Christianity Challenges Every Culture's Heroes

Last night at the dinner table, my family was discussing the challenges that missionaries face in different cultures.

For example, the cannibals on one South Pacific island had difficulty accepting Christ's gospel because they saw Judas Iscariot as a hero. Their culture promoted betrayal as a virtue. If you could make someone believe that you were his best friend and then betray him, he would become the choicest morsel.

In one area of Asia dominated by an oppressive regime, missionaries experience difficulty in persuading new believers to confess their faith publicly because of fear of persecution. In their culture, a hero is synonymous with anyone who survives, whatever the cost. Cowardice is a virtue.

As we discussed the situation, we came to realize that Christianity challenges our culture's definitions of a hero, too.

In government, a politician can become a hero despite his support of the unnecessary killing of pre-born children. Apathy, neglect, and malice become virtues.

In entertainment, a rap artist can become a hero by performing songs advocating murder and the abuse of women. Hatred becomes admirable.

In business, a man can become a hero by being ruthless and dishonest with his competitors. Selfishness, greed, envy, and dishonesty become our values.

In video games, one can take on the persona of a hero by becoming a virtual rapist and cop-killer. Senseless violence and ruthlessness become virtues.

Christianity challenges every culture's heroes. The Holy Spirit tells Christians, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

How to Become an Effective Christian

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Dad, Why Are You Not Voting for Barack Obama?

"Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,'
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?" (Proverbs 24:11-12)

Among the virtues Janet and I are attempting to instill within Christopher are concern for vulnerable people and the courage needed to protect them. He knows a little boy about a year younger than himself who has developmental disabilities. The little guy is physically weak and mentally slow, but he loves Christopher. The problem is: he can't keep up with our son. He cannot wrestle, and he cannot even defend himself verbally when playing with the other boys. So Christopher knows that it's his job to protect the weaker little boy.

Last week, Christopher asked, "Dad, why are you not voting for Barack Obama?" I would have loved to have told him that I was voting for Mr. Obama. I would have loved to have been able to point to Senator Obama as another positive black male role model for my son to emulate, but I could not. I explained to Christopher that some people kill little babies before they are born, while they are still in their mothers' tummies. Barack Obama will not try to protect those babies. Instead, he defends the people who kill them.

Immediately, Christopher understood. He knew that something is wrong with a man who will not try to protect innocent and vulnerable people. He comprehended why his mother and father could not vote for Senator Obama, despite the man's personal charisma. Our son has already started to internalize our values.

Of course, Christopher's next question was: "What about John McCain?" I could not answer his question yet. His choice of a vice presidential running mate will give us a hint about how seriously he takes his responsibility to protect innocent people from those who would harm them. Perhaps we will know in a week or two, but for now, I'm pleased with our son's developing sense of moral responsibility.

Barton W. Stone: Family Man

With Father's Day approaching, I would like to share John Rogers' description of Barton W. Stone as a devoted family man. Two hundred years ago, Mr. Stone was a leader among the early American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. Mr. Rogers' description of his family life helps explain why so many disciples of Christ respected his leadership during his lifetime.

I have retained the original spelling in this excerpt:

"B.W. Stone possessed all the elements of a truly great and good man. In the domestic and private walks of life, where men act under least restraint--where they develope their true principles, there he shone with peculiar lustre, as the imbodiment of every private and domestic virtue. As a husband, he was kind, devoted, tender, obliging, faithful; as a father, he was fond and attentive; he lived to promote the happiness of his family. Never man loved the domestic circle more than he. He carefully brought up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; night and morning asking the divine blessing upon his family, and committing and commending himself and them to the care and protection of the Heavenly Father. His was truly a house of prayer--his a Joshua's resolution: 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' The writer of this sketch was much about the house of the venerated Stone, for many, many years; and it affords him peculiar pleasure to say, he never heard him speak a harsh or unkind word to any member of his family; nor does he remember to have seen him angry, during an acquaintance of a quarter of a century. In patience he possessed his soul" (The Biography of Barton Warren Stone by B.W. Stone and John Rogers, p. 248).

The Little Boys of Summer

Christopher before one of his games this year.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood ran a challenging series of posts about boys and baseball on its blog this week. I found the series to be not only challenging, but also inspiring as we wrap up Christopher's first season of Little League baseball. The series may be found at

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Take-Me-Out-to-the-Ballgame-Baseball-Biblical-Masculinity-and-Godly-Character-Part-I

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Take-Me-Out-to-the-Ballgame-Baseball-Biblical-Masculinity-and-Godly-Character-Part-2

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Take-Me-Out-to-the-Ballgame-Baseball-Biblical-Masculinity-and-Godly-Character-Part-3

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Take-Me-Out-to-the-Ballgame-Baseball-Biblical-Masculinity-and-Godly-Character-Part-4