I saw a strange sight yesterday while walking with my parents--a flock of Quaker parrots in a tree. Quaker parrots are small green parrots and popular pets. My parents used to have one named "Kiwi" who could sing "La Cucaracha" and say his name. He tried to bite Shawna every time she walked by the cage. She hated that bird.
It was a strange sight because Quaker parrots are not native to the US and are almost always pets. My parents told me how it came to be that those Quaker Parrots were in a flock in a tree instead of in cages singing "La Cucaracha" and trying to bite visiting in-laws.
When hurricanes struck Central Florida, many people who could not bring their pets with them set them free in order to give them a chance to survive. Some pet shops were destroyed by the storms and some of the animals got out. There are lots of dogs living wild in the Everglades for the same reason.
These Quaker parrots found each other, flocked together, and began to live as they would have if they had been born in the wild. How strange it must be for them, after spending their whole lives in captivity and being trained to say little phrases and look at themselves in little mirrors and eat seed from a bag, that they would learn what it was like for them to live as God intended, and in a flock with their own kind.
Perhaps that's the way it is for the church. We have grown up with nothing around us besides the world and its ways. We have heard that we were made to be citizens of the Kingdom of God. We have heard about authentic Christian community. But we have very little idea what it might mean to leave the domestication of our culture, both with its cage and with its provision. We have no idea what it might mean to fly as God intended us to fly. We certainly have little idea what it might mean to band together with others who have been set free and depend on each other for survival in the open.
Maybe it takes a hurricane.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Book Review: "Don't Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner City America" by David Kennedy
Most people tend to have one of two views on preventing crime. Liberals tend to want to deal with the root causes of crime (poverty, poor education, etc.), while conservatives often want zero tolerance policies to lock up the criminals. The problem is that neither way works. We have overfilled the prisons and only made better trained and networked criminals. Ending poverty seems less and less practical as public safety policy all the time.
Kennedy has developed a way to deal with the worst gun violence and inner city drug markets in a focused way based on what actually happens and what actually works. Every city that has used his methods has seen dramatic and nearly instantaneous reductions in the targeted crimes.
The greatest challenge to the success of this approach is the ideology of citizens and officials (egos, too). Many police struggle to understand how aggressive measures damage relationships with the community and make policing less effective. When personnel changes, new people fail to understand or support the approach.
That's why the book is so important. Citizens, officials, community leaders, mayors, police and anyone who cares about improving the country's most pressing challenge needs to be aware that things don't have to be this way. We don't have to have the problems with gun violence, drugs, and mass incarceration that plague our country.
I plan to buy a bunch of copies and pass them out to people who have the power to do something until someone listens.
(this review is also posted on Amazon)
Kennedy has developed a way to deal with the worst gun violence and inner city drug markets in a focused way based on what actually happens and what actually works. Every city that has used his methods has seen dramatic and nearly instantaneous reductions in the targeted crimes.
The greatest challenge to the success of this approach is the ideology of citizens and officials (egos, too). Many police struggle to understand how aggressive measures damage relationships with the community and make policing less effective. When personnel changes, new people fail to understand or support the approach.
That's why the book is so important. Citizens, officials, community leaders, mayors, police and anyone who cares about improving the country's most pressing challenge needs to be aware that things don't have to be this way. We don't have to have the problems with gun violence, drugs, and mass incarceration that plague our country.
I plan to buy a bunch of copies and pass them out to people who have the power to do something until someone listens.
(this review is also posted on Amazon)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
An Unforgettable Moment on the Radio Today
This morning I had the opportunity to appear with Kim Bullard on Mark Montiel's radio show on AM 1440 to talk about Mary Ellen's Hearth at Nellie Burge Community Center. The visit was full of blessings, but one moment was unforgettable.
Nellie Burge Community Center was established over 100 years ago by what is now known as the United Methodist Women of what is now known as First United Methodist Church. Since then, it has been a beloved domestic mission agency of Alabama-West Florida Methodism and the global church. Its purpose has always been the same--to relieve the suffering of women and children in poverty. Its location and ministry model has changed several times, but its central mission has remained constant.
In recent years, Nellie Burge's central ministry has been a childcare facility. The need for this ministry declined when a nearby housing project closed and federal programs began to serve the same purpose. The board recently decided to close down the childcare center and reopen the center with a new focus that served the pressing needs of the community.
