Detox

I've noticed that in the last few weeks, I've been overly critical of people. I'm not sure where it's coming from but I'm concerned. I mean every day, we hear and see things we don't like or agree with but it's usually not a big deal. Walking down the street, you see someone litter but you don't exercise your right to make a citizen's arrest. You just think they are an idiot and walk on. (This is an example for those in the NW who are more environmentally conscious. :) ) But the other day, I drove to the grocery store and parked next to a row of handicap parking spots. I thought it was great that I got such rockstar parking. But as I got out of the car, a woman zoomed into the spot next to me (that would be the handicap spot) and bolted out of her car toward the store. I speed up to catch up to her and said, "do you know you illegally parked in the handicap spot?" (I have NO idea what got into me. I usually don't confront strangers on the street.) She said she did know. I should have let it go then, but I just go so mad, I said to her, "so it's just fine for you to just break the law like that?" Her response was to say, "no, it's not fine, but I'm not gonna be long." She was not apologetic at all in her tone. She sounded very justified that she should be able to park there because she can get away with it. Most people would say what she did was wrong but it's really quite fascinating how people can justify things that are wrong in their mind. I'm sure she would have said something like, "there were like 5 empty handicap spaces, what are the chances that 5 handicapped people would need the space in the next 15 min." There are so many ways we can make it ok in our mind.

The reason I'm writing this story is that I've been critical of people lately, not really the illegal parker (I'm totally justified in calling her out :) ) but I'm been critical of Christians whom I disagree with. It's not really about one topic or another. It's kind of encompasses the general idea that Christians feel they have the freedom to do whatever they want because they are justified by God. That theology is completely true but I feel that Christians put a higher value of their personal freedom than they do on the greater good of others. Corinthians 8 says "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." Paul also says in teh Bible that "Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial." I wonder why freedom is such a strong value in the US. I know all the sociological reasons that Americans value freedom, but why do American Christians value it so much over other Biblical principals. This is a hard question. It's like the principal that fish don't know that they live in water. We as Christians don't know that our experience is different that others. We don't know that materialism and consumerism is destructive, we've never lived apart from it. We don't know that other societies value family and community over freedom. I respect people who will fight for their freedom to do things that they value, I wonder why American's fight (although not literally) for personal freedom above community well being. When I discussed this with my pastor at Mosaic, he thought I was going through "Detox" after being in ministry for 10 years. Purging things, even good things from your system can be very painful. I don't have night sweats yet but I'm definitely very uncomfortable lately in this culture. Call it the American or the Independent Northwest culture, but it's hard, not just because I think I'm right. It's just hard living with the understanding that values clash.