December 4, 2025 • 35 mins
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The volume is up, the outrage feeds are endless, and too many voices use Jesus as a brand for power. We press pause and ask a harder question: what does faith look like when you strip away celebrity, nationalism, and culture‑war noise and return to the way of Jesus?
We start with the warnings of Matthew 7—being known by our fruit, not our slogans—and the centering call of Micah 6:8 to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. From there we draw a sharp line between Christ’s kingdom and the pursuit of dominance, showing how religious nationalism confuses allegiance to Jesus with allegiance to a party. Fresh from a civil rights pilgrimage to Montgomery and Selma, we trace painful continuities from Jim Crow to today’s rhetoric and ask the church to tell the truth about complicity, echoing Jamar Tisby and Bryan Stevenson. The measure of spiritual health, we argue, is not platform size but how we treat the poor, the accused, and the marginalized.
This conversation gets practical. We talk about turning down the noise, matching your news time with scripture time, and learning to wait in prayer rather than chase instant answers. We walk through reading the Bible in context, resisting proof texts and shallow takes, and building real friendships across difference instead of huddling in ideological tribes. We offer heart‑check questions—about control, scarcity, and joy at others’ losses—that help expose self‑righteousness and invite repentance. Throughout, the thesis stays clear: Jesus is enough. Not as an excuse to withdraw, but as a mandate to embody justice, mercy, humility, and neighbor love right where we live.
If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful conversations at the intersection of faith, race, and reconciliation, and leave a written review so others can find the show. Your voice helps amplify a quieter, stronger way forward.
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Podcast art by Mario Christie.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Grantley Martelly (00:08):
Welcome to Above the Noise, a podcast at
the intersection of faith, race,and reconciliation.
And I'm your host, Grant LeeMartelli.
Welcome back to Above theNoise.
It's good to have you, and Ireally appreciate your support.
(00:32):
Our audience is growing everyepisode, and your support is
really appreciated.
Thank you for telling yourfriends and your family and
sharing this with others.
Without you, this podcast wouldnot be much.
So I thank you again.
And I've been thinking aboutsome of the current chaos and
vitriolic ideological battlestaking place in the United
(00:55):
States and in some othercountries around the world, as
we've seen in Great Britain,France, Germany, some parts of
South America, and othercountries.
As a follower of Jesus Christand one who believes that the
life and teachings and thespirit of Jesus is the only hope
for peace and reconciliation inour world, I find it difficult
(01:17):
to recognize and affirm many ofthe false teachings and false
prophets who today use the nameof Jesus, but whose language,
ideology, and actions areclearly not of Christ.
Jesus speaks in Matthew 7,verse 21 to 23 that many shall
say, Lord, Lord, and never seethe kingdom of heaven.
(01:38):
He said that I will say, I donot know you.
And they will say, When did wesee you naked or hungry or in
prison?
We did this, we did that, wespoke your name, we defended our
people, we stood up for ourcountry, and Jesus will say, I
do not know you.
It is a warning againstself-deception and a reminder
(02:00):
that true faith must beaccompanied by a life lived in
accordance with Jesus'teachings, not just words or
spiritual performances.
In the same book of Matthew,verse 16 to 20, it says, By our
fruits we shall be known.
It's a reliable test of a truebeliever of Christ.
True worship is to love Godwith all our heart, soul, and
(02:23):
mind, and to love our neighborsas ourselves, to take care of
the widow and the orphan, theimmigrant within our community.
Some are using the religion topromote hate, racism, attacks on
the poor, the indigent and themigrant, to seek political
alliances that are built onthese principles.
(02:44):
And they question theauthenticity.
Other passages tell us that weshould not put our trust in
horses and chariots.
Yeah, we see many promotingreligious nationalism and
calling for one group to bestronger than the other,
demanding that people follow acertain way or demanding that we
(03:05):
have a country that has allChristian principles.
I don't ever remember Jesustrying to establish a political
party or political Christianplatform, Jesus' platform in any
of his teachings.
As best as I can recall, ourcall is not to recruit people
(03:26):
for an earthly kingdom.
God's kingdom is not of thisworld.
And armies in power andprivilege, supremacy,
protectionism, and exclusivityare not pillars in that kingdom.
A core biblical verse abouttrue worship is found in Micah 6
8, where it says, He has shownyou, O man what is good.
