a focus to this day.

3. Jesus Encourages Generosity

Santa seems to have near infinite wealth. Out of that wealth he scatters presents to the good rich kids of the world. Santa teaches kids that there is no need to appreciate  their parents who saved and sacrificed to bring them a gift. It's a jolly guy in a red suit with magical reindeer. Contrary to the popular notion that Santa brings out the innocence of children, Santa actually speeds their depravity. If it's just a guy with magical reindeer, ask for everything you want. Beg and plead. and whine when you don't get it all.  Millions of kids write wish lists to Santa, but how many write him a thank you card? Santa has turned gift giving into a greed fest for kids.

Jesus leads people to be givers, not takers. Jesus' greatest gift cost him everything. Even though he gives it freely, he asks those who receive it to give just as freely (Matt 10:8). Jesus says to give to others as a way to give back to him. As a result, his followers become more and more generous, content with what they have, and using it to bless others.

4. Jesus Changes the World

Santa is a monotonous tradition. He comes back every year to do exactly what he did last year (except we hope he brings us a better gift this time). He never tackles the big issues. He just smiles, ho-ho-hos, and heads back up north for another year, leaving us to figure out our own mess. Jesus came to bring a kingdom that is filling the whole world. Nothing will be the same again.

Jesus' kingdom advances every time we forgive someone, every time we repay evil with good. The Kingdom comes nearer when the hungry are fed, the innocent are protected, and the naked are clothed. The Kingdom comes when people get a vision of the love of God shown to them and go out and spread that love to the world. Today Jesus works primarily through those who follow him all around the world, blessing rich and poor alike, healing diseases, pulling people out of desperate situations and showing them unconditional love. Jesus is still very much at work, changing the world one life at a time.

Running to the Fire: An Eulogy for Ronnie Smith

On Dec 5, 2013 American teacher, Ronnie Smith 
was gunned down during his morning jog near his home in Benghazi, Libya, where he taught at an international school. He leaves behind a wife and a young son. He was 33 years old

I never met Ronnie, but we did have some friends in common. From what I've learned, Ronnie was a passionate follower of Jesus. He loved the people of Libya. His students and coworkers describe him as a dedicated teacher. He also saw his role as something more than just an educator. He was shining a light on a very dark place. He worked to bring the kingdom of God to everyone he met.

There are several similarities between Ronnie and me. Like Ronnie, I am 33 years old, the approximate age of Jesus when he died. Ronnie and I are both teachers. I also lived in the Middle East, teaching English. Like Ronnie, I am a father and a husband. Like Ronnie, I see my life as more than just doing this or that job. I live to shine light and speed the kingdom of God.

Unlike Ronnie, I have never lived in a really dangerous place. Although, I am sure my friends and family worried about me a lot, the Sultanate of Oman is a safe and peaceful country, with a crime rate much lower than the U.S. I was never threatened once in my two and a half years there. 

But Benghazi is different. What the heck was Ronnie doing there anyway? A review of recent history reminds us that Benghazi was home to the bloodiest battles of the uprising to overthrow former dictator, Muammar Qaddafi. Less than a year ago it was the site of a terror attack on a U.S. embassy. Benghazi is home to a number of radical Islamic groups, some with ties to Al Quaida. Benghazi is not a nice place to be. Everyone with half a brain is getting out of Benghazi. But not Ronnie. Ronnie was doing everything he could to get in.

Eventually someone will try to make a martyr of Ronnie. I doubt he would consider himself to be one. Although a dedicated follower of Jesus, his faith probably had nothing to do with his becoming the target of terror. It probably had more to do with his nationality and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it is no accident that Ronnie was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ronnie had learned what followers of Jesus have known for hundreds of years. Jesus did not run away when death was on the line. Neither do his followers. When there is a fire everyone runs to get away. Christ-followers run back to the fire to help others.

Ronnie is certainly not the first to run into the fire. There was a hermit named Telemachas who willingly entered the Roman Colosseum and stood between the gladiators, imploring them to put down their weapons and stop killing each other. His blood was the last spilled in the Colosseum. There were the five missionaries who decided to love the most brutal tribe in the Ecuadorian jungle. When attacked, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming did not return fire, but willingly gave up their lives. Then there are countless others who's names are lost to history. People who hid Jews, bandaged wounds, smuggled Bibles, entered war zones, leper colonies, and every dirty place imaginable, because Jesus led them there.

I am preparing to move to one of the more dangerous cities in America. Some of my friends and family are rightfully concerned. Although we will be living in a relatively safe neighborhood, it will still be a big step down from Joplin, MO. Detroit is no Benghazi, but it's no picnic either. I am well aware of the risks. I also, like Ronnie, know the reward of following Jesus even into the hard places.

"If there's any single person in the entire universe that you can take a chance on, it's God." Ronnie once said. Ronnie took that chance. Ronnie ran to the fire. Ronnie fought the fire. And in the end, Ronnie wins.