Generational Remembrance

I will make your name to be remembered from one generation to another ...

 - From Psalm 45

There's a lot of comment in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, about family, generations, having lots and lots of descendants . . . being remembered generations after you have died.

There's an awful lot of comment on it. A whole lot of comment.

It must be important. 

At the very beginning, it was very important to God, that humanity populate the Earth, and that they do so quickly. In the New Testament, the emphasis is on growing the Church, rapidly. But even then, the Church is spoken of as family, and the New Testament is full of references to people and their biological families. The New Testament begins with a genealogy.

It's almost like it was the breakdown of families, and the fracturing of families over time, that made Christ necessary.

No, in fact, that's exactly what it is.

A pastor, mentor, and Christian brother of mine, Al Hutchings, once told me that he would no longer have to be a pastor, when families all did their jobs according to God's plan. Harsh, but true.

The family is a place to practice unconditional love. You are stuck with family. Your parents, kids, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins . . . they are who they are. They are distinct and unchangeable. You either practice loving them, whether or not you want to, or not. But if you choose to love them, you will be experiencing the love of Christ firsthand.

Imagine being remembered and revered, five generations from now. The next generation should remember you well. They knew you. They will cry at your funeral. The generation following - - - your grandchildren and grand-nieces and nephews - - - will probably know you. Those that knew you best will love you desperately. But when you die, they will be sad but they were probably not totally surprised by it. 

The third generation after you: the great-grands; may, if you live long enough, have some memories of you. But the generation after that will not know you at all. By the time you get to your fifth generation - your great-great-great grandchildren, there's no way they remember you. And they probably are no longer handing down stories about you.

It is really something, when you are actually remembered a hundred years from now, all because someone passed down stories, someone that knew you well. 

It's a really big deal. And since it is so highly treasured in Scripture, why is the Church so weak at practicing it?

Connect with family. Connect with generations. You will be fulfilling one important commandment of God, and it's so easy. It's worth it. Show up. Be there. Be present.

Be remembered generations from now. 

Who Is That Over There?

“Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.”

 - From Genesis 24

This is a basic theme that is replayed, over and over again, in Scripture:

1. The Master approaches
2. His bride covers herself up (in modesty)
3. Big things are about to happen

Even in the Garden of Eden . . . God showed up and began walking toward Adam and Eve. They were embarrassed, and covered themselves up. A big thing happens. Judgment comes to Adam and Eve and they are sent out of the Garden. 

God approaches Cain, after he murdered Abel, his brother . . . and Cain feels guilty. He tries to cover up his crime. A big thing happens. God banishes Cain to a far-off land.

The three visitors approach Abraham in his tent. They talk about Sarah bearing him a son. Sarah laughs, but then tries to cover it up, saying "but I didn't laugh." Something big happens - - - she has a son, which becomes a foreshadowing of BOTH comings of Christ.

Rebekah approaches the land of Abraham, and sees someone approaching. It is Isaac, her future husband. She covers herself up in modesty. They get married, and Esau and Jacob join the narrative, with their own allegory of the natural man versus the spiritual man. 

When God approaches, we do not always recognize Him. But once He is identified, we want to cover ourselves up. I wonder if modesty is still in vogue, even when it is the Lord Himself coming?

When Christ returns, for judgment and for good, will there be even a modicum of decency left on earth, for people to feel the slightest twinge of misgiving? Will sinners try to walk back everything they ever did? Will they cover up their pasts and their immodest appearance? Or will they mock Him to His face, as they have done most of their lives?

We should cultivate our sense of expectancy. Never let go of the hope that, when anyone approaches from a distance, it may be The Lord Himself. 

Ask boldly: "Who is that over there, walking in our direction?"

Eat Justice

...but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

 - From Ezekiel 34

I didn't want to make this verse my focus. I think that maybe I make too
much comment of  the judgment stuff, the harsh references to justice,
judgment, and consequences for sin. It's like I must enjoy thinking about
all the bad things that are going to happen to bad people.

I don't.

But I realize that a lot of people today really do love that stuff.
You know, the people that trash public property, the ones that
beat up people that disagree with them, the ones that hate rich people
and want to make them suffer for having things.

The ones that believe they speak for 98% of the population.
Those people.

And so it might get their attention if I can show them a statement
by The LORD that they might enjoy.

Ezekiel 34 is a beautiful passage. It is full of tender promises from
God, that He will gather up His sheep. He will search tirelessly for them.
He will find the lost, the hungry, the homeless. And He will
give them a place to live, in Israel, next to fresh water. And He
Himself will feed them.

The passage goes on and on, and it warms your heart.

