JOHN CROWDER / ON LOVE & FAITH
In this engaging conversation, John Crowder and Jason explore their personal journeys of faith, transformation, and the challenges of navigating spirituality in a complex world. They discuss the importance of community, the impact of personal experiences, and the shift in understanding God’s love and grace. The dialogue also touches on the role of social media in shaping conversations about faith and the need to challenge religious myths. Ultimately, the discussion emphasizes the long game of love and the journey of discovery in understanding the goodness of God.
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Website: www.johncrowder.net
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Podcast intro and outro music by Wilde Assembly
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10 Rules Of Engagement For Social Media
I’m not a great list maker, that’s Karen’s gift, but over the last few years I’ve been asked on occasion about my “rules of engagement” on social media; particularly regarding how to navigate disagreement, or how to interact with those who are unkind, angry, afraid or accusatory.
Sacrificial love is my guide. I know this love to be like Jesus on a cross, unoffended, forgiving, and reconciling all to Love. There is no “us and them” in this good news, we all belong to each other. With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have had through the years.
1. If I am not willing to lay my life down for the person I am disagreeing with, I shouldn’t comment.
2. We are after understanding, not agreement. And honor is the road traveled to get there.
3. It’s not about being right, it’s about being love. I’m here to REVEAL love, not DEFEND my ideology.
4. Love keeps no record of wrong. I don’t have a right to hold onto offense.
5. Reaction creates an equal and opposite reaction. Love is responsive, fear is reactive and doesn’t lead to life. Don’t react, respond.
6. Empathy and compassion are expressions of kindness and it’s kindness that transforms the way one thinks. Be kind. Always.
7. Apologize when I’m wrong and especially if I am unkind; publicly and privately.
8. If I love exposing hypocrisy more than I love the hypocrite, then I have no part in what Jesus is doing and nothing of value to add to the conversation.
9. Everyone is doing the best they can.
10. We belong to each other.
“If love is the answer, community is the context, but tenderness is the methodology.” Father Greg Boyle
Swords, Spears, Guns, and Lasers
I was reading through my social media streams from this year remembering the battle of Gethsemane.
You remember…
…when Jesus kissed Judas on the cheek…
…as a signal to Peter.
Then Peter unsheathed his sword and, with one powerful swing, beheaded the servant where he stood.
Remember how for a moment everyone was shocked, then, before the Roman guards could react, Jesus, like a samurai, pulled out a hidden blade strapped to his back and, with visually stunning precision, spun in a death circle as he cut his way through his enemies.
Remember how his disciples, who were thought to be sleeping but were actually hiding in wait, sprung their trap by jumping from the brush with swords, spears, guns, and lasers.
Remember their justified biblical Amalekite model; how their approach to this battle was supported by 1 Samuel 15:3 where they did “not spare them; putting to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
Remember how they were joined by a host of raging superhero death angels shouting “Glory in the highest,” and “On earth, as it is in heaven!” while they committed acts of retributive justice that would make Quinton Tarantino blush.
Remember how after the fighting, while priests and guards lay dead, Jesus’ bloodlust was satiated in the final act of hanging Judas from a tree so everyone would know what happens to those who betray Jesus? Remember the sign Jesus hung from Judas’ dangling foot, “You tell em I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me!”
It was a holy massacre, the fundamental foundation for the gospel message of “peace on earth and goodwill toward men…”
Yeah, I was reading through my social media streams from this year remembering the gloriously battle of Gethsemane fought by Jesus and his followers in defense of his kingdom; remembering the foundational story of our faith, where Christians viciously destroyed anyone who wouldn’t believe as they believed…
…You’ve likely seen this movie, and while it makes for an entertaining and even satisfying film, it’s a horrific gospel. No good news in this narrative, just living and dying by a sword; just revenge porn presented as justice…
But what if…
I Need a Waterfall
I read a meme online this week.
“Some poor phoneless fool is probably sitting next to a waterfall somewhere totally unaware of how angry and scared he’s supposed to be”
And I thought, “I am exhausted.”
And then I thought, “Oh Jesus, forgive me. I have been outraged. And rightly so. But along the way, I’ve become angry and scared.”
Systematic racism has been the primary focal point of my righteous outrage. But even as I’ve focused there, I couldn’t help but notice in my peripheral other great injustices.
There’s the systematic racial abuse of millions in China, there’s the new outbreak of Corona Virus in our overcrowded and broken prison systems. There are thousands of children enslaved in the brickyards of Pakistan. Inequality is ravaging our world. And I am outraged!
Then there are the approximately 11,00 babies aborted in the US this week. This means there’s 11,000 mothers and fathers who lost their sweet little ones this week under the devastating pretense of a better future. And I am outraged!
Then I read about a new injustice at our southern border, about the abuses perpetrated on impoverished nations by big pharma, the newest disgusting Trump tweet, the newest gross Biden controversy, another story on how my city is a hotbed for human trafficking. And I am outraged!
And I’m exhausted.
I need a waterfall.
I need Jesus.
And not the outraged, flipping tables, calling out Pharisees and exposing religious and corrupt government systems, Jesus. And also not the, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, calming the storms, raising the dead, Jesus.
