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I’ve read the Da Vinci Code. I plan on seeing the movie, which I hear is better than the book. I liked the book. It was a fun read.

I have no interest in discussing Dan Brown’s scholarship or lack thereof. Anyone who paid attention in seminary has heard of these extra-biblical sources and knows that Mr. Brown’s book is an adventure story and not a biblical or historical treatise. The Da Vinci Code has roughly the same relationship to biblical and church history that James Bond has to the world of secret agents. And hey, what’s wrong with that? It’s a good read. Like a Clancy novel.

If you would like a more careful analysis of the claims that Dan Brown makes in The Da Vinci Code, you should drop by The Christian Century. Their last issue dealt with this subject very thoroughly. Take a look here, here, here, and here.

I’m interested in two larger issues that this whole Da Vinci Code debacle has brought to my mind. The first is interesting, but the second is more important.

First, when will religious groups finally figure out that publicly denouncing a book or a movie is the surest way to guarantee its success? Religious people never seem to understand that the world is filled with people who do the exact opposite of whatever they suggest. Hell, I'm one of those people myself. If I hear that church people hate a movie, I'm in line for tickets on opening day. Has the Church forgotten Salman Rushdie? Would any of us know that name if he hadn’t been condemned by the Muslims? Has the Church forgotten Martin Scorcese’s movie, “The Last Temptation of Christ?” In that case, the Church in America single-handedly turned a mediocre movie into a blockbuster hit.

Nice move Church. Perhaps you should have added some basic chess lessons to your seminary curriculum.

But whatever. If the Church wants to make a lot of money for Dan Brown and Ron Howard, what do I care? Both the book and the movie will be off the radar in a few months. Nothing will have changed.

The second thing I’d like to mention is more important for the Church to consider. Christianity is a major, world-wide religion. It is 2000 years old and is the largest common expression of spirituality in the history of humanity. Does the Christian Church really need to worry about a book and a movie? These things are here today and gone tomorrow, almost literally. The Christian Church has withstood the Roman Empire, medieval Christianity, and the Age of Enlightenment. Somehow the Church even manages to survive its most dangerous challenge - scandal, decadence, and corruption within its ranks. Will Dan Brown now topple us?

I understand a carefully worded response to scholarly inaccuracies, but I don't understand the anger, the outrage, and the hoopla. Anything more than a gentle, factual correction is as silly as if George Bush were to show up at Patooka Elementary School with the secret service because a 4th grader said something mean about him. It's as silly as if Ron Howard and Tom Hanks were to show up at my door, screaming at me for lifting a Da Vinci Code graphic from their website. Why would they bother? What threat am I to them?

The best and only appropriate response for the Church is to be about the business of the Church. Don't we have, I don't know, CHURCH things to be doing? Or even better, human things to be doing? If our love of humanity was as radical as Jesus called it to be, then we would never have to say a word.

In my mind, every time the Church responds to something like this with angry words, it is a bold indictment of our lack of active love, and therefore lack of relevance in this world.

rlp

Salman Rushdie
The Last Temptation of Christ 

The rationalization is always the same. For the security of the homeland, or the fatherland, or whateverland, the government needs the freedom to act with no "interference" or accountability.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement, the Washington Post reported.

The secret facility is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents, the paper said Tuesday....

The existence and locations of the facilities -- referred to as "black sites" in classified White House, CIA, Justice Department and congressional documents -- are known to only a handful of officials in the United States and, usually, only to the president and a few top intelligence officers in each host country, it said.

The CIA and the White House, citing national security concerns and the value of the program, have dissuaded Congress from demanding that the agency answer questions in open testimony about the conditions under which captives are held. Virtually nothing is known about who is kept in the facilities, what interrogation methods are employed with them, or how decisions are made about whether they should be detained or for how long....

Although the CIA will not acknowledge details of its system, intelligence officials defend the agency's approach, arguing that the successful defense of the country requires that the agency be empowered to hold and interrogate suspected terrorists for as long as necessary and without restrictions imposed by the U.S. legal system or even by the military tribunals established for prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay....

Click here to read the whole story

The Gulag

We all have our own reasons for respecting the basic, unalienable rights bestowed on humanity by the Creator. In my case, my spiritual tradition will not allow me to view humanity and human rights along national lines. My love of democracy has taught me that everyone deserves a fair trial of some kind. My God, what if someone is in there by mistake? What if someone grabbed the wrong person? And even if some of those detained are guilty, do we not still bear some responsibility to see that basic human rights are upheld?

Secret prisons, secretive interrogation methods, no accountability, no provisions made for even the most basic of human rights. We treat serial killers better than this. Is this my country, the land that I love? Is this the United States of America, the beacon of hope and freedom and the champion of individual rights?

What the hell is going on here?

rlp

As the week went by, I became more and more uncomfortable with the idea of having a "normal" worship service today. I couldn't bear the idea of doing our normal things and then praying for the victims of Katrina somewhere in the middle of the service. So we began our worship by talking about what we can do. It felt right. I felt good about praying after we had pledged ourselves to be involved with tangible, physical needs.