The new ministry, called Mary Ellen's Hearth (named after Mary Ellen Bullard, who invested much of her life to supporting Nellie Burge) will house up to ten homeless families in a long-term residential program. Families will learn life skills and be prepared for long-term self-sustainability. The facility is in the midst of renovations and a new director will begin work in January.
We discussed the ministry, its vision, our city's need for it, etc., for most of the program. Mark asked us "What kind of people find themselves homeless and will need a program like this?" We talked about how all kinds of people end up homeless for various reasons, that this program was not for families with substance abuse or domestic violence issues. And then Mark took calls.
One of the callers was County Commissioner Reed Ingram. He promised to make a donation, and then he explained why. He said that his own family had been homeless for several years during his teens. He described how they looked for places to sleep, places to bathe, and found ways to survive. Reed Ingram is a respected local official, a successful and prominent businessman, and runs a farm. He talked about how he would probably have ended up dead or in prison if his grandfather had not intervened and mentored him.
Everyone in the studio had tears in their eyes. The room was stunned. It was such a powerful moment and something I will never forget. It highlighted an under-recognized truth: While some people are poor because of drug addiction or lack of initiative or other reasons for which they might be blamed, no child is responsible for the situation that causes her to be homeless, and nearly anyone can be the victim of circumstances that leave them unexpectedly desperate. And with a little help at the right time from caring people, a child who seems to have no options might actually have unlimited possibilities.
Maybe someone will be calling a talk show years from now and will shock the audience by telling them, "I was homeless when I was a child. And I went to live in a place called Nellie Burge Community Center..."
Nellie Burge Community Center was established over 100 years ago by what is now known as the United Methodist Women of what is now known as First United Methodist Church. Since then, it has been a beloved domestic mission agency of Alabama-West Florida Methodism and the global church. Its purpose has always been the same--to relieve the suffering of women and children in poverty. Its location and ministry model has changed several times, but its central mission has remained constant.
In recent years, Nellie Burge's central ministry has been a childcare facility. The need for this ministry declined when a nearby housing project closed and federal programs began to serve the same purpose. The board recently decided to close down the childcare center and reopen the center with a new focus that served the pressing needs of the community.
The new ministry, called Mary Ellen's Hearth (named after Mary Ellen Bullard, who invested much of her life to supporting Nellie Burge) will house up to ten homeless families in a long-term residential program. Families will learn life skills and be prepared for long-term self-sustainability. The facility is in the midst of renovations and a new director will begin work in January.
We discussed the ministry, its vision, our city's need for it, etc., for most of the program. Mark asked us "What kind of people find themselves homeless and will need a program like this?" We talked about how all kinds of people end up homeless for various reasons, that this program was not for families with substance abuse or domestic violence issues. And then Mark took calls.
One of the callers was County Commissioner Reed Ingram. He promised to make a donation, and then he explained why. He said that his own family had been homeless for several years during his teens. He described how they looked for places to sleep, places to bathe, and found ways to survive. Reed Ingram is a respected local official, a successful and prominent businessman, and runs a farm. He talked about how he would probably have ended up dead or in prison if his grandfather had not intervened and mentored him.
Everyone in the studio had tears in their eyes. The room was stunned. It was such a powerful moment and something I will never forget. It highlighted an under-recognized truth: While some people are poor because of drug addiction or lack of initiative or other reasons for which they might be blamed, no child is responsible for the situation that causes her to be homeless, and nearly anyone can be the victim of circumstances that leave them unexpectedly desperate. And with a little help at the right time from caring people, a child who seems to have no options might actually have unlimited possibilities.
Maybe someone will be calling a talk show years from now and will shock the audience by telling them, "I was homeless when I was a child. And I went to live in a place called Nellie Burge Community Center..."
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
HELP! Rezoning for our Habitat for Humanity House
Our church is planning to build a house in partnership with Habitat for Humanity on Sussex Dr., just south of the Southern Blvd. below Baptist South Hospital. The home is being built in partnership with homeowner Carla Surles. Carla is a wonderful Montgomery citizen. She drives a bus for a terrific organization, Montgomery Association for Retarded Citizens, and she works as a private sitter. This house will provide a stable home in a more stable neighborhood closer to her work. The house will improve an already stable and safe neighborhood, and it will provide a nice new home along a corridor fighting blight.
