What was God thinking?

The world was a rambunctious, rancorous, rancid mess. And God sent a baby to do what everybody else thought should be a king’s job.

Unless you were a senator in Rome, a scholar in Alexandria or a member of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, the world was a pretty rough place a little more than 2,000 years ago. By today’s standards—even economic recession standards—those people had it bad.

Take the Jews, for example. The stars of the Old Testament. God’s “chosen people.” But by this time, the mighty had fallen. Once considered—in their own minds, at least—the preeminent nation on Earth, they had been relegated to a dusty outpost astride a modest trade route in the Roman empire. Foreign troops occupied their land. Their economy bobbed along unproductively. Government at every level took advantage of them. They had virtually no middle class, with a chasm between upper and lower classes. They hadn’t even heard any decent preaching in 400 years.

Now, if you or I were going to fix this mess, we would start by sending brigades of elite special forces to throw out the occupying army. We would call in our Council of Economic Advisers to jump-start business, pump up the tourist and convention trade, and recapitalize the central bank. We would commission ambassadors to write new treaties with neighboring countries and put a trade czar in charge of drumming up reciprocal relationships with craftspeople from Asia to Gaul. We’d dispatch a healthy Billy Graham to preach a great revival. And, for sure, we would elect the wisest, strongest, most experienced warrior/CEO/politician to manage all the redevelopment.

But God sent a baby. Of course, Jesus was no ordinary baby. But the Bible says he was as fully human as he was fully divine. So, he was a baby, just the same.

Leave it to God to think outside the crib. No conventional political or commercial wisdom for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (who, come to think of it, weren’t exactly the prototypical nation-building patriarchs you’d choose if you were hiring for the job).

No, God took on the shape and substance of a baby to turn the world upside down. Before Jesus ever left heaven for the limitations of infancy, he knew how this would turn out. Of course, Jesus the holy baby probably didn’t know it, but the eternal Jesus, the Word who spoke the world into being, understood the life that baby would lead. Rejection, suffering and misunderstanding. Forsakenness, heartache and persecution. Sure, this week and next, we will romanticize Christmas and the Christ Child. But back then, patience, love and sacrifice were his weapons of choice against a world gone wickedly wrong. Redemption, not revenge, was his plan.

I grew up in a family who loved Christmas surprises. In fact, surprise was the valued variable in our gift-giving equation. No peeking; you had to be surprised on Christmas morning. As an adult, I look back and think we were onto something: Surprise as a metaphor for God’s response to all Earth’s heartache. God sprung a surprise on the whole world that first Christmas. The Jews wanted a big, burly Messiah. God sent a baby from a poor family. Surprise.

A little more than 2,000 years later, the world seems even more messed up now than it was back then. Despite our progress, despair is having its day. The gulf between rich and poor is greater. The tyranny of despots is even more ferocious. The gap between wish and hope seems almost beyond reaching.

So now we wait for Christmas on a violent, forlorn planet, near the end of one of the hardest years in memory. Let us expect surprises from God. We can’t plan them or manipulate them. Most likely, we won’t understand them. We merely accept them, love them and “faith” them.

This Christmas, we sorely need divine surprises.

Texas Baptists’ next big project would sound preposterous if the needs weren’t so poignant and pervasive, and if the power of the Holy Spirit weren’t present. Together, we’re taking on Texas Hope 2010, a campaign to (a) share the hope of Christ with all Texans in their own language and context and (b) ensure that no Texan goes to bed hungry. We intend to do this by Easter 2010.

Texas Hope 2010 reflects the vision of the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ new executive director, Randel Everett. He began his tenure last spring and quickly set about to help us look past the misfortune and malaise that seemed to dog our convention the past few years. His solution is deceptively simple. We must see beyond ourselves so that we can recognize the tremendous needs in our state and decide what we’re going to do about them.

The impetus for Texas Hope 2010 grows out of Jesus’ twin mandates. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) calls upon us to share the gospel with all people. The Great Commandments insist we must love God and love our neighbors (Matthew 22:34-40). As we take the message of Christ to every Texan, regardless of language, race, neighborhood or religion, we focus on completing one phase of the Great Commission. And as we eliminate hunger throughout our state, we demonstrate our love for God in the most tangible way—by expressing our love for and to our neighbors—both of which are crucial to fulfilling Christ’s commandments.

