Bishop Matthew Thomas's Blog

The saying goes “talk is cheap.” The underlying meaning is that anyone can do it. It does not require action or even truth to be exercised. The unspoken assumption is that since it is cheap, it is not persuasive or influential. However, though it is cheap it is also very persuasive and influential. That is why people engage in so much of it.

We are in an election cycle which reminds us how much talk is out there and how truly cheap it is. Claims are unsubstantiated; promises unkept; baseless attacks fly; skepticism and criticism bellows. Such talk continues regardless. Why? Because it works- or it at least accomplish the simple aim of getting a person in a place of office. In other words, it is persuasive. If it were not persuasive, it would not be used as much as it is.

However, just because talk is persuasive and often influential it does not have implicit power. It may claim to have power since so many are persuaded by it. But, as influential as it is, the words themselves do not accomplish anything. It is faux power at best. God is the only one who ever spoke and things happened without influencing others to do His bidding. He did it in the creation, speaking the world into existence. We speak and nothing at all happens beyond the sphere of creating hope, exposing, inspiring, threatening, motivating, revealing, deceiving or manipulating others. Again, words influence action- a boss demanding results from employees who actually do the work even though the words are attributed as working. Words do not have implicit power to do anything. Perhaps that is why another expression exists that says, “actions speak louder than words.” Why? Because actions are explicitly powerful- something happens in them. Words, on the other hand, attempt to move us to do something which is not explicit at all.

In the same vein, the Bible says and we often repeat, “Faith without works is dead.” Of course, we all know faith to be indispensable to our salvation (Ephesians 1:8) and without it we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). But, there must be corollary action stemming from that critical faith (Ephesians 1:9-10 and Hebrews 11:7-38).   Why? Because the faith that saves must have expression in action or it can be legitimately be mistaken as credulity. Faith needs action for expression. Words need action for power.

Paul said it simply in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” The very basis of the Kingdom of God is not based upon speech or inspiring messaging. The Good News is not just good advice or good encouragement. Good News has action to it. There was a death and a resurrection. The Holy Spirit came and lives changed. Miracles abounded and transformation took place. Those actions have remarkable implications for humanity. Jesus’ words were and are true and impactful. However, none of them are attributed as having saved us. The apostles speak over and over again about what Jesus did far more than what he said. Those who have red letters in their Bible will see scant appearance of those words in Acts through Jude. Instead, they will see what the Kingdom of God was based upon- power in action.

Paul was a man of eloquence and education. His logic and reasoning were impressive to say the least. Even so, he said of himself earlier in his letter (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) to prepare them for the point, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.  I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” His testimony was the same as this theology, that God’s Kingdom is not a matter of talk but power. His words were weak. Christ’s power in and through him was the matter worthy of note.

Please do not misunderstand this message. Words matter greatly. As I noted, they are persuasive and can stir people to act. But God’s power is wholly different. Whether it is the power of God to save the worst sinner, perform miracles, alter or suspend the laws of nature he created, instill peace that transcends understanding, remove hate and replacing it with love, enable a person to persevere under the weight of unthinkable persecution and abuse, or serve as an agent of God for all of the above, power trumps talk. That is good news.

As a person who has spent a lifetime talking as a significant part of my calling, I yearn to experience and exercise the power given by God far more than improve my verbal prowess. Perhaps that is why this election season has exhausted me. The talk is incessant. It is persuasive, but it is devoid of real power- the Kingdom of God kind. Sadly, I don’t see the talk letting up anytime soon and I don’t see the real power coming through these channels.

What is needed in this world filled with blogs, sermons, books, speeches, talk shows (radio and television) and rallies is a heavy outpouring of power that can only come from God. Every Christian and every church has access to that power, making the Christian and church much more prone to be agents of change than any government ever can be. May it be. Pray with me that God’s Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

This title is a well-worn phrase or plea.  It was the name of a famous racehorse – “Don’t Forget Me”.  It is the title of Korean and Croatian movies.  It is the title of seven different songs spanning more than four decades.  It is the fearful plea of children who have wondered if their parents would leave them or if their teachers would forget their question or if their coaches would neglect putting them in the game after promising to do so.  “Don’t forget me” is a silent plea from many beloved elderly who suspect they will be abandoned by the busy generations following them.  It may be a concern about their legitimacy more than legacy.

No one wants to be left behind, forgotten or passed over.  In fact, the reader of this article will likely be able to conjure up a memory about being forgotten- to be picked up, counted among those present, having been involved in the decision, etc.  It is a universal concern.  Please do not forget my presence, suffering, struggle, contribution, name or face.

That brings me to a wonderful benefit of belonging to the church.  When the church functions as it should, no one is forgotten, left behind, considered inconsequential or unimportant.  The humble should be exalted, the lost should be found and the least should be considered among the greatest.  No one is forgotten and their contributions and value as a child of God should never find them to be left out or dismissed.  They are not nameless, faceless, giftless or unimportant to God; they should not be to us.

Currently, society is struggling with racial inequities that seem to persist through time.  Though one would think mature societies who regard the worth of all persons should have resolved these issues by now, I can’t think of any that truly have.  As someone well-traveled, discrimination, racism and classism is sadly one of the horrible realities we’ve observed worldwide. We must resist them with all of our being.  But, racism, like so many expressions of sin incorporates many sins, among them pride, fear, hatred.  These are all intensely strong, negative reactions to our neighbor.  But, because pride, fear and hatred are so prevalent, racism, among other expressions, dies hard.

Enough blogs have been written in the past two months about racism.  I agree with much of what has been written and am deeply saddened by the hurt of our brothers and sisters who suffer under it.  I weep for all who are created in God’s image and yet are treated in any manner less.  I am committed to pray and act accordingly to address the problem.  The experiences of many of my friends brings tears and deep frustration to them, me and any who sympathize with their terrible plight.

The local church should do whatever it can to eradicate expressions of racism in their church and bring healing and justice in their communities.  As we do that, I also want to extend a hand to all who might say, in addition to those harmed by racism, “Don’t forget me.”

Justice and mercy need to be extended to many in the world that have been denied it.  In fact, justice is not a “one sin” issue.  It is expressed in a myriad of ways.  As a church leader, I find that every time I stand in a pulpit and preach, I am speaking to people who have been maligned by others in significant ways, particularly when I address the issues of pain and suffering.  It is not uncommon to have a line of people who want prayer, advice, forgiveness, help or to tell their story to me after I preach on pain, suffering and issues of injustice.

On one day, the line of people was noticeably long.  It included a woman in a physically abusive relationship, an adopted child who had been molested, a foreigner who was denied employment because they would not “fit in”, a man who was fired from his job just months before his retirement for what appeared to be “cost-saving measures,” a young black man who found it hard to be out at night without fear that he would be suspected of being “up to no good,” and a woman who was pressured to have an abortion by the child’s father.  Each person had experienced injustice or injury by others.  Some of it involved life-long struggle.  Some of it was more temporary.  None of it should happen.  All of it was a consequence of someone else’s sin or poor treatment of those with whom I prayed that day.

When we address issues of justice, I cannot help but look at the faces of people who have been deeply hurt and denied humane treatment or experienced unimaginable abuse and see the look on their faces that say, “Don’t forget about me.  My pain is real.  The injustice I experience has scarred me for life and I cannot bear the thought of going through this alone or without the loving support of my family, friends and church.

I was helped to see those faces more clearly after when I was in my doctoral program at about 40 years old.  The professor said to the students, “Give me five of your sermons and I will describe your church- the median age, socio-economic make-up, common educational background and general culture of the congregation.”  So, we did; and he did.  I was amazed at his ability to know our congregations without having ever attended any of the churches.  He explained, “you preach and teach and attract those who can relate to your experience, manner of communicating, illustrations, description of social units (family, singles, stage of life), values and structure of life.

He further said, “If you want to have a church that is truly for everyone, start relating with everyone, not just in relationship but also in preaching.  Have different kinds of people in mind when you prepare your messages.”  So, I did and the change in the composition of our church was remarkable.  I prepared the “bones” of my message and then pictured speaking to only a single mother as I preached it aloud.  I then pictured a minority in our community and did it again.  Then a third time with a high schooler in mind followed by a business person, then an elderly couple in their sunset years.  Each time, I changed something- an idiom, an illustration, my manner of explanation, my use of social terms, how to apply the word of God in their context, etc.  People felt heard, understood, appreciative and became more engaged.

In reality, I think many of the folks came to church because it was a loving and friendly community though deep down, they were saying, “Please don’t forget about me.”  So, I essentially started thinking about them, mentioning their plight, making the congregation aware of those around us and finding helpful solutions.  I am sure we didn’t do it perfectly.  But, there was marked improvement.

Pastors Kenneth and Estelle Martin are my heroes in this way.  I have watched them shepherd diverse congregations in ways where each individual felt loved, heard, and advocated for.  They know how to make sure that no one is forgotten within the sphere of their care and influence.

