Visible Invisibility: How to be the Church in the World

I believe that a big part of the Christian life is the amazing miracle of invisibility. No, I'm not confused by Hollywood sci-fi and those bad movies by Chevy Chase and Kevin Bacon but puzzled, confounded, and stretched by the words of Jesus who advocates for a generous invisibility. He warns

Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ~ Matthew 6:1-5

These words seem clear and I don't feel the need to belabor their point. Jesus is challenging a piety, all too familiar in his day and our own, of those whose main goal in practicing their faith is being seen and congratulated. The desire for such visibility is not to please God or care for others but to achieve some form of celebrity status. Let's be honest - we all know this temptation. In response, Jesus argues, we should practice our faith, particularly caring for the poor and prayer, secretly, without another's knowledge save God's. Apart from the difficulty of living out such a position, however are two related issues that deal directly with my job at the church which involves promoting gospel action and connecting people to to ministries and service organizations. One problem is biblical and the other practical. First, the biblical. Earlier in the sermon on the mount, where our invisible piety warning comes from, Jesus announces

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ~ Matt. 5:14-16

The obvious question is, "how are we to shine and reveal God's glory like a city on a hill if we must also be secret to the point that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing?" Second, the practical. If Jesus is advocating for an invisible piety then how can we promote particular ministries of giving and care without mentioning people and their stories? What are we to make of Christian witness and the offering of testimonies or even worship if such acts must only function privately? Yet, how are we to bear such witness while avoiding vain recognition?

These are important pastoral and theological questions which I can only briefly deal with now but here are a few thoughts. First,if we begin with the assumption that Jesus is neither being contradictory nor inconsistent, how might we reconcile these two passages? Well, first and foremost, we need to recognize that we are hampered here by our own language and its inability to differentiate between the second person singular and the second person plural, both indicated by the pronoun "you." The "city on a hill" passage reflects the second person plural while the "giving in secret" passage reflects the second person singular. To be corporately visible while singularly invisible is certainly tricky but hardly insurmountable. Despite its difficulties, surely Jesus is not sanctioning any visible absence of showing the love of God to those in need in the community. Second, if we return to Jesus' initial warning we see that he is not so much challenging visible piety but the practicing of piety "in order to be seen." The notion of intent does not resolve the problem but shifts it to the difficult arena of our inward lives and relationship to our community. Okay, so what practices might we advance to help navigate these two commands.

First, one of the goals of my position is to offer visible opportunities for invisibile service. This does not mean that I am interested in promoting particular personalities, but wanting to introduce members to acts of service that others have found meaningful. One of the ways that I hope to do this is through the sharing of stories by church members who are engaging the gospel in exciting ways and inviting some of us to participate. The point of the story is invitation and not self praise.
Second, my goal is to help us be accountable as a church to the mission of Jesus Christ. This is a mission that includes good news and justice for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty and so forth. Here, a helpful point of similarity is the role of treasurer who does not speak about individual tithing but overall giving. We are the body of Christ, we all have a task to perform and it is the body that should be visible. This means that when I go anywhere I am an emissary for the whole church just as many of you are when you serve others in Jesus' name on behalf of us. To visibly promote such tasks and service opportunities thus serves as a reminder of our desire to follow Jesus and that we do this together. We are accountable to one another as we seek to live out the gospel in the world. When we go into the world as the church then the visibility is about Him and we realize that we are small part in the mosaic of Jesus in the world. Then, we are visibly invisible.

The Greatest Charity by Maimonides

Maimonides, the twelfth century Jewish scholar, wrote a brief but profound mishnah on the Torah concerning charity. Summing up and explaining the vision of charity found in what we consider the Old Testament, he defined and described eight degrees of charity. His words are worth considering as we seek to be faithful to God's vision of compassion, mercy and justice as well as effective in battling poverty and homelessness in our city. He writes:

There are eight levels of tzedaka [often translated as "charity" is the Jewish legal requirement to do rightly with your fellow person -- that is, to support him (or her) when he is in need, Deut. 15:7-8], each greater than the next. The greatest level, above which there is no other, is to strengthen the name of another Jew by giving him a present or loan, or making a partnership with him, or finding him a job in order to strengthen his hand until he needs no longer [beg from] people. For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," {Leviticus 25:35} that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall [upon the mercy of the community] or be in need.

Maimonides admonishes us that the true meaning of charity is not the easy gift of a handout or donation but the hard effort of providing meaningful employment and help so that such a person no longer has need. This isn't a claim that those who are homeless or poor simply need "to get a job" but that we must work to create a society that seeks to welcome and strengthen the stranger rather than simply appease him. Such a philosophy would reorient us toward practices of justice that, I would argue, are more in keeping with both the Old and New Testament perspective of caring for the poor.

Below is Maimonides text for you to read:

Eight Degrees of Charity:
Rambam, Hilchot Mat'not Ani'im 10:1,7-14
(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts of [that belong to] the Poor)
Translated and copyright 1990, 2003 by Jonathan J. Baker
[Interpolations] in brackets, {scriptural citations} in braces.