(03:48):
And what does the Lord requireof you?
But to do justly, to love mercyand to walk humbly with God.
This verse connects loving Godwith acting justly and showing
mercy to others, encapsulates inthe essence of true practical
worship.
What is doing justice?
True worship isn't just aboutprayer or rich religious
(04:10):
rituals.
It's about actively working forjustice and standing up for the
oppressed and the widow and thefatherless.
To love mercy, to truly loveGod is also to love mercy and
compassion, extending it toeveryone, especially those who
are vulnerable.
And he causes to walk humbly.
The act of humbly walking withGod is a foundational posture
(04:34):
for demonstrating both justiceand mercy, showing that our
actions stem from a genuinerelationship with Him.
It seems that for some, Jesusand his biblical message is just
simply not enough for this dayand age.
They need kings, they needsigns and wonders, they need
celebrities.
(04:55):
We want to make kings out ofcriminals, heroes out of
self-centered villains.
We want celebrities from socialmedia that portray lifestyles
that we could never live, andpopularity that comes from
clicks and cleverness.
We suspend reality because totruly accomplish some of these
things, we must find enemiesaround every corner in people
(05:19):
who have done no wrong andcreate causes for misinformation
and ignorance.
They are those who promotetheir own agenda under the guise
of Christianity because theyhave found that using the right
words, absence of professedlifestyles, brings prominence,
sponsors, audiences withcelebrities and positions of
(05:40):
power.
They use the name of Christ tohate their neighbors, to abuse
and assault the poor and thevulnerable, taking money from
the widows and depriving parentsof their children.
This desire for prominence andthe national religion have made
many people write for deception.
When we seek simple answers todifficult questions, when we
(06:04):
relinquish our responsibility ofthe hard work of biblical
discipleship to actually readthe word, to test the word, to
prove the word.
We want to settle for checkboxroutines and the applause of men
for our signs of righteousness.
We want a prescription ratherthan godly principles for daily
living.
(06:24):
Being a good neighbor has neverbeen about institutions.
It has always been aboutrelationships first, how we get
along with each other.
They are those who value theirupbringing and traditions above
the transformational power ofthe Holy Spirit, never seeking
really to expose our traditionsand institutions to the light of
(06:48):
biblical truth.
So what happens when we claimto be on the same team, where we
have diametrically opposedviews of the game?
How do we know if we're beingeffective?
Which playbook do we use?
How do we measure or win?
The game plan for power,supremacy, privilege,
(07:09):
self-righteousness, oppression,self-promotion, exclusivity, and
discrimination is not the samegame plan that we have for
justice, peace, mercy, grace,equality, and hope.
We may be in the same stadium,but we are not playing the same
game.
The game players will notresemble each other, and
(07:30):
eventually there's going to be aforfeit.
And this is where we are now.
A team divided against itselfwill never win a championship.
We just came back from a civilrights pilgrimage to Montgomery
and Salma, Alabama, visitingsites and re- and re-envisioning
the tragedy of slavery anddiscrimination and Jim Crow and
(07:54):
the Christian nationalismprinciples that undergirded that
whole structure of slavery andoppression.
We also visited the civilrights monuments, Rosa Parks,
National African AmericanMuseum, read the documents,
watched the videos, read thearticles, and it even made the
(08:16):
vision of the differences evenmore clear.
And it was amazing to me howsimilar the language for power
dominance and supremacy andreligious nationalism,
dehumanizing our fellow humanbeings, and criminalizing the
innocent and creating socialchaos in order to justify
brutality and police action isbeing repeated, and in some
(08:40):
cases, word for word.
If we want to refocus on theheavenly kingdom, we must be
intentional.
As Jamar Tisbe explains in thebook The Color of Compromise,
the church has long beenhesitant to confront these
difficult truths.
He writes, and I quote, for allthe talk of reconciliation, the
(09:05):
time will never come until thechurch is willing to tell the
truth about its complicity andracism.
End of quote.
This avoidance of truth is thehallmark of a faith that fears
man more than God.
And Brian Stevenson of theEqual Justice Initiative also
reminds us the true measure ofour character is how we treat
(09:28):
the poor, the disfavored, theaccused, the incarcerated, and
the condemned.
Our spiritual health isrevealed in our actions.
