Four Reasons to Think Critically About “Soul”

I love jazz music, and I love good animation and good storytelling. That’s why I was looking forward to Disney/PIXAR’s “Soul”. The animation was colorful and detailed. The music was wonderful – almost heavenly (I may be biased, but if jazz isn’t the music of heaven, I can’t wait to discover the music that God thinks is better.).

Unfortunately, “Soul” hit quite a few clunky notes thematically, and sometimes it’s music just faded into silence – unresolved. Before I go any further, if you are looking for mindless entertainment you could make far worse choices that “Soul,” and if that’s what you are interested in, I don’t want to spoil your 96 minutes of escapism – and you might want to scroll on.

While I understand that “Soul” is just a fun story, and cannot be taken literally, and I understand that it is not designed to teach theology, it DOES present a spiritual and philosophical worldview. Additionally, when we understand that the target audience for PIXAR movies are children and young adults, incorporating this worldview into a personal understanding of spiritual truths can have real and detrimental consequences.

The first story element we are presented with in “Soul” is that souls exist in the “Great Before” – a place for souls before they are placed in human bodies. These souls are identified only by number, as if they are manufactured in a divine assembly line. Each soul is arbitrarily assigned several personality traits solely based on the whims of host-guardians (and for some reason, every host-guardian is named Jerry).

Of course, this impersonal “creation and formation story” runs contrary to a God who knows us by name (Isaiah 43:1) and has known each of us before we were formed in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5). God knows us intimately and individually – we are not a product of a divine assembly line. How we see ourselves, and our perceived value, will suffer greatly if we believe we were mass produced and randomly assigned personality traits by impersonal divine beings.

The second troubling story element in “Soul” advances the idea that souls in the “Great Before” (what comes before life on earth) and the “Great Beyond” (what comes after life on earth) are bodiless spirits and they are somewhere other than earth. We embrace this image because we swim in the ocean of Platonic philosophy – a worldview that believes the “true essence” of a human is the unembodied soul. But clearly, this is not a biblical worldview – despite what popular hymns and Hollywood say.

While scripture reveals that we are more than our bodies (that we have an eternal soul), it also elevates the body as a beautiful, and necessary, part of God’s creation. Humans were designed to have bodies and to interact with the physical world. The incarnation (God taking on flesh) and the bodily resurrection of Christ (Jesus being raised from the dead with a new glorified body) highlight the importance of the body/soul design.

Jesus could have been revealed to humans as an unembodied spiritual being. After his resurrection, Jesus could have existed without a resurrected body. But scripture shows us that Jesus’ body could be physically touched (John20:24-29), and he ate physical food (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:39-41).

Additionally, scripture reveals that the physical world will not be simply destroyed but recreated – and heaven will come to this renewed earth, and God will dwell with humans on this new earth (Revelation 21:1-5).

The Platonic view (that the spirit is good, and the body is a prison from which to escape) is not found in scripture. Humans were designed by God to be souls with bodies, and God declared it “Good!” (Genesis 1:31) The current creation, including our current bodies, are marred by sin, and enslaved to decay and corruption. But God is making all things new – including a new earth and new bodies that are free from corruption and decay (1 Corinthians 15:51-55).

The majority of the plotline in “Soul” assumes that the most important goal for pre-born souls to pursue is to discover their purpose – their “spark.” The storyline emphasizes that everyone’s spark (or purpose) is different. Unfortunately, it plays into a familiar but un-Christian meme – “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” This may be a good bumper sticker slogan, but it has no biblical support – at least the way we interpret it.

To be sure, God loves us – the cross tells us that. But the idea that he has one, unique plan for each life (and your purpose is to discover that one unique plan) sends many people on a wild spiritual goose chase. Some people become obsessed with finding that “one perfect plan.” We’ve developed tests and workshops to help people in this pursuit. Many individuals become stressed thinking that if they “miss” God’s plan, their lives will be wasted.

The reason we embrace this slogan is that we have mis-read, or mis-memorized, scripture. We think we know what Jeremiah 29:11 says (but we fail to read the rest of the chapter), and we think we know what Ephesians 2:8-9 says (but we forget that this is just the first part of a more complete statement).

