Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Secret Weapon - Ten Years!

 

Originally posted Friday, December 17, 2010


Scripture Reference: Revelation 11


Now there is fierce war-making on the earth. The temple of God is revealed, providing sanctuary for some, from all the terrors taking place. There is mention of the one-thousand, two hundred sixty days. But we will not get into that here.
The appearance of the Temple seems to drive God's enemies into a frenzy. What appears to be the last bastion of hope for God's people is there right before them. It is that same Temple that has been held forth since the formation of Israel. It is the home of God's people. They are safe there. They worship freely. They draw close to God, and become holy.

The wicked rulers of the earth see it now. They believe that if they can just take it and destroy it, and remove all of God's worshippers from earth, that He will leave them alone! You see - it's not that they don't believe in God. They just want to be free to live their lives unencumbered by His holiness! They want "freedom" to sin! That's all!

There is the old adage - a God without worshipers ceases to exist. This has always been why God's enemies hate His people so much!

But . . .


And the temple of God swung open in the sky revealing the Ark of the Covenant there in His temple, and there was lightning and voices and thunder and earthquakes and great storms of hail.

If the Ark is at least as powerful as it is portrayed in Indiana Jones, then we have a scene here that strikes fear into the hearts of God's enemies. Their frenzy turns to panic. Their cause is now hopeless, and they know it.

I want to see it, to be there at the moment when the Ark is unveiled, from millenia of hiding.

Friday, December 25, 2020

Deep into the Word (TEN YEARS!)

 

First published Thursday, December 16, 2010


Scripture Reference: Revelation 10


In our first wave of the Christian experience, all is wonderful, magical, and pure. We feed on spiritual milk of forgiveness and redemption. We are healed from our hurts and sins. We begin to look forward to the promise of eternal life.

The elements of communion remind us of Christ's death on the Cross. We are to reflect on the Cross as the one single thing that binds us together, that gives us community - communion and unity. The bread and wine taste good. In fact, I have always noticed myself thinking "that's good - I wish we could have more." But any more than the samples we get, becomes more like a meal. And it is only for remembrance, not for filling.

But when we reflect on the Cross, and ingest it, if you will; when we take Christ Himself, His Body and Blood, His Word, and consume it, it becomes part of us. We find communion with Him. We share in His sufferings. The Communion starts out sweet. But our reflection of it should cause us some trouble, some sorrow. It should sour our stomachs a little. It is good that we only take a small sample of it! A little is all it takes. Our reflections are bitter. The more we take the Cross into us - the more we take Christ and His Word into us - a very good thing! - the more we should understand the price He paid.

John is told to feed on the Word of God right here. He is taking a little communion during his prophecy session. The Word is Christ, and John is instructed to eat the Book that has been given him. This represents getting deep into the Word, by taking it into our stomachs, by digesting it so that it becomes part of our cellular structure. But the deeper we get into it, the deeper it gets into us. We can't handle all of it as newborn babes in Christ. When you have been through all John has, in his life and at this moment, you are able to take the hard stuff, and that is what he is given right now.

Take it and eat it up, and it will sour your stomach, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.

The word of God is sweet to us. It tastes good. In our stomachs it begins to work its wonderful and necessary process. But deep within us, as we mature, there are times when it does not digest so well (like some essential foods and nutrients!) John is about to get hammered with the hard stuff.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Terror - TEN YEARS

First published Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Scripture references are mostly from Revelation 9


Here is where the prognosticators go a little crazy. Everybody is so certain they've got it all figured out. 
We have got to give other humans a little credit for being intelligent! People don't want to get their science, or their theology, or their facts wrong. They don't deliberately put out something that they believe is open to scrutiny or second-guessing. It would be good, though, if we could all have a little humility and maybe learn something from each other.

In Revelation 9, we see a glimpse of real terror. When you are reading this, it looks as if each event follows the other in rapid succession. But it need not be so. It could take centuries to accomplish all of it (and maybe has!)

Here, we get a third of humanity wiped out each time. Where the prior disasters may have been natural, now we get what seems to be chemical or biological agents, delivered via some futuristic military craft yet to be invented. <Reminder, I wrote this in 2010>.

But the main point of the passage is not the devastation. It is the hardheartedness of humanity. Indeed, this has been the common theme from the very dawn of creation. 

Look at verses 20 and 21:

And the rest of humankind that wasn't killed by those disasters would not turn back from their evil handiwork and stop bowing before demons and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood that cannot see or hear or move; nor would they turn back from being murderers, witches, whores, and thieves.

Now, you would think that if there was one verse in the entire Bible that we would want to get right, this would be it. We could take many different approaches: 

Why won't people change? (Some did, after 911, for a little while). To what degree do we do such things? Do we worship idols? (Put anything ahead of God). Do we participate in killing others (is our employer a killer?). Do we practice witchcraft (other religions, follow horoscopes, etc.)? Are we sexually impure? (Come on, now!) Do we take from others (in our borrowing and lending, in our tax policy, in our charitable giving)?

A church or family would do well to spend a long time reflecting on these two verses.

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

It Begins (Ten Years)

First published Monday, December 13, 2010

Scriptures referenced are from Revelation 8


So far, the Book of Revelation reads first like an apostolic letter to churches, and then as a New Testament version of the Psalms. We know, however, that it is taken as a book of prophecy, or future things. In Chapter 8, this begins in earnest.

The cataclysms that mark the beginning of the end, are all in the form of natural disasters, (except for the possible atomic bomb or two!). Fire raining down as hail, a flame as big as a mountain, a possible asteroid strike, the waterways of the earth poisoned, and an environmental disaster brought on by a cloud that blocks sun and moonlight . . .

A third of the earth is vanquished in this first round of disasters.

Science and Scripture come to agreement! Even the most atheistic scientist or ecologist knows that we are in grave danger of a natural, or man-made environmental catastrophe that could take millions of lives. It is perhaps the most popular theme of movies, in our time!

God, the greatest Ecologist and Social Scientist of all time, Who knows us perfectly (because He made us!), knew that this would happen, eventually. He does not have to make these things happen. Revelation may be viewed as a prediction based on observable trends. He also knew the odds of us being pelted by interplanetary bodies: He could forecast that one would hit earth at about the time we became sophisticated enough to destroy the planet all by ourselves!

