Thank God for Prime Rib

I got to reading Romans 14 last night. And this chapter might as well have been titled something like “Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Adventists”. For it focuses on what to eat and what not to eat; an issue that – although not at the centre of Adventist theology – has had a profound impact on our identity. Sadly, one might add, as Tvesok has done.

Consider these passages from The Message version:

“For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table.

If you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for the prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli.

If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!” (Romans 14:2-4,6,15-16, Msg)

Some would no doubt be quick to point out that Paul is not talking about clean and unclean meats here, that he would not even regard unclean meats as food, and thus they are not part of this picture. Perhaps. But that is not the point – no, Paul is not talking about clean/unclean, he isn’t even talking about food per se, he’s talking about accepting other points of view than your own and embracing fellow Christians in spite of differing opinions.

“So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you?” (Romans 14:19, Msg)

There are many Christian churches, and none will agree on every single issue. There are many Christians, and none will agree on every single issue. The question is, do you focus on the issues where you disagree, or on those where you agree? I say, let God do the judging.

Two Worlds Apart

When I last left for Australia, in December 2006, I was breathing a sigh of relief. I was happy to go – as always, since Sydney is a great place. But furthermore I was happy to get away from it all. I was leaving behind me a seemingly unresolvable situation. I was in love, and she knew it, and she didn’t envision any future for us. I was crushed, and I clearly remember being moved to tears while watching “Sleepless in Seattle” somewhere over the Timor Sea. The trip proved a good respite from all that, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to leave it behind me for a while.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Katrine is now my girlfriend and has been for seven months. So when I leave for Australia today, the emotions are somewhat similar, but also altogether different. This time, it’s not great to get away from her; it’s sad that I won’t see her again until July when she joins me down under. My tears are not for the fact that she doesn’t love me back; they’re for the fact that she does, and that we’re going to be apart for too long. I am filled with the sorrows of saying goodbye, but also with the joys of having found true love. I am looking forward not to returning to Europe in 2009, but to experiencing Australia together for an extended period of time.

I post this from Copenhagen Airport, while waiting to board my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. This is it. I’m going. An old song comes to mind… an Australian one, incidentally:

Don’t ask me what you know is true
Don’t have to tell you, I love your precious heart

I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

We could live for a thousand years
If I hurt you, I’d make wine from your tears
I told you that we could fly
‘Cause we all have wings
But some of us don’t know why

I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

INXS: Never tear us apart

A Sign of the Times

I just came back from camp meeting. Seventh-day Adventists from all over Denmark gathered at Himmerlandsgården for the annual 4-day retreat, with meetings and socialising. There are many traditions, and a wide range of people with very differing opinions. As such, it is a good spot to gauge the mood of the church.

At first, I was tempted to title this post “Oh, What a Circus” (cf. Evita). There is still a lot of patting ourselves on the back, maintaining the sub-culture, and spreading fear of the outside world. The selection of books on display included titles such as “Harry Potter, Witchcraft and the Bible” and “Back to the old paths”. Pampering to fear and traditionalism is always a seller.

On further notice, however, the camp showed positive signs. One thing is the new features (a different marquee, a foyer tent with hot drinks, free ice cream on Sabbath, a new campground site for caravans, and other nice touches). But overall, people simply seemed to be having a good time. Now in a church that has had somewhat an identity crisis the last decade, that is encouraging, and not necessarily a given.

The clearest sign of this was the Saturday evening meeting. Usually this is a youth meeting for the whole church, planned by the youth department. And often these meetings have included drama, satire and provocative messages. I am told that in my father’s time as youth director he would often have angry members tell him off the next day for going too far, and the conference president defying the accusations. In recent years, however, the meetings have been gentler, and the theme has often been unity – probably a health precaution, trying to bridge the gap that some people see in the church. Not that those were bad meetings, but last night’s version had more edge than I’ve seen in a long time. It featured a brilliantly casted and well-performed drama which had the guts to make fun of the president’s accent, caricature other executives, and paint stereotypes of how not to be an Adventist. The message was clear and right-on: telling people about Jesus should be simple and easy.

I see that meeting as a symptom of a sea change in the church in Denmark. We laughed a lot and had a great time together. We may finally be shedding the conflicts of late and moving forward together.