Can I own a Hummer H2 and be a Christian?

Wow! What a question. This is basically the same question that was posed to me by Tony Campolo during a lecture at Maryville College, which I believe was about 8 years ago. He asked it with a BMW rather than the H2, but I felt that an H2 gets the spirit of the question much better. I will tell you now that my answer to this question is “no.” I do not believe that I could ever buy and own a Hummer H2 and be a Christian. This tells you that I am not an objective interviewer here. I am most definitely biased, and therefore you may have an inclination to tune me out right now (or already have). But I ask you to have patience with me and listen to my thoughts. This is only my answer. Others will undoubtedly have a different one.

When I began college, I did so with the intention of becoming a doctor. I remember thinking at the time that this journey to doctordom would lead to an elegant home and luxury cars. I mentally created a queue of cars and SUV’s that I would buy. I had one for family travel, one for husband/wife travel, and multiples for me travel. But at the same time as my monetary aspirations, I was also taking a spiritual journey. I was asking God who he was and how I could find him. In the years after I was asked the Question, these two journeys would collide again and again. Finally, I came to some conclusions about where Christ wanted me. I also came to an answer to the Question.

Here is my reasoning for my answer to the Question. In my understanding of Christ, I feel very strongly that we are to take care of those that are in need. I get to this Biblically using many references, but here are two. First we have Jesus telling the rich man that if he really wants to get it right, then he should sell all that he has and give it to the poor. Second you have the early church of Acts selling everything that they had and giving it to the church. James then follows this up in his letter by saying that half of true religion is to visit the widows and orphans in their affliction. So the church held all the money and its job was to help.

How does this relate to a Hummer?

How can I justify spending $60,000 on a Hummer H2 when I could spend $30,000 on a nice vehicle that provides the same function and have $30,000 extra that I could give to those in need.

But what if I’m insanely wealthy and $60,000 is just chump change plus I am already giving to people? My answer would be this. First, not buying the car and earmarking that money for someone else is still $30,000 more than what would have happened had I not purchased the Hummer.

Second, I am called by God to modesty and moderation, which falls under the second part of true religion where I keep myself unpolluted from the world. How can I reconcile this call with driving a chrome encrusted behemoth.

I know that I am not actually in a position for me to be deciding on $30,000. But even though I picked an unrealistic example for my life, I still feel it applies in every decision that I make. Do I desire those things that are far in excess of what is needed? If so, what is the root of that desire? Materialism? Servanthood? Piety? Godliness? Insecurity? Greed? Need?

These are questions that lead me to my answer to this Question. This realization has changed my entire outlook on life. It doesn’t mean that I will dedicate my life to living in poverty. I plan on having nice things, a nice house, and a nice car. God has already blessed me tremendously and I have every reason to think that he will continue to do so. What I do intend on doing is striving to be Christ like in my purchases and decisions by reflecting the Word’s values on charity and modesty.

Thank you for tuning in. You can now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

But, as it often does, life happened. First, a dear, sweet Sister in Christ went home to spend eternity with our Lord. I must say that Janice Huddleston will be missed, but after her long battle with cancer, there is a part of me that is glad that her suffering has ended. The funeral was a glorious display of God’s anointing and peace. To all of her family, I say the same thing that our Savior did. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (bold and emphasis mine)

We got up Saturday morning to go to “Mother’s Day Breakfast” at IHOP. (as an aside, I saw this weekend an ‘American House of Pancakes’. What a ripoff… Of course, it does allow one to say, “IHOP on over to AHOP”). We had already decided to forgo our trip to east TN, and I had called my dad to let him know. He, however, decides that he still wants to see the grandkids, so on his way home from Oklahoma, he calls to say he stopping in Nashville at a truck stop and wants us to meet him.

On our way out the door we decide that we might as well go on home and visit after the funeral. What’s more, we decide that Reagan is going to get a real treat. We let him ride to east TN in the ‘big truck’ with Papaw. He went nuts. My dad said that in the four hour trip, Reagan only stopped talking for the 10 minutes he fell asleep. Poor man! =)

And so, after the funeral, we went home (actually, we spent a few hours trying to get our van fixed, so we ended up leaving around 6). We got to my parents at about 10 and pretty much went straight to bed. It is SOOOOOO nice when my family gets around the kids. They never get to see them, so they want to hold and watch them the whole time. Sunday morning we slept until 9am! I don’t remember the last time that has happened. My dad? No, he didn’t sleep until 9 =). I’m not quite sure if Reagan ever did go to sleep.

After a rushed morning, we tried again for a “Mother’s Day Breakfast”, but Reagan’s booster seat was with my sister and my dad wasn’t giving up Elly, so it was just me and my sweet Dessa (we did finally get a mother’s day dinner on the way home in cookeville. We at at O’Charleys). On the way home to Nashville, we stopped by a little place called Chuck E. Cheese and Reagan, Lyndsey, and Jaydan (my niece and nephew) had a blast. On a related point, it is amazing how much money you spend on tokens to get tickets to purchase foam airplane.