We will seek to fulfill the Texas Hope 2010 goals by engaging three ongoing tasks:

• Praying. We’re quick to say we will pray, but I often wonder how well we follow through. But we have to admit a task as huge as Texas Hope 2010 is impossible without prayer. Not only does prayer petition God’s involvement in this task, but sustained prayer conditions our hearts and minds for the sustained effort required to fulfill it. Daily focus on the spiritual and physical needs of fellow Texans will channel our interests and inclinations toward the seemingly impossible but increasingly probable.

Please join me in pledging to pray for Texas Hope 2010 and our fellow Texans every day at noon. You can sign up and order prayer guides at www.TexasHope2010.com. On the homepage, click on the word “prayer.”

• Caring. Jesus told us we feed and hydrate him when we feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty (Matthew 25:37-40). No doubt, if any of us actually saw Jesus looking weak from hunger and thirst, we would do everything in our power to provide him food and water. But Texas, home to about 5,600 BGCT churches, also is home to more than 1 million people who do not know where they’ll find their next meal. If we say we take Jesus seriously yet do not feed them, then we’re letting him go hungry.

With our network of churches—that’s people—in almost every community, we’ve got the infrastructure to deliver food to all Texas’ hungry. And with all our skill and education, we’ve got the resources to train many of them to care for themselves.

• Sharing. If we care for Texans’ stomachs but ignore their souls, we’ve done them an eternal disservice. (Just like if we care for their souls but ignore their stomachs, and we do them a daily disservice.) We have the opportunity to reach out to 11 million Texans who do not claim any church home. In these days, when the news often seems hopeless, what could be more helpful than an authentic word of hope delivered by a neighbor from one’s own community?

We’ve got the means to distribute Scripture and speak words of salvation across our state. Sure, it’s challenging, but when have we not loved a big challenge?

Visit www.TexasHope2010.com or call (888) 244-9400 to commit to this task. Make an eternal difference in Texas.

The 2008 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Fort Worth reminded me of hundreds of Texas towns—small and quiet, but significant just the same.

The 1,891 messengers who assembled in Fort Worth comprised the smallest convention gathering in 59 years. And they were amenable to just about every business item that came their way. Time after time, I wrote in my notes, “√ w/o d&d”—approved without debate and dissent. Still, we may look back on the 2008 meeting as a watershed moment for our BGCT. Issues to ponder:

• Politics. For the first time in two decades, Texas Baptists Committed did not endorse a slate of candidates. TBC was born at the height of the battle for the soul of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its goal has been to protect the state convention from falling under control of the fundamentalist leaders who took over the national convention.

For several years, many Texas Baptists said TBC should quit endorsing candidates, since the fundamentalists formed their own state convention and no longer grapple for control of ours. So, this year, presidential candidates Stephen Hatfield and David Lowrie faced off in an “open” election, neither endorsed by any group. (Full disclosure: Stephen Hatfield is my pastor and cherished friend.) Both of them are eminently qualified to lead the convention, and David Lowrie will be a tremendous president. He has championed the principle that the BGCT should be open to and accept all participating, supporting churches, no matter how they feel about national conventions. His election signals this principle is true: We affirm the value of all churches that choose to cooperate with our state convention. We do not dictate their national affiliation, and they do not dictate ours.

• Presence. We lacked a lot here. Attendance was abysmal. Of course, external conditions contributed to the low turnout. Hurricane Ike inflicted a heavy toll on the Gulf Coast and Southeast Texas. And even though the price of gas has dropped, the economy still is in the tank, inhibiting some prospective messengers from traveling to the meeting. Also, many Texas Baptists just don’t attend meetings anymore. Maybe it has to do with “postdenominationalism” and a tendency to put a priority on other relationships. Possibly it has to do with the busy pace of life today and the difficulty of carving out time to attend meetings. Probably it has more to do with apathy, the BGCT’s greatest challenge. Years of theo-political battles, followed by a church-starting financial scandal and misdirection took their toll. Now, individuals and churches expect the convention to prove its relevance and value before they commit time, involvement and resources.

• Promise. Although it reported only briefly, the Future Focus Committee offered a hint of the promise that can come from thinking creatively. The committee suggested changing the name of the BGCT to Texas Baptist Convention, and the proposal was referred to the Executive Board. I’m not sure that’s the best name (we’ll discuss it later), but the committee’s willingness to think expansively is a great sign. We need to reinvent what it means to be Texas Baptists, and we can hope—and pray—the committee will wrestle with far more substantial issues, like how to engage all our passions and commitment, how to structure our common endeavors, and how to engage our culture. May the committee continue to embrace the kind of straightforwardness and creativity it demonstrated by offering to change our name.