Jeremiah29:11 is part of a sermon given to the elders, priests, prophets, and all of the people who had been taken into captivity in Babylon. In verse 10, God says, “You’re going to be in captivity for the next 70 years, but I’ll bring you back to Jerusalem.” And then God says, “I know the plans (plural) I have for you.” There isn’t just one plan, there are multiple plans. God doesn’t just have one plan for you – he has multiple plans for you. There isn’t just one purpose (at least the way we think of it), there are lots of purposes. How do I know?

Look at a passage many Christians have memorized – Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We’ve bathed in this scripture for so long, many have forgotten that it’s an incomplete thought. We forget the next verse: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We are not saved BY, or as a result, of works; but we were created FOR good works “which God prepared beforehand.”

Humanity has a common purpose, and we see it in Genesis 1:26-28, and Genesis 9:1 & 7. Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over it. Our common purpose is to be coregents with God, stewarding all of creation, finding the “not good” and making it good, and advancing the Kingdom of God – accomplishing his will on earth as it is in heaven.

Every pursuit of “purpose discovery” that is not based on the truths found in Genesis, will be futile and unproductive. The writers of “Soul” clearly understand this – “discovering your unique purpose” is insufficient and often elusive. This is where the final twist occurs in the storyline.

“Soul” recognizes that pursuing “your unique purpose” is futile, but instead of directing viewers back to the common purpose of mankind, the final plot-twist presented by the movie is to abandon your pursuit of purpose altogether. The all-wise host-guardians named Jerry reveal that finding your purpose is not the goal; your goal should be to just live life.

The spark that is supposedly required in order to send a pre-born soul to earth is not to discover their purpose, but simply to desire to live life. The whole goal in earthly life, the movie tells us, is to basically eat, drink, and be merry – for tomorrow we die (Luke 12:16-21). This philosophy, or worldview, falls somewhere along the spectrum between Epicureanism (enjoying the simple things but not overindulging, while avoiding pain) and hedonism (the singular pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of any kind of suffering).

The spark that “Soul” wants us to pursue is a self-centered, pleasure seeking, temporary existence, which will be followed by eternal disembodiment in an unknown nonphysical place. And if this picture is accurate, if this earthly life is all that exists in a physical reality, then maybe they have a point. But what kind of life is that?

Paul rejects that idea and says to the church in Corinth, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

There is nothing wrong with good jazz, and good animation. And mindless entertainment is a welcome distraction from seasons in life like we’ve experienced over the last twelve months. But all entertainment takes us on a journey – a journey with an underlying worldview and assumptions about how the world works and what is good, true, and beautiful.

In many cases, mindless entertainment passes along ideas that are simply untrue, but sometimes they are toxic. Watching a movie will not destroy your life, and there many movies that are far more destructive that “Soul.” However, building your life and worldview on the premises found in this movie will result in a self-centered, hopeless existence, and prevent you from discovering the real reason that you were given this great gift called life.

One positive outcome of viewing the movie is that it raises several questions. What if you were created for more than you currently see in your life? What if the plans God has prepared for you, go unaccomplished? What if you are settling for temporary pleasures and avoiding the struggles that have the potential to transform you and the world around you? What if there’s more?

 

Two Great Men Passed Away Last Night

[Six years ago I had the opportunity to hear from three recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom,  C. T. Vivian, U. S. Representative John Lewis and former U. N. Ambassador Andrew Young - each one a close friend and lieutenant of Dr. M. L. King. Last night both Vivian and Lewis passed away. The question still remains: what injustice do you see in our world, culture, or community and how is your faith compelling you to respond? Will you be passive or will you change your world? The choice is yours.]

For the Courier-Times, New Castle, IN July 5-6, 2014

Passive Faith Didn't Birth A Nation

"It was passivity that kept this country down." Wiry, weathered, and grey, he speaks from a position of respect. Beaten, jailed, and marginalized in the 60's, he has earned the right to be heard. Will we listen?

