Transitory Psychosis

Now might be a good time to get into the rehab business, helping people put their lives back together and deal with their addictions–real and perceived. I noticed a teaser on a magazine cover at the drug store checkout: “Jesse James Goes to Rehab.” Apparently after being caught cheating on his wife, Sandra Bullock, James has decided he needs rehabilitation. He joins a long list of celebs that have done stints in rehab.

Most notably in recent months, Tiger Woods has spent some time in rehab trying to put his life back together after his sexcapades were exposed. Last week, Tiger was back on the links at the Masters making some amazingly good (and bad) shots and scowling his way around the course. At a tee on Saturday, Tiger was so frustrated by his drive that he blew up, spouting profanities. The announcer said, “Well, at least one thing hasn’t changed.”

Now I’m not trying to say rehab is all a scam. I know some people who have been helped through rehab programs. Neither am I saying that once a person goes through rehab we should expect him to behave perfectly from then on. Habits of all kinds are hard to break, I know. So I’m not criticizing Jesse or Tiger or anyone else.

I do find it interesting though that in so-called “post-Christian America,” rehab has become a means of rebuilding a public image. There was a time when people would “get religion” in order to accomplish that end. Years ago, people might be photographed going to church after their misdeeds had been exposed. Sometimes it smelled phony and probably was. The same thing is true of rehab today.

The sad thing to me is that both approaches miss the one ingredient that can truly change a life forever–a genuine personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Rehab can certainly help you cope with a life out of control. It may even been a successful means of breaking free from a self-destructive habit. But it cannot bring about the inner change that comes from a personal relationship with God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. That is a change that will last for eternity.

The evidence of Christ’s ability to transform a life is plentiful and exhibits abound. From the apostle Paul who went from a Christ-hater to a Christ-follower to my friend Gene who went from a drunken patron of the rescue mission to a pillar of his church and community. Tiger can change. So can Jesse. So can you. But I’m convinced that change requires a fundamental “rewiring” of the soul found only in Jesus Christ.

I had an interesting experience at Walmart a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I stopped by there in a hurry on the way to work, a little after 6 a.m. I had something in my right eye that I couldn’t get out. We went there to find some type of eyewash in hopes of getting some relief.

After finding what we needed, we rushed to the checkout line. There was only one woman in front of us, with what appeared to be a week’s worth of groceries. I noted the cashier was obviously Muslim, complete with traditional head covering. Her accent indicated she was not a native English speaker, probably an immigrant. She was also s-l-o-w.

My impatience was growing as I scanned for another open register. The only other one open had a line much longer. So we waited. Finally, the groceries were almost all scanned and bagged. Then the cashier pointed to the remaining items and said, “I can’t touch that.” On the counter were two pounds of bacon, a tube of sausage, and a frozen sausage pizza. It dawned on me what was going on: As a Muslim she could not handle the pork.

Everyone’s frustration level was rising. My wife suggested the cashier let her scan it. She declined and went to ask another employee for help. He was not sympathetic and suggested she let the customer scan the items. Sheepishly, the cashier returned and handed the scanner to the customer. She scanned the pork and my wife helped her bag it before leaving. We paid for our items and left.

Questions filled the air as we left: Why would the manager station a woman who can’t handle pork at the register? How can she work at a place that sells pork and be faithful to her beliefs? Why didn’t she just let the customer scan the items to begin with? Doesn’t she know this is America? Why is she here if she won’t conform to our social norms?

In the midst of our frustration it hit me. While I still can’t understand the manager’s decision to put her at the register, I think I know why she is here. She needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. God brought her here to meet His followers who can introduce her to the Truth.

Sadly, all she saw in me was my frustration at being late for work. I hope her next encounter with a Christ-follower is more redemptive.

In the meantime, I’ve been reminded of a lesson I thought I had already learned: Wherever I am, whatever the circumstance, I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ. That matters far more than getting to work on time.

One reason some people deny the existence of God has to do with the presence of evil and suffering. The argument goes like this: How could there be a good and loving God when there is so much evil and suffering in our world?

That statement is usually followed by a rehearsing of all the heinous activities occurring in our world: war, cancer, child molestation, slavery, etc. If God really exists, they say, why doesn’t He do something about all of this?
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In recent days a unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage in that state. Conservative Iowans are outraged and it is possible the decision will eventually be voided by an amendment to the state constitution. The process for getting such an amendment on the ballot is lengthy, however, requiring any proposed amendment to first pass in the state legislature in two consecutive sessions.

For now, at least, Iowa joins Vermont and Massachusetts as states where gay marriage is legal. (California’s Supreme Court ruled in a similar fashion, but an amendment to the state constitution was passed in November effectively outlawing gay marriage. That amendment is being challenged in court.)

The reaction to the gay marriage issue seems to be rather ho-hum among many Christians. What difference does it make? Does it really matter if we place gay marriage on-par with heterosexual marriage? After all, to oppose gay marriage often results in being portrayed in the press as hateful and bigoted, so why not ignore it and focus on things that are more important? However, Christians (and non-Christians alike) need to understand that this IS a big deal . . . perhaps bigger than you ever imagined.
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“I think all religions are equal. Besides, they all teach the same things, they just have different names for God.” Versions of that comment are common these days, especially from the intelllectually “enlightened.” I think it would be more accurate to refer to them as the intellectually “lazy.” Here’s why.

The statement that “all religions are equal” is ludicrious. Ignoring the issue of spiritual truth for a moment, the track records of the religions of the world are quite different. Would anyone dare to say that the ancient religions that practiced human sacrifice are “equal” to Christianity? Could an intellectually honest person say that Hinduism has had as positive an impact on India as Christianity has had on the West?

I’m not saying that Christians are perfect or have lived out the faith in every situation. Christians have plenty of reasons to be ashamed, in the past and present. However, the influence of Christianity has made countless positive contributions. The same cannot be said of many other religions.

The idea that “all religions teach the same things, they just have different names for God” is also uninformed. One doesn’t have to look much beyond the surface to discover vast differences between religions. In Hinduism, for example, helping someone in a lower caste can be seen as detrimental to their spiritual journey. Because Hindus believe we are all in a constant cycle of reincarnation, those in the lower castes are there for a reason–sometimes because they did something in a past life that has caused them to remain in the lower caste or be “demoted” from a higher caste. Lifting the outcast, for instance, to a higher standard of living is believed by many to hinder his or her spiritual progress by preventing that person from learning what they were in the lower caste to learn. Thus, Hinduism offers no incentive to help the poor. This is, of course, far different from Christian teachings that motivate believers to reach out to those in need.

All religions do not have different names for God, they worship different gods. Allah, for instance, is far from the loving, gracious God of the New Testament.

My point: Rather than hide behind the cop-out of “all religions are equally good and equally true,” we need to do some digging. Spiritual truth is not unknowable. God has said if we will seek Him, He will be found (Deuteronomy 4:29). See what else He says in His Word.