Gender. Transgender. There’s a lot of talk about that in our world today. Part of the goal of this podcast is to talk to people, not about them. Today, for the very first interview episode, I’m talking with a friend from high school that I haven’t seen in person for about 40 years. He - she? Well, that’s the question.Here’s the blog today’s guest mentioned: https://thetarajackson.medium.com/Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

Everybody wants to be happy. Some want it so bad that they make themselves miserable just trying to get more of it. Yet happiness remains elusive to many who pursue it.Happy isn’t one of the first things that comes to mind when Jesus is mentioned. There’s a lot of focus on the execution and blood. Repentance and denying yourself are not on anyone’s top ten fun list. But Jesus talked about happy. A lot.But not how we define happy, as a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. That kind of happy is temporary and you always need a refill. It’s a never-ending pursuit.Jesus spoke of lasting and deeper happiness. The Greek word used most often to convey this is, μακάριοι (makarioi). It refers to a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. It also implies supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, and yes, happy. In English, it’s usually translated as blessed, but the underlying richness and depth of the meaning is much more than just being blessed or favored.Jesus uses this word related to the good fortune, lasting happiness, and joy that is rooted in the Kingdom of God as He revealed. It’s a spiritual reality that goes beyond temporary circumstances rather than the fleeting and superficial aspects of a happy life humans tend to chase after.In Matthew 5, Jesus begins the longest discourse we have record of called the Sermon on the Mount. It’s called that because he was teaching from a mountain - likely so more people could hear him. The first 8 to 10 points made are often called the Beatitudes. That word comes from a Latin phrase that means blessed are - which is how each of those initial points begins.In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a detailed view of the practical Kingdom of God, here and now. With that context, the implication is that those in the Kingdom are blessed in these ways. This is what we should expect in this Kingdom.But the term blessed in English isn’t complete as a description of that deep, meaningful happiness, purpose, and prosperity Jesus is defining. With that in mind, I like to call these first points of the Sermon on the Mount, the Be Happies. And believe it or not, happies really is a word that’s plural for happy. What Jesus describes would not fit into our American understanding of the pursuit of happiness. Yet what Jesus offers is so much better, meaningful, and eternal! Here’s the list. Matthew 5:3-12 (NET) 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.For our definition of happy - most of those sound anything but happy. You can’t be happy, and mourn, right? How does that work? Thankfully, the Bible gives us some clues. Psalm 30:5 tells us that sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.While that’s a somewhat vague verse that can be interpreted many ways, it does give an analogy that can help to understand how in the world those who mourn in the Kingdom are somehow blessed and happy. Tonight the sun will set bringing darkness wherever you are on the earth. My little granddaughter freaks out when a room goes dark. She doesn’t understand that seeing is just a light switch or a flashlight away. If you didn’t understand how day and night work, darkness at evening would be troubling! Where did all the light go? But, you and I know, the sun will come up tomorrow, just as it did yesterday. The dark is temporary. You see, that’s the hope Jesus is speaking of. For a Jesus follower, living according to His Kingdom standards reminds us of how temporary our circumstances are. We still live in a broken world. There is pain, loss suffering, and mourning. But the Good News is, it’s temporary. We are citizens of a heavenly Kingdom first - which, by faith, makes this broken world easier to deal with.Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.That’s why Jesus followers should act differently. Talk differently and use different strategies and tactics than everyone else. We view things through the lens of the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed. That changes everything.Paul talks about grieving death and the difference for a Jesus follower. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NET)Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.Having hope is the difference. If you believe the words of Jesus are true, and you’ve given your life to following Him, then you have hope. No matter what. That hope is the foundation of the blessed and rich happiness only Jesus can give. In His Kingdom, mourning is a blessing because we not only know it’s temporary, but we also have the promise we WILL be comforted. It’s a blessing to be able to mourn. For one thing, it proves you are not a psychopath! It’s human to mourn. But we don’t have to settle for that. Jesus overcame death, hell, and the grave! If you are mourning now, hang on. Because with Jesus you have the hope of resurrection. It’s just a temporary night. The joy of a different morning, daybreak, is on the way.That’s how Jesus tells us to be fully happy. It doesn’t make sense in the natural. It’s upside-down according to worldly standards and methods.And these are the other keys to Kingdom happiness. Being:* poor in Spirit, not religiously proud.* meek and humble, not arrogant.