Daniel Darling's Blog, page 14
October 14, 2020
How to Navigate the Election at Work
Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but we are in a divisive election season, perhaps one of the strangest and nastiest in recent memory. Politics is dividing people in churches, families and even in workplaces. But it doesn’t have to. As God’s people, we should model for the world what it looks like to love and get along with those who think differently than we do, to be both courageous and open-handed, convictional and humble at the same time in neighborly love.
So here are three warnings for employees as we head down the home stretch of this election.
1. Don’t lose your job
You are passionate about your political opinions and want to speak on behalf of the issues important to you. I get it. I think it’s important for Christians to speak up and speak out in times like this, to bring the truth of the gospel to bear on the world around us. And yet we need to be wise in the ways that we speak out. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 urges us to “Have an answer for every person for the hope that lies within us, but do it with gentleness and kindness.” It matters not just what we say, but how we say it and especially so on social media platforms.
There are a lot of ways to easily get in trouble on social media and even jeopardize your job by posting something in a fit of adrenalin and rage. It’s important to understand that your personal social media profile represents your company in some way. It’s important to understand your organization’s social media policy. Even if it is fairly permissive, remember that if you post something intentionally provocative or insensitive, you put your company in a difficult position. This doesn’t mean we should be silenced or not speak up, but we need to be wise about how we do it. Courage doesn’t mean being obnoxious or embarrassing our coworkers.
Read more here:
Photo credit: Robert Agthe
What The Bible Says About Working for Religious Liberty
In America, unlike many places around the world, people of all religions can, for the most part, practice their faith freely without government intrusion or invention. This is a blessing that we often overlook and, at times, forget we enjoy. Many of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world worship God under threat of death. They gather in secret, in homes, in caves, sometimes underground at great risk to their lives. In America, we not only can gather freely, but we have access to a flood of spiritual and theological resources. We have Christian schools, parachurch ministries, mission agencies, and other institutions that serve the church.
If you, like me, have grown up enjoying religious liberty, it might be tempting to think it will always be here. But just like previous generations of Americans fought to preserve religious liberty, it’s important for our generation to do that same work, to ensure our children can live out their faith freely in a pluralistic society.
But increasingly many Christians are questioning the value of religious liberty as an unqualified good. Increasingly the idea of religious liberty has become polarized, especially as it conflicts with the sexual revolution. Christians making arguments for religious freedom are often labeled intolerant and out of step. And sometimes Christians make arguments for religious liberty that are less than civil. So many in the church today are wondering if the fight is even worth it.
Because Jesus called us to take up our crosses in self-denial, to lay down our lives for others. So it can seem incongruent to then appeal to our civil authorities, to work to elect people who promise to protect religious liberty. It seems this is at odds with gospel mission. But is it? What does the Bible say about religious liberty?
Obviously, the Scriptures were written in a very different setting than the one we currently enjoy. Followers of Jesus in the first century didn’t have the opportunity to shape their governments like Christians in democracies like ours enjoy. And yet Scripture is not silent on the power of the state and the importance of protecting the human conscience.
Here are four Biblical justifications for fighting for religious liberty:
1. Jesus addressed religious liberty.
When approached by two fighting religious factions about the morality of paying Caesar’s tribute, Jesus offered an interesting response: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s (Mark 12:17). Most of us read this as Jesus telling us to pay our taxes. He is doing that, but he’s doing so much more. Jesus is making a bold declaration about the power of the state and the primacy of the human conscience. He is saying that there is legitimate power delegate to civil authorities by God for human flourishing (Romans 13), but that there are certain things that the state has no right to take and control. Caesar is not Lord of the conscience. Belief that is coerced is a denial of the basic human dignity of the individual, an assault on the imago de. So Jesus, in a seemingly innocuous statement about taxes, reminds the powers that be that their authority is limited. Jesus also, in his trial, was unafraid to appeal to his rights as a Roman citizen when they were wrongly denied (John 18:23)
photo credit: Ted Mielzarek
Church Unity and The Presidential Election
We’re living in one of the most divisive years in American history, with a raging pandemic, racial tension and a contentious election.
