Bizarro Christianity

 The scriptures referred to are Romans 12:9-21.

In a Superboy comic book in 1958, a new supervillain was created: Bizarro, a fractured mirror image of the hero who becomes Superman. Because he is the exact opposite of Superman, he causes destruction rather than saving people. Eventually the comics came up with a Bizarro world, where the rules of that society were the inverse of ours.

The reason this train of thought occurred to me is that while I was reading our passage from Romans, I was thinking of how they go against, not the way we think the world should work, but the way it actually does. And sadly, there are those in the church who, if they were honest, would admit subscribing to the Bizarro version of the ethical rules Paul lays down here.

It begins with Paul's first rule: “Let love be genuine.” The Bizarro version is “Let love be false.” Few people would openly say they were for love being hypocritical, but their words and actions betray them. Love means wishing for and more importantly, working for what is beneficial to the beloved. And since Jesus told us to love our neighbor, and revealed in his parable of the good Samaritan that neighbor includes anyone you happen to encounter, including enemies, we are to love everyone. Yet we have seen again and again people show an indifference to the mistreatment of certain people. Or they voice a justification for those people being mistreated, like the fact that the people in question were doing something illegal or were suspected of doing something illegal. This is a particularly bizarre line of reasoning for so-called Christians, since at the heart of the gospel is God in Christ acting graciously to save us despite the fact we have broken his laws. Paul writes just a few chapters before this one, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, emphasis mine) Jesus said, “My commandment is this—to love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Jesus acted out of love for a world so sinful that it executed him...legally. If we say that people who break laws deserve mistreatment, even if all out of proportion to what they are accused to have done, we are saying that because we have broken God's law Jesus never should have saved us. Only a Bizarro world Christian would say that.

Next Paul says, “hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.” The Bizarro version is “love what is evil, let go of what is good.” As I've said before, one way to define evil is deliberately doing something you know is harmful to others. We have hate groups that deny that all people are created in the image of God and put themselves above others due to things like race, religion, sex, or national origin. And a lot of these organizations claim to be Christian, like the Christian Identity movement. And most of these groups hate Jews, though Jesus, the Twelve, Paul and every writer in the Bible, with the exception of Luke, are Jewish. Megan Phelps-Roper, the granddaughter of Fred Phelps and long-time spokesperson for the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church, left the cult she grew up in because she could no longer reconcile its hateful teachings with Jesus' commands to love. Only a Bizarro world Christian would love and justify what is obviously evil and let what is good slip away.

Paul writes, “love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” The Bizarro version is “hate one another with mutual loathing; outdo one another with showing contempt.” You see that every day on the news and in social media. People on different sides of issues are accusing each other of wanting chaos and wanting to destroy civilization. That's the unrealistic motivation of comic book villains. Both sides want what's best; the differences are the methods for achieving this and, quite frankly, very different ideas of for whom it would be best. People who love each other can disagree on issues and by talking honestly and respectfully can work out some areas of agreement. Only a Bizarro world Christian would think that spewing hate and loathing and showing contempt for others will change anyone's mind.

Paul writes, “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.” The Bizarro version is “slack off, don't put much work into spiritual things, serve your own interests.” Again we see this today. Christians have lost their ardor for the things God cares about but are all worked up about temporal matters that benefit them in this life. Part of this is due to the fact that we live in a society that claims to be Christian and that fact takes away the urgency of spreading the good news and the kingdom of God. It lets us turn instead to making ourselves as comfortable as possible. If you have been following me on Facebook as I have been reading the book of Acts and the letters of Paul, you've heard how the early Christians were proclaiming the love of God in Christ in an environment hostile to their message. Their opponents realized what the good news of Jesus meant in regards to the idols and the emperor they worshiped. So they beat, whipped, and imprisoned the early Christians. The obstacles we face today are subtler. Our situation reminds me of the church in Laodicea, to whom Christ, in the book of Revelation, says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:15-17) Our outward abundance of things belies our inner poverty. Only a Bizarro world Christian would feel the church needs to tone down its message and moderate its actions and serve the status quo rather than the rousing call of God.

Paul writes, “Rejoice in hope.” The Bizarro version is “Wallow in despair.” Fortune-telling is condemned in the Bible because we do not know the future. (Deuteronomy 18:10) Yet we constantly act as if we do, sometimes being overly optimistic, but often predicting a grim and dark course ahead. And either way, it can stop us from doing things today, thinking that we either need not or cannot do anything to alter the ways things will go. But the fact that God gives us the chance to repent shows that the future is not fixed. It says in Ezekiel, “And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right—if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.” (Ezekiel 33:14-16) If we turn to God, our past need not determine our future. Only a Bizarro world Christian would let a possible future absolve them from acting now.

Paul writes, “be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” The Bizarro version is “treat the absence of suffering as an entitlement and if you do suffer, give up praying for help.” The Bible never says that good people are exempt from suffering. Nor is suffering necessarily a punishment for behavior. Yes, if I drink too much, the result will be a hangover. Yes, if I sleep around a lot, I can expect to get STDs. But I have known people who never smoked who got cancer and good parents who have lost a child. The whole book of Job is about how bad things can happen to good people. For that matter, so is the cross. And, as someone who has a chronic condition, let me tell you to cherish the respites, the good days, the undisturbed periods of sleep, the little joys that are never wholly absent from life. And never stop praying. Help is coming. And it need not be come by an obviously supernatural route. God chooses to work though humans. For instance, polio used to cripple hundreds of thousands and killed 15 to 30% of its victims. After decades of research a vaccine was created 70 years ago. Just this week we got news that wild polio has been eradicated in the continent of Africa. Only a Bizarro world Christian would think suffering is something you can always opt out of or think it a good reason to stop praying to God.

Paul writes, “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” The Bizarro version is “Your money and your possessions are your own and you have no obligation to others.” We like to believe that we make our own fortunes. But even if we don't inherit wealth (which is the way most wealthy people have gotten that way), we do inherit our bodies, our brains, the community in which we grow up, our helpful relatives, our family friends with connections, etc. And most people who succeed get a “lucky” break. Both Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell submitted their patent applications for the telephone on the same day. Bell got his in just a little bit earlier. History is full of rivals to Edison, Gates, Jobs and others who didn't quite make it, sometimes for reasons outside their control. The successful person who is wise realizes that he or she was fortunate and gives credit to those who helped them and especially to God.

The Bible tells us that “The earth is the Lord's and everything in it...” (Psalm 24:1) David prayed, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) Peter wrote, “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10) As Jesus points out in his parable of the talents, God didn't give us our gifts to sit on. (Matthew 25:14-30) We are to use them, not for ourselves but for the good of all. Because whatever we do for others, however humble they seem, we do to Jesus our Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46) Only a Bizarro world Christian thinks God prefers the old Ebenezer Scrooge and not the new one who awakens Christmas morning, grateful and generous to the poor.

Paul wrote, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” The Bizarro version is, “Ruin the joy of others, laugh at those who weep.” Look how much we enjoy watching successful people fall. And since when did people's first impulse become to disbelieve someone who says they are suffering? Sadly, this even happens in medicine when doctors cannot easily find out what's wrong with a patient. Loathe to say, “I don't know,” doctors are more inclined to tell a patient the problem is all in their head. That's what happened to a friend of mine even though she had lost 60 pounds in 2 months and was unable to keep food down. It took going to several doctors before one thought outside the box, diagnosed her properly, and cured her. Why do we think the number of people who enjoy playing the victim are anything other than a very tiny minority? As Christians we are to sympathize, which in Greek literally means “feeling with” someone. Only a Bizarro world Christian will try to rob people of their joy and add to the suffering of those who are in pain or who mourn.

Paul writes, “Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are,” and “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” The Bizarro version is “Create disharmony; be arrogant and act as if you know everything. Don't worry about trying to get along with others.” The word “peace” appears in scripture 450 times. In the Beatitudes Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As for arrogance God says, “I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude.” (Psalm 101:5) Regarding humility, Peter writes, “And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) Only a Bizarro world Christian would think God approves of anyone who is arrogant or divisive or a know-it-all.

Finally, Paul writes, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them...Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.” The Bizarro version is “Curse those who make your life hard and treat them as badly as they treat you.” That runs contrary to what Jesus said: “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) How we should treat people is not dependent upon how they act. Otherwise Jesus would never tell us to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27) Instead we are to love others as Jesus loves us. (John 13:34, 15:12) Only a Bizarro world Christian would think we should give rein to our natural impulses when we encounter people hostile to us and be just as nasty to them as they are to us.

You may notice that in most of the things that we Christians are to do is the opposite of what people in fact do. Because doing what comes naturally does not result in better behavior. It wasn't hard to come up with examples of people doing the opposite of what scripture calls for us to do. What we usually see is the Bizarro version of what Paul says. As he wrote, “Now the works of human nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I warn you, as I did before, that those who make a practice of such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21, my translation)

We wouldn't need the kingdom of God if the kingdoms of earth could handle these issues. We wouldn't have needed Jesus to come if we could make things right easily. We wouldn't need the Spirit of God in us if these things came to us naturally. Doing good to those outside the circle of people we know and love is not natural. Not reacting badly to those who treat us badly is also not natural. What we need is to change who is in control of us. Paul says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the merely natural with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25, my translation)

If what we usually see in this world is the Bizarro version of things, maybe it's because—plot twist!—we are actually living in Bizarro world! If Bizarro Superman is the opposite of the heroic one this world has, maybe it's because their world is the opposite of ours and doesn't need a hero to fight injustice as we do. Of course, Superman isn't real. And he wouldn't really be what we need anyway. Can Superman end racism, or antisemitism, or poverty, or arrogance, or laziness, or lust, or greed, or rage, or envy, or overindulgence? No. Because they are immune to super speed and heat vision and even brute physical strength. They are problems deep within human nature. And the only person who can get deep within us and change us is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus and whom he gives us as a down payment on our inheritance: a new nature that will not need the rules spelled out because loving everyone and treating everyone fairly and living in harmony with everyone will just come naturally.