An Epidemic of Mistrust (Part 2)

 

Epidemic of Mistrust (Part 2)

In June (you can read it at https://stjchurchaz.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-matter-of-trust.html) , I suggested we are living through an epidemic of mistrust. As July and August have now passed, I think even more attention should be given to how we can rebuild trust in our society. By trusting each other, the information we transmit, and especially our leaders, we will be better equipped to deal with COVID-19 and whatever crises we may face. Without trust, every crisis will be more severe. All you need to do is look to New Zealand, Australia, or South Korea and know we could have done better.

      Specifically, mistrust in journalists, scientists, and leaders has sown confusion and amplified the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. I understand why there is mistrust—I gave some examples in June of why people’s lack of trust in these three groups is well deserved. But what are we doing to rebuild trust? I suggested:

(1)  Be trustworthy ourselves. Do we keep our word? Do we speak the truth even when embarrassing or counter to our interests?

(2)  Extend trust to others unless we have specific evidence. Are we suspicious of other’s motives without evidence? Do we generalize one person’s failure to a whole group?

(3)  Help others put (mis-)deeds in perspective. When someone else generalizes, do we speak up to say, “that’s not everyone,” or let it pass? Are we listening to the most extreme voices?

(4)  Minimize payoff for those profiting from mistrust by not giving attention to it. Do we avoid clicking on that sensational post? Do we change the channel?

(5)  Forgive and encourage repentance. Do hold leaders accountable when they break trust? Do we encourage repentance? Do we forgive past deeds and give opportunity for change?

Let me say some more here about (3) Help others put (mis-)deeds in perspective.

      It is a standard tactic in arguments to refer to the most extreme, even absurd, example to dismiss someone’s idea. For example in a conversation about police reform, someone said to another person, “Oh, you want to defund the police.” Immediately the temperature in the room went up 20 degrees and the person tried to explain that is not what she was saying but never was heard. While the phrase “defund the police” may get clicks on the internet (and this gets to point (4), people make money off those clicks), few serious people use that phrase. See https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-like-the-ideas-behind-defunding-the-police-more-than-the-slogan-itself/  It does not help build trust, which we so desperately need, between citizens, city leaders, and police departments.

      In that example, the way to build trust is to bring people together to listen to each other. For people to share their stories of excessive force while police leaders and officers listen without defensiveness. Then, to listen to police officers, who we ask to deal with the worst behavior of human beings, and to ask what reforms they would make. To extend trust to experts who have studied the most effective reforms taking place around the country, including in Phoenix. See https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2020/08/22/how-city-manager-police-chief-continue-reforming-phoenix-police/5617681002/

      If we put other’s deeds in perspective, we resist the urge to make this a political issue. There are Democrats and Republicans who try to stake out a position in order to score points with their base. This only erodes trust. As Christians, we are not interested in political parties and their victories. We are interested spreading the news of Jesus, who changes hearts to love God and neighbor. Even though humanity broke trust with God, God came to us in Jesus and gave us the gift of forgiveness and trust. The Holy Spirit is working within us to build new trust with each other.

What do you think? Put your comments on the blog for this article.

Pastor Peter

A Matter of Trust

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)

Relationships are built on trust. When I say I will do something and do not do it, it erodes trust. When I tell the truth, even if embarrassing, it builds trust. In the days of COVID-19, the need for trust has become even more clear.

Christianity is all about trust, trust in God’s promises and trust in each other. The word “faith” in the Bible is usually best understood as “trust,” not a “system of beliefs.” For example, in the passage above, some friends have carried a paralyzed man to Jesus, making a hole in the roof to lower the man into the crowded house. This is trusting that Jesus will heal their friend. We could translate this passage, “When Jesus saw their trust…”

God is trustworthy. God keeps promises. When God said a Messiah would come to save, God kept his word and Jesus came. God tells us the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it. Prophets such as Isaiah and Amos told kings that they were selfish and corrupt, and the ordinary people who were suffering trusted God more because the prophets spoke the truth, even when uncomfortable. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matt 18:20). When we gather online Jesus is present because he promised, and we trust him.

There seems to be an epidemic of mistrust going around the world that should concern every Christ-follower. We are suspicious of leaders and their motivations. We doubt experts and scientists because we wonder if they have a hidden agenda. This mistrust is based on some unfortunately good evidence: people in power have tried to manipulate the public towards their own self-interest before. We could blame Nixon and Watergate, but I suspect it only brought into the light misuse of power that does happen. Journalists are questioned because a few have distorted the facts, for example, Jayson Blair infamously fabricated dozens of articles in 2003. Scientists are doubted when it is shown they ignored data that questioned their findings. Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos promising blood tests with only a finger prick, only to be shown in 2018 to have lying to raise money. If people mistrust leaders and experts, it is not without cause.

But to claim that all leaders and all experts are suspect is to exaggerate the evidence and to encourage a lie that undermines the social trust that makes a healthy society. People profit from mistrust by amplifying the few misdeeds on social media. When someone clicks on or watches a scandalous story, many times that means money for the person who posted it (it’s called “click-bait” because it’s trying to fish for people to click). The subtle result is that people trust less and less. As Christ-followers who understand that love of God and love of neighbor means trust of God and trust of neighbor, we are called to live differently. First, we are called to be people of trust: we speak the truth, even if we don’t like it. We do what we say we will do. When Christians are leaders and experts, we build trust in government, business, and science by telling the truth, keeping our word, and apologizing when we fail.