So here's what our church is going to do. Four things.

First, displaced and homeless people are being sheltered in a couple of locations in San Antonio. At Kelley Air Force Base and in an unused mall. The need for baby supplies is critical. So we are going to gather diapers, bottles, formula...you know, baby stuff. Someone will drive it directly to one of those locations on Tuesday.

Second, Jeanene's hospital already has patients from the Gulf region. Some are from hospitals in New Orleans. Others are people with health needs that became critical after they left town. Many of them came in with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and more are coming. Jeanene's hospital needs clothing for these people.

We're going to put together outfits in bags. Pants, underwear, socks, and a shirt in each bag. Jeanene will be taking those to the hospital all week long.

Third, we are going to approach one of several possible organizations that is pairing homeless families with host homes. We don't know the details of how this will work yet, but one family in our church has an upstairs area in their house that is vacant. They have volunteered. Our education building has showers and could perhaps house a family or even two if needed. We'll just have our bible studies elsewhere for the time being. We'll begin the process by connecting with an organization that is helping to make this happen, but we don't know when this will take place.

Fourth, we will want to provide food and supplies for any families that end up with us, so everyone in our church is encouraged to buy a few extra goods at the store when shopping. These will be put in a pantry at the church for families that end up at our church or at one of our homes.

In the event that we do not get to host a family, we'll simply donate the food to someone who does have a family.

I have gotten emails and comments from people far away who would like to be a part of this. No problem. Just click the "Support RLP with Paypal" link, (top left) and make a notation in the comment area that you wish your gift to be used for families in need.

I will take your money and go straight to the store to buy baby supplies, food, or clothing for people that we are helping. Every cent will go to a family in need. As things progress, I'll keep you posted on what happens.

This is the way it will get done. One family at a time.

rlp

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

                                                 Matthew 25:34-40

As we all know from watching endless hours of CNN, the disaster along the Gulf of Mexico is bigger than anyone imagined. Many hard questions are being asked of our government. It is hard for us to understand how we can be so efficient at war, but take days to respond in force when people are in desperate need in one of our own cities. That's a good question to ask, and it WILL be asked in days to come.

But let's set that question aside for now.

Right now we need to know what we can do to help. Large agencies will handle the relief efforts in large ways. The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, and others will be tackling the many large problems that are coming and are here now. Thank God for them. They need our help and our generous donations.

As each displaced family begins to try to build anew, what will be needed are smaller groups of people who can help one or two families. In the weeks, months, perhaps years to come, each family will have their own set of needs and challenges. That's where you and I come in.

Tomorrow morning our worship service will center largely around how our small church is being called to help. I don't know what we will decide to do, but I'm of a mind to take care of that business before we take care of the business of praying, singing, and preaching.

I am not the president of our church. I am not in charge of decisions like this. I am but one of the servants of Christ. So I can't tell you exactly what we are going to do. I can tell you that my wife went to her hospital today and worked for 8 hours. (She is a chaplain) She and the other employees of Southeast Baptist Hospital met individuals, not statistics. One older man arrived with nothing but the clothes on his back. He has no idea where his wife and family are. Jeanene opened the plastic bag where his clothes were stored and was stunned by the awful smell. He hadn't changed his clothes since the hurricane hit. They got the sizes off the tags and took a quick survey. One nurse said, "That's my husband's size." She left immediately, went home, and came back with an armful of clothing.

This is the kind of thing that needs to happen. And it will happen. We are a generous people at heart. I believe that.

Our church has a building with showers. We could house people there. Since we live in San Antonio, we are already getting refugees. Houston has the more immediate and dire needs, but we'll do our part. I've gotten emails from Real Live Preacher readers, wondering how they can help. Certainly you can give money to the large relief organizations. You'll have no trouble finding them. God bless you for that.

Tomorrow I will tell you what Covenant Baptist Church can and will do. If you desire to help some individuals, there will be a way for you to do that through us.

I'll write again Sunday evening and tell you more.

rlp

I'm sure we've all been glued to the television, shocked by the extent of the damage on the gulf coast, particularly in New Orleans. Perhaps some are wondering what can be done. I suggest you visit "Truth Laid Bear" where a number of bloggers have listed charities that will be helping. Here is a direct link to the charity page. Most bloggers had a favorite charity. I did not list one. I'll simply point you in the right direction.

One more thing. A group from the rlp chat room are hoping to do some praying and talking (those two merge together sometimes) today in the chat room. If you are interested in this, drop by the chat room. If no one is there, create a room for prayer/discussion by clicking the "add" button. If you see a room like that, drop in if you want. I will be there myself at around 10pm CST tonight.

I know that praying is a thing that is a little intimidating to those who are not actively involved in it. Perhaps you worry that it will be "Jesus this" and "Jesus that" until you feel very left out.

I don't think so. Not with the people that are normally in our chat room. Whether you want to pray, talk, or even listen to what's going on, check in there off and on today. There's not schedule or organized effort. It will happen when it happens.

peace,

rlp