The first wave of disaster is not caused by God at all! We will either bring it upon ourselves, or it will be caused by random forces of the universe!

But this is only the beginning.

Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth for the remaining trumpet-blasts of the three angels who still have not trumpeted.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

A "Little Flock"? Really? (Ten Years)

Originally published on Friday, December 10, 2010

Text: Revelation 7


Christian denominational groups that are proud of how smart, or special they are, like to refer to Christ's depiction of His "little flock." The flock is little. There can't be too many people saved. So, our little group must be the little flock!

With a vast universe to fill, I think we cut God way short when we assume that His salvation is only for a few. Eternity is a concept we simply do not fully understand.

These four angels came along with the four winds of the earth, to wipe everything clean. But before they were allowed to do so, another angel came forward and stopped them. First, the 144,000 from among the children of Israel, were spared. But then . . .

Next I looked and saw a great crowd, beyond anyone's power to count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb . . .

In 2010, we have become quite sophisticated in counting people. We do this via the census, and today ultra-powerful computers are used to accomplish the task. Imagine a number of people so great, that no one can count!

God has great things in store for us. We had better start treating all other humans as our brethren. For this is exactly what they are!
© Copyright 2010 Gordon Darr

The Lamb Revisited - TEN YEARS!

Originally published Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Scripture reference is Revelation 6

From a Lamb that was slaughtered, and lives again, clothed in light and majesty, we turn now to a comical notion: a Lamb that conquers and strikes fear into the hearts of His enemies!

And the kings of the earth and the biggest names, and the military brass and the wealthy and the strong, and everyone, slave or free, all hid in caves and inside the crevices of mountains, and they say to the peaks and crags, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the occupant of the throne and from the fury of the Lamb!"

Add to the ludicrous scene, the even more ridiculous plea of the powerful leaders of earth, to hide from this being that came out of nowhere, and seems to be everywhere! The earth is shaking, dead are rising, cataclysm is everywhere, and our "leaders" (go ahead, picture some of them in your mind, as you read this!) think they can get away!

It reminds me the typical movie plot, where the evil guy is full of bravado, until his own life is in danger, at which point he turns into a simpering fool, begging for mercy. They could say "You win, Lord - please take me with you." But instead, on cue, they display their cowardice and prove themselves unworthy ("worthy" is a good Revelation word).

How about we take this one idea from this passage:

Why would we want to seek for worldly power and prestige in this life? In Revelation, the book that wraps it all up, we find the lowest of humanity being the ones that win. We know this. We talk about it. We teach our young about it.

But we don't do it.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The Lamb - Do We Really Get This? (TEN YEARS!)

Originally published Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Scripture reference is Revelation of John Chapter 5


Chapter 5 of Revelation - It is an entire chapter devoted to the Lamb that has been slaughtered, and how only this Lamb, of all creatures that ever lived, is worthy to open a mysterious "Book of all Books". Presumably, this is the Book of Life.
Only one Person in all of history is able to read the names written in the Book of Life. Only One Person can pronounce the final destiny of all people, and of the World.

Just as Only One could pay the price for our sins, so could this same One Person be the only one to execute the judgment of the World, to make things right and whole, to provide eternal life to those that have claimed His sacrifice as their own, and therefore, made themselves worthy. The One found worthy, makes us worthy.

In the reading, there is an image of this Lamb of God, standing, with His throat slit. There He is before us, bearing the scars of our sins. We have heard about the holes in his hands, and in his side. Now to this picture is added a gruesome slash across His throat. Do we think about this, or just quickly read through it, and on to the passage which we hope is less graphic and more pleasant?

I regret to say that I have viewed images of this very thing, of humans as well as slaughtered animals. The word "slaughter" is most accurately used in the context of slitting a throat of an animal intended for dinner. When applied to humans, it is particularly revolting. The concept takes on a disturbing and dark aspect. Our Lord was slaughtered, in a most terrifying way. We cannot bear the thought.

It is fitting that the Lamb that was slaughtered should be given the power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Not Bill Gates. Not George Soros. Not Joe Biden. Not Donald Trump. Not Xi Jingping. 
Not a 1%-er.
Not a celebrity.
Not a professional athlete.
Not a glitzy, silver-tongued politician. 
The Only One with Power, Wealth, Wisdom, Strength, honor, glory, and blessing . . . is a human, slaughtered like a Lamb for mutton. 
But it is the way it needed to be. Death itself is terrible, and throughout God's Scripture we are reminded of this, again, and again. This is why death is portrayed as so awful. It is why sin is so brutally treated. God never wanted us to sugar-coat death. In the end it doesn't matter how we die. The outcome is the same.

So that the One found worthy of opening the Book, was the one the least deserving of death, but who suffered death in the cruelest and most humiliating way.

His scars. His wounds. His bruises. These became features that we can now look upon without fear or grief. Like badges of honor, they are what make him worthy to be the One to grant us life.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

A Glimpse of Eternity: TEN YEARS

 

First published on Tuesday, December 7, 2010


These comments are based on Revelation 4


The Apostle John was the last surviving of the Original Twelve Apostles. He lived out his life and died a natural death on the Island of Patmos. Apparently, it takes old men appropriately to receive the most profound prophetic messages from God. Daniel, as I understand it, was quite old when he received prophecies in the Old Testament. In fact, Daniel, is the John of the Old Testament. The two served the same function during both periods. It will be interesting to see them when they first meet, at Christ's return.

John words, I think, were insufficient to describe what he was seeing: a door in the sky, rainbows, thrones, crowns of gold, shining white garments  . . .

I think that he used the best words he could to describe these visions. An eagle, a lion, a calf, a human face. I do not necessarily believe that he was seeing these things, literally. But he used the best words he could find, to describe them.

Now, to these 24 elders: I like to think they are the twelve patriarchs of Israel (Jacobs sons), and the Twelve Apostles. John had entered into eternity. While these 24 men had not been resurrected in our timeline, yet in the eternal realm, they live, for eternity has no chronology. It is a single place and point in time, an ever-present Now.

John might have scanned the group of men, and seen himself sitting among them. We have tantalizing questions:

* Was Judas in the group? Or did Matthias make this august assemblage? Perhaps Paul was among them?

