Author: Wick

Recently I listened to a previously recorded message by NT Wright on Christian Virtue. Here’s a link to the audio, if you’re interested. It’ll take an hour for the main message…but totally worth it. If not, here are a few thoughts…

He presents a new metaphor, that I don’t think can replace the “Jesus in my heart” talks…but can definitely expand it and describe it well. He talks about virtue in regards to the man who landed the plane on water back in January in New York. The man practiced many of the skills required for that landing over 1,000 times so that on THIS time, when it mattered most, they would come as a sort of second nature.

He then spoke of learning a second language. When we do this, it doesn’t come naturally. We learn the basics first. Then things begin to make a bit more sense. We can put sentences together, although we probably make mistakes often, etc. You practice for days, weeks, months, often years. He noted that one of the greatest compliments you can give someone who has learned a second language is to mistake them for an actual native citizen.

He was quick to remind his audience that he is not advocating grace by works, or that we can earn any bit of this. But that Christian Virtue is much like learning a language. The language/lifestyle Jesus Christ spoke of in the Beatitudes and throughout his lifetime. The language of life….the language of new creation.

In moments that reminded me how over my head all of this can be, he reminded us of Plato’s Cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, courage), which had “happiness” as their main goal. It’s a mistake often made by humanity, and ends up in a variety of efforts, all pursuing “happiness” for the greatest amount of people as some sort of worthy and attainable moral goal.

But when we replace “happiness” with the “new heaven and new earth – new creation”, we see that as Christians, virtues like Faith, Hope, and Love serve an incredible purpose, and become the mission of the Church in many ways.

May we be learning the language/customs of the Kingdom of God, and live as the citizens we are being re-created as. His Kingdom come…

So recently, if you or any friends are even remote fans of Derek Webb, you’ve heard about his either legitimate or gimmick-rich or somewhere-in-between-those-two news of how scandalous his newest album is/will be. His album entitled “Stockholm Syndrome”.

Is it thematic? Is it a cuss word? Is it much larger than that? Is it really just a bunch of hype around some sort of hidden treasure hunt to give his fans an experience of subversion that goes beyond simply buying something? No clue.

In all actuality, I hadn’t thought much about it. Until a cheesy Christian fiction book I was reading (yup….I still read Dekker…every book…I’m an addict) mentioned “Stockholm Syndrome”.

There was a girl who was kidnapped by a psychopathic killer, and he had her locked up in a world where he was in charge. In order to gain any hope for survival, she knew she had to play by his rules. She had to think according to the “order of things” in this world he had created for her. As she began to think in this way, she began to gain an appreciation for how he responded to things. She began to empathize with him. Given enough time, being broken mentally and emotionally, she even began to side with him in some ways. This is what is commonly referred to as “Stockholm Syndrome”. When someone taken captive or being oppressed begins to bond with, side with, and even show loyalty in many ways to those who have taken them.

So where might Webb be going with this? Not sure. But it does bring up some interesting thoughts. How often do we experience enough empathy towards someone (or group of someones), whether the Church or very much against the Church…..simply because we try to exist in the world they’ve created for us?

On the other hand….God is/has created a new order of everything for us also. It is our goal as Christians and as His Church to learn/practice the language and lifestyle of that new existence, and to proclaim it….but not in a way that takes captive and manipulates. Rather, in a way that truly sets captives free. May we be proclaiming and living THAT kind of good news….

I remember back in November of 2005. We had just moved into our first home, after moving into an apartment when we first came to Decatur, IL. I was working part-time in ministry, while doing sales full time. We didn’t know where we would be down the road, but we still believed God had called us to set up a home right here.

The combination of excitement/nervousness/anxiety/thankfulness/confusion/mourning (just being honest, saying goodbye to a life with no kids)/openness/love/hope/adventure/stress/etc…..was a whirlwind. We prepared for her arrival meticulously and daily. We learned, studied, decorated, and arranged. Addison Elizabeth came (August 2006). We loved. We grew. Etc.