In our quest to advocate for justice and mercy, let’s understand that Jesus sees more people in more ways than we do.  Let us not fall into the trap of compartmentalizing compassion and care.  The love of God is big enough to distract us from our narrow focus and help us care more broadly than we would ever imagine.  Jesus proved to be distractible in very good ways, healing people along the way to help others, caring for children when he was teaching adults and addressing large social problems amid caring for individuals.  God does not forget you.  Don’t forget others while you are focused on caring for some.

We all know we should address the cause of problems rather than simply the symptoms. The familiar adage has the ring of truth to it from human experience. For example, if you have Covid-19, I am sure you want cough syrup to limit the annoying cough or some kind of breathing apparatus to open the passageways to the lungs. Yet, most people know that those address the symptoms and not the cause. That is why there is so much talk about a vaccine and other kinds of treatments that restrict the virus’s attack on the body. Very little conversation circles around alleviating symptoms. Vaccines and preventatives address the cause. In the process, we would ideally like both, relief and cure. That is why I would rather restate the common expression, “Don’t treat the symptom but rather the cause” to be “Don’t treat just the symptom but also the cause.” We really want both but mostly the cure, since to cure something means to erase the need for symptom relief.

Shifting from Covid19 to the other issues plaguing our culture at present, we are in a precarious situation when cause is not addressed at all, but symptoms are treated aggressively almost to the complete neglect of the cause. This is a cultural phenomenon today that is mystifying. I could list some things that have garnered unlimited and devoted attention in our culture at present both in the social and political spheres. I will save my breath or in this case, paper, since these items attract almost non-stop attention by media pundits and politicians. I am even hearing our cultural crises addressed non-stop from pulpits in churches and on blogs like this. So, it would be best not to sound simply like all others, drawing attention to deficiencies or grievances in society. We are all fatigued by the volume on them. I want to dig deeper.

I would prefer to draw attention to the cause of these controversies regardless of the topic or social malady. We have a sin problem. It is nothing new. Sin has always been crouching at the door desiring to master us (Genesis 4:7), even since the beginning. And, in yielding to sin, it succeeds in mastery. The Bible states and experience proves that the humanity has never gotten over the ill effects of sin. The basic message of the Bible is this: God created the whole world. Humans in particular were created in his own image. People disobeyed (sinned) long ago and have been helplessly irretractable ever since. God’s solution was not to force compliance, but offer himself (actually his Son) to not only suffer the punishment for our disobedience but empower those who live by faith in him to live free from the seemingly inescapable claws of sin, living the life for which we were created- even as far as seeing that image once distorted to be fully restored. That is the problem and solution in a nutshell- healthy creation, death-inducing sin, life-giving redemption. Jesus referred to this narrative as simply, Good News (Luke 4:18).

When it comes to symptoms (particular sins) of our core deficiency (sin nature), they abound. There are too many sins to list, though the Bible contains several lists that condense the problems (Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 1:18-32; Colossians 3:5-10; et.al.) arising from the core cause. The reason the Bible has neither a comprehensive list of sins anywhere in it pages nor a compelling desire to create one comes not from a lack of fodder but from the assumption that sinful people will sin. That is what they/we do. The Church throughout history has also had only scant mention of lists of sins (cardinal or deadly sins being a rare exception and not pretending to be fully inclusive itself) because it is painfully obvious and repeated over and over again that the core issue of sin will find expressions that will, like a persistent leak, find its way into attitudes and behaviors that calcify and are difficult to remove simply by determined resistance. The dozens of lists that exist in the Bible are in smaller bites because the sins (plural) themselves are expressions of the root problem- sin (singular). There is no need for a comprehensive list since these are more or less expressions of a deeper disease. Sins are the avenues of expressing the deep-seeded, underlying problem of sin that keeps people from living out their full purpose for which they were created. It has been historically called “The Human Dilemma.” We want to be better but cannot seem to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, more education and stronger wills. The dilemma is that we understand we have a problem but have not yet found the cure by human ingenuity. It is not an exact comparison, but sins are the symptomatic expressions of the moral cancer (sin) that is the cause which simply cannot be suppressed or ignored but must be cured. Only when the sin problem is addressed, may the sins that outwardly express it be also addressed. Only in its cure, does the dilemma have a solution- forgiveness, healing and empowerment to live out our created purpose which results in people living free from the hold of sin, becoming more like our Creator (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).