But, like an exclamation point, He drives the promise home with
something for the people that had been mistreating God's children for
ages: He will destroy them. And they will be fed, too.

But He is going to feed them justice.

"Justice." What a perfect word to form connections across
political boundaries in our times.

Everybody wants justice. We just define it differently. And it is quite
possible that, in God's eyes, both definitions of justice are sound.
We find them incompatible. God pronounces both extremes to be valid.

And God is going to fill the plates of the comfortable with justice,
and make them eat it.

The promises of God are good. They are wonderful. And they are worth
following the commandments and waiting for. But just in case we get
bored, lose hope, or find ourselves still feeling envy towards just about
everybody else, God reminds us, "Oh don't worry - they'll get theirs."

Maybe not for me, but for a lot of people, that's Good News.

Those Troublesome Incompatibles

Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

 - From Psalm 85

The problem in American Politics today, is that one side emphasizes Mercy, while the other emphasizes Truth. 

One party prefers Righteousness. The other, Peace.

When will we simply accept the fact that our omnipotent God is unrealistic in His expectation that we practice lifestyles and attitudes that do not, cannot, go together? 

That's what makes it so unreachable. That's what makes it such a grand aspiration for Humanity. It's the very essence of why we fall short; why we sin. Because we can sort of muster a pretty good record as merciful people . . . but then we have to speak Truth and it gets awkward.

We have made our electoral system our fall-back action plan to advancing the priority that God has given each of us. If we win, well . . . we win. And winning feels good. It's like, I must be right, if I win.

There was a time people on the Left would say "Well it's a good thing we have Conservatives here, to keep us focused on budgets and economies," while the Right would return "Our Liberal friends keep reminding us about social justice, and that's a good thing."

But not today.

We need mercy. Not judgmentalism. We need acceptance of others; all others. Unconditionally. But somehow we have to do that while articulating a holy, sinless goal and target. We need to love others while defining the godly standard for life: responsibility, hard work, loyalty, purity . . . 

We need righteousness. The human race cannot progress without taming its passions and selfish yearnings. Righteousness is our barometer as to whether or not we are reaching for the Good. Are we becoming more Christlike? But at the same time we can't alienate others. We have to set ourselves apart as people of God, while establishing peace and security for others. 

Those troublesome incompatibles.

A Conclusion That Makes No Sense

The grass withers, the flower fades . . . 

 - From Isaiah 40

The famous passage from Isaiah, that is prominent in the John the Baptist narrative (it has the epic "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,'") offers much hope. Jerusalem has suffered greatly. It has been judged harshly, and paid an extreme penalty. It says in one spot, that Jerusalem has paid two times the value of its sin.

The entire passage says that all will be made well. God's people will be restored to their position of favor. Good times will return.

But in the midst of all of this positive thinking, comes a curious reminder that we are finite, dust, and severely limited.

The grass withers, and the flower fades. And we are no different.

How is this supposed to make me feel better?

It's all about being realistic. The truth will set you free. When you're being completely honest, you can begin to do good things for yourself and your future. Jerusalem should now understand this - - - "You are dust. Are you ready to do it my way?"

Consider the tragedy of teen suicide. I have personally known kids that took their own lives. Kids I taught, spoke to, laughed with.

I reflected on the horror of teen suicide, with a woman who has teen aged daughters. I mentioned that the talk is always only about mental illness. But what about other factors? Is there anything in the home environment that contributes to the sense of desperation? Do we focus on mental health because that is something that can be "treated," without requiring much change on the part of others?

We probably won't know, because you're not allowed to talk about that. You might hurt the feelings of someone.

But the fact is, we have these terrors, because society is sick. It's a throw-away world where you can jettison anything that does not please you. You are supposed to take care of yourself first. Don't serve others. Don't put up with others. Don't care for them. "Be yourself."

What if "being myself" equates to sadness for someone else?

But we're not allowed to go there. Society is not ready to handle such talk. And society cannot handle the reality that "the grass withers, the flower fades."

But once you understand that, you can begin to put life into the proper focus. You can realize that, since life is short, and since we do have such little control over our lives, we can go ahead and serve others. We can go ahead and deny ourselves, and therefore make it into God's Kingdom . . . eternally . . . where "being yourself" is actually quite easily done.

And the simple truth is, that the Real You actually is someone that is not here long and is actually quite helpless.

Shouldn't this re-direct us back to God? Isn't it the real easy way out, then, to put others first and try to make their paths lighter?

So, once again, the path to Eternity and Happiness ends up being the exact opposite of what you would think.

You Did Laugh

Oh yes, you did laugh.

