I noticed a few days ago that the men's bathroom at work has a bank of four urinals. In accordance with man law, it's very bad form to take a urinal adjacent to someone already peeing: protocol dictates one empty stall as a buffer. So why then would you design a bathroom with an even number of urinals in a row? You're basically wasting a space because only two people can pee in a bank of four, whereas two people could still pee in a bank of three and maintain the necessary one stall separation.
Recently, I went to a social gathering with the men from my church in Saratoga. We ate wings and drank beer and for this particular Monday night, the men gave sound wisdom and supportive prayer for one of them who was about to get married. I generally like these guys, and I realized that I felt somehow that they were more real, genuine people because they were at ease with themselves and because they drank, smoked, and cussed about as often as I do, which is something you rarely find in a group of men who take their faith and their church seriously. The pastor was there and everything. Now, it's obviously true that these vices or habits have nothing to do with being either authentic or pretentious, or even good or bad. But it's interesting that I had to consciously recognize my thought as an errant misconception. Winston Churchill's quotation, "Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice," came to mind, and while you can debate its truth, I think the perception is a powerful one.
I know a lot of strong Baptists out there who would flip out at the presence of alcohol at a church gathering, and I tend to opine that you shouldn't add extraneous rules to biblical living: just because you don't like alcohol or you think social drinking is a bad idea doesn't mean you can make it a biblical principle not to partake. And the same with smoking or cussing or gambling. And I hate the idea that what separates us from the world is anything other than the redemptive grace and salvation of Jesus Christ, as opposed to the stereotyped behaviors of not-smoking, not-drinking, not-cussing. But at the same time, one has to pause upon reading Romans 14, which says that even the perception of sin can easily lead fallible people to real sin. And while it's not the case for me, could some people be motivated by the desire to be perceived as a "cool Christian" as opposed to a churchified square? Because doing anything solely for that reason would also be a bad thing.
Things to think about at tomorrow night's poker party, and by think about, I mean think about while I'm possibly smoking, drinking, and gambling.
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Why?
Some people keep prayer journals, to archive their thoughts and experiences with God and with life. I think I'd lose an actual journal if I kept one, but it's a lot harder to misplace the Internet. So here are my thoughts about God and about life. I am not always right, but I am always honest. I put them online because I think real community begins when we open doors that we normally keep shut.
5 comments:
1. I like you.
2. I hope you win (poker).
3. I think you'd really like the sermon from GBC this week (it touches on some of the same points as this post), and I'd send you the link, but it isn't online yet. pity.
1. I like you, but not that way.
2. I hope you win, unless you play me.
3. I've wondered about this issue as well - the squareness you describe is assumed to be what a "good Christian" is almost by default now; I do see a lot of people doing the "cool Christian" thing simply to differentiate themselves from the stereotypical Christian group, but their argument might be that they're becoming "all things to all people" as Paul did - reaching those that wouldn't listen to a "churchified square" otherwise.
I've been reading an interesting blog which purports to explain psychologically our propensity for frowning upon drinking, smoking, cussing, etc as being byproducts of fear of death (and fear of the physical body which reminds us that we'll die). Makes me wonder about how these standards got to be so standard in the church.
1. I LOVE you.
2. I hope you lose terribly so that God teaches you a lesson.
3a. On urinals: I'm pretty sure I've seen men occupy adjacent urinals...a lot. Of course, that's only when all non-adjacent urinals are occupied. The two urinals at the original Ninfa's in Houston are uncomfortably close to each other.
3b. What's my redeeming vice?...Or do you not trust me?
3c. For me, the issue deals with proper stewardship. As a good steward of my money, I don't gamble with significant amounts of cash; I try instead to live a prudent life so that I can devote as much resources as I can to advancing the Kingdom. As a good steward of my body, I try to remain as healthy as possible, which includes not smoking, not drinking, not eating meat, and exercising. That said, there are Biblical principles about the use of your tongue and the use of alcohol (some would say abstinence, others moderation).
And on the other hand, there are many who, with some good reasons, don't believe the Bible condemns pre-marital sex. Now, *that* would make you a cool Christian.
Recently I played poker for money for the first time ever, so I must be getting more cool. Maybe almost as cool as you, but I'm not making comparisons.
Regarding the urinals, my complaint is that several times I've seen a bathroom with three urinals, and a guy was using the middle one, meaning that to use either of the other two would require breaking a man law. What's up with that?
Jesse, "I've been reading an interesting blog..." Link?
Trying to keep the balance between the "cool Christian" and the "churchified square" is definitely a tough one. I try to often be the cool christian so that I can relate to the people who need God's love the most and wouldn't want to hang out with a churchified Jesus freak, but sometimes I find myself becoming a bit too much like them, which is more of a problem then being on the far other side.
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