Realistic Idealism: How law can be an avenue for service…

Last week I was pleased to find out I had been accepted into Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham. I was also asked to apply for their fellows program, which focuses on fostering a service-oriented mentality in future lawyers. The application was fairly straight-forward, I simply had to write a 500-word essay. The topic: “How do you view law as an avenue for service.” Here is what I came up with.

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Idealism is too often scoffed at as the naive mindset of a foolish generation.  Idealists ignore the grey world we live in for a more neat black and white landscape.  They dream in broad strokes and refuse to compromise their principles when the going gets tough.  While idealism can push people towards slacktivism that feels good but accomplishes little, I think it is also the most essential attribute of a public servant.

On its own, idealism accomplishes little, but when we take grand ideas and apply realistic actions, the incremental progress we make can have a sweeping impact on our society.  It is one thing to desire the abolishment of global human trafficking.  It is another thing entirely to get up every morning and go to work for International Justice Mission working on trafficking cases alongside local governments, but this is where true service is accomplished in the legal system.  The practice of law allows us to engage in a realistic idealism that maintains our broad goals of serving humanity on a global scale, but recognizes the necessity of serving real people on an individual basis. Essentially, law is the perfect avenue for service because it provides an outlet for idealism while empowering us to make a tangible difference.

Within each case, we are given an opportunity to serve the greater good.  John Locke said that “the end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”  Like a pebble dropped in a lake that sends ripples coursing across the water’s surface, laws have the ability to influence the lives of everyone who is subject to them.  When the parents of 20 schoolchildren in Kansas filed their case against the Board of Education of Topeka, they could not have foreseen that three years later the Supreme Court would use it to conclude that “separate but equal” no longer had a place in public education.  Regardless, Brown vs. Board of Education would serve to initiate the desegregation of public schools across the U.S., and achieve a victory beyond the individual circumstances of the original case.  The idealism of the civil rights movement was made manifest in the groundwork performed by those who were willing to serve a cause they believed in.  In this case and countless others, the practice of law accomplishes the purpose of serving many by serving the few. 

If our grand ideas of justice are arrows in a quiver, law is the bow that enables us to put them to good use.  The practice of law gives us the power to serve the public at large by protecting our greatest ideals: those of justice and equality, freedom and dignity.  When we bring  these grand, idealistic notions to mundane, daily tasks, we are able to serve the public and have the greatest possible impact.  This collision of idealism and realistic action makes law the perfect avenue for serving, and it is the precise reason I have embarked to enter this most noble profession.

I Love America, But How Much Is Too Much?

Let me make one thing clear right off the bat: loving one’s country is not a bad thing. The bible encourages us to love our neighbors, and insofar as our country is simply a collection of 300 million of our closest neighbors, we should feel a deep and urgent calling to love America. We also know that we are called to pray for our leaders (regardless of any disagreements we may have with them), and to be subject to the governing authorities under which we have been placed. In essence, we are called to be good citizens of our country as a reflection of our true citizenship in heaven. After all, we are citizens of this Earth for a length of time akin to a puff of smoke, here one second and gone the next, but we will dwell as citizens of Heaven for all eternity even after all earthly distinctions have passed away. So, while love of country may be a good thing, when the church turns it into a god thing, it becomes idolatrous and must therefore be approached thoughtfully and with care.

Patriotism is one of the most essentially symbolic things we do as citizens. We sing patriotic songs, wear patriotic colors, and wave miniature patriotic flags, all symbolic representations of our love for our country. We only have to imagine ourselves at one of the World Cup games happening in Brazil right now to understand just how powerful these symbols are. Spectators need only look at the color of your shirt to know all they need to know about you: where you’re from, who you’re cheering for, and whether or not they despise you with every fibre of their being or embrace you as a brother (even if you are a perfect stranger). Symbols are powerful things, especially when it comes to national identification. So when we conflate these symbols of patriotism with symbols of worship, we end up with serious problems on our hands. 

When Moses went up to Mount Sinai and the people below grew restless they turned to a golden calf for solace. The calf quickly became a symbol of their freedom from slavery and their escape from Egypt. They sinfully worshipped an idol, a created being, instead of the creator God who was the true source of their freedom and the one who would lead them out of the wilderness. If you were to walk into your sanctuary this Sunday to see a 100-foot-tall golden calf erected in the middle of the stage from which the gospel was normally preached, wouldn’t you be appalled, offended even at the flagrant idolatry? So then why would a 100-foot-tall flag be somehow different? Is it not a symbol of freedom, created by man, and ultimately void of any ability to lead anyone out of the wilderness? Maybe you don’t see a problem with an enormous idol erected in the middle of your sanctuary because you don’t think you’re worshipping it as your god. But just as the mere presence of an enormous golden calf would cast a pall over a congregation so too does the presence of an enormous spangled flag. Symbols matter and when we use a representation of something created to literally cover up the cross, the symbol of Christ, in our sanctuary, we are at the very least engaging in a despicable mimicry of the idolatry that devastated the people of Israel at Mount Sinai.