• People. The best part of an annual meeting always is the people. Joy Fenner did a great job as president; the first woman prez set a high bar for all who follow. Randel Everett was affable, uplifting and focused on Texas Hope 2010 in his first meeting as our executive director. Texas Baptists are great folks, and the ones who showed up seemed to enjoy each other and had a fine time.

Thank God, the election is over. Now, I pray the politics of division died Nov. 4, 2008.

Not long after the polls closed on the West Coast, John McCain phoned Barack Obama to offer congratulations and then went out to concede defeat. He delivered one of the most poignant, stirring, admirable speeches of his long and remarkable career. You could see the disappointment in his face, hear it in his voice. Yet through his pain, he embraced his noble virtues. He thanked all those Americans who sacrificed on his behalf, particularly his family and close campaign aides. He shushed supporters who railed against his opponent. And he pledged goodwill and cooperation to the candidate who defeated him, calling all Americans to do the same. He reminded us we need the next president to succeed in order for our nation to succeed.

A little while later, President-elect Obama and his wife and daughters strolled onto the Grant Park stage and into a new chapter of U.S. history. In his acceptance speech, he thanked his family, his supporters and the voters who elected him. He talked about his conversations with Sen. McCain and President Bush. Then he turned his attention to the themes that propelled him to the White House—change, hope, inclusion and a spirit of optimism reflected in “Yes, We Can.” Significantly, he spoke directly to the 55.8 million voters who did not choose him: “To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn—I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.”

Listening to both those speeches, I couldn’t help but wonder how different America would be if candidates campaigned with the spirit they reflect on election night. Perhaps we’ll go forward in that tone. May God grant it.

For too long, the United States has suffered from the politics of fear and division. It’s an effective strategy for winning elections and securing congressional votes. It’s a lousy way to run a country. So, I hope you’ll join me in demanding that our new president lead from the center, and, just as important, that politicians from both parties join him there. If they weren’t so concerned about which party would control the White House and Congress and more concerned about building a strong nation, we’d be far better off.

Speaking of being better off, set aside partisanship for a moment and reflect upon the sea of tears we saw late on election night. Mostly, they streamed down faces of color. Predominantly, those were African-American faces. No matter personal politics, how could anyone who loves and cares for our country not be moved to the core by such a sight?

As a white middle-aged man, I’ll never understand the grief and suffering long endured by my African-American sisters and brothers, as well as by other friends of color. When I foolishly downplayed the depths of racism in America, these friends gently corrected me. So I have tried throughout my lifetime to empathize with them. And on election night, I wept when I saw their tears.

No, we have not ended racism in America. But we have taken a giant step forward. This election was not all about race, but race was a huge part of it. No matter whom you supported, I hope you’re proud and grateful to live in a country where a compelling candidate of color can be elected president. And, sisters, I hope you are encouraged to think that sometime, maybe in our lifetimes, your election day will come, too.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama has been elected to a hard, hard task. Pray for our new president and vice president, representatives and senators, as well as governors and lawmakers in 50 statehouses, and hold them accountable for serving all Americans. We must, at last, stand together. The challenges facing our nation will be insurmountable if we continue the politics of division that have plagued us for so long.

Congratulations on winning the 2008 election. Although I don’t know your name as I write this letter, I imagine the whole world will know who you are not long after this edition of the Baptist Standard rolls off the presses and uploads onto the Internet. (At least I pray we’ll know very soon. America certainly doesn’t need another vote-counting fiasco like the one we endured in 2000.)

Why you sought “the highest office in the land” overwhelms my imagination. You endured months of nonstop travel, and that’s the easy part. This campaign reinforced Americans’ assessment that politics is brutal. Although you and your opponent pledged to behave otherwise, both of you succumbed to the seduction of fear-mongering and negativity. Folks wondered how either of you could weather such withering attacks. But as one who sometimes comes under public criticism, I know your wives and children suffered much worse than either of you. While I can understand why a candidate would want to be president, I can’t comprehend the calculus of determining if the family cost is worth the campaign.

Still, I’m grateful to you and your opponent for seeking the presidency. For better or worse, our Constitution mandates we elect a president. We might as well choose from among people of character, goodwill, intelligence and curiosity, who love our nation, desire what’s best for the common good and understand the United States’ place in the world. Those characteristics describe both of you, although they seemed more accurate at the beginning of the campaign than at the end.