* hungry and thirsty for righteousness, not empty temporary pleasure.* merciful, not judgmental, and condemning.* pure in thought and emotion, not devious and bitter.* a peacemaker, not a trouble starter.* persecuted for doing good, not punished for doing wrong.Woohoo! Sign me up, right? Well, it gets better… maybe worse.Jesus wraps up the Be Happies by saying you are blessed and happy when insulted, mistreated, and lied about. He says to rejoice and be glad about it. Have a party about your heavenly reward, not this temporary stuff.That’s not only the way to real happiness, but these key attributes of the Kingdom are also how to actually obey some of the tough things Jesus commanded. Like loving your enemies, for instance. Bottom line, if you pursue temporary happiness, that’s what you’ll get. But if you pursue Jesus, you’ll find a depth of happiness that you can’t even explain to someone without that hope. Don’t worry. Be happy. Like Jesus said! Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

First of all, let me just clarify I am an American. I love America. I’m also what most would consider a conservative. I also believe in the Bible. So with that disclaimer let’s talk about Christian NationalismHippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

Today is Election Day here in Texas. But this post isn’t about an earthly election. There are plenty of debates out there about that kind of election. But what about the elect Jesus talked about? Matthew 24:24 (NET)For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.In English, we can miss the connection, but the same Greek word for the elect is used in verses like this where it’s translated as “chosen.” Matthew 22:14 (NET)For many are called, but few are chosen. After that statement in Matthew 22, the Pharisees were planning how to trap Jesus. They sent both some of their disciples and members of a group called the Herodians. The trick question they tried was about paying taxes to Ceasar, to which Jesus asked for a coin in response. Whose image is on this coin? “Ceasar” Then give Ceasar what is His and God what is God’s. I talk in more detail about this coin encounter in the podcast episode “Where Does Fear Come From?” Jesus was clearly defining the difference between an earthly kingdom and the Kingdom of Heaven He came to reveal. While Rome at this time was not a democracy with public elections, there were still political groups. The Herodians were likely Jewish supporters of Herod Antipas, who not only had John the Baptist executed, but was in general a pretty bad guy. It’s at least interesting, if not alarming, that the religious right of the day, the Pharisees, partnered with the Herodians against a shared enemy, Jesus. A group supporting a government that contradicted most everything they said they stood for - and held them captive!They “elected” to align with an earthly government because they saw Jesus as a threat to their religious beliefs and power. But they weren’t the first, or the last to look to man’s government to enforce their misguided understanding of God’s Kingdom. And after Constantine in the 4th century, the state as the church’s partner has been violently repeated in many forms over and over. Back to the elect Jesus mentioned. He said there would be many false Messiahs and false prophets whose deception would be so diabolical that it almost works, even on the elect.So who are the elect and how can you tell what is false? Jesus continues in Matthew 24 and 25 with a series of parables and statements defining who those elect really are.A quick summary, those who are found faithfully doing what they are supposed to do when Jesus returns. And what is a Jesus follower supposed to be doing? Well, all of Matthew 5 for one thing.I’m not a politician or part of any political movement. First and foremost, I’m a Jesus follower. Period.Following Jesus means following His example and commands. He said we were to be like a light shining on a hill. Being that light isn’t just being right on the big issues. The standard is much higher than that.Matthew 5:14-16 (NET) 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.What is the evidence that our light is shining? People giving honor to our Father in heaven.Is our light really shining that way? Do people in our culture see the deeds of Christians and give honor to God? Or do they see us partnering with the Herodians trying to prove we are right?Just ask a few non-believers.While I’m not saying there should be moral compromise on the things we believe, on the other hand, there can be no compromise on the seemingly smaller issues either.It’s not our job to try and get bragged on by outsiders through compromise. You simply can’t do the right thing the wrong way.This post is public so feel free to share it.Many people right now are afraid and hurting but see the “church” as a threat and elections as a war zone. Yet following Jesus isn’t a popularity contest. He said we would be hated, opposed, persecuted, and reviled.The question is… for what? If fighting for right becomes more important than doing right in all things - we aren’t shining the Light of Jesus.Does our “right” stance also reflect points from 1 Peter 3:8-17:Harmony, unity, and love for one another?Sympathy and compassion for all of our neighbors?Humility?Zero tolerance for returning evil for evil or insult for insult?The sad thing is, many non-believers I talk with actually know the Bible better than many professing Christians. They know the character traits that a Jesus follower is commanded to follow. Jesus’ commands are not suggestions. They are life.I’m okay with being mocked and misunderstood. It’s clear that Jesus followers shouldn’t expect anything less. Yet our standard as the elect is higher than the law, higher than absolute right and wrong. Our standard is love. Without it, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that we are nothing. He lists miraculous and wonderfully good things that are inherently good, but without love, are nothing but noise, nothingness, and without benefit.You can be exactly and factually right, and still be wrong - without love. You can vote for all the right candidates or propositions and still be wrong - without love.Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We can’t expect everyone to understand or agree with what we believe. We should expect opposition and adversity. But let us be castigated and mocked for our love - not for our gloating, pride, and arrogance.And let us not become partners with Herod or Ceasar as if they will rescue us from evil.Let us be mocked for being too patient. Too kind. Lacking any and all envy. Unwilling to brag or be arrogant. Never rude or self-serving. Keeping no checklist of being wronged. Not easily angered or resentful. Not glad about injustice to anyone but rejoicing only in truth. Bearing all things. Believing all things. Hoping all things.Until we are that right, we are wrong - no matter what law gets passed or overturned or what candidate is elected. Until we are that right, people won’t see us and give glory to the Father. Without that kind of love, we are not the elect.They may call us hypocrites. They may hate and revile us. But if so, it shouldn’t be for our politics or our hate, but for our self-sacrificing love. We don’t need the Herodians to help trap our enemies. Jesus said to love our enemies instead. Our neighbors too. Who isn’t in one of those categories? So no matter who you vote for or don’t vote for today or in any election, a Jesus follower’s allegiance is to a Kingdom not of this world. A Kingdom of the elect, where the way is narrow and few find it. How do you know who the elect are? By their words and actions, who they align with, and by who gets the glory for anything good that they may do. Jesus followers are to live like the elect on this Election Day and every other day.The world and the Father are watching. What light is shining from your life? Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

Let’s talk about the Bible. With the title of the latest Hippie Preacher Podcast and some of my posts and replies on social media, there have been questions about what I really think about the Bible. So here goes. I love the Bible. Every word. I believe it. I do my best to try to live it. Do I believe it is inerrant and infallible? Well, I’ll duck as I say this, but yes and no.The truth is, no printed Bible we hold in our hands is perfect. While I believe our understanding and translations are more and more accurate, you would have to check your brain at the door to say that we humans accurately translate every single word.There are even words and phrases in Greek and Hebrew that are so archaic we don’t have an absolute understanding of what they mean. Not to mention the manuscript omissions or additions, and the differences between the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint.So how in the world can we know what’s true? Well, first we have to define truth. Jesus did that for us.John 17:17 (NET)Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.We also need to keep in mind that Paul said, we now see through a glass darkly - or like an image in an imperfect mirror. Someday face to face and perfect. Not today, so far.So, in this broken imperfect world, with human translators, differing interpretations, and the big business of Bible printing - can we rely on ANY Bible translation?Yes. Absolutely. And here’s why.Let there be light. Consider this. God’s word and WORD (Logos) are revealed in Jesus as the Light of the world. That light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overpower it. You can’t turn the dark off, you can only turn the light on.Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Now imagine you are in a pitch-dark room, with no windows. Light can’t get in and it is impossible to see. Yet if the sun is shining outside, even the smallest crack under the doorway will at least slightly illuminate the room.Now imagine there is a glass window facing the sun. The light will dispel the darkness in the room allowing you to see clearly to avoid obstacles and identify objects in the room.What if that window has a crack in it? You can still see because the light will get through. What if the window is stained glass? You can still see, even though things may look different because the light is refracted by the colors.The sun is still the sun and the pure source of light. The window is not the light, but just a way for the light to shine in the darkness of the room.A few cracks in the window don’t change the light’s brightness or the purity of the source. It still dispels darkness.However, if you consider the window the source of light, then it’s easy to miss the illumination in the room (your life) and get caught up cleaning windows and trying to repair the cracks. Or in the worst case, worshipping the window.Taking care of the window is important, and who wants a dirty or discolored window? But it’s the actual light of the sun that changes your view, not the window.That’s how I view Bible translations. Even the most cracked, dirty, or gaudy, stained glass window still lets some light in. I want the best possible window and the most light to illuminate my path. So how do we know which window is best?That’s Jesus. He is what the light looks like. He is the definition of Truth. Seeing Jesus is how you see and know the Father.But how do you even know that those are His words if the window isn’t perfect? Because the light of Jesus changes things so radically that darkness flees.That’s what I believe about the Bible. That’s how I endeavor to follow Jesus. Not arguing about windows, but letting the light change me and teach me what living without darkness is really like.Psalms 119:105 (NET)Your word is a lamp to walk by,and a light to illumine my pathThank you for reading Hippie Preacher Perspectives. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