 - From Genesis 18

The curious encounter of Abraham, with three visitors, is probably well-known to most people. 

When you consider all of the Bible, and how much detail has been left out, we can only conclude that if it is in there, it must be important. And so it is with the meeting of Abraham and the three men, and their conversation.

Many have suggested that the three men represent the Trinity. This would be a neat fit. But then we wonder why the Lord is not represented by three men, everywhere in Scripture. Why only here? And we see that one of them, one only, speaks out - the one that predicts that Sarah will have a son. This is the one called "The Lord" by the narrative. 

One of the three men is singled out, and the other two decrease. This is not in the spirit of the Trinity. But it definitely introduces some interesting points of debate.

I want to focus on the statement by the Lord: "Oh yes, you did laugh."

The Scriptural record has saved this ordinary exchange between Sarah and the Lord (one of the three men). It's small talk. It's like a little snark session between a parent and child, there the child keeps baiting the parent, and the parent keeps taking the bait. You normally would not consider such an exchange to be noteworthy.

But it is here, in the permanent biblical record.

Sarah laughed when she overheard the Lord saying that she would, at the age of 90, bear a child. Had it been laughter, from joy, that would be one thing (the whole thing gets turned around at the end, when reflects how God made her laugh by giving her a son). But at the time, it was the laughter of scorn, of derision. 

"Yeah, right . . . God's going to give ME a son!"

They go back and forth, and Sarah lies: "I didn't laugh." 

From the time of Adam and Eve, people lie to God, because they're afraid of Him. You can't debate Him with logic. He knows your thoughts.

When people struggle with God, and He says something like "Why did you laugh?" the correct response is the truthful response: "I laughed, Lord, because my faith is weak, and I did not believe you. I have been sad for so many years, because of my childless state. And it would cause me great pain for you to say "You will have a son," and then it never happen."

Something like that.

The discussion ends. God has the last word. "Oh yes, you did laugh."

Perhaps we should treat others with the same regard, by letting them have the last word. 

Because, we do the same thing to each other. We make things up when humans have "caught" us in a fib, or doing something we regret. Utter truthfulness. 

It's okay to be wrong. If you laughed, admit it. 

Sight . . . Freedom

"...to open the eyes ... to bring out the prisoners...."

- From Isaiah 42

The passage from Isaiah profiles the greatness of God, then talks a little about our purpose, and then finishes with several lines of praise to God.

This middle section, the one about our purpose, is very simple. We know about "Feed my sheep," about "Spread the Gospel to all nations," and "be fruitful and multiply."

God's directives to us are always about building His Kingdom . . . making it bigger and bigger. His methods are always about proclaiming the message, while taking care of widows, orhpans, aliens, and refraining from sexual immorality.

But in this particular passage, we have the interesting priority:

• Open the eyes of the blind
• Bring out the prisoners . . . those that have been in darkness

And so it goes back to method . . . to approach.

When a blind person's eyes have been opened, there is no question about what has happened. They couldn't see before. Now they can. The difference is metaphysically striking.

Prisoners are either still in prison . . . or they are now free. And it is more than apparent, whether or not they are free. 

The blind person that now sees; the prisoner that is now free . . . they are ecstatic that you gave them sight. They are besides themselves with joy, that they can now walk in the sunshine. 

If we attempt to help those that are spiritually blind, to now see . . . and leave them resentful, then there is something wrong with our method.

If our attempt to free someone from bondage to some sin only makes them crave it more; then we need a new approach. 

Because they are supposed to be thrilled beyond measure.

And if you can't persuade them with your words, then stop trying. Instead, persuade them by serving them.

Because we want them to see. And this is what God wants. 

The Hardest Command of All

Finally, brothers and sisters ... agree with one another ...

 - From 2 Corinthians 13

Yes, I know - the advice comes from Paul. These words are not a commandment from God. 

But when Paul closed his epistles, he focused on the really serious stuff. He summarized with words he hoped they got, if nothing else he wrote soaked in.

If God had ejected one of the Ten Commandments, and replaced it with this one: "Agree with one another," it would have been the hardest one of all to follow. 

Stubborn, bullheaded people.

When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, the night before His trial, he was sweating so profusely, that blood came forth from His pores. I guess this is actually a true medical condition - stress so severe that it becomes debilitating and dangerous. 

What was His most ardent prayer to the Father, in this, His most anguished moment?

"That Your Church be One, as You and I are One."

Jesus wanted us to be united, even as much as the Son is, with the Father. That's unity.

The water molecules floating about in a pond, are not as unified as that. 

And so Paul made sure to make it a major point, with a simplified, practical prescription: "Agree with one another."