You will assume your new office in 11 weeks. I ask that you keep at least three things in mind:

• You are a man and not God. This request may seem strange, but remember what Lord Acton said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Resist the gravitational pull toward corruption. Ignore the sycophants who only tell you what they think you want to hear, and listen to your wife and close friends who will tell you the truth. Refuse to equate yourself with your powerful position, realizing you can—and will—make mistakes, and consequences will be grave.

• People are praying for you. All Americans of goodwill want you to succeed, no matter how we voted. We know the only way for our country to thrive is for you to govern wisely and well. So, on your brightest days and in your darkest nights, never forget that the faithful prayers of a nation are interceding on your behalf. You may be lonely there at the top, but you will not be alone.

• You will govern best if you govern from the center. Americans are sick of politics of fear and division and contrast. It ran its course; it failed. Oh, it sometimes worked in the short run, like during a tight election. But the legacy of dividers and fear-mongers is abysmal. That’s because Americans aren’t like that. Most of us have friends across the political spectrum. We differ on ideology, but we unite around common concern and genuine affection. We realize what we hold in common is far greater than that which would divide us. And so, at the personal level, we work together for the greater good.

I know this sounds simplistic, but we hunger for a leader who will live and work like that on a national scale. Leaders of your party will beg you and leaders of the opposition party will bait you to govern by division. They don’t represent normal Americans. We want you to chart a course that transcends partisanship and disavows division. Hold up a fair, common-sense plan for fixing our problems, and then hold the rest of government, including your administration as well as Congress, accountable for joining you. Americans will “have your back.” We’ll support you if you call us together and lead us without regard to race, religion, class, gender or geography.

After two years of presidential campaigning, Election Day is only a little more than a week away. Weren’t you beginning to wonder if it ever would arrive?

The campaign has gone on and on and on, with mind-numbing, ear-bending repetition. Even in Texas, a decidedly “red” state, we’ve seen far more presidential campaign commercials on TV than anyone might have expected. And that’s to say nothing of all the news reports, talk shows and—in this election cycle more than any before—barrage of political e-mail.

(Of course, across much of Texas, all this campaigning has produced one positive unintended consequence. It’s taken our minds off the dismal underperformance of the Dallas Cowboys so far this season.)

Still, the cogs in the political machines have been fully engaged for many months now, and the get-out-the-vote gears are spinning wildly. We can expect the intensity to increase exponentially in the next few days.

As we look to Election Day and beyond, Christian citizens should prepare to take up at least three important tasks.

• Cast an informed vote.

Jesus talked about paying taxes—besides voting, the other primary responsibility of citizenship—when he said his followers should “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” The mandate applies to voting, as well. U.S. Baptists, in particular, participate in two types of democracies, in both our congregations and our nation. Informed votes are the fuel that enables both to function.

For Baptist Christians, an informed vote particularly is vital. First, we uphold the intrinsic value of truth, and so votes that chart the course of a city, state or nation should be based on solid facts. Second, we live in a complex society with competing perspectives, and some campaigns rely on fear and/or misinformation. We owe it to ourselves and our fellow citizens to evaluate the claims and make sound decisions based on solid evidence. Third, the religious principle of soul competency—that each person is capable of approaching God and making the soul’s deepest decisions—likewise applies to the competency of each citizen to vote intelligently.

• Prepare to forgive.

This has been a particularly brutal political season. That’s especially true at the national level, where both campaigns have criticized the other for unprecedented levels of dirtiness. This fall has been a time of intense emotion for all of us as the nation’s—and world’s—financial stability has crumbled.

So, we’re on edge. And when yard signs pop up like dandelions and political conversations test the limits of civility, folks get testy. This year, more than any in recent memory, we all seem to sense the significance of the elections, both for ourselves and for our country. We seem more passionate about our political picks, and maybe a bit more vocal, too.

But after the election, we’ll each still be a citizen of one nation, one state, one community. And with all the dreadful challenges that will face the next president—shattered economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global terrorism, and crises in education and healthcare—Christians can do our part for the greater good by taking the initiative to forgive the malice and prejudice unleashed by the election.

• Look forward in hope.

Hope is a distinctly Christian characteristic. It involves trusting God into a positive future, while recognizing and responding to difficulty and unpleasantness.

A new CNN poll says 75 percent of Americans are “angry, scared and stressed out” by the global situation. Christians know that, despite dire circumstances, God ultimately is in control. We can offer much-needed hope as we confront enormous challenges facing our torn and tattered world.

Most of us never will feel a hurricane’s wrath. But all of us can ease the burden of Baptists and their neighbors buffeted badly by Hurricane Ike.