While I do not see any biblical support for churches sacrificing time and money on the performance of even vaguely non-biblical fare, I absolutely cannot see a biblical rationale for forsaking the regular meeting of the body of Christ in order to sing songs about a country that has been around less than three centuries when we are offered intimate communion with the one true God who created the world and exists outside of time itself. C.S. Lewis was tragically correct when he said that we are “like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” We should not be satisfied with anything less than the robust, bold preaching of the true gospel every time we gather together as the body of Christ on Sunday morning. 

I can hear the retorts already: “But we DO preach the gospel at our patriotic performance.” Maybe you’re right, maybe you do, but the addition of the gospel to the end of a performance like a Jesus footnote does not somehow miraculously transform any activity into a biblical gathering. If that were how it worked, just imagine the ministry opportunities it would open up: no church on Superbowl Sunday, we’re watching the game, but don’t worry there will be a gospel presentation at the end; no church on Sunday, we’re having a secular concert, but our pastor will get on stage at the end and say a few words so it’s okay; no church on Sunday, we’re going to see the new Transformers movie, but next week pastor will explain how the movie is actually a biblical allegory. No! The gospel is not a last-minute afterthought we should be content to tack onto any activity we feel like doing on Sunday morning, instead it should be the very reason we feel compelled to gather on Sunday morning! 

“But people get saved at our patriotic performance!” That may be so but the ends never justify the means when it comes to evangelism. We should trust the Lord enough to know that he doesn’t need any program or performance of ours to draw those whom he has called to himself. What he calls us to do is preach the gospel boldly to all we come in contact with, he calls us to fight the good fight, and finish our race faithfully. We don’t need to get creative and we certainly don’t need to use patriotism as a gimmick to trick non-believers into coming to church. 

“But part of the reason we put on the performance is to honor those who have served our country.” That’s all good and well, but empty lip service does nothing to actually address the many problems the men and women of our armed forces face. Imagine the impact the church could have if instead of squandering time, money, and resources on a three-day performance that will end with nothing to show for it, they poured that effort into making a tangible difference in the lives of military families. In a time when more and more military families have had to turn to food stamps to make ends meet, we can do better. While it may make us feel better to say thank you in extravagant, public ways, what is really needed is the meeting of real, physical needs by true gospel servants.

While loving America is not a bad thing, we cannot make the mistake of turning it into a god thing. Jesus does not require you to love America in order to be saved. Instead Paul says that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Our hope for freedom does not lie in a flag, it lies in a Savior crucified 2,000 years ago. Do not make the mistake of placing your faith in a “living flag,” rather, place it in the living God, the only true source of everlasting freedom.

Nickel Creek drops new song, announces upcoming tour dates

Ending a nearly seven-year hiatus, the progressive bluegrass trio Nickel Creek released a new song entitled “Destination” to unsuspecting yet pleasantly surprised fans, additionally announcing new U.S. tour dates beginning April 18, 2014.

The group, which was popular throughout the early 2000s for their seamlessly integrated pop-bluegrass sound, began their hiatus in 2007 after a long and successful stint together of almost twenty years. Since then the group has had incredible success in other ventures such as the Punch Brothers and The Goat Rodeo Sessions featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

Their new single has all the upbeat mandolin strumming, infectious melody, and punchy lyrics that came to signify the group’s sound, but with a more seasoned canvas on which to paint their masterpieces. Expect a more mature band, with a less angsty tone and even more masterful mandolin solos from Chris Thile at center stage. Their forthcoming album is as of yet unnamed and shrouded in all the mystery due to a long-anticipated reunion, but rest assured it will be immensely successful among the faithful followers of the band who were understandably despondent after the group’s apparent demise.

Tour dates for the group begin April 18-19 in Nashville and go on sale Feb. 4, 2014.

John Mark McMillan promises good things to come

It’s been almost a decade since the release of John Mark McMillan’s most popular single, “How He Loves,” and you can still hear it being overplayed in sanctuaries and youth worship rallies around the country. Like a fine wine the song just seems to get better with age (or maybe worship leaders have just boiled it down to a science after playing it nearly every week for a decade.) You can’t argue that the song possesses a certain timeless quality, something that McMillan seems to bring to the table with every song he releases.