The spirit, the language, thetraining, the mindset that we
use for peace, justice,inclusion, grace, love for our
neighbors will not in any wayresemble the tools of power and
(09:52):
oppression.
Therefore, since it is becomingmore and more difficult to
maintain civility and honestyand decorum, many are resorting
to screaming at each other, namecalling, writing vitriolic and
hateful posts on social media,seeking refuge among those whose
priorities are not their own orin their best interest, yet
(10:14):
they seek to form alliancesbecause of their political and
social standing.
We're seeking heroes in wordsrather than heroes in actions.
Our desperation for kings andheroes and celebrity and
popularity can cause us to seekalliances that may stroke our
egos while destroying us fromthe inside.
(10:35):
Trying to solve matters of theheart and soul with empty
religious words, political andsocial power and popularity will
wither as the grass and fade asa cheap metal of our shallow
trophies.
Relationships that resemblerighteous leadership may come
with the right words, but manytimes they're clearly misaligned
(10:57):
with our true values.
We cannot bow to the goldenimage.
Some voices may not carry asfar on the national scale.
However, those with the loudestvoices are at times simply
hiding their shallow faith.
Whitewash sepulchres as thescripture calls it, neglecting
the important matters ofjustice, mercy, and fearfulness.
(11:19):
In Matthew chapter 23, verse23, Jesus said, You pay a tithes
of mint and dill and cumin, butyou have neglected the weirtier
matters of the law, justice,mercy, and righteousness.
You should have practiced thelatter without neglecting the
former.
Jesus emphasizes that trueworship involves a heart aligned
(11:43):
with God's values, includingjustice.
The clear message that Jesus isenough will seldom satisfy the
appetite for kingship or racialand ethnic supremacy or
celebrity influences orself-promotion, spiritual
manipulation, or religiousnationalism.
The desire for an earthlykingdom has existed since Jesus
(12:07):
himself walked on this earth.
Don't get me wrong, saying thatJesus is enough does not
separate us from the hard workof doing justice, loving mercy,
walking humbly, and loving ourneighbors as ourselves.
Those things are not easy todo.
What it says is that we do notneed a strong man, a popular
(12:28):
figure, a fake hero to rallyaround, to bring legitimacies to
the kingdom agenda.
So then true worship is to loveGod, to love our neighbor as
ourselves, to show mercy and towalk humbly with the Lord.
This is how we are supposed tolive as people who call
ourselves people of faith.
It is impossible to love Godand hear your brother at the
(12:52):
same time.
Loving God always comes tiedwith how we treat others, and
they are inextricable.
So how do we get on the samepage?
How do we become heavenlyfocused again?
And when I speak about heavenlyfocus, I don't mean just
focusing all of our attention onheaven.
It means learning to live outthose kingdom principles.
(13:16):
Which begins with how we liveit out here on earth and how we
treat each other.
One of the first things we cando is turn off the noise.
Let's find times for peacefulcontemplation.
There's so much things going onaround us.
24-hour news cycle, socialmedia, people call in here and
(13:36):
there, newspapers, jobs,athletics, sports, all these
things can be noisy, can causeso much noise around us that we
don't have time for peacefulcontemplation.
So find times to turn off thenoise.
Find times to just be quiet andto listen, to disconnect from
(14:02):
all of these distractions.
The next thing we can do isspend time in prayer and study.
And I encourage you to spend asmuch time listening to the news
and following social channelsas you do in prayer and study.
That can be a good measure ofhow we manage our time.
(14:25):
And it's also a good measure ofhow we can find that peaceful
contemplation for peacefulcontemplation.
Also, don't be misled by theloud voices and the shallow
rhetoric.
Sometimes the people screamingthe loudest have the less to
say.
Sometimes the people who arealways out there, the voices and
(14:46):
trying to do this and do thatand get the most clicks and
looking at how many people, howmany followers I have, are not
really lending anything ofvalue.
They're just creating chaos andnoise.
Avoid the loud noises and theshadow rhetoric.
Don't get excited aboutprosperity at the expense of the
vulnerable.
(15:07):
If people have to suffer, if wehave to despise others, if we
have to walk over others, if wehave to treat people unjustly in
order to be prosperous, then isthat prosperity really worth
it?
Sure, it may bring sometemporary pleasure, but at the
core of our beings, is it reallywho we are?
(15:28):
Are we really so narrow-minded?