In fact, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has set up a system to support partnerships between upstate churches and coastal congregations. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Texas Baptists to demonstrate unity of faith, practicality of purpose and basic Christian love.

“The scope of need is huge,” reported Carolyn Porterfield, director of the BGCT’s Church2Church disaster response partnership effort. “The map shows 322 Baptist churches along the coast are located in the Hurricane Ike disaster area. We know at least 70 of them sustained structural damage.

“So far, we have partnered 21 (upstate and coastal) churches together. We’re still waiting for another 10 churches to commit. They’re in the ‘courting stage’—aware of the need, interested in response, and taking their proposals to the deacons or missions committee or whoever makes the final decision.

“But we still need about 50 churches that will say, ‘Hey, we will help.’”

And that’s the lowest number. The devastation endured by some churches is so great, they may need partnership help from multiple congregations, noted Wayne Shuffield, the convention’s disaster response director.

Here’s just a sampling of needs, provided by Porterfield:

• Visionary Baptist Church in Houston. The sanctuary roof is damaged and leaking, plywood pulled off, shingles gone. Another building also sustained roof damage. Pastor Manuel Fletcher desperately needs a partner.

• Amelia Baptist Church in Beaumont. This church facility suffered major damage from roof leaks, Pastor Tony Shaw reported.

• First Baptist Church in Friendswood. Like most other churches, FBC’s roof was damaged badly. Through Church2Church, Porterfield is trying to set up a partnership with First Baptist and its pastor, David Belk, but the support has not been confirmed just yet.

The Gulf Coast needs vary widely, Porterfield said. Some churches need help from mud-out crews that do exactly what their name implies—remove mud and all the waterlogged detritus of Ike’s grimy visit. Scores of churches need new roofs. Many churches need help for their members, whose homes were flooded and/or ripped by the winds. While some congregations and families are covered by insurance, others are overwhelmed by the potential cost of putting everything back in its pre-Ike place.

Heart-breakingly, Porterfield also acknowledged, “Some pastors need pastoral assistance.” Imagine the devastation of not only seeing your own home and place of work damaged but also helping to carry the spiritual, emotional and physical burdens of a congregation.

Even though public attention has turned to other issues, the effects of Ike will linger for months, even years, Porterfield warned. “Think long-term. Like (Hurricane) Katrina and New Orleans. It’s not going to blow over.”

The needs are specific, she added:

• Prayer and encouragement.

• Physical support—volunteers who partner through Church2Church and travel to the region and help repair damage.

• Money—both to replenish the Texas Baptist Men’s disaster relief fund and also to sustain the ongoing BGCT disaster response efforts.

The challenge is huge but achievable. In Porterfield’s words: “If each church would do just one thing, we could meet the needs of these churches.”

To learn more, volunteer and donate, go to the special website: www.bgct.org/disaster, or call (888) 244-9400.

The last time you and I met on this page, we kept at least one ear tuned to the Weather Channel and asked, “How could a good God allow … ?”

We closely monitored the path of Hurricane Ike as it built up strength in the Gulf of Mexico. And we asked how and why God could permit nature to wreak destruction and suffering upon such a great swath of humanity.

Meanwhile, most Americans blissfully took no notice of Hurricane Wally, which had been building up strength in the banks and brokerage firms on Wall Street. We didn’t know it was preparing to deliver a 100-year storm upon the world’s markets, threatening to blow the financial security of millions of families all to smithereens.

So, if we can consider the problem of evil and suffering in the midst of hurricane season, should we seek theological meaning in global capital catastrophe? Yea, verily.

But before we begin, a caveat or three: First, this crisis is complex. Some of the smartest people in the world don’t understand it. Second, because it is so complex, people of goodwill will take different approaches to it. Third, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. If you can expect Washington and Wall Street to behave altruistically and responsibly during an election year, you can cast Guadeloupe Peak into the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, acknowledging I’m neither an economist nor the son of an economist, let me suggest four reasons for this unnecessary fiasco. They’re not primarily financial. And they’re not confined to Wall Street. They’re indictments on America. But they’re true reasons:

• Greed. You don’t need an Ivy League MBA to understand greed and covetousness swirl around the eye of this storm. Many fingers point to the CEOs of the giant financial corporations. But greed dominates all strata of our society. For example, the mortgage banks stoked their greed by preying upon the greed of citizens who wanted to buy more house than they could afford and who were willing to ignore risk in order to live high.

• Selfishness. A cousin to greed, selfishness seeks personal gain at the expense of others. America suffers from a pandemic of selfishness. People want their stuff, and as much stuff as they can get, and they don’t care how getting that stuff impacts others. So, market practices and financial products can be structured to benefit one at the expense of the other. And nobody thinks about ethics.

• Insensitivity. Of course, insensitivity is a byproduct of selfishness. It crassly overlooks the pain of others. It only thinks about self and family and friends, and it classifies everyone else as “other,” with less value.

• Sloth. This is the Bible word for laziness. And if you think it only applies to politicians and government bureaucrats, think back to the last time you voted. How well did you study the issues and cast an informed vote? This crisis illustrates how much voting matters and how vital policy is for the public good. When voters are lazy and apathetic, they usually get what they deserve.

This financial failure hit us in the pocketbook and the pension plan, but what we’ve got here is a spiritual crisis. We may want to blame Wall Street and Washington, but the financial titans, pols and government (un)regulators who brought this upon us did so with our tacit support. Collectively, America’s greed, selfishness, insensitivity and sloth enabled and empowered them.

Now, we’ll watch to see how the authorities correct the problems. But if we don’t repent of our me-first attitudes, their adjustments will account for nothing more than plastic window sheeting in the onslaught of another hurricane.

One more related word: Sit still and trust God. Great value cannot be measured by dollars. Ask God to give you calm courage and an appreciation for true value.

With storm after storm pounding the coasts and so much suffering in the world, no wonder people ponder the presence of good and evil.
Just think how many times you’ve heard someone ask, “How could a good God allow … ?”

Some of these questions are easy enough—however painful—to answer: God doesn’t prevent the consequences of people’s own actions. A young man chooses to drink and drive, and a newlywed couple dies on the way home from a movie on Saturday night. A girl starts smoking in her teens, and pack after pack after carton, by the time she’s old enough to warn her granddaughter not to smoke, she dies of emphysema. On a much broader scale, a nation turns a blind eye on corruption, and sinister forces who feed off of it prey on innocent citizens.

Still, people who agonize over such loss continue to rail at God for not sweeping between cause and effect, stilling the results of actions that could bear only rotten fruit. They never consider the logical impact of their desire. Suppose God were to limit the consequences of evil choices. Or imagine God were to prevent those choices altogether. At first, this might sound enticing—no more war, no more drunk drivers, no more abused children. But consider the logical results of such divine limitation. First, where would God draw the line? Would God only limit human action that could result in death? Or would God thwart every deed that causes heartache? And to what degree? If God were to be consistent, then God could not allow any wrong-doing. So, unless you live a perfect life (and no one does), that means God would deny a significant portion of your freedom.

But the Bible—and particularly the creation accounts in Genesis—teaches that God created humanity to reciprocate God’s love. To be authentic, human love for God could not be coerced. To be real, it had to be offered freely. So, Scripture shows us that God gave us freedom—fierce, powerful, frightful freedom. A price of that freedom is its very abuse. In order to be free to love God, we’re free to hate God. In order to obey God, we’re also free to defy God. All the evil human beings are capable of perpetrating upon each other is a shallow yet perverse measure of the capacity of God’s love. Think how great the love of God must be to be worth all we do to each other. And then, more staggering than that, try to imagine the depth of God’s love that he sent his only Son as a sacrifice to atone for all that evil and reconcile our torn relationship with God.

Well, so far, we’ve only considered the evil humans inflict on each other. But what about “natural” evil—like violent storms and inexplicable diseases? We can decide to move away from the coast, avoid fault lines and steer clear of Tornado Alley. And yet we might come down with acute leukemia or get hit by a comet.

I can’t certify this with Scripture, but when I try to make sense of storms and inexplicable disease, I always seek a corollary to what we do know of human evil, which is the price of precious freedom. So, perhaps what we view as random evil in nature may simply reflect the freedom God gave to women and men. Maybe it’s the impulse toward freedom that spins off in meteorological, geological, genetic and even sub-atomic activities that result in both goodness and evil. Maybe those are the roots of freedom in nature that we value for ourselves.

Frankly, I don’t know. When I watch a radar screen reveal a storm the size of the Gulf of Mexico, I truly fear and respect the incomprehensible power—and will—of God.

This much I know through experience: Nothing can separate us from the love of God who made us free. God’s grace is sufficient for us, even in the worst storms. And God will provide the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com .

Baylor University took a leap toward unity by selecting David Garland as interim president. A couple of issues ago, we discussed how Baylor’s regents must take responsibility for bringing peace to the the conflict-riddled campus. If they continue to live up the the level of this decision, they can begin to reverse their reputation for divisiveness.

Garland has been an asset to Baylor since he joined the George W. Truett Theological Seminary faculty 11 years ago. As professor of New Testament, associate dean for academic affairs and, most recently, dean, he has provided exemplary leadership. Garland embodies multiple characteristics that commend him to lead Baylor during the coming months:

• Teaching & research
Garland is one of the foremost scholars of the Gospel of Mark, and his books have been praised by academics and ministers for years. He’s a world-class scholar whose research is respected by his peers. But he’s also a scintillating lecturer and a sensitive mentor-teacher.

For several years, Baylor has been divided between those who revere its legacy as a great teaching school and those who want to see it rise in the ranks of research institutions. Garland demonstrates that passion for forming lives and zeal for exploring the world of ideas can reside together, in harmony.

• Honor & integrity
Baylor’s problem with disharmony and division the past decade or so has developed because too many people have been working too many agendas. Suspicion and distrust have infused dysfunction in the “Baylor family.” But David Garland is honest and sincere and full of integrity. Baylor will know that what they see is what they get. And they can begin to trust again.

Garland can lead this because (a) he knows biblical ethics, starting with truth-telling and trustworthiness, is at the heart of the gospel, (b) his life is patterned after that gospel, and (c) he is true with God, himself and others.

• Smart & experienced
I can imagine some of you who read the previous section said to yourselves, “Yeah, then (fill in the blank—the regents, the faculty, the alumni) will eat his lunch.”

Garland is smarter than that. He’s been involved in top-flight academic institutions more than 30 years, and he knows how people behave. He’s not naive. He’s an integrity evangelist; he can convert bad actors to better behavior.

• Open & inclusive
One of the beautiful aspects of Truett Seminary is it is a place where people from many backgrounds and perspectives come to learn together. And a vital part of what they learn is to trust and accept one another.

At Truett, people who hold the range of theological perspectives are respected. The Baptist principle of the priesthood of all believers is affirmed. This spirit can help restore unity at Baylor. Baylorites need to see they can disagree, love Baylor and respect each other. David Garland leads by example, and the “Baylor family” can learn from him.

• The Garland team
Despite his enormous gifts and abilities, Garland wed over his head. He is married to Diana Garland, dean of Baylor’s School of Social Work. She also embodies teacher and scholar. She’s world-renowned for her research and practice in church-based social work. She’s a gifted author. And she’s the kind of beloved teacher whose students follow her example into the poorest homes and neediest neighborhoods and most sensitive congregations, serving the people whom Jesus called “the least of these.”

She’s a strong, funny, energetic, compassionate, faithful and inspiring teacher, dean, minister and friend.

The regents have done well to choose David Garland, and we can pray with confidence that Baylor will grow in unity in the coming months.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com .

Texans have been “treated” to a unique spectacle as we watched the Olympics on TV the past few days.

Yep, you guessed it—presidential campaign ads.

I can’t remember what happened before then, but in 2000 and ’04, Democrats and Republicans alike toted Texas smack-dab in the middle of the “red” column. And so they spent their ad money elsewhere. Why bother with the hearts and minds of citizens in a conservative state whose popular former governor tops the ballot?

But this year, well … . Maybe the presidential spots are national ads capitalizing on the patriotic fervor of the Olympic spirit. Or maybe both candidates think they’ve got a chance at taking Texas this November.

In 2008, presidential politics feels upside down. That’s never truer than when you’re talking about (or, more precisely, they’re talking about) religion. For so long, the Republicans monopolized faith as a political issue. Big-time leaders of the Religious Right acted as if “GOP” stood for “God’s Own Party,” and Democrats did their best to prove it true.

But now, the Communion tray is passing down the other aisle. The Democrat is the one who converses more easily, and often, about his faith. And the Republican is the one who seems uncomfortable when pressed to express his religious beliefs and practices. Although he hails from the liberal United Church of Christ, Barack Obama has spent much of his adult life speaking in and working with progressive African-American churches, where the language of faith is cultural currency. And although John McCain attends a conservative Baptist church with his wife, his Episcopalian reticence to discuss private issues typically trips his tongue when he speaks about spiritual matters.

Still, to get your vote, they’ll appeal to your piety. The most partisan members of both parties are prone to denigrate the others’ faith, particularly as it applies to public policy. Just as some Christians base their votes exclusively on such moral issues as abortion and homosexual activity, others stress the moral nature of environmentalism and justice for the poor. Interestingly, an increasing number of younger Christians seem to be taking a both/and approach to morality and faith, rather than the either/or attitudes of their parents.