When I talk to pastors, they’re grieved at the way brothers and sisters in Christ are so divided—grieved at the way people are talking to each other and about each other. So how do pastors lead people through this season?
I can’t say authoritatively how every pastor should lead in their own context, but here are three broad principles:
1. ADDRESS THE MOMENT
A temptation for pastors in this moment is to never mention politics or the moment we’re in.
The fear is that no matter what a pastor says, there will be opposition. This may be true, but as shepherds of God’s people we can’t afford to ignore what our people are talking about.
This doesn’t mean we have to rewrite our sermons every week to match Twitter timelines or cable news, but we should be ready to help people navigate politics as Christians.
This involves two things. First, we should address important issues where the Bible speaks: race, the sanctity of life, character, poverty, etc. Faithful Christians disagree on specific strategies and policy positions.
It’s not the pastor’s job to get in the weeds on marginal tax rates or the size of the social safety net, but should bring the Word of God to bear in a way that helps Christians live out their faith in our democracy.
Second, we need to guide people in navigating politics itself. It’s important we help people understand how to engage well in the public square, to make arguments—not enemies, to oppose evil, but love those with whom we disagree.
If we are to equip people to live on mission for God, we should equip them to approach politics in a redemptive way. We should do this by being both pastoral and prophetic.
A lifetime of faithful and present ministry helps us challenge people in ways that will help them think well.
photo credit: kgroovy
October 8, 2020
The Way Home: Trevin Wax on the dangers of looking outward and inward for identity
Our culture tells us that the secret to personal happiness is following our hearts. But what if this path to personal happiness leads to a dead end? Trevin Wax, the senior vice president of Theology and Communications at LifeWay, joins me on The Way Home podcast to discuss the dangers of looking outward and inward for our identity.
Show Notes
Guest Biography: Trevin Wax is senior vice president of Theology and Communications at LifeWay Christian Resources and a visiting professor at Wheaton College. He is the general editor of The Gospel Project, and the author of multiple books, including Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, Eschatological Discipleship, and Gospel Centered Teaching.
Twitter: @trevinwax
Latest Book: Rethink Your Self: The Power of Looking Up Before Looking In
October 1, 2020
The Way Home: David Zahl on why everyone is religious, especially online
We live at a time when many are fretting about the decline of religious adherence. But David Zahl, founder of Mockingbird and prolific author, says people have not lost religion, they are just practicing in ways we don’t recognize, such as the way we do activism or parenting or politics. He joins me on The Way Home to discuss his book Seculosity and why finding ultimate satisfaction in Christ is the antidote for our age.
Show Notes
Guest Biography: David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the popular Mockingbird website, and cohost of The Mockingcast. He and his family live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church.
September 24, 2020
The Way Home: Dane Ortlund on what Jesus is really like
Christians know Jesus loves them and died for them, but what is the heart, the character of Jesus and why does this matter? Dane Ortlund, author and pastor, joins the podcast to discuss his bestselling book, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sufferers and Sinners.
Show Notes
Guest Biography: Dane Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) is chief publishing officer and Bible publisher at Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, where he lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five kids. He is the author of several books, most recently Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.
Blog: Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology
Twitter:@daneortlund
September 18, 2020
How Podcasts Shape Our Preaching
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend may seem like odd preparation for preaching. But I’ve found the podcast to be a helpful elixir as I get out of the world of sermons, commentaries, books, and conferences to think about engaging with people on Sunday. In his conversations with other comedians, Conan gets into the pathos behind entertainers’ acts and the hard work it takes to produce a simple laugh. I was struck, for instance, by Ray Romano’s admission that his father’s refusal to give him approval is what drove Ray to try so hard to get laughs, and by Howard Stern’s description of how, as a boy, he took to cracking jokes about his neighbors to help relieve his mother’s severe depression.
As with these candid conversations, the work of a pastor often involves helping people get underneath their behaviors to a deeper understanding. And preaching, at its best, can lift back the layers to help us see ourselves as we really are.