* They are represented as kings that throw their crowns at the foot of the Almighty. When will they be crowned? Are they made kings at their resurrection, at Christ's return? Is there some big ceremony where we can witness this?

* Or maybe I am completely off here. Perhaps we can identify 24 major national groups in world history, that may be represented by these 24 elders. But since the term "elder" is used, I am more prone to ascribe the term to Hebrew and Church leaders.

They sing this hymn, so often used as a proof text for the Trinity:

Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God, ruler of all,
The Was, and the Is and the Shall Be.

In this case, why can't we just stay with the context? If the context of the passage provides a sufficient explanation, there is no need to harmonize with cryptic scriptural connections found in other parts of the Bible. So that . . .

Holy is the Was
Holy is the Is, and,
Holy is the Shall Be.

God is Holy thrice over, because He occupies the past, present, and future, all at the same time.

If we can so glimpse eternity through the eyes of John, and understand that it is with us already (as is Christ's Kingdom, which we are building), then what are we worried about?

Hot or Cold! TEN YEARS!

 

First published on Monday, December 6, 2010


These comments are based on Revelation 3


For today's comments, I choose to discuss the most famous statement from Revelation Chapter 3.

I know what you do, that you're neither hot nor cold. You should be either hot or cold!

I know that I spent a good deal of my life going for the mediocre. Perhaps we all could say that. Taking a marriage that you know is going to be a project, is lukewarm. Making career choices that you know are not in your talents, is lukewarm.

Having a vision, but putting it on hold for years, because you are concerned about how others will receive it, is lukewarm.

We have got to do what's right, and to trust God to make the right outcome.

Look, we confuse worldly "hot" with godly "hot." I have seen a number of young men and women basically ruin their lives, for choosing as a spouse someone that's "hot." But then this "hot" match becomes to them a lifetime of spiritual mediocrity, when their partner doesn't support, even fights against, their Christian walk. The really hot spouse is the one that can turn you onto the godly life. One that sets you aflame with passion for the Lord.

How many of us thought that a "hot" career was one that brought in the big bucks? I wanted thirty years of success in business and government, during which I would accumulate great wealth that could be lavished upon God's work in the final third of my career. This is not hot. It is mediocre. The really hot careers are the ones where you are on the front lines, building the Kingdom. When that is your mission, the rewards take care of themselves. Salary doesn't matter, for that is not the point.

These decisions were not for "cold." They were mediocre, for they attempted to mix the World and the Lord. A cold decision is one that pursues worldy ends with no regard for the Lord.

I was lukewarm. And so are many of you.

First Things - TEN YEARS!

 

First published Friday, December 3, 2010


The comments are based on Revelation 2


How fitting is it, that the final book of the Bible begins with a plea that we go back to where we started?

But I have one thing against you: you've lost the love you used to have.

Revelation is commonly thought of as a book about the future. But if we do this only, it is like giving ourselves a pass. "Don't get too worked up, unless you see these things happening. When and if you do, then you had better change!"

But John writes to the Ephesians, and to us today - to get back to where we started! I want to focus on it being a call for us not to stop our study of Scripture, once finished with Revelation! We might be tempted to take a break once we have finished this book. But perhaps the point is to look at Bible study as more of a cycle, than a straight-line activity. The One who is The First and The Last says for us to go back to the beginning. There is no ending point - not yet anyway.

The Book that follows Revelation, is Genesis. And indeed, God's view of eternity may be just that. To Him, our time-line is a single point. If you have been through all of Scripture (Which I have been doing, for ten years), then it is time to start all over again.

So go back - your study of the Bible was only a preparation to read it all over again.

And maybe therein lies the secret to us regaining the agape love we had lost along the way.

Don't Be Afraid - TEN YEARS!

 Originally published Thursday, December 2, 2010

The commentary is based on the Revelation of John, Chapter One


By the time John had his encounter with Christ, on the Isle of Patmos, he was an old man. The sole surviving Apostle from the Original Twelve, he also was the only one to die a natural death. The Lord had a special mission for him. He was the one whom "Jesus loved." He was the one entrusted to care for Mary, mother of our Lord, after Christ left this earth. Martyrdom was the fate of all of the Twelve, except for John. As the one that wrote so much about love, and light, John became the one most suited to receive these visions.

Jesus had seen, and done, it all. We do not know what happened during the silent years of his life, between boyhood when he was left behind at the temple, and his adulthood, when he began his ministry by turning water into wine. Perhaps he had been taken on a fantastic voyage of discovery, fellowshipping with the Father, being trained and prepared by Him.

At any rate, Christ's knowledge of eternity, and of the universe, was by then complete. He had even experienced death, and rebirth. One who has died and then come back to life has nothing more to learn. What more could there be?

And so he was able to say, with confidence:
Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last and the most alive.

The glorified Christ, standing before John, in Heavenly splendor, struck fear into John's heart. Here he was, next to a man whose very presence channeled eternity into John's finite, time-based realm.

But Christ had full knowledge, total courage, and complete love. He was and is everything. And he spoke words to John, and across the centuries, to us. Follow someone like that. This is exactly the one thing that we need.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Voice

A voice cries out . . . 

 - From Isaiah 40

What are the limits of wonders to be performed, by a single human voice?

A voice can issue forth ugly language, that turns people away. But it can heal with a gentle retort. 

It can carry forth a melody - in a minor key, laced with sadness; or in a major, buoyant with glad movement.

It can stir a crowd to action. Or it can settle the raging heart of a monster. 

And all this is possible, by one single person, using his or her voice. 

A voice is an irritant, when it is the last thing needed. It is a welcome friend, when one has been lonesome for too long. 

In the world's waiting for Christ, it all winnowed down to a single voice, crying out at the conclusion of 400 years of silence from God. Notice that voices did not cry out. But rather . . . a voice. 

God seems to prefer the work of individuals. Or perhaps, God's road less traveled just, simply, lends itself to solitary action on the part of the few . . . or the one. 

My great-aunt, Mae Turnbow, said "For the truth, I'll stand one to a hill."