The church has raised all but the last bit of the $60,000 needed for the project. Carla has completed all the "sweat equity" hours she needs. We have begun scheduling volunteers and even pre-built some corners. Then we hit a snag.
The land the house will be built upon was owned by First UMC and was donated to Habitat for Humanity. HfH asked the church to build a house on the lot, and the church is doing everything for the build except finding the homeowner and managing the mortgage (yes, HfH homeowners pay a mortgage--it's a partnership, not charity). When we applied for the building permit we learned that the lot was zoned commercial instead of residential.
We thought this would be no problem and that the city council would grant a zoning change--could there possibly be a better reason to grant a zoning change? Instead, Councilor Cornelius "CC" Calhoun said that he wanted to delay the matter to give him time to make sure the the community wanted this house to be built there.
Though the delay makes things difficult for our work scheduling and the possibility of denial makes me nervous, I applaud Councilor Calhoun's dedication to representing his constituents and making sure he has the community's support before he makes a decision on their behalf. Since he is seeking the community's feedback, I would appreciate anyone who believes in this project contacting the appropriate city councilman and asking him to support this important ministry for the sake of the Carla Surles family.
For a list of Montgomery City Councilmen and their email addresses:
http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=42
The church has raised all but the last bit of the $60,000 needed for the project. Carla has completed all the "sweat equity" hours she needs. We have begun scheduling volunteers and even pre-built some corners. Then we hit a snag.
The land the house will be built upon was owned by First UMC and was donated to Habitat for Humanity. HfH asked the church to build a house on the lot, and the church is doing everything for the build except finding the homeowner and managing the mortgage (yes, HfH homeowners pay a mortgage--it's a partnership, not charity). When we applied for the building permit we learned that the lot was zoned commercial instead of residential.
We thought this would be no problem and that the city council would grant a zoning change--could there possibly be a better reason to grant a zoning change? Instead, Councilor Cornelius "CC" Calhoun said that he wanted to delay the matter to give him time to make sure the the community wanted this house to be built there.
Though the delay makes things difficult for our work scheduling and the possibility of denial makes me nervous, I applaud Councilor Calhoun's dedication to representing his constituents and making sure he has the community's support before he makes a decision on their behalf. Since he is seeking the community's feedback, I would appreciate anyone who believes in this project contacting the appropriate city councilman and asking him to support this important ministry for the sake of the Carla Surles family.
For a list of Montgomery City Councilmen and their email addresses:
http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=42
Monday, December 19, 2011
Prayer for Advent Based on John 1:19-28
Lord Jesus Christ, I confess to you that I have not lived my life, as John the Baptist lived his, to give witness to you. I have sought to be the one who shines. I have worried about what others thought of me. I have carefully sculpted my persona. I have set my goals and I have made my plans. I have built my life as a carefully constructed house. I have managed my relationships, and I have drawn people around me who have seen light in me and affirmed my light. [pause]. Lord, I’m exhausted. I’m tired of trying to shine. I’m tired of building my kingdom. I’m tired of making my plans. I’m tired of pretending to have the answers. I’m tired of making people think well of me. As John in the wilderness, help me to take up the easy burden of witnessing to your light, the true light, the light coming in to the world. May my life bring glory to you. May others glorify you because I have witnessed to your glory. Amen.
Tolerance, and More than Tolerance
A Sunday school class recently asked me to teach a lesson on Islam. The request was the result of one the class members' forwarding an anti-Muslim email. He was not trying to support the views in the email. He was honestly asking for discussion. And so, I responded. The email had many common arguments about Islam being violent and attempting to take over the culture of countries in which Muslims live. What was new in this email, to me at least, was the argument that a Muslim cannot be a citizen of the United States because a Muslim cannot live under the US Constitution (which the email claims is a Christian document) and because a Muslim cannot pledge the flag because a Muslim believes in a different god and cannot say "One nation under God."
My response said a lot about whether and in what sense the US Constitution is a Christian document, and if it is, what it might mean to consider the freedom of conscience it guarantees, a freedom that is certainly central to any meaningful understanding of the Christian faith? Perhaps those reflections might make for another blog.