His newest single, “Future / Past,” sticks to McMillan’s tried and true formula of powerful choruses and pristine lyrics, hinting at great things still to come from the artist, even if they aren’t fully realized in this release. The song, while feeling a little stunted by its formulaic structure, nevertheless drives home its message, even if it does so a little heavy-handedly. With Phil Collins toms blaring in the background, the chorus grabs hold and doesn’t let go until the end of the song. What the song misses is the ups and downs that made early McMillan songs so powerful. The song hits a plateau early on with the first chorus and never backs off.

What the song lacks in nuance it makes up for with solid writing and that ineffable quality that made “How He Loves” so catchy. The chorus shares the simplicity of most of McMillan’s songs and lends itself to the multiple repeats and a cappella moments that come standard on Sunday mornings. With vivid lyrics that call up images of everything from constellations to kingly chariots, the writing borders on great but ends up falling a little flat. As always the lyrics are incredibly singable, but they’re a long way from “Death in His Grave.”

Overall this newest single from McMillan just feels like a rehashing of old standards. He has proven perfectly capable of writing some of the most original worship music this side of the century, even if it is under-rated and overshadowed by the more accessible work he’s done. Despite the worst of McMillan’s work standing heads above most music in the modern worship/gospel genre, simply revamping what’s worked for him before won’t cut it if he wants to retain his standing as one of the best contemporary lyricists the Christian genre has to offer.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling”

Following Afghan war veteran turned private investigator, Cormoran Strike, as he investigates the apparent suicide of  supermodel Lula Landry, “The Cuckoo’s Calling” has all the unexpected revelations of a classic mystery that culminate in an immensely satisfying exposition of the machinations leading to the model’s death. A mystery writer in the classic vein, Robert Galbraith (who is now known to be a pseudonym for JK Rowling) keeps us just a step behind Strike right up until the very end, leaving his readers scrambling for more outings from this strikingly (pun intended) lovable P.I.

When the revelation was made that newcomer Robert Galbraith was in fact the author of the world-renowned Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, the comparisons to her past work became inevitable. Unlike her previous novel, “The Casual Vacancy,” the similarities between Rowling’s earliest work and this latest novel seem to work in the author’s favor. Most critics found “The Casual Vacancy” to be too far of a departure for the beloved children’s author, but “Cuckoo’s Calling” manages to find a happy medium. All the elements that made the Harry Potter series and “The Casual Vacancy” work so well are present without the few glaring flaws of her previous work.

Rowling has always had a knack for creating lovable characters with flawed pasts and she executes this perfectly in “Cuckoo.” Our introduction to the novel’s lead comes at a time of incredible turmoil for the private dick, having recently split from his long-time girlfriend. He returned from the Afghan war years earlier only after losing a leg. When the story finds him he is living out of his office, on the verge of bankruptcy, and constantly beset by problems with his prosthesis. All this on top of a troubled childhood creates a perfectly attainable standard for the reader to impute their own struggles onto. He’s relatable, flawed, and incredibly bright leaving you with a confused notion that you could fill his shoes if necessary.

Early on in the novel Strike finds himself aligned with Robin, a temporary secretary who apprehensively steps into the detective’s world. She (much like the audience) begins with a romantic notion of what a real investigation looks like, but as things progress finds the world more and more enticing despite its (and Strike’s) flaws. The characters of the novel really are some of the best Rowling has created, and like “The Casual Vacancy” even secondary characters take on lives of their own that could easily become the subjects of novels themselves.

The story itself is wonderfully enticing from the moment we learn the subject of the investigation: the suicide of one of Britain’s most famous supermodels, Lula Landry, known to her friends as “Cuckoo.” The apparent suicide shocked the entire nation, but none so much as Landry’s half brother, who refused to believe his sister would commit such an act. Initially skeptical, the story takes us through a whirlwind of interrogations and stakeouts as Strike, aided by Robin, piece together the reality of the story with testimony gathered from unreliable friends, neighbors, and employees. Unlike “The Casual Vacancy,” the story doesn’t suffer from a painfully slow pace or a dragging second act. Every page feels like it belongs and as the clues and tips amass, the pace intensifies until the culmination of the story that ties up the loose ends.

Rowling (as Galbraith) truly has created a classic mystery set in an age where nothing is secret. The difficulty of the task coupled with the prowess of the execution leaves readers desperate for a second installment featuring the most original detective team since Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander.