Team Aspie

My son was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.   I always knew my son was a unique, eccentric, and quirky little guy.  Apparently, having those traits can get you a disorder classification.  (See how flippant that previous sentence was?  That’s a symptom…more on that later. )  Well to everyone’s surprise except mine, he is just like his dad.  I too have Asperger’s.

Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism named after the Austrian doctor Hans Asperger, who defined the disorder in 1944.  Asperger’s symptoms vary but the common ones are as follows:  lack of social skills, difficulty communicating, eccentric behaviors, and limited but obsessed interests.  Of course, only those without Asperger’s see these symptoms.  For us, this is normal behavior and you’re the one who is codependent, touchy, boring, and scattered.

As a child (who am I kidding, even as an adult), I preferred to be alone.  Of course there were seasons where I played with other kids, but aspies prefer solo missions.  We find that groups slow us down, or even more tragic, speed us up.  Very few things in life irritate us more than being rushed.  There is absolutely no excuse for an aspie to move quickly.  Even if a neurotypical (that’s you), finds us idle in a burning building, we’re not idle.  We could be thinking about how to fight the fire, as running may be third on our list.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16

Nothing has managed my Asperger’s more than my relationship with Christ.  God’s truth is timeless.  It is powerful enough to overcome generations, cultures, personalities, and disorders.   One of the reasons it is difficult for an aspie to communicate is that aspies have a hard time showing empathy.  They also have difficulty initiating and maintaining conversations.  This isn't because aspies are more self-centered or less considerate.  It is because aspies toggle between being socially nearsighted or farsighted.  They don’t have a good blend.  This is not an excuse, but an explanation.  People with AS have a hard time noticing anything outside of what they are already focused on.  It's as if our minds have a tilt shift lens.  

If our focus is on something far away, we will trip over a couch as we make our way to that object.  If our focus is on something close, we are blind to the person awkwardly waiting for us to acknowledge them.  How do I meet this challenge?  I play offense.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Romans 12:10

If I don’t intentionally decide to prefer others, prior to walking into a crowd or meeting, I will easily get distracted, as I auto-switch between focuses.  I have to make a decision to honor and focus on others.  If I do, I will likely be the life of the party.  Conversely, if I am in my solitary default state, throwing me into a social situation will bring about one of two outcomes:  I will put everyone in queue as I continue my current action, or feelings of obligation will cause me to pause what I am doing and I will rush through social pleasantries.  Both of which leads to me to be, awkward at best, or offensive at worst.

Aspies may struggle with nonverbal communication such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures, but what we lack in body language, we over compensate with our unfiltered words, straight from the tap.  For example, a person with AS may engage in a one-sided speech about a topic that only he is familiar with.  Even worse, your signals that you have no idea what they are talking about go unnoticed as they transition into verbose mode.  People with AS tend to be loud and partisan in their speech.  My wife has expressed concern and frustration over the years for having to field questions for me.  Our friends would rather ask her a question than ask me.  And if it was something only I could answer, they would ask her to ask me.  Just as my etiquette needs to be intentional, so does my silence.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.  Proverbs 17:28

But even that can backfire.  Guess how many times I have been accused of being unkind because I was silent?  Aspies don’t bounce ideas, and we don’t play verbal tennis.  We prefer verbal dodge ball.  My constitution gives me the right to remain silent.  My Bible gives me the responsibility.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalms 139:14

Before you get the idea that having Asperger’s is a joke and a curse, let’s discuss the positives.  My God made me this way for a reason.  Did you know my syndrome won’t let me quit what I’m focused on?  It is true that at times, I will almost crash my car looking for a McDonald’s fry that fell under the seat.  It is also true that my family will wait 15 minutes in the car while I hunt down a fly I spotted while grabbing my keys.  Aspies are committed people.  When I read the Bible, I find what God wants me to focus on.  And if I find it, it will be my mission till completion.  Once an aspie is on mission, he cannot be distracted.  Once we believe in something, we will fight to the death for it.  But that belief doesn't come easy.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1 Corinthians 15:58

In general, aspies are born skeptics.  We don’t just believe anything.  That is why we have a hard time with religion, tradition, and authority.  However, once I had an experience with God, everything changed.  An aspie is not impressed with history and testimony.  Aspies have to experience it for themselves.  This is why aspies are rough to speak with.  They don’t have opinions, they have conclusions.  If I am not convinced about a subject, it’s not a subject I am interested in discussing.

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"  Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  John 20:29

I may be a doubting Thomas, but now that I’ve experienced the Lord, nothing will ever change my mind.  My son also has a heart for God.  Jesus is in both of our lives.  And I know that will always be the case, because aspie hearts are impregnable fortresses.

Belle of the Ball

One of the arguments against becoming a Christian, is that Christians are no different than the rest of the world. I disagree. They are worse. But this is just my opinion, and I call myself a Christian. That may sound harsh, but let me explain. People expect Christians to be certain way. And when they're not, it is very disappointing. Most of the time, you can find us living in the outskirts of Normalville.

You can easily spot the Cinderella Christians. They dress, act, and talk holy, but are really no different than the rest of us. They don't go to church, they go to the ball. They put on their best smile and manners, and act like they belong there. But Cinderella can't go the distance. Her disguise only lasts until noon, or 30 minutes before kickoff (whichever is sooner). For Cinderella, Christianity is not a philosphy. It is a religion, an escape, a fill-up, or a check box on an ever increasing list of things to do. Cinderella Christians are hourly and need to mind the clock. If they stay out too long, their cover will be blown to pumpkin seeds.

Cinderella wears her Christianity, but Lady Tremaine enforces the dress code. I have been turned off by many wicked Stepmothers of Jesus than I care to name. They believe themselves to be gatekeepers of all that is holy and good. They are experts in Christian living and serve us mortals as heavenly hall monitors. If you prove yourself worthy, they might even invite you over for a Christian video and show you their collection of glass slippers. The stepmothers of Christianity wear their religion on their sleeve, and are easily offended by the Cinderellas for their lack of commitment and loyalty. Nothing ticks them off more than watching Cinderella attend church AND get to go home and be casual. Cinderellas only fool other Christians, but the religious stepmothers have to fool everyone, all the time. That's not fair!

When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Galatians 2:12-13

Peter was a "Cinderella" because he ate with non-Jews ONLY when the Jews weren't looking. When Peter was in the company of Jews, he would turn his back on the Gentiles and morph into the custodian of clean cuisine. Living a balanced life is something I have to choose moment to moment. I often jump between being Cinderella and Jesus' stepmother. It depends on who I am hanging around with. So what causes us to be like Peter? What causes us to flip flop on our beliefs to the confusion of others? What makes us want to put on our costumes one minute, or sleep in our uniforms the next? What makes Christianity so irrelevant to the outside world?

I believe the answer revolves around our understanding of what makes one a Christian. For most folk, Christianity is a religion that needs to be followed. For others, it is an experience that needs to be felt. The truth is, its a position that needs to be accepted. Salvation is not conditional, it is positional.

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6

It is hard to believe that we are seated in heaven when we are sitting in traffic, at the laundry mat, or laid up in a hospital bed. The reason why most Christians become Cinderella or the Stepmothers in Christ is because they believe salvation is conditional. Cinderellas need to act, talk, and be a certain way so as to prove they are saved. Stepmothers think they need to maintain it every 3000 miles or else they void the warranty. THAT is when Christianity becomes a religion. Christianity was never supposed to be a religion. Religion is man's way of reconciling himself to God. Christianity is a philosophy that understands that God already reconciled man to Himself. We had nothing to do with it.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:11

The Bible doesn't say we earn reconciliation. It says we receive it. But who wants something for nothing? Christians are no different than the rest of the world. One of the reasons we act weird is because we have truly received a gift, and we are having a hard time accepting that we didn't deserve it. This isn't an excuse, it's the truth. We go around propping ourselves up, exaggerating our deeds, and sometimes confusing the hell out of everyone else. We can get so crazy that no one wants to follow us into a Wal-Mart much less follow us to heaven. We can't give someone else the love of Christ if we are too busy trying to pay Him back. It is human nature to first say "What's the catch?" and then think of ways to do them favors.

Some try to earn salvation (religion), but others think they deserved it. Just like with anything free, there will always be people who believe they were entitled to it. This is a dangerous place to be as you can easily believe that some DON'T deserve it. Have you ever been around a Christian who looked down at you? Have you ever looked down at someone else, and deduced in your mind why they were "down there" in the first place? Salvation is simple. Christianity is simple. Christians and religion are not.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

Don't let the simplicity of salvation move you away from Christ. And if you're not a Christian, don't let the religion of others deter you from the love Christ has for you. If you found a counterfeit bill inside of a bag of money, would you throw out the entire bag? No, you would throw out the counterfeit. Don't let a bad experience, marriage, church, etc. keep you from accepting something genuine and beautiful. You can come to God NOW, and just as you are.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins Ephesians 2:1

Salvation is positional, not conditional. Most of us need to shake off our religion and return to true Christianity. Christianity is not a social club of elite Jesus groupies. No one ever found Jesus. He wasn't lost. He found us, and we were as good as dead. He took our dead spirit and reconciled us back to God. What gives us the right to pull people over and give them a sobriety test before we share the love of Jesus with them?

For us Cinderellas, stop dressing up. It hurts to much to walk around in costume looking constipated. Eventually, who you really are will come out. And the fact that you tried to hide it, will end up hurting more people. Evil Stepmothers, chill out! When Christ found you, you didn't even have a pulse. No one wants to feel intimidated, made less than, or unworthy.

You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

The problem with being the light of the world is that we enjoy shinning it in each others eye. Oh God, heal those whom I have blinded and give me another chance to shine. I promise to tone it down a bit.

Pass The Salt

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it (the Earth) be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

Salt is almost impossible to see. Unless, of course, it is piled into a bowl with other grains of salt, e.g., a church building. Salt is usually felt and tasted before it is ever seen. It is for this reason that a Christian can be judged before they have had a chance to speak. No one sees my K-Love bumper sticker until after I've annoyed them with my driving. By then it's too late. So unless you've been inside a church or tried to get a table at a Ryan's Steakhouse on Sunday afternoon, our visual effects are minimum. But being easy to see is not important.