I need Jesus, the personal, cry together, laugh together, relational connection with my best friend, Jesus.
I need the triune Jesus. The “it is well with my soul” intimacy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus.
The confident knowing of the pleasure my Father takes in my presence, Jesus.
I turned off my news feed today. I found a waterfall and gave Jesus all my anger and fear. It wasn’t helping anyone, and it was killing me. And Jesus replaced it with grace and love. And it flooded me like mighty rivers…
His grace filled me and reminded me that my only focus today is to be one with my best friend, to receive and grow confident in the perfection of His love. And then to love others in the compassionate expression of His goodness, to live as a response instead of a reaction.
In grace, I can weep with those who weep, but I can also speak to Lazarus, “come forth!” In grace I can flip tables in outrage, but only because I am also willing to lay my life down for those behind the tables.
The outrage that changes and saves this world is the outrage of love. And so I lean into His love, a relational grace; the empowering evidence of my friendship with Jesus.
And now, no longer exhausted, I am ready.
Full of life, I am ready to love in all the transformative ways love does.
Turn off your news feed for a minute.
Go find your waterfall today.
Grace.
Put Your Sword Away
“I don’t understand,” races through Peter’s mind over and again.
Shaking and disoriented, he breaths heavy. There’s blood everywhere, it’s spattered across Jesus robe. Peter can taste the iron saltiness of it on his lips. He stands frantic with desperation over a mutilated piece of flesh. Angry tears blur his vision; he grits his teeth and, with trembling hands, moves to strike again.
“Put your sword away!” Jesus commands.
Peter barely recognizes his Lord and friend’s voice. The night is full
“Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
It felt like a fist to the jaw; everything Peter believed, being sifted like wheat.
Peter watches as Jesus leans over the man he just struck with his sword. The man, now on his knees, whimpers as he clutches violently at the right side of his head; blood running between his fingers, down his arm, dripping from his elbow.
Jesus leaned over him “touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
And Peter has seen this so many times, Jesus’ kindness, His goodness, His healing, His sovereign love.
“I don’t understand” races through his mind again as Jesus, the man he loved, the man he followed with all his strength, the man he had just given his life for, admonishes him, “All who draw the sword will die by the sword…”
“I don’t understand,” tormented Peter as he followed the prisoner Jesus through dark city streets and finally into the temple grounds.
“I don’t understand,” ravaged his heart as he denied he knew the man he loved, once, twice, three times.
“I don’t understand,” wrecked his soul as he caught Jesus’ eye from across the courtyard just as the rooster crowed.
“I don’t understand” sifted all of him like wheat as he fled the temple grounds.
“And he went out and wept bitterly.”
“The theology of control perverts everything, even our passionate love of God! Sovereign control manipulates love into a desperate defense of our broken ideology.”
Just hours earlier, Peter thought he understood; he thought he knew. He promised he’d never deny Jesus, “Lord I’m ready to go with you to prison or death.”
Just hours earlier, Peter believed Jesus’ kingdom on earth would need swords and men willing to use them. It would require sacrifice, the willingness to die for Jesus, and also, the willingness to kill for Jesus.
The theology of control perverts everything, even our passionate love of God! Sovereign control manipulates love into a desperate defense of our broken ideology.
We see it evidenced throughout history: well-meaning Christians committed to murder in order to defend their idea of God.
The mindset is alive today. Open up Facebook and you’ll see it—well-meaning Christians attacking others to defend their idea of God.
It’s everywhere, well-meaning Christians preaching from church pulpits, political platforms, across the web and airwaves, attacking a person or organization in order to defend their idea of God.
Well-meaning Christians destroying families and friendships and derailing great moves of God; well-meaning Christians manipulating scripture to develop cult-like devotion to the desperate defense of ideologies absolutely contrary to the revelation of Jesus.
“Peter believed that, if the kingdom was to be established on earth as it is in heaven, at some point Jesus must assume control. There are still so many Christians today who believe this… Except, Jesus never once modeled this. ”
Understand, Peter didn’t truly defend Jesus; he truly defended his belief about Jesus. My point? While Peter’s defense was true, it wasn’t the truth that sets free.
Peter believed that, if the kingdom was to be established on earth as it is in heaven, at some point Jesus must assume control. There are still so many Christians today who believe this…
Except, Jesus never once modeled this.
Peter’s belief in the lie of sovereign control ultimately set him against the very revelation of Jesus and led him to do something perversely contrary to sovereign love.
The
Please get this, if your understanding leads to anxiety and fear, you don’t truly understand. Put your sword away!
If your love of God leads you to act out of fear, you need a greater revelation of His love. Put your sword away!
“If you feel you must attack someone in order to defend your thoughts about God, it’s a good sign your thoughts about God are wrong. Put your sword away!”
If you feel you must attack someone in order to defend your thoughts about God, it’s a good
If you find yourself desperate and insecure on God’s behalf, you don’t have the whole story. Put your sword away!
Desperation is not a sign of spiritual maturity, it’s a sign we are not yet sure in sovereign love; it’s a sign we’re still journeying into a greater revelation of His goodness, our minds still being renewed…