Our generation forces people into separate, rival camps. "Whose side are you on?" and you're required to give a response. You are forced to choose. I choose God is met with ridicule. And yet in the eternal purview, it's the only answer that brings life. It's the only one that can heal, and feed, and clothe, and house. 

The world's mobs line up behind one of a handful of 0.01% zillionaires. These ungodly-wealthy people offer stuff, and money, and protection. Their plan for "giving back" is to increase control for themselves, over the masses. But mostly they offer a channel to the world's hurting - - - "Stick with me, and together we'll stick it to The Other." 

Choose your side. 

But ask a single needy human what they need . . . and the answer will be "Food." "A home." "Clothing." "A job."

And more than anything else, they need just one other human to notice, and to care. 

Resist the crowd. And be the one. Have a voice that, by standing alone, echoes longer and louder than the chants of millions. 

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

One

 . . . the voice of one crying out in the wilderness . . .  

 - From Mark 1

The year 2020 was the Year of the Many. 

We have come to think too highly of "democracy." We have been indoctrinated to believe that a large crowd has more truth than a small assemblage. We think that an angry mob of thousands must be more righteous than a few people having a book discussion. We've been led to believe that numbers make us right - that the many have more wisdom than the few. Therefore, when it comes to making the world a better place, we focus our attention on getting a growing crowd around our ideas, rather than investigating the ideas themselves. 

But, in history, vast mobs of people have their way, for a time. They soon collapse under their own weight. Crowds become random. They get emotional. They get reckless.

Do we ever stop to contemplate, that the most dangerous figures in history were not known for having bad ideas, so much as having almost supernatural power over mobs? 

Yes, there is another side to this coin. While crowds should be trusted very cautiously, like a caged animal, at the same time they may be brought to bear on very good things. When effecting needed social change, there's nothing like getting a large population behind you. 

In the wake of history's high points, there seems always to follow, a long period of quiet: Silent years where we wonder what happened to the Lord? Where are the heroes? Where is the progress?

The crowds may die away. Things reach a sort of plateau. 

But then just before the next big lurch forward, some lone figures emerge in corners of the world. In the years before Christ, there was one man, way out in the wilderness, calling on people to repent. There had been 400 silent years. But now, from out of nowhere . . . there is at least one man of God left on the planet. And he called upon us to prepare. 

Wisdom is not found, after all, in crowds. There is strength in numbers. But there is often foolishness. To find God, it seems, you have to go way out, away from the people. And the few people left around you will be pensive types. They'll be reflective and self-aware. They'll be capable of thinking a thing through, rather than just joining in with a pitched and fevered throng. 

2020 was The Year of the Crowd. Or the Mob. 

May 2021 be The Year of The Lone Woman, or Man, From the Wilderness.


Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Giver

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

 - From 2 Corinthians 9

It's not so much a question of whether or not people should help those less fortunate than themselves, sometimes known as "the poor." That's indisputable. We should help the less fortunate. In a healthy and functional society, we would be well-acquainted with the reasons to be charitable:

  • Because some day you might need help
  • Because there is a surplus of resources (cash, food, clothing, housing) that must not go to waste
  • Because we don't want people to become resentful against us
  • Because charity is actually investments that come back to benefit the Giver
  • Because God told us to
There's no question. We should be charitable. When we serve others, we all benefit. The unselfish person receives back many times over, what they gave. We are wired to feel good when we give, (this topic of feeling "good" is something I would like to investigate later). 

So, nobody argues this. At issue are . . . how to give; to whom to give; when to give; how much to give.

The questions that we never ask, but that we should ask, in a society that lauds "science" as much as ours does, in 2020, include the following: 
  • What is/are the objective(s) of our giving?
  • How do we know that our giving is working? (What are our metrics?)
  • What happens when we achieve or surpass our giving?
  • Is there an end-game? Is there a point when we say "Okay, that problem's solved, let's move on to another"?
We're stuck in partisan nonsense, because we never ask these questions. This bespeaks a bigger problem - we'd rather be mad at each other. We quite prefer winning elections and lording it over The Other. We think it feels better to be mad and cynical, than actually to help a person that actually needs help. 

If we really cared about God's position on all of it, we would see that He wishes us to give cheerfully. This means that, if a person hates paying taxes for social programs, because s/he can demonstrate that it's wasteful, we should support that person in attaining lower taxes, and then join with them in direct assistance to the needy. 

It seems the height of cruelty and petulance, to insult and degrade a person for preferring direct aid to the poor, over government bureaucracies. 

It's really quite simple. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Clamor

You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples. 

 - From Psalm 65

Something has happened. Did you notice?

In the wake of the election, weeks ago, the clamor seems to have ceased, at least for now. 

 . . . the clamor  that has been present for four years, rising to a peak over the summer. 

What are some definitions of "clamor"?

  • noisy shouting
  • a loud continuous noise
  • a vehement, insistent public expression
When we pray, we should expect the prayers to be answered. We also should expect them to be answered in ways we did not expect. I prayed for two things, ardently, beginning last summer:
  1. That covid would go away
  2. That the riots would end
And the riots have ended . . . for now. Everything is relatively at peace, as we move towards Thanksgiving and Advent. This is good. 

Yes, it may have taken a cultural notion, that Donald Trump did not win re-election, to calm the crowds. But they are calmed, just the same. We needed a reprieve. And how it all came about, for whatever reason, gave us the reprieve we needed. 

Likewise . . . covid has been both a partial cause of, and a willing partner to, the clamor of angry crowds. Covid itself is a clamor. And deaths are way down. Treatments are being perfected, that are accompanying victims of the virus toward rapid recovery.

Positive tests are up, yes. Of course they are. It is to be expected in any epidemic. But that may be the price we pay, to see fatalities begin to come down, and recoveries to ramp up. 

In the Scripture reference, the Psalmist put "the clamor of the peoples" in the same category as a natural disaster. It's almost like it's a phenomenal event, and there is little that humanity can do, to control it. Clamoring crowds are like a hurricane, or a pandemic! They are apparent random events that run through society, wreaking havoc, destruction, violence, and injustice. 

Riots are like "acts of God." Maybe that's exactly what they are!

We pray to God, to keep the forces of nature at bay - - - to protect us! To calm the winds!