Jesus' question is hard-hitting. My job is to flavor. So If I'm not flavorful, how shall the Earth be seasoned? Good question. Notice he didn't say, "if the Earth loses it's salt". Jesus never warned his Church about losing their salvation, but He did warn them about losing their flavor. We already know Salvation came from God to us through grace. But Salvation has nothing to do with flavor. Our saltiness is all about influence. We get to go to heaven because of what Christ did. Heaven gets to come to Earth based on how salty we are. Most of us spend too much time trying to look salty, and that's great if you want to build bigger churches, but looking the part only works inside the steeple doors.

Why is it so easy for guys like Jon Stewart and Jay Leno to mock Christians? Jesus answered it. When a Christian ceases to be salty, they become punch lines for comedians, and punching bags for lawyers. How can Christian prayer be prohibited in school, but Muslim prayer allowed in Gitmo? Because the Church isn't as salty as it used to.

I'm embarrassed to say, but most of the meanest people I've known were Christians. And I'm equally embarrassed to admit, that I am probably one of those people for someone else. When I try so hard to look salty, I forget to act like it. There isn't a bumper sticker powerful enough to make up for my lack of flavor. I heard a preacher say once.

"A lot of people died and went to hell today, and most of you don't give a damn. And most of you are more mad that I said the word 'damn' than that people died and went to hell."

And that is the crux of how Christians can be "thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." We are so good at building walls to protect our image that the world comes to one of two conclusions: Christians are full of it, and thus irrelevant, so let's make fun of them, or Christians are really genuine, and still irrelevant, so let's still make fun of them so we can feel better.

Christians, who don't walk on water, are in great demand these days. Jesus never sinned, but he hung out with sinners. We are so afraid of hypocrisy that we never leave church. And when we do interact, we go out of our way to show those damnable sinners how good we really are. I may know the words to "Who Let the Dogs Out" but at least I'm not singing it.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17

Jesus understood that being salty isn't about singing and beating the tambourine in the safety of the salt shaker. It's about being salty on the inside to the point of affecting the world around you. If people cheer when you leave the room, that's a clue. I know it's hard. Because I'm salt, I'm drawn to an open wound like a bee to a flower. But that's something God's working in me. It's not an excuse, it's the weather report. However, THIS is an excuse.

"If it weren't for Christians, I'd be a Christian".-- Mahatma Gandhi

Whatever Gandhi! Forget the salt. Pass the hashish.

Rock The Vote

This game is called, "Who Should I Vote For?" It is very simple. I'll give you my top 3 election issues, and where I stand on each of them. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to find a presidential candidate who fits my bill. I'm counting on you.

LIFE

I believe life begins in the womb. To be exact, I believe it begins 18-21 days after conception. This is when the heart begins to beat. And when you have a beating heart, you have blood.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood. Lev 17:11
For it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Lev 17:14

So I want a candidate who chooses life.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deut. 30:19

I also want a candidate who will overturn Roe v. Wade. Because most abortions are in the name of convenience, they are flat out murder.

Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by humans his blood will be shed, because in the image of God, God made humans. Gen 9:6

All scripture is inspired by God. However, the punctuations are NOT. In the original Hebrew texts, there are no punctuations. In fact, in certain passages, there are NO spaces. The punctuations were added later, because they were necessary for translation. Though the English language is conceptually rich, it is not spiritually rich.

There is an axiom in Hebrew study, that if you can punctuate a verse in scripture in more than one way, then all of those ways are valid. So if a punctuation can change the meaning, then it is accepted that all meanings are applicable and intended. This is what makes the Hebrew language spiritually rich. It allows for the coding and compression of information into a finite text.

There are two ways to punctuate Genesis 9:6, in Hebrew. And by changing the punctuation, you get the following English translation.

Whoever sheds the blood of a human inside of a human, his blood will be shed, because in the image of God, God made humans. Gen 9:6

FAMILY

I believe a family starts with a man and a woman.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Gen. 1:27

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it. Gen. 9:7

Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. Lev 18:22

I want a President who supports the family and will hold the public school system accountable for Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. I don't need a diversity curriculum that attempts to bring balance to my Christian parenting. If I think it's important for my kid to know why "Heather Has Two Mommies", I'll run point on that one.

FREEDOM

I believe Jesus IS the only way to God. I'm not the only one who believes it. In fact, let me quote the bigoted author myself.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

I want a President who supports free speech. I want someone who will uphold my right to quote Jesus ANYTIME I want. I have a mandate from God, and I want to do my part, without being labeled a hater.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

I support free speech, not fair speech. I want a President who opposes the "Fairness Doctrine". When you "force" fairness, you forfeit freedom. And you insult my intelligence by concluding I'm too stupid to change the radio station.

If you don't agree with the Bible, then "man up" and stand by your decision. Don't take an offense, where one wasn't given.

I know what you're thinking. There are dozens of important issues, and THESE are your top 3? Yes, they are my top 3 because I believe they are elementary. Something tells me, George Washington didn't have to go on the record for these.