C. T. Vivian was one of three recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom that gathered recently to discuss the civil rights struggle. To his right were U. S. Representative John Lewis and former U. N. Ambassador Andrew Young - each one a close friend and lieutenant of Dr. M. L. King.

Vivian, Lewis, Young, and King all had a desire to become Christian ministers, but along the way each one realized that following Christ meant more than gaining a title and a congregation. Faith requires action and often leads you down paths you would not have chosen on your own.

C. T. Vivian believes that a passive faith allowed the evil of racism to flourish. A passive faith that said, "If I just believe the right things and go to church on Sunday, then I'm okay." But that's not okay; injustice must be challenged, true faith compels us to action.

The apostle Paul knew that when he wrote to the church in Corinth that, "Christ's love compels us ..." (2 Corinthians 5:14) Jesus' closest friend, John, urged believers to love deeply, not "with words or speech but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18)

Passive faith isn't new. The prophet Habakkuk asked God, "Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?" It's surprising that God didn't respond, "Why did YOU look at injustice and not do anything about it? Why did YOU tolerate wrongdoing?" Ultimately, God had to use Israel's enemies to bring about justice because the people of God did nothing.

Passive faith is a persistent issue. By the time this article is published, the Supreme Court will have given their opinion about whether a privately owned company can be forced to pay for products and services that violate the conscience of their owners. Regardless of the court's opinion, the reason this is even debatable is that our culture believes, once again, that faith should be passive. "Just worship the way you want, but keep it to yourself."

[UPDATE: Days after this article was written SCOTUS ruled that family-run businesses like Hobby Lobby do not have to violate their religious convictions by providing for health insurance procedures that run contrary to their beliefs. And ten days ago SCOTUS again ruled in favor of The Little Sisters of the Poor in their eight year legal battle to protect their religious freedom.]

Yet, history shows us that passive faith didn't bring about a change in civil rights; it actually created an environment where racism could thrive.

Passive faith didn't birth "a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." A passive faith is no faith at all; faith without works is dead.

A faith that refuses to tolerate wrongdoing, however, can make a difference. Faith that challenges injustice can change the world.

As we celebrate the 238th birthday of a nation that champions freedom, let's embrace the kind of faith that birthed that nation; the kind of faith that sustains and corrects a nation. The type of faith that compelled our founders to forge these words on the Liberty Bell: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof ..." (Leviticus 25:10)

Don't be silent. Proclaim liberty. Fight injustice. Even if it takes you down a path you did not choose.

C. T., John, Andy, and Martin all started out simply wanting to be ministers. Along the way, they discovered there was nothing simple about following Christ. He took them to places they didn't want to go. It cost them in ways they could never imagine. It required them to defend truth and fight injustice.

Was it easy? Not at all. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The question facing us today is the same one faced by four black men from Atlanta in the early 60's. The same question faced by 56 men who met in Philadelphia and pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to adopt the Declaration of Independence.

The question: what injustice do you see in our world, culture, or community and how is your faith compelling you to respond? Will you be passive or will you change your world? The choice is yours, choose well.

Do We Really Believe People Can Change?

Christians, do we believe that people can change? How long do we hold the past over people’s heads? Is it right to hold their parents’ past over their heads? Is it right to hold someone accountable for their grandparents’ actions?

Do we believe that God can change lives? How long should we hold Paul/Saul accountable for the Christians he persecuted? Should we throw out all of the NT written by Paul? Should we rip out the sections of Acts that talk about Paul?

Rahab was a prostitute, yet she is in the ancestry of Jesus. Is Jesus tainted forever because of his Great-great-great-...-grandmother? King David was an adulterer and murderer. Why should the throne even have stayed in his family, let alone be claimed by Jesus?

Do we believe that God can transform people’s lives, or are there really whole swaths of people who are deplorable and irredeemable?

Have we given up on the gospel? Is it only Good News for some? Is it only for those who think like us, or act like us, or vote like us, or look like us?

Has Christ called us “to proclaim good news to the poor”, but only certain ones? He has sent us “to proclaim liberty to” only certain captives?