Christ could just as easily wander into a crowd of protestors, say, in Minneapolis, in the summer of 2020, and cry out PEACE! BE STILL!

And every single person would stop, turn around, and begin their walk home. 

My prayers for the summer are answered, for now. Both covid and the clamoring crowd are at bay. 

This is one thing for me to be thankful for, two days from now. 

Friday, November 20, 2020

Gates

Enter his gates with thanksgiving . . .  

 - From Psalm 100

Thanksgiving Week begins. 

Today is Friday, the 20th of November. 

Where are God's "gates"?

The easy answer is: the doorway to a church. But that's too limited. God does not inhabit buildings made of stone and wood. He's everywhere, and everywhen

But if we limited the definition of God's "gates," to a church's entryway . . . how often do we do so, with thanksgiving? Shouldn't that be our driving thought, our purpose, the moment we enter God's House? It is called a "sanctuary." A sanctuary is a safe place, a haven for people that are on the run, or that are homeless. If you were fleeing some dire threat, or evil, and turned a corner to see a church, knowing that when you entered, you would be completely safe from what had been pursuing you . . . you would feel Thanksgiving then!

And maybe that's the type of Thanksgiving we are talking about. 

The Americans celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of Harvest. God has given us a good year. We have enough provisions to make it through the winter. We remember to thank Him. And even if it is words only, and our hearts are not truly into the "thanks" still, we believe that by going through the motions, we are doing some good. God can bring life even to our vain wordings. 

We enter HIS gates. "Enter" meaning, we pass from one place into another. One moment, we were outside God's presence, His safekeeping. But the next moment, we have passed through some portal, and now we behold the magnificence of God, Who is so close we can touch Him! We are completely safe. 

Safety reminds us of the best moments of our lives. Ordinarily, our memories of Thanksgivings past are of a crowd of loved ones seated around a large table. Delicious food is plentiful. We are warm. We are happy. We have no worries. 

We are safe.

You enter God's gates . . . and you are supremely thankful. Because, now . . . you are safe.


Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Feed

I will feed them with justice. 

 - From Ezekiel 34

Some day, I want to spend some sustained time, exploring the concept of eating, and feeding - - - food that is not material - - - in the Bible. 

Ezekiel is told to eat God's scroll, or His Word. It tastes sweet in his mouth, although the words are about judgment and destruction which is to come to Israel. In Revelation 10, John is told, also, to eat a scroll. This too, tastes sweet, but it upsets John's stomach.

The bread and wine of communion, are taken through our mouths. 

It is all symbolic of how we are to treat God's word. Eat it, consume it. Let it metabolize and become our very cellular structure. Let our very being be comprised of God's Word, itself. Jesus is called "The Word of God."

The Words of God . . . His thoughts . . . His breath . . . these are all more real, more tangible, than we are. We can consume all of it, and live. 

But in our times; in 2020, the forces of darkness seem overwhelming. They are relentless and tireless. They bring destruction and violence with them, and leave devastation in their wake. They are hungering for . . . what? Something drives them to such desperate ends. Why would so many people participate, so willingly, in what cannot have a good ending?

It think they are driven by a sad desire, simply, to be noticed. Our impersonal world, with absent parents and teachers that are unable to empathize with children, has yielded a generation that is so lonely and abandoned, that they strike out in anger, at anything that looks like the people that hurt them: successful, "happy" people in happy families. In popular culture, these are the conditions upon which classic villains, like Loki, or the Joker, prey. 

They are easy prey. 

But everybody gets filled, eventually. Believers will be filled with God's Word. The end is eternal life. 

God's enemies will be filled with justice. The ones crying the loudest for justice, will get exactly that. They will be forced to feed upon it, and feel the bitter pain of an endless, and miserable, hangover. What feels good does not always result in good. And at some point, violence feels good . . . else people would not engage in it so much.

Eternal life or judgment? Eat ye all of it. 

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Children

... we will not hide from their children. 

 - From Psalm 78

Everything is duty to the elders. Or to the ancients. 

The Psalmist doesn't even view the children of his time, as his own children. They are their children. That is . . . they belong to their forbears; our forbears. Our ancestors. 

One of the best ways to pay back our ancients, for the sacrifices they made, is to honor their values, and steward the property and legacies they bequeathed to us. Everything was always about receiving the baton successfully, and passing it on to the next generation. 

We are to see the generations as an extension of our own families. Our extended family is an integral and intimate link that connects us to the past and the future. 

Our placement in history, in the chronological timeline, is essential to our understanding of eternity. 

When you're only focused on yourself, you do not have a sense of your ancestors. You cannot access the future effect of the decisions you make today. 

There is some awareness currently, of something called "The Seventh Generation." This comes from native cultures that would evaluate everything they do in terms of . . . will it benefit our descendants, seven generations from now? 

Tracing my "Darr" surname back . . . I get to Gottieb Durr in Baden-Wurttemberg in modern-day Germany. It is the middle 1700s. He lived only about 40-50 years. His grandson, Adam Darr, was barely known to his grandson, Roscoe Darr, my father's grandfather. Seven generations back, is my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's father. 

There is no chance of personally knowing someone in your family, that far back. Seven links from me. Seven family members, closely connected. Take out the years in between, and we are more closely connected to them, than we realize. 

My children are the legacy of Gottlieb Durr of 18th Century Germany. He, and everybody between him and me, devoted their lives to building something that ultimately belongs to my daughters. A seventh generation focus helps you regard your children as being, not just the children of your ancestors . . . but the children of God Himself. Your emphasis on past and future generations connects you with eternity. 

We can touch an ethic of native cultures, unspoiled by modernity . . . and begin viewing everything we do, through the prism of the seventh generation back; and the seventh generation forward. 

Friday, October 30, 2020

Rain

 . . . like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth. 

 - From Deuteronomy 32

Yesterday, we had a day-long sustained experience of cold rain. 

Rain changes things. It delays baseball games. Causes picnics and other outdoor events to be canceled. It forces you inside. 

I had planned to do a 5K jog yesterday, but at my age, and in the covid era, (I deliberately do not capitalize "covid". The entire dubious concept deserves no iota of honor), I stay inside if it rains and is under 50 degrees. 