Responding to that email caused me to reflect on something else, though, something I had considered but not deeply enough. The email dealt extensively with violence and terrorism. But what of Muslim victims of terrorism inspired by radical Islamics. Were Muslims not also killed in the attacks of 9-11? Did their families not mourn as deeply as any other victims' families? Did they grieve their losses any less than Christians, Jews, or people of no faith? They most certainly did. The terrible thing for these families is that they were doubly victimized. Not only did they experience loss, but their faith was also blamed for the very thing that killed their loved ones. Rather than being comforted by our culture, they were demonized.
I also have considered what it must mean to be a Muslim soldier fighting in the US Armed forces. Many Muslims came to America in search of the promise of religious freedom, and loved this country because they found the freedom they sought. Their children went to war in defense of these freedoms. Many have given their lives because they love America. Many are now returning from war. Their fate reminds me of soldiers who returned from the Vietnam War expecting the nation to gratefully celebrate their sacrifice, only to be spit upon and be called baby killers. Our nation has largely learned the lessons of this mistake, and even those who have opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been careful to say that they appreciate and support the troops' sacrifice. But Muslims who serve must feel that much of our nation has returned suspicion and intolerance for their contribution.
I am a Christian. I do not believe much of what Islam teaches. But I have taken the time to understand Islam and to understand where I agree with Muslims and where I disagree. I've read the Koran, and I've read about Muslim history and culture. I've been to two countries (Turkey and Israel) with significant Muslim populations. I've done what I can to get to know Muslim people and talk openly with them about their faith and practice.
To me, this is what it means to be a person who embraces the truth. I cannot talk about Islam unless I have honestly engaged with both the faith and gotten to know people who practice it. The Ten Commandments tells us not to bear false witness. If we have not taken the time to learn what Muslims believe and how diverse and variegated their community is, then I have no business making and acting on uniformed judgments. Jesus taught that we should do unto others as we would have done to us. Don't we expect that people outside our faith who disagree with us will disagree on the basis of who we are, and not on the basis of the very worst that has been said and done by the very worst people who have claimed the name of Christ?
Muslim intolerance has recently been in the news because TLC's reality show "American Muslim" was attacked by the Florida Family Association and caused Lowe's to pull its advertising. Many people reacted against this intolerance and the controversy actually has been a boon to the show.
The first people to defend the show should have been Christians. The show simply shows the lives of Muslims, helps people to get to know real Muslims. It's not propaganda. In no way does it defend radical Islam or terrorism or Shari'ah. If we can't face reality, if we can't make our determination about people and their views on the basis of those people being real people who we have gotten to know in any sense, then what's left for us? How can we ever move forward and how can we ever live on the same planet peacefully?
Tolerance can mean nothing more than allowing another person to inhabit the same world without bothering them as long as they don't bother you. Is this what Jesus taught us? In no way should Christian people compromise their Christian beliefs in order to be politically correct in regards to Islam. But if we are to be followers of Jesus, who left heaven to engage us and taught us to be people of truth who love our enemies, then we must engage Muslims on the basis of who they really are. What would it hurt to get to know a Muslim, to ask them about their faith, to find out if there are any points of connection, to find out if they are people like us who care about many of the same things we care about?
My response said a lot about whether and in what sense the US Constitution is a Christian document, and if it is, what it might mean to consider the freedom of conscience it guarantees, a freedom that is certainly central to any meaningful understanding of the Christian faith? Perhaps those reflections might make for another blog.
Responding to that email caused me to reflect on something else, though, something I had considered but not deeply enough. The email dealt extensively with violence and terrorism. But what of Muslim victims of terrorism inspired by radical Islamics. Were Muslims not also killed in the attacks of 9-11? Did their families not mourn as deeply as any other victims' families? Did they grieve their losses any less than Christians, Jews, or people of no faith? They most certainly did. The terrible thing for these families is that they were doubly victimized. Not only did they experience loss, but their faith was also blamed for the very thing that killed their loved ones. Rather than being comforted by our culture, they were demonized.
I also have considered what it must mean to be a Muslim soldier fighting in the US Armed forces. Many Muslims came to America in search of the promise of religious freedom, and loved this country because they found the freedom they sought. Their children went to war in defense of these freedoms. Many have given their lives because they love America. Many are now returning from war. Their fate reminds me of soldiers who returned from the Vietnam War expecting the nation to gratefully celebrate their sacrifice, only to be spit upon and be called baby killers. Our nation has largely learned the lessons of this mistake, and even those who have opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been careful to say that they appreciate and support the troops' sacrifice. But Muslims who serve must feel that much of our nation has returned suspicion and intolerance for their contribution.