Black History Month is almost over. I don’t make a big deal about it mostly because it seems disingenuous. The truth is, most of us who aren’t what we call “black” are woefully ignorant of any history that isn’t our own skin tone. It’s kind of like the bandwagon sports fans who are only fans when their team is popular and winning, yet really don’t have any “skin” in the game. As a lifelong Cowboys fan - I know all about that. So why is this southern white guy writing about skin tone during Black History Month anyway? Have I gone woke? No, just the broke part. But I am learning. I am listening. And it seems the more I learn, the more I don’t know. What does this have to do with Jesus? I can hear those questions now. This blog and my podcast are intended to be Jesus-centered. Yet, Jesus often dealt with the cultural issues of His day in unexpected ways. His truth turned many established practices and principles upside down.He also revealed many absolutes. There is only light or darkness. Sheep or goats. Yes and no. Even black or white.Matthew 5:36-37 (NET) 36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ʻYes, yesʼ or ʻNo, no.ʼ More than this is from the evil one.That yes or no command is one of the hardest to obey. I still struggle with maybe. My Dad used to say, “Sometimes you run out of truth but just keep going.”Until planning to write this post, I had never really thought about Jesus using the black/white hair metaphor. I’ve had “gray” hair for more than 25 years. Once upon a time, I was joking with my then ten-year-old son and his older sisters that they needed to respect me because the Bible says honor the gray head. My son looked at me and said, “But Dad, your head isn’t gray, it’s white!” Ouch. Funny, but true! Why all this talk about white and black? I’m getting there. Thanks for bearing with me. Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Over the weekend my wife and I watched the Malcolm X movie from the 90’s for the first time. We like both history and Denzel Washington. There was a scene in that movie where they read the definition of black and white from the dictionary. We will get to that, but first, let’s look at the definitions of the Greek words for white and black that Jesus used in the verse above.g3022. λευκός leukos; white:1. light, bright, brilliant A. brilliant from whiteness, (dazzling) white B. of the garments of angels, and of those exalted to the splendour of the heavenly state C. shining or white garments worn on festive or state occasions D. of white garments as the sign of innocence and purity of the soulg3189. μέλας melas; black:* black* black inkInteresting how detailed one definition is, and how simple the other is. It should be noted that these definitions don’t come from Ancient Greek but from the Strong’s Concordance first published in 1890.Modern dictionaries have cleaned up these definitions, but let’s look at how white and black were defined as adjectives in English by Webster’s Dictionary in the 1800s here in America. WHITE, adjective1. Being in the color of pure snow; snowy; not dark; as white paper; a white skin.2. Pale; destitute of color in the cheeks, or of the tinge of blood color; as white with fear.3. Having the color of purity; pure; clean; free from spot; as white robed innocence.4. Gray; as white hair; a venerable man, white with age.5. Pure; unblemished.6. In a scriptural sense, purified from sin; sanctified. Psalms 51:7.I’m called white now, but am I? I’ve seen snow and even though I’m seriously caucasian, my skin is nowhere near that color. But look at the other, non-color descriptions of white. pure; clean; free from spot; as white robed innocence. Unblemished. Purified from sinNow let’s look at the definition of black: BLACK, adjective1. Of the color of night; destitute of light; dark.2. Darkened by clouds; as the heavens black with clouds.3. Sullen; having a cloudy look or countenance.4. Atrociously wicked; horrible; as a black deed or crime.5. Dismal; mournful; calamitous.Compare these non-color descriptions of black: Sullen; Atrociously wicked; horrible; as a black deed or crime. Dismal; mournful; calamitous.I don’t know a single human whose skin color is actually white - even albinos. My pigment is more pink than anything. Why am I not called a pink person? As a Pink Floyd fan, that wouldn’t offend me at all! I do know some black people whose skin is very dark, but none that are absolutely black. Most are more variations of brown. So where did these categories and names come from? We often think that the way we understand and categorize things has existed before time. However, the categorization of people groups by skin color is a relatively modern principle. In Bible times, ethnicity was determined by their tribe or nation rather than their skin color - even though some of those ethnic groups did have skin color variations.Ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks and Romans, recognized diversity in physical appearances among peoples they encountered but did not categorize humanity in a rigid, hierarchical structure based solely or primarily on skin color. Their perceptions were more likely to be influenced by cultural, geographical, and political factors rather than a systematic scientific classification. It wasn’t until the 18th century that a Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician named Carl Linnaeus introduced a classification of humans in part based on skin color. That marked a significant point in the history of racial categorization, intertwining it with scientific discourse in a way that had lasting impacts on society and the perception of race. So how did all these pink people get called white and all the darker brown people get called black? I wasn’t there and neither was anyone else alive today. Other than historical documentation, much is just conjecture and I’m not here to write a scientific paper. But it is very, coincidental at the very least that white and black were used as stereotypes, contributing to the development of racial theories that were later used to justify colonialism, slavery, and racial discrimination. It would only seem obvious, for those trying to prove supremacy, that whites were pure and sinless while blacks of course were atrociously wicked and horrible. For us pink people, I hope that reading this will make you think about those definitions the next time you categorize people as black or white. For those with more pigment, I hope you are reminded that you aren’t an inferior category by definition. Color is just color. People are just people. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. But also realize that people should be defined by much more than just black or white. Who is in need and who is helping them? That’s the real black and white of following Jesus. Matthew 25:40 (NET)And the king will answer them, ʻI tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.ʼ Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

First, just let me say, I believe in and love the Bible. But a lot of people don’t. You might not. The Bible is true because the Bible is true is not a very good argument, but that’s mostly what non-believers hear. So what if, just hypothetically, it were proven that some parts of the Bible weren’t true? Would that really change anything for a Jesus follower?Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

If you are offended already, please hear me out. Just the phrase “white privilege” still makes me uncomfortable. I don’t feel particularly privileged. It’s been a slow process of listening, observing, and thinking that has led me to acknowledge, that white privilege is real - and really a problem. And it’s not about whiteness, it’s about privilege.This brings us to the logical conundrum of denying there is such a thing as white privilege, or privilege in general.Oh I know, here come the catchphrases. Virtue signaling. White guilt. I’m drinking the progressive Kool-Aid and must be a Marxist. Nope. It wasn’t feelings that convinced me. It was logic and Scripture. Let’s start with Paul.Galatians 3:28 (NET)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female - for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.What does that have to do with white privilege? Nothing on the surface. But when you consider the culture of the time this was written in, it was radically progressive at the time. Both Jews and Greeks had exclusive ethnic and racial identities that did not want to be polluted by the other. That Paul would call them equal was incredibly counter-cultural. Not to mention the equality of males and females, slaves and free.Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan also turned the culture’s racism upside down. The concept that people are equal was revolutionary. Thankfully the Declaration of Independence got at least that wording right in the opening line. This may seem contradictory, but my goal is to show that White Privilege actually exists because people ARE equal, no matter their skin color. Crazy, huh?In the interest of brevity (it could happen…), I’m not going to cite exact statistics or sources. There are many. This is going to be a discussion of general examples and their relation to choice. That is the primary argument I hear, “I’m not privileged because I’m white! It’s a free country and everyone has the freedom to choose!”However, choice and equality are what brought me to understand this conundrum. Let’s first look at some examples.No rational-thinking person could deny that people of color are disproportionally poor in our nation. The percentage of differences between black and white poverty is off the charts. Income, home ownership, jobs and promotions - and the list goes on. One can’t deny that the percentage of blacks incarcerated is much more than the number of whites. Or that there are more single-parent homes, more crime committed per capita, and more drug convictions.Why? Logically there are only two possibilities. Either something is systemically wrong, or these are all just bad choices.Could it be that slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, prejudice, hate, and oppression play a role? Why does almost every town and city have a black part, or a ghetto or “hood?” Did the systematic oppression of several hundred years possibly help create those? You may think that liberal policies like welfare perpetuate the cycle but there has to be some reason that there are such distinct differences in this land of opportunity.If all men are created equal. If all people have the very same life options. Then most of the people still living in a culture of poverty have something in common.They chose it. Right? Or wrong?What’s the difference between