Character

Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from contributing friend, Brittany Sichting.

Character is much easier kept than recovered. - Thomas Paine

Character is said to be the mental and moral qualities distinctive to a certain individual. As Christians, our character is the innate representation of Christ in us. We are to strive for every quality that God has, to be the true sons and daughters that he created us to be. At times it seems Christian place being joyful, honest, encouraging, and being an example first in their daily walk. While these are all qualities to strive for, sometimes we overlook the simple aspects of character.

Being genuine in your daily walk is one of the most overlooked and over-used character qualities. We tend to lump it in with the other top qualities and expect ourselves to remember to be genuine. Having a strong character is being able to show that you have genuine intentions for every interaction you have.

One of the simplest and most beautiful opportunities to be genuine is in a friendship. In this, God is letting his children use the character the he put in them to match up with another person and share their walk of faith together. Can a person's character be defiled in that one interaction that shows a lack of genuineness? It puts this question into a reality when you think of our God sitting across from you and you begin to feel that He is not being genuine. You would doubt the character of God, and you may question the relationship that you have with Him.

What if God treated us all differently? You felt like you were in the hand of God, but upon that one interaction you feel like maybe you are not in a true friendship. Having genuine character is a necessity in everyday life. An individual has to impose that unto the friendships that they have right now in their own lives. We are all children of the person who has the utmost genuine character of all time. As sinners here on Earth, we should expect those genuine interactions on a daily basis.

Treat each other like you would if God were on the other end of the friendship. Tell friends how much you love them, go into specifics on what you enjoy about their character and have a genuine attitude in all that you do.

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are a popular topic of discussion among Evangelicals. Identifying, using and encouraging one another to contribute to the Body through spiritual gifts is often stressed and mandated. Paul certainly stressed the importance of diversity and intentionality in regards to spiritual gifts.

There is the danger that spiritual gifts can be diluted and misidentified as personality traits. However, there must be a higher way, for personality traits are of the flesh, inhibited by circumstance and ultimately death. Spiritual gifts on the other hand are of the Spirit, all united in perfection in the Body. Each member remains individually vital to the livelihood of the Body.

And so it is that there remains a distinction between spiritual gifts and personality traits. Ultimately as the Spirit dwells in us, our spiritual gifts become a part of our personhood while removing more and more of the flesh, which are our sinful natural tendencies.

Therefore, while remaining individually significant, we lose more of ourselves in order to gain Christ so that we may more fully be a part of the Body through the means of our spiritual gifts. The magnitude of importance cannot be fully realized until final perfection is achieved where the Body is fully united in the coming of Christ.

Here I Am, Lord

"Here I Am, Lord" is my favorite hymn, arranged by Dan Schutte, a Roman Catholic composer. The hymn was first made known to me growing up in a United Methodist church, but have heard it recently in an American Baptist and an Evangelical Covenant congregation.

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
my hand will save.

I who make the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my words to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.

Finest bread I will provide.
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

Interfaith Quoting

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I?" - First Century Palestinian rabbi Hillel

"To see the other side, to defend another people, not despite your tradition but because of it, is the heart of pluralism." - Eboo Patel

"[The dream of pluralism:] the idea of different communities retaining their uniqueness while relating in a way that recognizes they share universal values." - Eboo Patel

"Our challenge is to discover the ways in which we differ and learn to value the differences. Only then can we join with Krister Stendahl, Luterhan Bishop Emeritus, who asserts that if we truly live into our Christian calling we will experience 'more than tolerance, more than reluctant recognition of the actual pluralism that surrounds us relentlessly.' He goes on to say the Christian calling allows him to sing his song to Jesus 'with abandon...without speaking negatively about others." - Amanda Millay Hughes

"In order to be obedient to that commandment [to love one another as he has loved us], I understand myself to be required to participate in conversations in which I am not afforded the last word or the luxury of full agreement, compliance, or conversion.”-Amanda Millay Hughes

"Those of us who have been involved in interreligious dialogue know how exposure to people of other traditions deepens and challenges our understanding of our own traditions.”-Anantanand Rambachan

"We cannot ignore the fact that the United States is now the world’s most religiously diverse nation, and our teaching and learning here must be cognizant of the challenges of this fact. A college of the church seems to me to be a particularly appropriate place to identify and explore the many new questions that continue to be generated by our experience of religious diversity, and I welcome the opportunity to explore such issues…” -Anantanand Rambachan

The Shutdown

Today in Minnesota, DFL Governor Mark Dayton and Republican House Leaders continue to disagree about a state budget. Now, this is no family dining budget disagreement. It's not like choosing McDonald's versus Olive Garden. We're talking about $1.8 billion of disagreement.