Or has God called us “to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” to all who will receive it and respond - regardless of party, or skin color, or bank balance?

It’s time for us, those who claim the name of Christ, to be about the “family business” and stop alienating the very people we are trying to reach ... which is everybody.

Juneteenth - The March Continues

Juneteenth (June nineteenth) was a mystery to me until a few years ago. In some places it’s known as Liberation Day, Freedom Day, or Jubilee Day. It is a significant day in history, not only because of what happened on that day in 1863, but because it highlights an important truth about culture, history, and the ongoing fight for freedom. The march from where we are, to where we want to be, is a journey marked with significant strides and painful setbacks.

On that Monday, two days before summer began in Galveston, Texas, Union General Gordon Granger announced that all slaves in Texas were now free. The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed in Washington D.C. two and a half years earlier. But it wasn’t put into effect in Texas until Union Soldiers defeated the Confederate forces there. Someone had to fight for freedom.

Residents began marking the anniversary of that day by celebrating Juneteenth. It started as church celebrations but has grown and spread across the nation with food, art, and cultural events commemorating that day. Someday Juneteenth may become a national holiday. It should, because it will remind us that significant change doesn’t happen overnight – someone has to fight for it.

President Lincoln, the person who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, wasn’t the first U.S. President to fight for an end to slavery. President John Quincy Adams mentored Abraham Lincoln, and many scholars believe he instilled in Lincoln the passion to end slavery. John Quincy’s father, President John Adams, was an abolitionist. And contrary to modern day history, a thorough student of history will discover that Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were also opposed to slavery and fought against it.

Founding Fathers Aaron Burr, Charles Carroll, Samuel Chase, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, John Jay, James Madison, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and many more fought the fight to end slavery. Did things change overnight? No. Did some of them own slaves themselves? Yes, but that’s another story for another time.

The Emancipation Proclamation was not perfect. It went into effect in January 1863 but only impacted slaves held by Confederate states that had not yet returned to the Union side. Progress was slow. On April 9, 1863 the Confederacy was defeated, and less than one-week later Abraham Lincoln was dead.

Even though the Confederacy was defeated, the Union forces still had to march all the way through rebel territory to declare freedom for slaves who lived in those states. In Galveston, TX freedom was declared on June 19. But it wasn’t until December 1865 that the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in every U.S. state and territory. But the march had to continue.

I’ve read recent comments that “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent civil disobedience accomplished nothing.” That’s a lie. Talk to black women that had to ride in the back of the bus. Talk to black men that couldn’t sit at the lunch counter. Talk to people who still remember not being able to drink at “whites only” water fountains, or use “whites only” restrooms, or any other public accommodation labeled “whites only”. Did MLK’s efforts change everything overnight? No. Did he, and those who marched with him, drastically change the landscape of America? Absolutely. Is there still work to be done? Believe it.

As recently as 1985, I saw with my own eyes how blacks were treated in rural Florida. In the early 90’s I saw how poor inner-city Detroit individuals (black and white) were ravaged by advertisers marketing cigarettes, alcohol, and the lottery to help ease the pain of their plight. There is still change that needs to happen. The march for freedom still needs to press on. But don’t be fooled, change won’t happen overnight because what really needs to change is the hearts and attitudes in every human heart.

Christians know this, but sometimes we forget the things we know. And, as Mark Twain said, sometimes the things we know “just ain’t so”.

Christ won victory over the powers of evil on the cross at Golgotha, and triumphed over them on Resurrection Sunday. But everyone knows, the battle rages on in the hearts of men and women to this day. The march must continue until we declare freedom in every corner of the world. The march must continue until light and love drive out darkness and hatred.

So today, as you celebrate Juneteenth, or as you just begin to learn about Juneteenth, remember how far we’ve come. Remember what’s been accomplished. Remember the fight must go on. The march must continue until, “all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'” (MLK, August 28, 1963)

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Thanks for reading!

We Were Made for Moments Like This

You and I were made for moments like this. We would rather choose times of comfort and plenty, but we were created for times of chaos. We might dream of places serene and peaceful, but we were created for places of disorder.