Are we so shallow in our faiththat we don't believe that God
has the ability to supply all ofour needs and for everyone
without having to take advantageof the vulnerable?
The next thing we can do isspend time in prayer.
And I'm not just coming to Godand asking him with your
(15:49):
checklist, give me this and giveme that.
I want this and I want that,support my person and not this
person.
But come to God and pray tosomeone rather than praying for
things.
God is not surprised withwhat's happening in the world.
So have an open mind.
Acknowledge God's awesome powerand sovereign lordship.
(16:12):
Seek to listen rather than topromote your own agenda.
Do more listening than talkingand wait.
We don't want to do muchwaiting in this world that we're
in.
We want everythinginstantaneously.
We want to move fast.
We don't want to wait intraffic.
We don't want to wait in line.
We want a microwave stuff thatshould be baked, that should be
(16:36):
prepared overnight.
Waiting is sometimes the mostimportant thing that we can do.
And listening rather thantalking.
Then we can read the scriptureswith open eyes and ears.
Not just listening to ourfavorite person or our favorite
preacher or our favorite Bibleverse or favorite devotional
(17:00):
book.
But read the scripture withopen eyes and ears.
Not following anyone, butseeking to learn and seeking to
allow the Holy Spirit whopermeates that book.
Because He's able to teach youwhat you need to know, and He's
able to lead and direct us inthe ways that we need to go.
(17:21):
Read and listen.
Seek context and avoid 21stcentury rationalizations without
understanding the originalcontext and the meaning of what
is before us.
Take time to become a disciple,a follower of Christ, rather
than just a red regular attenderand someone who just
(17:44):
chick-ticking off the boxes andlooking for people who are
popular, or for that matter,people who make us feel good.
God's word is not necessarilythere to make us feel good.
It is there to lead us intotruth and righteousness and
justice and to lead us in abetter relationship with God.
(18:05):
Avoid hasty generalizations andbuilding relationships that are
transactional rather than truefriendships with people, getting
to know people, getting to knowyour neighbors, hear their
story, listen to their story,find out more about each other
rather than just hanging outwith our favorite clan or with
(18:27):
our favorite channel or with ourfavorite social group.
When we set ourselves in theseplaces where people just adjust
like us, it's easy to have hastygeneralizations and to make
false assumptions about people.
But when we get to know people,when we take the time to learn
and to listen from them, we mayfind that they're not as
(18:47):
different from us as we reallythought.
Ask yourself, do I rejoice andget pleasure from seeing others
suffer?
Do I feel like I must always bein charge or in control of
every situation?
Can I accept that what Ibelieve to be true may be
completely false?
And am I willing to change if Ilearn that is the truth?
(19:09):
Do I want things for myself atthe expense of others?
Do I believe that God hasenough resources for everyone to
prosper and that he can do itwithout having me to suffer
loss?
Am I afraid of people who aredifferent from me?
These type of questions reallyhelp us to evaluate where we are
and where we're coming from.
(19:31):
And to begin to see people madein the image of God, and that
we don't need to make enemiesout of people who've done us no
wrong or who've done no wrongjust because they're different
from us.
Loving God is inseparable fromhow we treat others, and it is
impossible to love God whilehating our brothers, to find a
(19:54):
way back to the true right path,we must be turned to these
foundational truths.
It is too important to not faceup to these issues, to not look
at how our communities aregoing, our country is going, the
world is going, to look at thechaos and the exploitation
(20:17):
that's taking place and not bebrokenhearted about it.
There's enough resources in theworld, there's enough space in
the world, there is enough ofeverything in the world for all
of us to live peacefullytogether, if we can just put
aside selfishness,self-righteousness, greed,
(20:41):
nationalism, power, if we canlook at our institutions that
are built to promote some at theexpense of others, and we can
truly say we want to be goodneighbors, we want to love God,
we want justice, what we wantfor ourselves, we want for our
(21:02):
neighbor.
How we want to live and how wewant to be treated should be how
we want our neighbor to betreated.
And yes, there are seriousissues in the world that need to
be corrected.
But I would argue that thereare better ways of going about
it than we are going about it inmany ways now.
At least in the ways that arebefore us prominently in the
news and on our television setsand in our newspapers and on our
(21:25):
radio stations.
There are still people in theworld doing great things.
I don't want to put that aside.
There's still people out theregiving and sacrificing and
showing good examples.
And I want to commend you ifyou're one of those people.
And if you're not, I want toencourage you, take some time
(21:46):
for peaceful contemplation tolisten and to really examine who
you are, what you're doing, howyou're acting, and truly ask
God, am I really following inyour way, or am I just following
the crowd?
Because sometimes we can followthe crowd right off a cliff if
(22:08):
we don't be careful.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for supporting thispodcast.
And please share this episodewith your friends and your
families.
If you have anything to commentto me about it, just write me
an email at above the noise24 atgmail.com.
If you like this episode,please subscribe and share it
(22:29):
with a friend.
Remember to subscribe and leaveus a written.
Reddit is very important tohelp develop podcasts that's
leading the podcast universe andhelping it become known to
other people.
Email us with comments at abovethe noise24 at email.com.
(22:51):
Above the noise24 at email.com.
And follow us on Instagram andFacebook at above the noise24.
Thank you for listening.
Please do this episode.
Welcome to Above the Noise, a podcast at
the intersection of faith, race,and reconciliation.
And I'm your host, Grant LeeMartelli.
Welcome back to Above theNoise.
It's good to have you, and Ireally appreciate your support.
(00:32):
Our audience is growing everyepisode, and your support is
really appreciated.
Thank you for telling yourfriends and your family and
sharing this with others.
Without you, this podcast wouldnot be much.
So I thank you again.
And I've been thinking aboutsome of the current chaos and
vitriolic ideological battlestaking place in the United
(00:55):
States and in some othercountries around the world, as
we've seen in Great Britain,France, Germany, some parts of
South America, and othercountries.
As a follower of Jesus Christand one who believes that the
life and teachings and thespirit of Jesus is the only hope
for peace and reconciliation inour world, I find it difficult
(01:17):
to recognize and affirm many ofthe false teachings and false
prophets who today use the nameof Jesus, but whose language,
ideology, and actions areclearly not of Christ.
Jesus speaks in Matthew 7,verse 21 to 23 that many shall
say, Lord, Lord, and never seethe kingdom of heaven.
(01:38):
He said that I will say, I donot know you.
And they will say, When did wesee you naked or hungry or in
prison?
We did this, we did that, wespoke your name, we defended our
people, we stood up for ourcountry, and Jesus will say, I
do not know you.
It is a warning againstself-deception and a reminder
(02:00):
that true faith must beaccompanied by a life lived in
accordance with Jesus'teachings, not just words or
spiritual performances.
In the same book of Matthew,verse 16 to 20, it says, By our
fruits we shall be known.
It's a reliable test of a truebeliever of Christ.
True worship is to love Godwith all our heart, soul, and
(02:23):
mind, and to love our neighborsas ourselves, to take care of
the widow and the orphan, theimmigrant within our community.
Some are using the religion topromote hate, racism, attacks on
the poor, the indigent and themigrant, to seek political
alliances that are built onthese principles.
(02:44):
And they question theauthenticity.
Other passages tell us that weshould not put our trust in
horses and chariots.
Yeah, we see many promotingreligious nationalism and
calling for one group to bestronger than the other,
demanding that people follow acertain way or demanding that we
(03:05):
have a country that has allChristian principles.
I don't ever remember Jesustrying to establish a political
party or political Christianplatform, Jesus' platform in any
of his teachings.
As best as I can recall, ourcall is not to recruit people
(03:26):
for an earthly kingdom.
God's kingdom is not of thisworld.
And armies in power andprivilege, supremacy,
protectionism, and exclusivityare not pillars in that kingdom.
A core biblical verse abouttrue worship is found in Micah 6
8, where it says, He has shownyou, O man what is good.
(03:48):
And what does the Lord requireof you?
But to do justly, to love mercyand to walk humbly with God.
This verse connects loving Godwith acting justly and showing
mercy to others, encapsulates inthe essence of true practical
worship.
What is doing justice?
True worship isn't just aboutprayer or rich religious
(04:10):
rituals.
It's about actively working forjustice and standing up for the
oppressed and the widow and thefatherless.
To love mercy, to truly loveGod is also to love mercy and
compassion, extending it toeveryone, especially those who
are vulnerable.
And he causes to walk humbly.
The act of humbly walking withGod is a foundational posture
(04:34):
for demonstrating both justiceand mercy, showing that our
actions stem from a genuinerelationship with Him.