Earlier this year, democratic legislators in Indiana and Wisconsin fled to Illinois to stall legislative proceedings, again, over disagreements. Even the federal government threatened a shutdown in early April when Congress and the Administration could not agree.

These sort of political quarrels happen quite frequently, but the media thrives on such occasions as if doomsday is coming (which ironically did come and go in May). Why does the media love this? Because it's a portrayal of elementary school.

When a state or the federal government threaten a shutdown due to budget disparities, the media provides transparency, which is occasionally useful. What we see, as a result, is a playground, usually called a capitol building, in which young (very old) children (legislators) are fighting over who gets to play with the kickball. They spend the whole recess time fighting over the ball and neither one gets to play.

What if they compromised to share the kickball? The common retort to such a proposal: "I can't compromise my ideology." However, contrary to popular belief, to compromise does not mean to abandon your beliefs and by some strange means inherit the beliefs of your 'enemies.' Rather, it means that you agree to disagree, to live in peace, to recognize the beliefs of others while steadfastly living your own beliefs and being humble enough to admit that you're not the Almighty Creator.

Quite frequently, in terms of one's religious beliefs, it is said that one must walk on egg shells when working and partnering with persons of other beliefs because you do not want to 'compromise' your beliefs (usually rooted in the fear; perhaps the fear that you may actually be converted?) However, human to human, we must compromise in order to live in peace, in order to achieve any sort of social progress.

The alternative is the recess showdown portrayed by Democrats and Republicans; nothing gets done and all of a sudden recess time is over and we're out of time to make a difference. The same is true of our short lives.

If a government shutdown teaches us anything, it teaches us that if we haphazardly cling to our identity titles, there is simply idleness. Perhaps if we lived our identities by practicing love, compassion and peace, not only would we pass budgets, but we'd change lives for eternity.

Compromise with others; steadfastly live your beliefs.

The Random Benefactor

Each day, billions of economic transactions occur through various mediums of exchange. One gains, while one loses, only to be gained and lost again. Along the way, however, a portion of each transaction is reserved, not to be spent and lost again. A constant give and take with a little savings, if you will.

Relationships are formed in much the same way as trust is imparted and experience binds. Relationships also differ from economic transactions, in that upon death, all is exhausted personally, that is, savings are obsolete. Thus, instead, relationships invest in the phenomenon of random benefaction.

Each man is a random benefactor, giving up a part of himself, which is invested in others during life. Such investment is added among other investments until a whole man is formed in demeanor, personality, and motivations. This is done under the assumption that no benefactor can take any investment with him upon death and thus all must be given humbly to another, sometimes randomly. That is, our actions and words may be imprinted unintentionally, and yet the benefaction has occurred.

Each day we are random benefactors to colleagues, family members, waitresses, store clerks, etc. We invest in others, though not always intentionally, and that investment creates, is shared and invested, and the cycle continues. Thankfully, the demonstration of love and knowledge of Christ, is an eternal investment.

Benefacting increasingly is less 'random' as death approaches. Since every day is one day closer to our demise, we learn from the dying that benefacting demands intentionality - to share investments with others humbly; to give all in order to gain Christ and to give all in order to love.

The Haunting

"I am haunted by humans."

If you've read The Book Thief you are familiar with this quote made by Death. Within the context of the literature, it is quite moving and a uniquely exhilarating and chilling conclusion. Outside of the context of the novel, there is also much to be said.

Human beings are of supreme creation, no doubt about that. Imagine what other species, if indeed granted the intellectual ability, must think of humans. Destructive, yet creatively industrious. Each unique, yet strangely related by genetics and personal characteristics.

Christians hold to the doctrine of being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Though of no divinity, humans professing to Christ possess the divine Spirit. This too is a strangely haunting and yet beautiful aspect of personhood.

With the ability to do good, and the same ability to do evil, we too possess the capability of discovering beauty despite destruction and evil, holding to the notion that "something good must come even from bad."

I, too, am haunted by humans. I believe it to be in the same regard that I fear the Lord, with reverence, lack of omniscience, and perhaps most importantly, a desire to know more.

This fear, this haunting, while beautiful and yet sorely misunderstood, captivates my desire for knowledge. To discover not only why humans behave as they do, but to know the supreme Creator who being of perfect nature embraces love, and all that is good, despite a fallen state of being. How be it so that with one hand we praise and with the other we sin but to acknowledge the haunting nature of man, who knows both good and evil.