those statistical anomalies? If everyone is equal, with equal rights, abilities, and opportunities, then there really is only one difference.Skin tone.That’s the logical problem with denying there is a systemic root to all this. Can I deny that being white exempts me from the cultural effects of slavery and segregation - and that blacks have every opportunity that I have?If I do, then unwittingly I have made the point that a whole group of people have made the worst choices in history because of the quantity of melanin in their skin.To deny white privilege is to say there is an equal, fair playing field, and black people just don’t choose as well as white people.I can’t say that anymore with intellectual integrity. The fact that it took me this long to realize it has now surpassed logic and become a heart issue. My heart had to change in response to the actual logical facts.We can’t work together to fix the problem if we don’t even acknowledge the problem exists. There is no magic wand to wave that will level the playing field. Legislation has been woefully inadequate.Change will only happen when we stop trying to prove we aren’t privileged and start trying to understand how in the world a civilized society has allowed such inequity to perpetuate based primarily on skin color. Privilege is just privilege though. And it exists in many forms. It’s not just about whiteness.The Will Smith Oscar slap is a powerful example of privilege. When you hear white privilege many think it’s only about white and is therefore biased and racist. But privilege isn’t about the color. It’s about the privilege.In my lifetime I can’t recall another celebrity event that so typified privilege. Can you even imagine being able to do what Will Smith did? At this privately exclusive yet extravagantly public event, he not only walked up to interrupt the scheduled host... he punch-slapped him. And then walked back to his seat to vulgarly heckle him. No security response. No immediate repercussions at all.Who among us non-celebrity mortals would have gotten away with that? None. You or I would have been at best escorted out by security no matter what color we are or at worst arrested and jailed. You are not Will Smith. You don’t have his wealth or position of power in that industry. But the actual rules are the same for all of us. Assault is assault, right?Unless you have privilege.Whether or not the joke was offensive is irrelevant. The only exceptions for assault our legal systems recognize is some form of justified self-defense. His position and the nature of the event extended privilege to Will Smith. It had nothing to do with color. Privilege never does. It’s about the power of exception to the rules. In this case, the celebrity system.Now consider this. My son never got into trouble in high school or with the law. I’m good friends with one of his classmate’s dad. His kid has never been in trouble either. They played on the same team. Shopped at a lot of the same stores. One of those good kids and his dad had often been followed by security and accused of shoplifting, another had not. Neither had any kind of history of criminal activity. The only difference? Me and my son are white, and he and his son are black. Guess who systematically got accused? Not me or my white son. That’s privilege. We can argue all day long about why the playing field is not equal, but did this kid choose to be viewed as suspicious and my kid didn’t?No. One is white, one is black and all things are not equal in our cultural system because of that. And that’s a mild example.If it’s all about choices, then you have to admit that darker people just make worse choices than us white people. Or there is privilege. We are either all created equal or we are not. Skin tone makes no choices. Grey matter does. Let’s not let our feelings drive our logic, but let our logic change our feelings.That’s the real choice. It’s not about whiteness, it’s about leveling the playing field when privilege is systematic.Romans 2:11 (NET) For there is no partiality with God.Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

No matter where you are in life, if you are a follower or not, wanna talk about Jesus? Here we go. Today’s topic: Jesus And Guns. Don’t shoot the messenger! Over the years I’ve put a lot of time, research, and “thoughts and prayers” into this issue but have hardly talked about it. The minute you even insinuate that America might have a gun problem it’s time to duck and run for cover. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe

It must be a TRAVISty to not SWIFTly condemn anything that you don’t agree with. Or at least that’s what watching social media during the Super Bowl seemed like.Sorry for the Swift/Kelce pun. Couldn’t resist. This whole blog thing has me trying to do better at posting on social media. Not to be popular, but it doesn’t do much good to point to Jesus where no one can see.I signed up for Twitter 15 years ago but have seldom tweeted until the past few weeks. Not a huge football fan anyway unless it’s the Cowboys, so during the game, I was multitasking.The first He Gets Us Spot stopped me in my tracks. I began to tear up. Not just from the commercial itself but it brought back some memories here in my hometown. In July of 2020, a protest over the Confederate Statue on the square got ugly. AR-15s drawn on both sides.I try to take Jesus’ words seriously and while watching some of the livestream videos of the two sides yelling at each other, all I could think about was, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”How could I try to be a peacemaker in that situation? After some prayer and talking to my