Podcasts are part of an explosion in the popularity of on-demand audio content. According to research compiled by Podcast Insights, over 1 million podcast shows and over 30 million podcast episodes are currently available for listeners. Half of American households are podcast fans, and, when surveyed earlier this year, 37 percent of the US population said they listened to podcasts in the past month. The rise of podcasts is due, in part, to the ubiquity of smartphones and the ease of accessing on-demand audio. But it also seems to be a reaction to a visual world of blips and fast cuts, of surfing and scanning, of headlines without context. It’s an underground revolution that prizes nuance, deep diving on issues, and long-form conversations that defy our incessant need for tribalism and scorekeeping.
Read more here.
Photo credit: Mike McKenzie
September 17, 2020
The Way Home: Rhyne Putman on the arguments Christians should and shouldn’t be having online
Show Notes
Guest Biography: Rhyne R. Putman (PhD, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) is an associate professor of theology and culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has served since 2010. He is the pastor of preaching and vision at First Baptist Church in Kenner, Louisiana, and has published multiple volumes and articles, such as The Method of Christian Theology and In Defense of Doctrine. Rhyne and his wife, Micah, currently reside in New Orleans together with their two children.
New Book: When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity
Twitter: @rhyneputman
September 10, 2020
What I’ve Learned About Work from Working At Home
For most of my career, I’ve gone to the office. There is something to the ritual of getting dressed up, leaving the house, and reporting to work. My father didn’t do white-collar work, so I never saw him grab a briefcase, but I did hear him stir in the early morning hours before hearing the garage open and his work van pull out of the driveway. I’m glad my kids were accustomed to seeing me leave to go and do what we are created to do: work, create, and innovate.
But this pandemic has forced us into new rhythms, hasn’t it? In the last few years I’ve spent more time working from home as my employers have given me that flexibility, but one day a week working at the kitchen table turned into five days a week in a newly-created office space as COVID-19 initiated a massive exodus from corporate spaces.
I’ve had mixed feelings about working from home all these months. On the one hand, I miss the camaraderie of an office, the casual drop-in conversations that often spark new ideas, and the seemingly idle banter that shapes the culture of an office environment and builds friendships.
And yet, I’ve enjoyed working from home in many ways. Though I’m focused on my work, my wife and kids are always nearby. We’ve gotten closer as a family in these many months together, enjoying meals and walks and conversations, some intentional, some impromptu. I also don’t hate dressing less casual, with sweatpants as the new workwear.
Most of all, God has helped me see work in new ways. I’d like to share five of them here.
Read more at ERLC.
photo credit: Ivan Radic
Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories have always existed in American life and have especially risen during election seasons. But in these times, during a global pandemic, racial tension and an unusual presidential contest, it seems belief in outlandish and disproven narratives is reaching new heights.
Easy communication via digital platforms, access to seemingly unlimited content online and deep distrust of key institutions in public life have created a toxic brew that many of our fellow citizens are willing to imbibe in times of fear and uncertainty.
So how can we combat misinformation? Many are pressuring the social media platforms to be aggressive about moderating content, a job that is both increasingly thankless and seemingly impossible. Others are rightly urging faith communities to work to push back on false information with the truth. But while these efforts are vital, there is work all of us can do to combat lies with truth and facts.
First, we should work to persuade those in our sphere of influence when they are tempted to go down a rabbit hole of misinformation. We do this, not by elitist condescension, but by humbly pushing back and providing facts, by loving our conspiracy theorist friends and not engaging in endless arguments that alienate rather than inform.
Second, we should work, in the areas in which we have power, to provide clear and transparent leadership. Belief in conspiracy theories rise when trust in key institutions is low.
In the past several decades every institution in American life, from the government to the media to the church, has failed us in some way. When people can’t trust those who lead them, they are prey to outlandish ideas that explain away the discomfort of their disappointment. Let’s work to be trustworthy in the areas under our control and create atmospheres of trust and goodwill.
Third, we should do our part to resist the urge to spread disinformation. If you’ve read this far, it’s unlikely that you believe the moon landing happened on a stage lot in Phoenix or that Bill Gates cooked up COVID-19 to enrich himself, but you may have played a part in spreading disinformation if you have recently posted sensational stories without context.
Read more at USA Today