There was a day when at least a large segment of the Christian culture understood the problem (cause) and its expressions (symptoms and/or outcomes). In fact, there was a day when both sacred and secular theologians and philosophers understood, assumed and communicated the distinctions of cause and symptoms and tried to address them in order- first acknowledge the cause or the human dilemma and core problem facing all of us; and second in dealing with the cause, we single out the symptoms or particular expressions in individuals and cultures that hold us back from being our best selves.

Sadly, it seems to be in vogue to spend all of one’s time focusing upon the second part, those expressions as though addressing them properly will eliminate the dilemma altogether. In other words, the naïve notion asserts if we fix Wall Street, banking and the people involved in making them go and you will effectively reduce or eliminate greed. We know that to be impossible. Fix the judicial system and we will eradicate injustice. But, injustice has existed long before modern judicial systems and will outlive them all. Fix systems that provoke or encourage racism and racism will disappear. But, racism is not about systems and never has been. There are deeper human factors that will always heighten fear and create divisions between people- us and them. Fix classism through economic balance and it will surface in other ways. Fix the problems of pornography and prostitution and lust will disappear. That is sadly infantile.

Even some well-meaning theologians, religious practitioners and philosophers have taken the bate and have become immersed in trying to satisfactorily fix these problems in isolation from one another. However, these are not stand-alone sins but intertwined expressions of a sinful humanity. Most of us know that these same issues have plagued virtually every society throughout history without being fixed with any degree of finality by addressing the issues in isolation. The optimism of those who believe addressing these symptoms fixes the problem is staggeringly naïve and has somehow drifted off course from what was once an axiom- human behavior does not change until the humans themselves change. The core must be addressed. The attitudes and behaviors will follow.

I am not suggesting that we retreat from acknowledging the pandemic problems of greed, selfishness, racism, sexism, lust, hatred, anger, theft, etc. We should always be vigilant to attack these will all of our effort. But, we should understand that treating them alone will never resolve the issue nor result in solving the human dilemma.

I am suggesting the need for a more comprehensive revival of the heart. I know humanity from personal experience. I am human. I have a family of humans. I have counseled humans. I have worked intimately in the area of the subject of this blog with people from my own culture and around the world. I have wrestled with it as a theologian and have discussed the matter deeply with philosophers both foreign and domestic, sacred and secular. And, I have come to the conclusion that none of these problems will ever be satisfactorily fixed or resolved in permanent ways by spending all of our attention upon them. There will always be ways for which people live out the worst of our basic moral core.

So, what do we do? We do the same thing that every society has done that has truly addressed systemic change with moderate success. There must be an acknowledgement that we are flawed people in need of God’s help. We must admit our brokenness and seek the kind of heart change that leads to revival. It happened in the first and second centuries. It happened in isolated places throughout the following fifteen centuries. It took a broken world by storm in the eighteenth and nineteenth century in England and America. There was a spiritual awakening and depth of remorse and confession that led to forgiveness and heart change, resulting in cultural reform. It impacted economics, justice, vocation, liberation of slaves, equality of all people and the list goes on. However, none of the primary spokespersons and instigators of these revivals focused on these reforms. They addressed them as a secondary result of a more desperate cause.

We start with remorse. Healthy remorse leads to confession. Confession is the only route to true forgiveness followed by meaningful repentance. Repentance leads to attitude and behavioral change. This is historically the only way to revival of hearts and societies. Then, and only then, do societal maladies, deficiencies and failures stand a chance of being mended, healed and restored.

Some friends of mine have asked why I am not more vociferous in addressing the individual ills in society. I actually have addressed most of them. One only needs to read my blogs throughout time to see that I am keenly aware of the serious nature of societal problems. I am not ambivalent. I take action and have strong opinions on the issues that plague us. I am not a bystander hoping things will somehow self-resolve or go away. I am, however, convinced that fixing the cause is of supreme importance. Revived people do not need constant correction since the very nature of their revival brings the needed correction of attitudes and behaviors desperately needed.

My prayer is that people are aware of the deeper need that addresses the root cause of these problems. I pray for acknowledgement, brokenness and remorse which leads to confession to God leading to God’s forgiveness that is lasting and life-changing. When that occurs, we begin the change known as repentance with the power that only God can give to forgiven people. Then watch what happens. Symptoms and expressions that we thought were impenetrably resistant begin to crumble as love, health, and grace lubricates societies and remedies problems. Healthy societies only exist where there is a healthy citizenry. There is no exception. Join me in prayer and active promotion of that which addresses the cause while we are keenly engaged in relieving the symptoms.