But I got other things done. I've been pushing, these past few weeks, to get through my basic daily task list, including the discretionary-optional things. And I did . . . I did not complete much, but every one of my daily wish-list items got checked off. This felt good. 

It's strange how certain minor events stay on your mind. They shape you, influence you. In the 1990s I was living outside Atlanta, Georgia. I did not particularly like it there. But I had been a Covey practitioner and was learning to be happy in all things, especially things I could not change. I most disliked the lengthy season of hot, almost tropical weather. In this particular moment, my boss (named "John"), a transplanted Pennsylvanian that had no intention ever of returning to the "cold" north, was on a phone call, in his office. My cubicle was just outside. 

It was November in north Georgia, and we were experiencing the first spell of sustained, cold rainy weather. To me, it was more than welcome. I could relax inside, with a book, or a movie. The nice, toasty furnace would be running. 

I heard John say, over the phone "The weather's miserable."

There are few moments from this period, which is now over twenty-five years ago, that I remember with such clarity. This is one of them.

It struck me, how you can hate cold weather enough to live in Atlanta, where it's too hot nine months out of the year, and still find it within you to obsess about the one day in half a year, that's not perfect. 

Humans are about 60% water. When you get a little dehydrated, especially with age, you can feel it. Without water, there is no garden, no produce. You can't eat without it. And you have to drink it. It keeps the lawns green. It is what every cooling swimming pool must have. 

We are baptized with water. 

God seems to like water. He likes it so much that He didn't want us ever again, to think of it as a great instrument of judgment (as in Noah's time). A steady rain covers everything. After soaking the ground, it will begin to run off, where it will replenish the lakes and streams. 

God's word is likened to rainfall. The beautiful praise song from the 1990s, "Holy Spirit Rain Down" was a kind of play on words, where "reign," I believe, is also referenced. The classic Who song, "Love Reign Over Me" does the same wordplay. 

We are supposed to take that illustration . . . Holy Spirit Rain Down . . . as a positive thing. And it helps, to get the full effect, if you have not cultivated a dislike of rain. 

We can't change the weather. We can't change nature. We can't stop or alter the water cycle. 

Rain is a good thing. It's a very good thing. 


Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Honor

Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house  . . . 

 - From Matthew 13

Social Media has been a magnifying glass, on the truth of this statement here, from the Lord. 

People "unfriending" each other like it's the latest craze. Friendships, blood relations, shattered and scattered, thanks to the fake intensity of emotions, on-line. 

For whatever reason - and I have not figured it out, although I think about it a lot - we get a heightened sense of our own identity when we're wandering about on Facebook. We're more sensitive, more defensive, more quick to judge. Our feelings get hurt more easily and deeply. Our lizard brains rule us. We jump all over on people we have known and admired for years, even decades. We can't just stop. We do not know how to re-escalate. It's almost as if it were a form of . . . 

 . . . addiction. 

The same discussions that we have on Facebook, we could have in person, much more productively. In fact that happened once, with me. A friend from high school, that I had not seen in ages, and I got into some severe scrapes on-line. I don't know about him, but I was deeply hurt and frustrated with our exchanges. 

But when I accidentally saw him, in person, one time, it was like the old times. We began laughing, and in that setting were able to explain and understand each other much better, than on Facebook. 

So I'm trying to tie it back to Jesus' statement about prophets, and honor, and their own countries. 

Apparently, real honor cannot exist in online discussions. Evidently, prophets should not attempt communicating on-line - prophesy is an area where careful articulation is required; and on-line discussions get sloppy. And Facebook is it's own little country, or family. Everything is intensified, because you can instantly get a hundred likes from strangers . . . which also instantly creates a wedge between you and your real friends. 

We should come back to a discussion about "honor," because it too is becoming a relic of the past. 

For now, I try to keep the challenge of Pastor Matt Hook, to heart - - - push away from comments, and responses, on-line, that will only stir up anger. 

Pointless anger has no honor, at all. 

Friday, October 16, 2020

Labor

. . . constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 - From I Thessalonians 1

Is "Labor" a good or bad word?

We celebrate "Labor Day" in the US, which is a day to recognize the manual skills and accomplishments of people that "work" for a living. The assumption, is, of course, that a person that studies markets and the performance of the stock market isn't "working," as much as a person swinging a hammer. Formally, we recognize and celebrate the advancements made for the quality of life of Americans, thanks to the union movement. Except, we all get a day off now. 

Labor Day may be one of my favorite holidays, if not my very favorite, in some ways. 

You don't have to get up early for gifts, or to go to Church, or to get a good seat at a parade. You don't spend all morning cooking. In fact, you don't have to be anywhere, necessarily, at all, all day. What few traditions there are, for gathering, always yield fond memories: the final outing at the lake. One last family BBQ. A visit to the park, for a long walk in the waning moments of summer. 

I always loved the Jerry Lewis Telethon, which occurred every year, all day, on Labor Day. Muscular Dystrophy is perhaps my favorite charity, and I will always be grateful for this tradition launched by Mr. Lewis. 

But, what makes Labor Day not the best holiday, in the end, is that you normally have to get up the next morning, early, to go to school. Summer is over.

Labor Day, in this context, refers to manual labor. Labor that requires you to lift, to move, to maneuver and work. Work, itself, is a word with negative connotations. Some people love to work, yes . . . but they are doing what they love. To them it isn't work. We should not look down upon others, that are not motivated to do the same things we are. 

"Labor of love" has a special meaning. It means there are some things you should do, without expecting to get paid. I have done a lot of research on my family history, through the years. I have come to a critical mass, of becoming aware of elders, and children, in my extended family, with distinct needs requiring some financial support. I said something about it to one of my cousins. She said "You should not expect to be paid to do genealogy. It should be a labor of love." She was totally missing the point. 

I think Paul meant something different, when he commended the Thessalonians for their "labor of love." He is very adamant, in many different contexts, that people serving Christ should be paid. If they don't get a little financial support, and even a few motivational rewards ($), they will be forced to leave the ministry (and we're all ministers). Paul is referring to the specific things that they do . . . their jobs, and their vocations, are driven by a godly love for others. They love serving Christ and others. They put a lot of sweat into it. It looks like work to others . . . whatever it is. 