It seems that for some, Jesusand his biblical message is just
simply not enough for this dayand age.
They need kings, they needsigns and wonders, they need
celebrities.
(04:55):
We want to make kings out ofcriminals, heroes out of
self-centered villains.
We want celebrities from socialmedia that portray lifestyles
that we could never live, andpopularity that comes from
clicks and cleverness.
We suspend reality because totruly accomplish some of these
things, we must find enemiesaround every corner in people
(05:19):
who have done no wrong andcreate causes for misinformation
and ignorance.
They are those who promotetheir own agenda under the guise
of Christianity because theyhave found that using the right
words, absence of professedlifestyles, brings prominence,
sponsors, audiences withcelebrities and positions of
(05:40):
power.
They use the name of Christ tohate their neighbors, to abuse
and assault the poor and thevulnerable, taking money from
the widows and depriving parentsof their children.
This desire for prominence andthe national religion have made
many people write for deception.
When we seek simple answers todifficult questions, when we
(06:04):
relinquish our responsibility ofthe hard work of biblical
discipleship to actually readthe word, to test the word, to
prove the word.
We want to settle for checkboxroutines and the applause of men
for our signs of righteousness.
We want a prescription ratherthan godly principles for daily
living.
(06:24):
Being a good neighbor has neverbeen about institutions.
It has always been aboutrelationships first, how we get
along with each other.
They are those who value theirupbringing and traditions above
the transformational power ofthe Holy Spirit, never seeking
really to expose our traditionsand institutions to the light of
(06:48):
biblical truth.
So what happens when we claimto be on the same team, where we
have diametrically opposedviews of the game?
How do we know if we're beingeffective?
Which playbook do we use?
How do we measure or win?
The game plan for power,supremacy, privilege,
(07:09):
self-righteousness, oppression,self-promotion, exclusivity, and
discrimination is not the samegame plan that we have for
justice, peace, mercy, grace,equality, and hope.
We may be in the same stadium,but we are not playing the same
game.
The game players will notresemble each other, and
(07:30):
eventually there's going to be aforfeit.
And this is where we are now.
A team divided against itselfwill never win a championship.
We just came back from a civilrights pilgrimage to Montgomery
and Salma, Alabama, visitingsites and re- and re-envisioning
the tragedy of slavery anddiscrimination and Jim Crow and
(07:54):
the Christian nationalismprinciples that undergirded that
whole structure of slavery andoppression.
We also visited the civilrights monuments, Rosa Parks,
National African AmericanMuseum, read the documents,
watched the videos, read thearticles, and it even made the
(08:16):
vision of the differences evenmore clear.
And it was amazing to me howsimilar the language for power
dominance and supremacy andreligious nationalism,
dehumanizing our fellow humanbeings, and criminalizing the
innocent and creating socialchaos in order to justify
brutality and police action isbeing repeated, and in some
(08:40):
cases, word for word.
If we want to refocus on theheavenly kingdom, we must be
intentional.
As Jamar Tisbe explains in thebook The Color of Compromise,
the church has long beenhesitant to confront these
difficult truths.
He writes, and I quote, for allthe talk of reconciliation, the
(09:05):
time will never come until thechurch is willing to tell the
truth about its complicity andracism.
End of quote.
This avoidance of truth is thehallmark of a faith that fears
man more than God.
And Brian Stevenson of theEqual Justice Initiative also
reminds us the true measure ofour character is how we treat
(09:28):
the poor, the disfavored, theaccused, the incarcerated, and
the condemned.
Our spiritual health isrevealed in our actions.
The spirit, the language, thetraining, the mindset that we
use for peace, justice,inclusion, grace, love for our
neighbors will not in any wayresemble the tools of power and
(09:52):
oppression.
Therefore, since it is becomingmore and more difficult to
maintain civility and honestyand decorum, many are resorting
to screaming at each other, namecalling, writing vitriolic and
hateful posts on social media,seeking refuge among those whose
priorities are not their own orin their best interest, yet
(10:14):
they seek to form alliancesbecause of their political and
social standing.
We're seeking heroes in wordsrather than heroes in actions.
Our desperation for kings andheroes and celebrity and
popularity can cause us to seekalliances that may stroke our
egos while destroying us fromthe inside.
(10:35):
Trying to solve matters of theheart and soul with empty
religious words, political andsocial power and popularity will
wither as the grass and fade asa cheap metal of our shallow
trophies.
Relationships that resemblerighteous leadership may come
with the right words, but manytimes they're clearly misaligned
(10:57):
with our true values.
We cannot bow to the goldenimage.
Some voices may not carry asfar on the national scale.
However, those with the loudestvoices are at times simply
hiding their shallow faith.
Whitewash sepulchres as thescripture calls it, neglecting
the important matters ofjustice, mercy, and fearfulness.
(11:19):
In Matthew chapter 23, verse23, Jesus said, You pay a tithes
of mint and dill and cumin, butyou have neglected the weirtier
matters of the law, justice,mercy, and righteousness.
You should have practiced thelatter without neglecting the
former.
Jesus emphasizes that trueworship involves a heart aligned
(11:43):
with God's values, includingjustice.
The clear message that Jesus isenough will seldom satisfy the
appetite for kingship or racialand ethnic supremacy or
celebrity influences orself-promotion, spiritual
manipulation, or religiousnationalism.
The desire for an earthlykingdom has existed since Jesus
(12:07):
himself walked on this earth.
Don't get me wrong, saying thatJesus is enough does not
separate us from the hard workof doing justice, loving mercy,
walking humbly, and loving ourneighbors as ourselves.
Those things are not easy todo.
What it says is that we do notneed a strong man, a popular
(12:28):
figure, a fake hero to rallyaround, to bring legitimacies to
the kingdom agenda.
So then true worship is to loveGod, to love our neighbor as
ourselves, to show mercy and towalk humbly with the Lord.
This is how we are supposed tolive as people who call
ourselves people of faith.
It is impossible to love Godand hear your brother at the
(12:52):
same time.
Loving God always comes tiedwith how we treat others, and
they are inextricable.
So how do we get on the samepage?
How do we become heavenlyfocused again?
And when I speak about heavenlyfocus, I don't mean just
focusing all of our attention onheaven.
It means learning to live outthose kingdom principles.
(13:16):
Which begins with how we liveit out here on earth and how we
treat each other.
One of the first things we cando is turn off the noise.
Let's find times for peacefulcontemplation.
There's so much things going onaround us.
24-hour news cycle, socialmedia, people call in here and
(13:36):
there, newspapers, jobs,athletics, sports, all these
things can be noisy, can causeso much noise around us that we
don't have time for peacefulcontemplation.
So find times to turn off thenoise.
Find times to just be quiet andto listen, to disconnect from
(14:02):
all of these distractions.
The next thing we can do isspend time in prayer and study.
And I encourage you to spend asmuch time listening to the news
and following social channelsas you do in prayer and study.
That can be a good measure ofhow we manage our time.
(14:25):
And it's also a good measure ofhow we can find that peaceful
contemplation for peacefulcontemplation.
Also, don't be misled by theloud voices and the shallow
rhetoric.
Sometimes the people screamingthe loudest have the less to
say.
Sometimes the people who arealways out there, the voices and
(14:46):
trying to do this and do thatand get the most clicks and
looking at how many people, howmany followers I have, are not
really lending anything ofvalue.
They're just creating chaos andnoise.
Avoid the loud noises and theshadow rhetoric.
Don't get excited aboutprosperity at the expense of the
vulnerable.
(15:07):
If people have to suffer, if wehave to despise others, if we
have to walk over others, if wehave to treat people unjustly in
order to be prosperous, then isthat prosperity really worth
it?
Sure, it may bring sometemporary pleasure, but at the
core of our beings, is it reallywho we are?
(15:28):
Are we really so narrow-minded?
Are we so shallow in our faiththat we don't believe that God
has the ability to supply all ofour needs and for everyone
without having to take advantageof the vulnerable?
The next thing we can do isspend time in prayer.
And I'm not just coming to Godand asking him with your
(15:49):
checklist, give me this and giveme that.
I want this and I want that,support my person and not this
person.
But come to God and pray tosomeone rather than praying for
things.
God is not surprised withwhat's happening in the world.
So have an open mind.
Acknowledge God's awesome powerand sovereign lordship.
(16:12):
Seek to listen rather than topromote your own agenda.
Do more listening than talkingand wait.
We don't want to do muchwaiting in this world that we're
in.
