For those of you that have missed me, I’m back… for those of you who have been happy I’ve been gone, oh well… I’m back anyway,still the same old unusual and mildly aggressive me.  Winter and early spring just happens to be very busy for me in my day job, but that’s behind me for one more year.  I don’t know why this topic has been eating at me lately, but it has.  It’s the concept of intellectual honesty.  Meaning, simply… let’s not be stupid.  We can disagree on theology, the purpose of our walk, whether Jesus’ commands were intended to be taken literally, even if Jesus was who He said He was or not.  That’s all fine by me.  I LOVE discussions with thinkers who disagree with me.  Not only are they fun, but they challenge me to strenthen my own beliefs.  Since my faith is solid, I love it when someone finds a hole in my logic, because it points out errors in my thinking that I can go back to the Word and improve upon.  You don’t get that by talking to people who believe the same way you do.

But intellectual dishonesty is calling a cat a dog, insisting that 1+1=96, etc… I see it all the time in all walks of life.  I’ve always been baffled by it, so I think about it.  And I think I’m starting to see what drives it.  It’s typically a defense system.  Nothing threatens us more than a forced admission that we are wrong, especially when our error requires a significant sacrifice to correct.  Our minds reject that admission, and are much more ready to accept that 1+1=96 than to accept our own error.

In the context of care for the poor, Jesus’ admonition that we love our neighbors as ourselves, our role a part of the body of Christ… debate and discussion over the interpretation, the historical context, balance with other scripture, how to fit that into living in western society; all of that is good stuff, things we can legitimately disagree on.  But there are other objections I face on these topics that indiciate either complete intelectual dishonesty or total ignorance of the condition of so many of our neighbors around the world.  I’ll give one example I’ve been faced with:

“Don’t tell me I don’t love my neighbor as myself - you have no ability to judge my love for others.”  OK, I’ll respond to that by using myself as an example.  First, hypothetical:  I have 10 gallons of clean water, in the middle of 20 kids so weak with thirst that all are suffering horribly and some will not survive the day.  I don’t share it with them because, well, I may need that water tomorrow, or next week.  Am I loving them as myself?  Second example: same scenario, but this time I give one of my ten gallons, knowing that some will get nothing and some will not survive the day.  Am I loving them as myself?  Final example (NOT hypothetical): I have money in the bank that could, combined with that of others, provide a well to sustain an entire village where children die every week due to inadequate and dirty water.  I pay for satellite TV, ice cream when I want it, pet food, (occasional) vacations, jiu jitsu training, music downloads, the list could go on much longer… and every time I do I give clear evidence to the incontrovertible fact that I love myself infintely… INFINITELY more than I love my neighbors.

So if I tell you I love my neighbor as myself; I am a liar, a fool, or completely ignorant of the condition of the world around me.  I know I’m preaching to the choir with most of you here, but as you try to live out Jesus’ instructions, you will hear these kinds of 1+1=96 statements.  Let’s work to change the discussion.  We will face legitimate discussion and debate on many fronts, and we may find we are wrong on many.  But don’t tell me 1+1=96.  Don’t tell me you love your neighbor as yourself.  That’s ludicrous.  Now… do you really have an obligation to love your neighbor as yourself?  Is it even possible? If not, what can we do, where does grace fit in?  Those are real and legitimate questions.  Just don’t try to tell me that you or I already love others as much as ouselves. 

Great post, Jim. I think about these questions.  Your post reminds me of this NOT TO BE MISSED blog post by Linny over at APlaceCalledSimplicity. http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2010/03/we-didnt-get-memo.html

I would love to know what you think of her family’s take on this question and how they allocate their funds.

I agree with her thoughts completely.  But I fall far short, and I honestly don’t know to what extent we must financially sacrifice to match our neighbors’ state of living.  To really share fully and equally with those in the worst need, we’d have to let ourselves die.  I don’t think that is productive or the intent of Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves.  So where does our requirement lie if it is not literal?  Or is it somehow literal?  Those are the questions…

Questions we must answer, but questions we will never address if we allow ourselves to be distracted with (or satisfied by) intellectually dishonest questions and statements that should be dismissed out of hand.  I’m not suggesting we be rude or insensitive.  But we should change the conversation to topics precisely like those Linny raises on her blog.

Good post.  Yes, we don’t love our neighbor as ourself.  That should be an ongoing, sobering thing to be worked out in our lives.  But there should probably be a sense of urgency too.  A few thoughts:

Where does grace fit in?  Everywhere.  It fits in where I hope that the obnoxious mentally challenged guy behind me doesn’t involve me in his conversation even though I have two special needs kids.  It fits in where I subtly let my wife know she did something to upset me.  It fits in where I get angry at the driver that cuts me off.  It fits in where my mind wanders through half of the worship time at church.  And it fits in where I give less of my money than I could really spare.  Of course, we’re not supposed to accept any of our shortcomings as “just the way it is”.  But I am thankful that there is a safe place of grace for me to mature under.  Hopefully, I am doing that.

2 Cor. 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
    There is lots of other good stuff in ch. 9 that could be food for lots of discussion.  But the point I want to make is that Paul says to give as you purpose in your heart.  It is a huge stretch for some people just to tithe, and I have heard great testimonies of blessing as God shows His pleasure with that act of faith / love / obedience.  As I understand it, as long as we are breathing God will be walking us through seasons of stretching / testing / hardship to mature our faith and prepare our hearts for more Christlike purposes.  “...as he purposes in his heart…” should look different than it did 5 or 10 years ago.  That doesn’t mean that our giving should be “comfortable”.  But it shouldn’t be done out of fear, legalism, competition, etc.  Thankfully, there is even grace for impure motives.

You’re thinking just like I am.  I think what he really wants from us is an admission that His standard is impossibly high for us in our human condition.  But that His standard must be our standard even though we can never acheive it through our own efforts.  I just see and hear too many people allowing themselves to be distracted (or satisfied) by persepctives that would entice us to rest easy without growth or challenge.

Yes, and I know that is me resting too easy sometimes.  So we’ll keep trying.  Thanks.

I am glad you are back Jim.  Great post.  Great comments Barbra and Rich.

Perhaps we are beginning to realize that God can work around our weakness, imperfection, and selfishness if we submit to His power and obey His commands.  God gave us His grace because we need it, not because we might like to have it.  Even our best righteous acts look like dirty rags (Is 64:6) in comparison to God and His glory.  Jesus said in response to the rich man calling him “Good Teacher”, “No one is good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)

The “love your neighbor as yourself” standard or goal is unreachably high without Christ and Holy Spirit until we are risen again with Christ.  Before that time comes, we are encouraged and instructed by Paul in Philippians 3:12-16

“12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

I think “press on” means with His leading, His strength, His wisdom, His power, His provision, and His love.  Let’s press on together!

Amen.  That is encouraging.