Jesus provided two words of advice that can guide Christians through another political season:

• “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We must be discerning, yet gracious; skeptical, yet not cynical. Too often, Christians get in the political game and adopt its ethics and practices. We must understand them and account for them, but we are accountable to Christ. Our ethics must be measured against his righteousness. We cannot forget this.

• “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). We cite this quote in discussions about taxes. But we do not dishonor the passage when we apply it to other “things that are Caesar’s and … God’s”—loyalty and hope. As patriots, we should be loyal U.S. citizens, but our only hope lies in God.

Years ago, columnist Cal Thomas illustrated this latter truth. As 12 years of Reagan/Bush leadership concluded, he observed the anger and angsts of conservative Christians, who failed to achieve their moral goals through political processes. They did not fail because politicians they trusted let them down, but because they trusted politics and not God. The only way to change America morally, he advised, was to persuade fellow Americans to behave morally, not legislate them into submission.

Thomas’ wisdom remains true. In this year of politics, discern carefully and vote wisely—graciously understanding fellow Christians may discern differently. Ultimately, however, rest your hope in God, not a president.

–Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his FaithWorks Blog.

Baylor University counts 100,000 living alumni. Add to their ranks many more Texas Baptists who love their flagship institution and Texans who understand the school’s importance to the Southwest, as well as faculty and staff, plus 14,000 students. The “Baylor family” is enormous.

But the fate of Baylor University rests in the hands—and, more significantly, the hearts and minds—of just 21 people.

Baylor will rise or fall according to how the board of regents leads. Regents just fired President John Lilley for failing to “bring the Baylor family together.” No new president can direct the Baylor dissonance until the board orchestrates harmony. Bringing the Baylor family back together should be Job 1, because nothing else will matter if Baylor tears itself apart.

Any telling of the family tale omits some details, but here’s the short version of Baylor’s current calamity: The family dysfunction became painfully and publicly obvious during the administration of former President Robert Sloan and implementation of the Baylor 2012 long-range strategy adopted on his watch. As one insider noted: “There was no middle ground with Robert. You either loved him or hated him.” Ditto for 2012. The regents divided over Sloan and 2012, and the rest of the family went and did likewise.

Dysfunction took on a life of its own 

After Sloan’s departure three years ago, Baylor remained divided. Even casual observers could peg regents, faculty and active alumni as pro-Sloan/2012 or anti-Sloan/2012, or at least against the way 2012 was implemented. Lilley’s supporters and detractors can debate his strengths and weaknesses, but the fact is that by the time he arrived, the dysfunction had taken a life of its own. The new normal for the Baylor family is discord and division. (Thank goodness, the least-affected constituency is the student body.)

Now, the presidency is vacant again, and the focus for restoring healthy function to the Baylor family is back on the only people who can do the job—the regents.

Reportedly, they’re getting along better. Critics say that’s simply because one group outlasted another, and the voices of loyal opposition to 2012 have rotated off the board. Advocates say the board has grown closer together through two difficult presidencies. But the board’s ability to agree on something in a closed room is beside the point. Actually, it illustrates the point—they could celebrate the Lord’s Supper and sing “Blessed be the Tie” until Jesus comes back, but if they don’t get out and actively lead Baylor toward harmony and restoration, they’re failing Baylor.

Closed door needs to open 

The symbol of their meetings—a closed door—is a good place to start. They should open it. Obviously, legal contracts and some personnel situations need to be handled in private. But if Baylor is going to get better, then the regents need to lift the shroud of secrecy. They can start with their meetings.

But they must not stop there. The regents need to sponsor meaningful, respectful discussions among the entire Baylor family—about the future, about key issues that have caused division, about heritage and aspirations, about prospects for being the kind of school they can revere and look to with pride. They need to involve alumni, faculty, staff and students, but also donors, Texas Baptists and others from the state and community. Recent efforts to reach out to the Baylor Alumni Association and the Faculty Senate are a solid start.

Also, before another president arrives, Baylor needs to draft a new vision document. Baylor 2012 has served its purpose. This will take considerable time and effort, but Baylor won’t come together until it can share a vision that affirms, honors and embraces the whole family.

That’s a big task and difficult. But the regents should be up to it. They’ve been given Texas Baptists’ most prestigious trusteeship. They’re smart, successful leaders. They must lead Baylor to unity. It’s not just their job; it’s their duty.