We want everythinginstantaneously.
We want to move fast.
We don't want to wait intraffic.
We don't want to wait in line.
We want a microwave stuff thatshould be baked, that should be
(16:36):
prepared overnight.
Waiting is sometimes the mostimportant thing that we can do.
And listening rather thantalking.
Then we can read the scriptureswith open eyes and ears.
Not just listening to ourfavorite person or our favorite
preacher or our favorite Bibleverse or favorite devotional
(17:00):
book.
But read the scripture withopen eyes and ears.
Not following anyone, butseeking to learn and seeking to
allow the Holy Spirit whopermeates that book.
Because He's able to teach youwhat you need to know, and He's
able to lead and direct us inthe ways that we need to go.
(17:21):
Read and listen.
Seek context and avoid 21stcentury rationalizations without
understanding the originalcontext and the meaning of what
is before us.
Take time to become a disciple,a follower of Christ, rather
than just a red regular attenderand someone who just
(17:44):
chick-ticking off the boxes andlooking for people who are
popular, or for that matter,people who make us feel good.
God's word is not necessarilythere to make us feel good.
It is there to lead us intotruth and righteousness and
justice and to lead us in abetter relationship with God.
(18:05):
Avoid hasty generalizations andbuilding relationships that are
transactional rather than truefriendships with people, getting
to know people, getting to knowyour neighbors, hear their
story, listen to their story,find out more about each other
rather than just hanging outwith our favorite clan or with
(18:27):
our favorite channel or with ourfavorite social group.
When we set ourselves in theseplaces where people just adjust
like us, it's easy to have hastygeneralizations and to make
false assumptions about people.
But when we get to know people,when we take the time to learn
and to listen from them, we mayfind that they're not as
(18:47):
different from us as we reallythought.
Ask yourself, do I rejoice andget pleasure from seeing others
suffer?
Do I feel like I must always bein charge or in control of
every situation?
Can I accept that what Ibelieve to be true may be
completely false?
And am I willing to change if Ilearn that is the truth?
(19:09):
Do I want things for myself atthe expense of others?
Do I believe that God hasenough resources for everyone to
prosper and that he can do itwithout having me to suffer
loss?
Am I afraid of people who aredifferent from me?
These type of questions reallyhelp us to evaluate where we are
and where we're coming from.
(19:31):
And to begin to see people madein the image of God, and that
we don't need to make enemiesout of people who've done us no
wrong or who've done no wrongjust because they're different
from us.
Loving God is inseparable fromhow we treat others, and it is
impossible to love God whilehating our brothers, to find a
(19:54):
way back to the true right path,we must be turned to these
foundational truths.
It is too important to not faceup to these issues, to not look
at how our communities aregoing, our country is going, the
world is going, to look at thechaos and the exploitation
(20:17):
that's taking place and not bebrokenhearted about it.
There's enough resources in theworld, there's enough space in
the world, there is enough ofeverything in the world for all
of us to live peacefullytogether, if we can just put
aside selfishness,self-righteousness, greed,
(20:41):
nationalism, power, if we canlook at our institutions that
are built to promote some at theexpense of others, and we can
truly say we want to be goodneighbors, we want to love God,
we want justice, what we wantfor ourselves, we want for our
(21:02):
neighbor.
How we want to live and how wewant to be treated should be how
we want our neighbor to betreated.
And yes, there are seriousissues in the world that need to
be corrected.
But I would argue that thereare better ways of going about
it than we are going about it inmany ways now.
At least in the ways that arebefore us prominently in the
news and on our television setsand in our newspapers and on our
(21:25):
radio stations.
There are still people in theworld doing great things.
I don't want to put that aside.
There's still people out theregiving and sacrificing and
showing good examples.
And I want to commend you ifyou're one of those people.
And if you're not, I want toencourage you, take some time
(21:46):
for peaceful contemplation tolisten and to really examine who
you are, what you're doing, howyou're acting, and truly ask
God, am I really following inyour way, or am I just following
the crowd?
Because sometimes we can followthe crowd right off a cliff if
(22:08):
we don't be careful.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for supporting thispodcast.
And please share this episodewith your friends and your
families.
If you have anything to commentto me about it, just write me
an email at above the noise24 atgmail.com.
If you like this episode,please subscribe and share it
(22:29):
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(22:51):
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