Paul seems not to even worry about whether or not somebody is right. He throws up his hands, and says "Just agree."

Do you want to know how to end social media anger, just like that? Do you wonder whether, on the scale of spiritual maturity, agreeableness ranks higher than doctrinal purity? 

Now, you can still have your rigid beliefs. But when it comes to interacting with other believers, Paul says to just agree. This is probably what will be the most persuasive to them anyway. This phrase from the Lectionary, today, could not be more timely:

Agree with one another. 

The Answer to Everything

 . . . you put all things under his feet . . . 

 - From Psalm 8

Well, maybe not everything. But these  seven words pretty much address the major objection of History's Scoffer: "Why would a loving God . . . ?"

Why? Because God put man . . . humanity . . . in charge. Of everything.

God shouldn't have had to get involved at all. We have a conscience. We know right and wrong. Even a purely evil person understands this. And in those days (week? years?) in which God walked with Adam and Eve, and maybe their children, in the Garden of Eden, surely He instructed them in all things. 

He didn't leave us without the goods to do what needed to be done. All we had to do was prove ourselves worthy of the trust He placed within us, by putting all things under our feet. 

Good teachers let their students fail, and God is a Good Teacher.

You can even take God out of the picture. Impersonal Nature did the same thing: gave us the ability to choose. And we even defy Nature, by setting ourselves above the rules that govern wild creation. We don't have claws or fangs, yet we kill. We were given the ability to choose NOT to take what we hunger for but can live without, yet we take it anyway. We have wisdom and knowledge. But we turn against it with impunity, time, after time, after time. 

Why, indeed? Why would a loving humanity allow . . . ?

This morning on Facebook, someone asserted that the cause of all of the world's problems is health and money. That's the partisan assessment that adjudges one group of people while leaving the other group innocent.

But God said from the start, that we all are responsible. And that the root causes of everything wrong with the world are selfishness and a short-term focus; a desire to serve yourself first, and to have everything you want now.

Which breeds distrust of others . . . which leaves hunger never fully satiated . . . which leads to even greater evil. 

It's all under our feet. It's up to us.

Fill The Earth

In the beginning . . . the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.

 - From Genesis 1

When you read the first chapter of the Bible, you are struck with the urgency of all of it. 

In the very beginning . . . our beginning, the only beginning that matters to us in this age, there was, essentially, nothing. We have God, and something called "earth" that was a blank canvas. It had no color. Darkness covered it. 

God is present. He occupies the vast emptiness of space, before there was anything. But then you read about a stirring wind from Heaven, like the "sound" of a wind that filled the place where the Apostles were, on the first Pentecost. And once things are kicked into action by God's Word . . . or by "wind" sent by God, if you will, ("wind," "breath," "word;" They all describe the basic action taking place) we see one thing after another being added to the loneliness of it all. In rapid succession, sky, oceans, plant life, animal life . . . humanity. 

It doesn't really matter how long it took, from a human purview. The point is that God was ready to get it all underway. It seems that He couldn't wait to set things up for the advent of a creature that would be like God Himself! Humans, made in God's image!!

In the blink of an eye . . . from God's view, it was done. All was in readiness for humanity. And to the first humans, God gave a command: fill the earth. 

The command is counter-intuitive to modern humanity. We have so much Science arguing this or that, about the problems of population and its growth. The very idea has become a point of political contention. When you think about it, population is the very hub of our biggest global problems.

Yet, in creation, the Creator can't wait for humanity to expand. There was, after all, an endless universe to explore, once the earth was filled!

What a simple act of faith it took, even in the first generation of humans, to match God's urgency, actually to fill the earth!

The point of my comments is not to argue a side in the debate, one way or another. But rather, to redirect our thoughts to an empty lonely place, and a Creator that understood everything, expressing a desire that His newest creation expand . . . and quickly.

The world, and the universe, is magnificent enough. What about the full expression of humanity reaching it's full and perfect potential, simply by making sure the creative genius of our race is maximized, through sheer population growth? 

It's a fanciful thought. I wish the reader to consider it as you would a statement by me, along the lines of "Imagine having a slice of the best cheesecake, every day, for ten years." It's a "what if," not a "why not".

Somewhere in God's first command, voiced at a point of His deepest loneliness and most ardent wishes for our well-being, came that command to "multiply and fill." We failed in doing that . . . eons ago. Our own war-likeness made it impossible within a generation of Adam and Eve. 

I suspect that, one way or the other, with or without our willing participation, God will get to enjoy, one day, the pleasure of witnessing what his children, un-tethered and without boundaries, are truly capable of.