Building homes for the homeless? Treating illnesses for the poor? Tutoring kids with a single parent? 

They were very busy. They are working. But it does not feel like work, because they are motivated by love. 

Talking about helping the needy isn't work. It is not labor. Only by helping . . . with your hands, and your heart, and your presence, is what labor of love is all about. 




Monday, October 12, 2020

Oil

You have anointed my head with oil . . . 

 - From the Twenty-Third Psalm

It's always a treat when Psalm 23 comes up in the Lectionary readings. I guess it should do that only once a year; maybe even only once every three years. 

In my boyhood church, The Penfield Advent Christian Church in New York, the 23rd Psalm was one of the regular congregational responses in the service, every week. Just like The Lord's Prayer, we recited it every week, I believe, immediately after the sermon and before the benediction.  As a kid, I had it memorized. For that reason, I have always thought of it as the Old Testament version of the Lord's Prayer. 

THe Twenty-Third Psalm also references other integral New Testament themes. The anointing of oil . . . this always prefigured baptism, the use of water to wash away sin. Oil, I guess, is a preservative of sorts. It adds flavor, and has a lot of healthy benefits. The Essential Oils movement is connected to this. 

When I was a kid, "Cod Liver Oil" was one of those things you heard about all the time. Some kids were required to take a tablespoon of it every day. You had that, plus your One-a-Day vitamins. 

For three years, I have made a daily habit of putting a drop of Thieves oil in my coffee, every day. This apparently has preventative benefits. I started it because I was going to be teaching in an extended substitute job that, if I didn't miss a day, would get double-pay. But then I continued it to the end of each school year. And then this summer, I kept on doing it, because of the Coronavirus. 

I believe it helps. I have no scientific proof, but as my sister says "If you think it works, does it matter what the science says?"

The Psalmist uses the perfect tense of the verb . . . "You have anointed my head. . . . ". It's as good as done, like with all of God's promises. 

We may face danger. We will have disappointments and sadness in this life. We will suffer loss, and maybe even violence. But God has anointed our heads with oil. The oil covers our heads. It seeps into us and permeates our being. Oil represents holiness. We are covered. 

Notice, too, that unlike a mask, oil is clear. It can be all over you . . . it may cover your entire face . . . but your wonderful God-made face is still visible to everybody. 

God wants us to be seen. Our faces have an important role in communication and connection. Research shows that we rely heavily on seeing other people's faces in order to communicate most effectively.

When God covers us . . . when He protects us . . . He does not hide us. 



Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Heap

For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin . . .  

 - From Isaiah 25

The entire chapter, Isaiah 25, is a passage full of praise to God . . . for His goodness. God's enemies will be defeated. We will cry no more. Death will be vanquished. 

But it leads off with this scene from an American city, in 2020:

"You have made the city a heap."

Sodom and Gomorrah were thriving cities . . . but when they were overcome with selfish pursuits only, and the brutalizing of each other, God had to end it. He took out two entire cities. Where are they now? God wipes out cities. 

Is it possible, that God is not much into the urban lifestyle? 

When Christ needed time with His Father, He always went off, to be alone. He got away from the crowds. In fact, the very idea of "crowds" in the Bible, is usually not in a good context. 

I remember a conversation with a fifth grader. His family had just moved to the US, from Japan, within the past year. The very next summer, my daughter was planning to go to Japan for an internship. So I asked the fifth grader if he had some advice for my daughter. He said "Get used to living with millions of people piled on top of each other."

This same daughter had a best friend, from Korea. My daughter said that, as she drove her friend out to my sister's for Easter dinner, one year, her friend marveled at the spread of homes . . . each home so far apart, with so much land in between. Her friend had heard about this, about America, but was still amazed when she saw it the first time. 

I used to drive through Michigan's back roads with a friend that had spent her entire life in Detroit. As we drove down farm roads, my friend talked about how everything was so "stretched out". 

We seek a home with lots of land. But some people seek the city, to get away. But people that are restless, running away from something (usually something "provincial"), that are a little angry about this or that . . . when enough of them gather in a city, how does it surprise us when crowds gather and begin acting randomly?

Cities seem permanent. They seem safe. They seem like a place where you are protected from danger, by waves of people surrounding you. 

But none of this is true. God told Abraham to look in every direction. Everything that he can see, will be his.

Land is a big deal. God's Kingdom is a place of sprawling beauty. 

And we should not be surprised when cities collapse. Sometimes . . . this is part of something bigger, something very good. 

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Offends

Who can tell how often he offends? cleanse me from my secret faults. 

 - From Psalm 19

On Facebook, I get into discussions hosted by a particular academic from a Christian college. His background is journalism. I first met him when he was the editor of my denomination's weekly magazine. 

He considers himself an "evangelical," but has striven to cultivate an online image of "centrist" and "Clever purveyor of wit."

Of course, the "centrist" part means "liberal," and the "wit" is far too often presented in the form of cutting sarcasm and inflammatory ridicule. Ostensibly, he cares about such issues as the breakdown of morality and the family in western culture; but he has lost that focus, by being caught up in hate-Trump hysteria. 

He cannot be reasoned with. He ignores Scriptures that may challenge him. He does not listen to any dissent. He does not care that he is making himself unapproachable to many. He does not consider the (true) proposition that he may be wrong. 

The Psalmist took care of this contingency. 

He says . . . 

I don't even know how frequently I offend others. But I do not want to offend others. The hurts that I cause, unwittingly, are too numerous to mention. They are sins I commit against others. They are secret sins, for even I do not even know when I commit them.

Tone of voice. Inelegant phrasing. Poor timing. Lack of awareness of what's going on in someone else's life.

We have no idea, the extent to which we are snares in the spiritual growth of others. We not only impede, but we reverse forward movement. We cause others to backslide and lose faith!!

A Facebook friend, just this week, has decided to air out deeply-rooted bitterness against her parents, about things that happened twenty years ago! Her Dad has long since attempted to apologize for some harmful decisions he made, when she was a teenager. He was desperate for ways to address some serious emotional problems within her, that had made life Hell for her parents and siblings. 

Venting is helpful. But this person has chosen to do so in the glare of the lights of social media. As her Dad advances towards his eighth decade, she seems determined to send him to his final years in pain and intense grief. 