I am a Christian. I do not believe much of what Islam teaches. But I have taken the time to understand Islam and to understand where I agree with Muslims and where I disagree. I've read the Koran, and I've read about Muslim history and culture. I've been to two countries (Turkey and Israel) with significant Muslim populations. I've done what I can to get to know Muslim people and talk openly with them about their faith and practice.
To me, this is what it means to be a person who embraces the truth. I cannot talk about Islam unless I have honestly engaged with both the faith and gotten to know people who practice it. The Ten Commandments tells us not to bear false witness. If we have not taken the time to learn what Muslims believe and how diverse and variegated their community is, then I have no business making and acting on uniformed judgments. Jesus taught that we should do unto others as we would have done to us. Don't we expect that people outside our faith who disagree with us will disagree on the basis of who we are, and not on the basis of the very worst that has been said and done by the very worst people who have claimed the name of Christ?
Muslim intolerance has recently been in the news because TLC's reality show "American Muslim" was attacked by the Florida Family Association and caused Lowe's to pull its advertising. Many people reacted against this intolerance and the controversy actually has been a boon to the show.
The first people to defend the show should have been Christians. The show simply shows the lives of Muslims, helps people to get to know real Muslims. It's not propaganda. In no way does it defend radical Islam or terrorism or Shari'ah. If we can't face reality, if we can't make our determination about people and their views on the basis of those people being real people who we have gotten to know in any sense, then what's left for us? How can we ever move forward and how can we ever live on the same planet peacefully?
Tolerance can mean nothing more than allowing another person to inhabit the same world without bothering them as long as they don't bother you. Is this what Jesus taught us? In no way should Christian people compromise their Christian beliefs in order to be politically correct in regards to Islam. But if we are to be followers of Jesus, who left heaven to engage us and taught us to be people of truth who love our enemies, then we must engage Muslims on the basis of who they really are. What would it hurt to get to know a Muslim, to ask them about their faith, to find out if there are any points of connection, to find out if they are people like us who care about many of the same things we care about?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Prayer for Advent Based on John 1:6-18
Holy God: I have always been looking for you. I have always been searching for truth. I have always been trying to know where I should go, what I should do, what life is really about. I have shown the world a stiff upper lip. I have acted so certain. But, in my heart of hearts, I have been so unsure. Are you there? Do you care? Do you hear me? Do I hear you? Is all my religious learning and doing good for anything? “No one has ever seen God” said John. I haven’t. And yet, John said, “The Word became flesh” and “we have seen his glory.” I’ve seen something that rings true in Jesus. I’ve seen something that points me toward light, something that gives me a direction in the darkness. If I can’t see you, thank you for letting me see the way to you in your son. Amen.
On the Death of Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens was a remarkable man in many respects. He had a long career as a public intellectual in a time when popular culture became increasingly banal. He took unpopular positions on many issues, and stuck to his guns--he was an unpopular outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and perhaps more unpopular proponent of the Iraq War.
The blogosphere is full of conversation about his life and impact. He was an unapologetic hedonist and predicted decades ago that his heavy drinking and smoking would eventually do him in.
For Christians, he was best known as an adversary to faith. Hitchens was one of several writers (along with Richard Dawkins and and Sam Harris) who revived intellectual arguments to atheism. His God is Not Great was on the bestseller list when I was in seminary, and everyone had to deal with his and his colleagues' ideas.
None of these writers said anything particularly new. Their arguments against the existence of God had long ago been formulated by the opponents of CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, and generations before them.
What was new was the vitriol against religion, and Christianity in particular. Hitchens embodied and personified this new anger and contempt for religion (his attacks were equally aggressive toward Islam).
My interest in Hitchens and others was not so much that they were making old arguments against faith. I have been more fascinated by the audience that they gained. How, after so many years of disinterest in rational atheism, had three writers landed permanently on the New York Times bestseller list?
Before Hitchens and comrades, religion had begun to be seen as a matter of personal preference. If people want to be religious, fine. If not, that's their business. What does it have to do with me? If a religion makes a person feel good, that's all and good for them. If Wicca works for one person and Presbyterianism works for another, who cares? Religion makes a claim to ultimate reality. But popular culture equated it with an exercise regimen or favorite ice cream flavor.
The popularity of the New Atheists (as they were sometimes called) came during a time of war and extreme cultural divide over faith. It was a time when President Bush was publicly using the religious language to advocate war against religiously sponsored terrorism (Hitchens coined the term "Islamofacism"). It was a time when the world seemed on the verge of erupting into religiously inspired chaos. Many people of moderate faith or no particular faith suddenly saw religion as more than a personal diversion. Religion appeared to be a threat to human existence.
My father once taught me that we should love our enemies because they are the only people who will tell us the truth about ourselves. Perhaps Christopher Hitchens offers Christians an opportunity for self reflection. If we are to be the salt of the earth, might we be doing something wrong if our enemies see us as that which corrupts and threatens the life of the world? If Jesus said that the world should see our good deeds and glorify God in heaven, what does it mean when Christian engagement in the public sphere causes the culture to listen to those who say not only that God does not exist, but that belief in God is destructive to human collective life? I don't have the answers, but I think we should bring these questions to God. I'm grateful to Hitchens for causing me to reflect on them.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Hitchens made an enemy of God, but we can be sure that God found him precious. His great intellect and his passionate search for truth are evidence of his being made in the image of God.
God will judge Christopher Hitchens. That's what it means that God is God and we are not. As much as we were made uncomfortable by Hitchens's rebuke, we may take comfort that the God in whose hands Hitchens now lies loves him still.
The blogosphere is full of conversation about his life and impact. He was an unapologetic hedonist and predicted decades ago that his heavy drinking and smoking would eventually do him in.
For Christians, he was best known as an adversary to faith. Hitchens was one of several writers (along with Richard Dawkins and and Sam Harris) who revived intellectual arguments to atheism. His God is Not Great was on the bestseller list when I was in seminary, and everyone had to deal with his and his colleagues' ideas.
None of these writers said anything particularly new. Their arguments against the existence of God had long ago been formulated by the opponents of CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, and generations before them.
What was new was the vitriol against religion, and Christianity in particular. Hitchens embodied and personified this new anger and contempt for religion (his attacks were equally aggressive toward Islam).
My interest in Hitchens and others was not so much that they were making old arguments against faith. I have been more fascinated by the audience that they gained. How, after so many years of disinterest in rational atheism, had three writers landed permanently on the New York Times bestseller list?
Before Hitchens and comrades, religion had begun to be seen as a matter of personal preference. If people want to be religious, fine. If not, that's their business. What does it have to do with me? If a religion makes a person feel good, that's all and good for them. If Wicca works for one person and Presbyterianism works for another, who cares? Religion makes a claim to ultimate reality. But popular culture equated it with an exercise regimen or favorite ice cream flavor.
The popularity of the New Atheists (as they were sometimes called) came during a time of war and extreme cultural divide over faith. It was a time when President Bush was publicly using the religious language to advocate war against religiously sponsored terrorism (Hitchens coined the term "Islamofacism"). It was a time when the world seemed on the verge of erupting into religiously inspired chaos. Many people of moderate faith or no particular faith suddenly saw religion as more than a personal diversion. Religion appeared to be a threat to human existence.
My father once taught me that we should love our enemies because they are the only people who will tell us the truth about ourselves. Perhaps Christopher Hitchens offers Christians an opportunity for self reflection. If we are to be the salt of the earth, might we be doing something wrong if our enemies see us as that which corrupts and threatens the life of the world? If Jesus said that the world should see our good deeds and glorify God in heaven, what does it mean when Christian engagement in the public sphere causes the culture to listen to those who say not only that God does not exist, but that belief in God is destructive to human collective life? I don't have the answers, but I think we should bring these questions to God. I'm grateful to Hitchens for causing me to reflect on them.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Hitchens made an enemy of God, but we can be sure that God found him precious. His great intellect and his passionate search for truth are evidence of his being made in the image of God.
God will judge Christopher Hitchens. That's what it means that God is God and we are not. As much as we were made uncomfortable by Hitchens's rebuke, we may take comfort that the God in whose hands Hitchens now lies loves him still.
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