^{Gen 1:1 (ESV)} In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

^1:2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. ^1:3 God said, “Let there be light.”

God, like a dove, fluttered over the dark emptiness of chaos and brought order. And God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … and God said … And THEN …

^{Gen 2:7} God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Instead of simply speaking (as if one could even imagine that God speaking is simply simple), He FORMED man and He BREATHED life into him.

^{Gen 1:27} God created humankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them,

male and female he created them.

^1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”

In His image, God created them. For a purpose, God blessed them. Male and female, he charged them.

“Be fruitful! Multiply! Fill the Earth! Subdue it! Rule over it! Take the darkness and chaos that exists outside of the garden and bring order, and beauty, and abundance, and fullness.”

We were made for times like this. We were made for places like this – not to live in chaos and darkness but, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to transform it (John 8:12; 1 Pet 2:9).

We were made to imitate God by creatively stewarding his creation (Eph 5:1; 1 Cor 4:1-2).

We were made to drive out darkness and usher in the Kingdom of God on earth (Matt 6:10).

No one can doubt that chaos has erupted over the entire earth. Fear and uncertainty have taken a foothold in our community. Depression and despair desire to rule our minds. But we were made for this.

Find the “not good” and make it good. Find the chaos and bring order. Find the darkness and bring light. Drive the fear out with love. Drive despair out with hope. We were made for this.

Are There Uber Drivers In Heaven?

Growing up in the age of the automobile, is an amazing blessing that most people in history never received.

When I was a toddler, all I knew was that getting in the car meant we were going somewhere. We got into the car, sat for a while, and when we got out of the car, we were somewhere different.

But it was more than that. Something magical happened. The car came alive, but only after dad got in and closed his door. It didn’t come alive when I got into the car. It didn’t come alive when mom shut her door. It only happened when dad closed his door.

Soon I realized that dad was the only one with a big circle-thing in front of him. Amazingly, whenever dad turned his circle-thing (they called it a steering wheel) the car would go in that same direction!

One day, when I was by myself, I got in the car, closed dad’s door ... and nothing happened. I turned the circle-thingy (or tried) but the car just sat there. Then I remembered that dad stuck a key into the car and THAT’S when the car came alive. It must not be working for me, I thought, because I don’t have a key.

As I grew up, I learned that we had to feed the car this really horrible smelling drink (they called it gasoline) every so often. I learned that losing air in the tires was a bad thing. 

One time smoke started coming out of the front of the car, and then the car puked hot, green liquid all over the ground.

Somewhere along the line I realized that the car was never “alive” ... it was just a machine that required gas and a radiator full of antifreeze. It was much less mystical. I had learned about steering wheels and timing belts, alternators and batteries, hoods and trunks, seat belts and window cranks. And with some training and practice, I could control it, direct it, and care for it.

And now it “talks” with my phone, tells me how many miles I can go before I run out of gas, and even tells me when my tire has a leak.

But all of that knowledge doesn’t make it any less of an amazing mystery and blessing. It still miraculously gets me from where I am to where I want to go.

In a similar way, growing up as a Christian is an amazing blessing that many in history never receive.

As a young believer, all I knew was that “accepting Christ” and getting into “the faith” meant I was “going to heaven” and not the “other place.” And I suppose, on some level, that’s the most important thing to know.

Sometimes we get “in the faith”, and try to turn the wheel, and nothing happens! Some give up, walk away from “the faith” and never come back. “It doesn’t work,” they say. But occasionally, some discover a key that changes their mind.

But is that all there is? What if there’s more?

Aren’t you curious about how this faith comes to life? Is there a “circle-thing” that can steer faith? What are the “keys” to faith? How do we effectively “feed” our faith? What are some ways our faith can be disabled? How should we care for our faith? How can we enhance, or “super-charge” our faith?

What if being a Christian is more than just “going to heaven?”

And how weird would it be to see a 57-year-old man climb in the back seat of a car and just expect it to take him somewhere?

I know what you’re thinking ... no, there are no Uber or Lyft drivers for the vehicle of faith.

But I can guarantee you, there’s more!

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