It was indeed a busy weekend. Before I leave you, though, I want to say something. CONGRATULATIONS to my wonderful wife, Dessa! She has graduated with her associates degree in early childhood education and I could not be more proud of her for how hard she has worked to do this while being the best mom and wife in the world.

Okay everyone. Check out the pictures below.

The philosophy of Kaizen is at the root of this improvement. Toyota makes it easy for little things to be improved. Maybe a parts picker thinks that things will work better if a certain part is placed in a certain location on the shelf. Maybe the receptionist at the front desk says that the welcome sign’s color clashes with the building’s paint. Rather than being a top-down company where these small requests would be lost in a bureaucratic jungle, Toyota has built itself around a bottom-up philosophy where changes like these can get done. Do they all work? No, but the net result is continual improvement.

So, the word ‘kaizen’ stuck with me. Obviously it applies to my workplace and others’, where businesses could be substantially improved by focusing on the small improvements over the big splash (granted, though, that if you can do both successfully, the better for you). But I think it also applies to our personal lives, our churches, and our relationships.

Benjamin Franklin once decided to follow a system of continual improvement when he laid down his Thirteen Virtues. He would reflect daily on how well he was doing in regards to each and would often take a full week and focus on only one virtue. If we ever want to be successful in life or in death, we must have the same mentality. We must seek to always progress within ourselves and within Christ.

I also felt strongly that this Kaizen philosophy could makes its home in my church. As a caveat, you should know that I love my church and think it wonderful with wonderful people. However, just like in businesses, it is the small things that all too often slip through the cracks. I think a system that encourages the people to spot small, needed changes that would effect continual improvement would allow our leaders to focus on the bigger things. It’s something I want to think further about.

Kaizen. Continual Improvement. Are you better today than you were yesterday? What will you do today to insure continual improvement in your life?

It is now 6:18, and I here my son awake in his room. I didn’t see him all day yesterday, so I’m off to go give him some attention. How’s that for improvement? =)

The Word of God is so prevailingly clear in wanting us to take care of people that need help. Particularly the poor, the orphaned, the hungry, the oppressed, etc. Why do you think that James tells us that pure religion is “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”?

I did some self-examination this morning regarding this. I believe that I do well, relatively, in keeping myself unpolluted by the world. I’m not meaning that bragadociously, as my pastor would say, but just that if you break the pure religion quote up you get two areas; take care of others and take care of yourself. Those areas are not equally balanced in my life.

This is why there is a yearning to fill a void in my life. I’ve not completed the picture, so to speak. I’ve spent the last several years working on myself, and I can see the progress that Jesus has affected in my life. However, I believe that none of us can ever reach that 100x Christian that Jesus speaks of if we don’t seriously consider the other side of pure religion; to visit the fatherless and the widows in their distress.

To take it further, I don’t believe that it stops with only the fatherless and widows. There are many passages in the Word that talk about helping people, such as that above, that use more groups, so I’m going to assume that it is a general concept. We need to take care of people. And just as the title of an earlier poem of mine says, this is a message to myself.

Christ is not the same as ___________. Put whatever you would like in that blank. This Jesus that carried a cross up a hill, prayed until he bled, and bled for all, is not the same as anything or anyone else. I read 1st Peter in my devotion this morning, and the verse above brought me to tears. It struck a chord with where God is pulling me in my journey with Him. He is special.

Yesterday morning Dr. Trapani (a visiting minister. if you missed it, check out the sermons at newlifeac.org) talked about the treasure in the field. A treasure that enticed the man to buy the whole field just to get it. Christ is that treasure. The field can change. It may be a church, or a person, or an organization. The field is fluid. But the treasure, that is a constant. Christ IS that treasure. And that’s what Peter is saying. Set apart a special place in your heart for the treasure that you have found. Don’t treat it the same as you treat your favorite hobby or your sports team.

Dr. James Hughes once compared this treasure to the Crown Jewels of England, which are housed under tight security deep underground. What a treasure that must be, even though I haven’t seen it. Well, there is a treasure that I have seen. Not with a physical eye, but I’ve seen the work that it can accomplish in mine and other’s lives. I’ve felt it. And I’ve tasted that it is good. Far better than some big shiny rocks and far more worthy of protection.

“But in your heart, set apart Christ as Lord….” Today, set aside a special place in your heart. Purpose that Christ is going to have a portion that is reserved just for Him. A place where He doesn’t have to compete. He won’t feel neglected. He is a special treasure.

If you are interested, here are the verses before and after. If you never have (and even if you have), I would recommend reading I Peter on a regular basis. It is one of my favorite Scripture passages.

Verse 14: The rest of Verse 15 and Verse 16:

But in your heart, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”