Second, we extend trust to a person unless we have specific evidence not to. The Eighth Commandment (“You Shall Not Bear False Witness”) means we explain each other’s actions in the most charitable way. This means dealing with each person as an individual and not mistrusting them because of other people’s failures. This is not blind trust, but loving neighbor as a default.

Third, we help others put the misdeeds of a few in perspective. Nixon does not represent every government leader. Most are trying to serve all people and not just their narrow interests. We need to encourage integrity and trust by focusing on the honorable service of many leaders. Likewise, Jayson Blair and Elizabeth Holmes do not reflect journalism and scientists, the vast majority of whom are trustworthy.

Fourth, we minimize the payoff for those who want to gain money or power by mistrust. When you see something scandalous, ask God’s help in resisting clicking on it or looking at it. Turn off the TV if it is making you skeptical of a whole group of people rather than an individual. Look at a website that puts issues in broad perspective rather than one that only wants to get people upset. If we stop giving incentive for spreading mistrust, it will wither away.

Fifth, we forgive and encourage repentance. Jesus died and was risen so we would die to sin and live a new life. That goes for everyone—you and I included. God does not define us by our weakest moment, but by our trust in his forgiveness and the power to be different in Christ.

Trusting God and you,
Pastor Peter

Revealing what we believe about Holy Communion

For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. (1 Cor 11:29)

There’s a hot debate among Lutherans about “online Holy Communion” or “dispersed Communion.” The idea is that a pastor presides from one location (even by recorded service) and individuals in their home use their own wine or grape juice and bread to receive communion. Proponents say this brings the confidence and comfort of Christ’s presence in an anxious time. Opponents say it violates the principles of the Word-made-flesh in the gathered in-person community, the single source of bread and wine (sing “One Bread, One Body” to get the point), and the agreement among global Lutherans to only celebrate the Eucharist when we are gathered in-person. For everyone, the moment is revealing what we believe about Holy Communion. I think it is a good opportunity to pause and think about it carefully.

The verse at the top of this article from 1 Corinthians is crucial in this discussion. It is taken to mean that an individual receiving communion must recognize that they are receiving truly Christ’s Body and Blood. It looks, smells, tastes, and feels like bread and wine—but by trusting Jesus’ words, it is simultaneously his Body and Blood. The idea is that if you don’t believe that you receive the true body of Christ with the bread, it isn’t Holy Communion. For Lutheran Christians, this is a central idea: the bread is the body of Christ, the wine is the blood of Christ because the recipient has trusted Christ’s promise, “this is my body, given for you” and “this is my blood shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” The person who believes the promise has exactly what it says.

One can argue for “dispersed communion” rightly suggesting that the individual’s trust in the promise is crucial. Even when we are gathered in-person, if a person does not trust Jesus’ words, they are not receiving Christ and his benefits when they eat the bread and drink the wine. We don’t need to intellectually understand how it can be both bread and the Body of Christ at the same time. It is the trust in Christ’s promise that is essential.

However, Biblical scholars in Luther’s time and in our own have made a strong case that an individual’s trust isn’t exactly what Paul was talking about. Paul primarily means “body” to mean the “body of believers gathered,” as elsewhere in the letter (see 1 Cor 12:12). Some Christians are gathering to eat the Lord’s Supper before everyone has arrived and by the time the rest get there, it’s all gone (1 Cor 11:21-22). Paul says they are not “discerning the body,” that is, recognizing that it is in the gathering of diverse believers in-person that it is appropriate to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The idea is that an individual, a family, or a group of friends does not reflect the “many” (Matt 26:28), that is, the diversity, of the Body of Christ (see 1 Cor 12:12-13). For this reason, we do not celebrate “private” Holy Communion, for example, a bride and groom to be the only ones to receive the sacrament at a wedding. If Holy Communion is to be celebrated, it must be available to all the baptized who are present or who desire to be present.

So, those who argue against “dispersed communion” rightly suggest that the “body” in 1 Cor 11 refers to the gathered body of believers who are united in Christ through baptism. “Body” does not mean an individual, family, or group united by anything else. To “discern the body” means to recognize the diverse body of believers gathered in-person as well as the agreement among believers around the world about how Holy Communion is practiced. An individual community like St. John’s can’t just decide for itself to change to “dispersed communion.” If we did that, we wouldn’t be discerning the larger body of believers around the world.

For this reason, we aren’t practicing “dispersed communion” at St. John’s even though we acknowledge that a few ELCA congregations are choosing to do so. After much discussion, the Lutheran World Federation eventually may conclude that we can “discern the body,” that is, the larger Church, gathered even online, but we aren’t there yet. To adopt it without agreement or to try to force others to follow along risks their trust in Christ’s promise, “This is my body given for you…my blood shed for you.” This faith is the first and most important issue for us as Lutheran Christians. So, we will restrain ourselves until there is true agreement.

              Take heart that you do not need Holy Communion to be united with Jesus or to have community with other believers. Baptism is the essential sacrament that unites us with Jesus and creates the Church. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, quoting Mark 16:16, “All who believe and are baptized will be saved.” We all need to be born to be alive; in the same way, we all need to be baptized to be born into God’s family (John 3:5). We renew that Baptism daily by dying to sin and rising to newness with Christ. We can fast from food for awhile and still live; in the same way, we go without Holy Communion and still be united with Christ.

               

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Peter