wife, I headed that way. Bible in hand, I simply stood between the two sides and prayed silently. It wasn’t really noticed and that wasn’t the point. It just felt like I needed to do something.Hippie Preacher Perspectives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Sometime later I heard about a group who were washing homeless people’s feet at a tent city beneath an overpass. Would I have the guts to try and wash the feet of those protestors on both sides? Probably not, but the idea seemed a lot like what Jesus stood for.That’s what the ad meant to me. Among the hyper-political and hateful nonsense that is touted as Christian today, the metaphor of reaching and serving people no matter where they are in life was powerful. Allergies. It must have been allergies.Maybe I should post about it. Wow. First Super Bowl tears… that feet-washing #HeGetsUs commercial.I have about two thousand Facebook followers and less than two hundred on the bird app. Response is generally mild. The Facebook post got some immediate reactions. Zero for the Tweet, as usual.That was expected. What I didn’t expect was the tidal wave of conservative Christian tirades over the He Gets Us Commercial. It was like watching the Super Critical Bowl.I’m not going to waste my time regurgitating all the vitriol, but it was astounding how many very popular influencers were spouting off about a Jesus they have created in their own political image.The very idea that a follower of Jesus might wash the feet of unrepentant sinners in the very places they may have sinned was declared an abomination. How could you drag Jesus through the mud like that was the pervasive point being made. As if trying to reach and love a sinner before they repent automatically makes you a sin coddler and enabler.I’ve often seen the left castigated by the right for their shared “talking points.” But the conservative Super Critical Bowl had its own talking points. The blame game happened so fast and the comments were so similar, it’s like they were waiting to pounce.Here are some common talking points I observed.1. Jesus wouldn’t do that, He would tell them to go and sin no more.2. Jesus turned over tables and would never wash the feet of an unrepentant sinner.3. Jesus didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword.4. GO AND SIN NO MORE!There were so many condemning stones being thrown that my head was spinning. Then I noticed the more liberal Christians criticizing all the money that had been spent that could have fed the poor.It was like everyone thinks Jesus said go into all the world and criticize and condemn everything!Do I have all the answers? Nope. Am I a perfect example? Absolutely not. Would Jesus wash the feet of sinners like that? I’m not sure. But here’s what I do know.You can’t get most of the stuff posted in defense of Jesus from the words Jesus said, unless you cherry-pick things out of context.Let’s take “Go and sin no more.” Jesus said that. Repentance is vital. But there is context to the process. I recently wrote about the woman caught in adultery in John 8, so I won’t go into a lot of detail here. A bullet point version:* Woman is brought to Jesus and they want to stone her for adultery. No indication she repented.* Jesus wrote in the dirt.* Before addressing the woman, Jesus challenges her accusers - before she repents.* No one is without sin, and so they all put the rocks down and leave.* Jesus, for the first time talks to the woman. “Where are your accusers? Did even one of them condemn you”* “No, Lord.”* “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”Put that into context. Not one time are we told the woman repented. Not one time did Jesus condemn her. He didn’t start with “Go and sin no more.” He started by silencing her accusers BEFORE she repented.To use “go and sin no more” to condemn and criticize anything that tries to relate to or reach people before they repent is a gross misrepresentation of Jesus, His example, and His commands. The other “talking points” are also out of context, but don’t take my word for it. Read them in context for yourself.The crazy thing is, in order to follow Jesus, you have to actually follow Him. Not just quote Him out of context to condemn your sinful enemies.When did condemning people become the Good News? When did criticizing and complaining become Fruit of the Spirit?If your truth sounds more like the goats than the sheep in Matthew 25, you are on the wrong side.It’s not our job to go out and offend people. Yet, you win the Super Critical Bowl by repulsing the people you say need Jesus the most. If you imagine sin being like needing a heart transplant, the tactics of condemn first would be like hating the sick so much that you randomly cut open people in the alley without anesthesia or even having a compatible replacement heart. You wouldn’t even know their medical history or blood type.I don’t agree with everything about the #HeGetsUs campaign. However, my hope is that it can be used as common ground (1 Cor. 9:22) leading to conversations that will lead to the waiting room and eventually surgery for a heart transplant.According to Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament writers, you don’t win in the Kingdom by putting others down. You win by turning the world upside down. How? By returning good for evil. Blessing those who curse you. Not avenging yourself. Being gracious and kind. And being a friend to sinners before they repent. You know, like Jesus… not like the Super Critical Bowl.Thank you for reading Hippie Preacher Perspectives. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Hippie Preacher Perspectives at www.hippiepreacher.com/subscribe