1) We are required to take more care about the mitzva ["command"] of tzedaka [Tzedaka, unlike "charity" (from Gk. karitas, "love"), is the Jewish legal requirement to do rightly with your fellow person -- that is, to support him when he is in need.(Deut. 15:7-8)] than for any other positive mitzva. For the mitzva of tzedaka is the sign of the righteous descendents of Abraham our father, as "[God] has made known to him [Abraham], so that he shall command his sons to do tzedaka." {Genesis XVIII:19} The throne of Israel is not established, nor does true faith stand except through tzedaka), for "through tzedaka will I [God] be established." {Isaiah LIV:14} And Israel will not be redeemed except through tzedaka, for "Zion will be ransomed through judgment and returned through tzedaka." {Isaiah I:27}
7) There are eight levels of tzedaka, each greater than the next. The greatest level, above which there is no other, is to strengthen the name of another Jew by giving him a present or loan, or making a partnership with him, or finding him a job in order to strengthen his hand until he needs no longer [beg from] people. For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," {Leviticus XXV:35} that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall [upon the mercy of the community] or be in need.
8) Below this is the one who gives tzedaka to the poor, but does not know to whom he gives, nor does the recipient know his benefactor. For this is performing a mitzva for the sake of Heaven. This is like the Secret [Anonymous] Office in the Temple. There the righteous gave secretly, and the good poor drew sustenance anonymously. This is much like giving tzedaka through a tzedaka box. One should not put into the box unless he knows that the one responsible for the box is faithful and wise and a proper leader like Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon.
9) Below this is one who knows to whom he gives, but the recipient does not know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to walk about in secret and put coins into the doors of the poor. It is worthy and truly good to do this if those who are responsible for collecting tzedaka are not trustworthy.
10) Below this is one who does not know to whom he gives, but the poor person does know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to pack coins into their scarves and roll them up over their backs, and the poor would come and pick [the coins out of the scarves] so that they would not be ashamed.
11) Below this is one who gives to the poor person before being asked.
12) Below this is one who gives to the poor person after being asked.
13) Below this is one who gives to the poor person gladly and with a smile.
14) Below this is one who gives to the poor person unwillingly

"Real Change Not Spare Change"

Dear City Council Member,

“Real Change Not Spare Change”

As people of faith, we are hopeful that the Alternative Giving campaign (beginning March 2010) will provide greater generosity from faith communities, increased awareness about the plight of those who are homeless, and more compassion and dignity for those who are currently living on the streets. We fundamentally believe that permanent housing with services for all those who are chronically homeless remains the most proven, compassionate, and cost effective solution. Until this goal is met, however, we believe that by promoting alternative giving we can provide a wonderful opportunity for a shared sense of responsibility and mutual accountability that meets people’s needs while promoting compassion, mercy and justice that makes the best use of our desperately needed resources.

We encourage you to promote the following goals associated with the campaign that we are communicating to our faith communities:

Give generously to those in need. Each year more than 6,300 people experience homelessness within Santa Barbara County. On any given night, over 4,000 people are homeless. We believe that we can alleviate this problem by being compassionate and strategic in our giving.
Give good gifts that promote real change. A fundamental premise of the Alternative Giving campaign is to encourage everyone in the community to provide gifts that won’t promote a life of dependency on the streets. We are encouraging everyone to give creatively: hygiene related items, clothes, shoes, pre-packaged foods, and bottled water not to mention equally important gifts like time, compassion, and a listening ear.
Redirect giving to helpful hands. We continue to affirm the importance of social service providers who remain on the “front-lines” and an important bridge between the needs of those who are homeless and the resources required to meet those needs. These workers represent the best means of helping people off the streets and into more permanent housing.
Get involved. We are encouraging all of the Santa Barbara faith communities to explore further, ways in which they can personally address the problem of homelessness. In the next few months, we invite you to explore with us the plan in more detail, as well as other related efforts: creating alternative food distribution locations to lessen the impact on particular neighborhoods and the need for greater funding to provide a volunteer coordinator at Casa Esperanza and more outreach staff who can serve the mentally ill on our streets.
Educate and empower yourself and others for systemic change. We truly support the city’s efforts to make a difference. We commit to collaborate with you in this effort and to keep everyone accountable to the purpose of the campaign – “real change.”

We are excited to join you in this new giving campaign. We urge everyone to give – compassionately, generously, and strategically. We promise it will be worth it – people always are.

With Humble Hearts,


CLUE Homeless Sub Committee:
Dr. Jon Lemmond, Pastor for Gospel Action, Montecito Covenant Church
Maureen Earls, Facilitator, Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, St. Barbara’s Parish
Dr. Wayne Mellinger, Social Worker for WillBridge & CLUE Board Member

Flannery O'Conner and the Sin of Smugness

"The operation of the church is entirely set up for the sake of the sinner, which creates much misunderstanding among the smug." ~ Flannery O'Conner

I believe that "smug" represents not merely a people in the church but an attitude that signals a need for repentance. I often have found that where I am "smug" is where I need to confess and repent. "Smug" represents that place where I believe I am better than most, independent, autonomous and succesful without a need for God's generous grace. My story in these areas of my life are not the gospel, saved by God's grace, but the story of the ant and grasshopper where I can shake my head in amazement at the laziness and lack of others. What's the best way out of "smug"? The recognition of "smugness" is addressed directly by a particular Christian practice. The practice of confession. In his famous little book, Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that the Bible on a number of occasions enjoins us to “confess our sins to one another” (James 5:16). In fact, without such concrete confession between Christians, Bonhoeffer argues, you simply cannot have real Christian fellowship. You can have a country club or reading group but you will not have a church. Bonhoeffer understood that it is confessing your sins to a trusted friend that allows you to move beyond the illusion of your own goodness. A person who confesses her sin in the presence of another can no longer perpetuate such smugness but experiences the truth “I am sinner but God forgives and loves me.” Luther in his Large Catechism said: “Therefore when I admonish you to confession I am admonishing you to be a Christian.”

It’s important to remember that the practice of confession requires three moves. First, there is the confession of how I feel - the honest recognition of faults and feelings apart from trying to sound holy. Second, there is a confession of sin – that deep down we are broken, prone to flee and run from the One who loves us. Third, there is the confession of God’s truth - that we are sinners saved by grace.