Cleanse me from secret faults . . . the horrible things that I do to others, unwittingly, with good intentions. I can't help myself.

We need to start caring, when we offend others. Stop thinking about ourselves so much. 

The world is coming unglued. And it most certainly is due, largely, to offense, and secret sins. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Dreamed

And he dreamed . . . 

 - From Genesis 28

It seems like so many of the most momentous encounters with God occur at night, in the lonely hours when perhaps our imaginations run wild. They occur while other are sleeping and you are restless, and virtually alone. We see God in our dreams.

For this reason, I have always felt there are more to dreams, than meets the eye. Some people believe there is even a dream realm that is as real as our waking hours. On several occasions in my life, I have had vivid dreams about people - acquaintances, friends, co-workers, students, family members. These dreams may involve conversation or intense interchanges.

If, within the next few days, I come across one of the people in these dreams, there may be a pithy moment of awkwardness; as though we both were aware of having the same strange interaction, in the dream state - - - but both are afraid to bring it up. "No, I don't feel awkward. Maybe it's just you."

Of course, all of the above may be the fanciful reckonings of a lifelong aficionado of literary fantasy. 

Perhaps, while in the dream state, with our mind fully rested and not distracted, we are at our most ready to see, and listen to, God. 

Jacob's dream occurred as he rested upon a rock ("upon this rock I will build my Kingdom") in a location that may have been where Abraham began to sacrifice Isaac. It may be near where the Temple was ultimately built. It may be near Gethsemane, or Golgotha. It is close to Bethlehem. People throughout history have noticed the other-worldly aspects to the land of Palestine, and Israel. 

A lot of things happened there . . . a lot of strange things . . . a lot of events that impact all of human history, from beginning, to end. . . from the first rung, to the top. 

We should not discount the value of dreams, both those that we concoct while awake, and those that seem to enter into our minds, while we sleep. Jacob dreamed, and so do we.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Crowd (Christ)

 . . . we are afraid of the crowd. 

 - From Matthew 21

The Chief Priests and the Elders (formal elders) in the time of Christ, were not particularly courageous. They have put so much stock into their property, and appearance, that they are loathe to do anything to sully themselves. They are into things staying in order. They're like Dr. Smith on the classic TV show, Lost in Space. They are all talk, as long as nothing endangers them directly. And they cover their tracks well, lest they place themselves into a precarious situation. 

Jesus was one Man that threatened the existing order; and this is why He had to go. 

But they feared the crowd. They were not willing to stir the crowd up, unless it was stirred up against Jesus. 

There is never a good reason to stir up an angry crowd. And never a good reason to encourage the angry crowd. 

Some sermons and scriptural lessons are more memorable than others. Over the course of a lifetime, you may be lucky enough to have had a few be so noteworthy, that you remember them in detail. 

So it was in the fall of 1982. I was an MBA student at Texas Christian University; but I did not want to be studying business. I felt that I should be in ministry, and spent every moment that I could, involved in youth work and music at the Pleasant Hill Advent Christian Church in Southlake, Texas. I attended Sunday and Wednesday services, any time I could. The pastor was Donald B. Wrigley. 

One Sunday night, brother Don did a lesson that he called "The Circles of Discipleship." It started with a discussion about the hundreds, even thousands of people that followed Christ around, in His ministry. From there it went down to the hundred or so, that assisted Him in activities like handing out the loaves and fishes. From there, down to the Circle of Twelve, which of course, were the Twelve Apostles. These were there in His private moments. They heard His most profound teachings and had them explained to Him. 

From there, it went down to the Circle of Three. Peter, John, and James . . . the three that were present at the Transfiguration, and that accompanied Him to Gethsemane. 

Finally, The Circle of One - - - John, "the Disciple Jesus Loved." The one that made it to the Cross. The only one that died a natural death. Of course, Simon Peter can make the claim to being "The Circle of One."

This struck me. The closer you get to Christ, the fewer people that are present. 

I've always had a hearty level of distrust against crowds of any kind. Even crowds that are not assembled to do harm: sporting events, music concerts, serve no truly needful purpose. It's entertainment, that's all. 

In our times, we need more people breaking away from the crowds, to go off and pray. To reflect. To fast and experience want from a positive experience. To cultivate dependency on God, and not on human government. 

By the same token . . . beware of leaders that seem too willing to please a crowd. They are no better than Scribes and Pharisees. 

Others (of)

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 

 - From Philippians 2

In 2020, there's a fine line that divides self-interest from the interests of others. How do we know whether or not a person is motivated by a true altruistic desire to help the needy, or a carnal, infantile plea: "Notice me!"

"Notice me."

I first started taking, well, "notice" of this concept after my own kids were born. Certain of their close relatives would do a thing, when they would try out something new, or demonstrate awareness of others. These relatives would feign the baby communicating: "Mama, notice me!" or "Daddy, notice me!"

It's a sense of empathy that a grandparent, or aunt might have - - - that a highly-dependent and rather helpless baby has one overriding need: to be noticed. We all want to be noticed. When we do something that expresses our talents, or interests, we want to be noticed. Even the shyest among us. We want to matter. 

A person holding up a sign that says "Black Lives Matter" wants to be noticed for it. Yes, this is my observation. They first want you to notice them, and then they want you to notice the theme of the movement. I doubt that we do much that isn't driven first by a fundamental need to be noticed. And, actually, that's a good thing. Whatever motivates us to do good, must be good. 

But let's not lose sight of this primal motivator: We want others to notice us. 

This is what the idea of "virtue signaling" is all about. 

Oh, you're only doing that because you want people to think you're good. 

It is a driving force in our lives. In time, it does decrease. Old people actually are more focused on others (which is why we should revere them, and follow their example). 

And young people are more focused on themselves. 

I have a friend on social media. I have known her since Middle School. We were very close friends in high school. Thanks to Facebook, we reconnected. Thanks to Facebook, a great wedge has come between us. 

One time, she posted, to one of my retorts: "Why do you always argue? Why can't you just acknowledge what I said?" 

This was cutting. It was true. I started trying to affirm my friends more, even if I disagreed with the point they made. Friends are more important than most ideas. 

Looking out for the interests of others isn't the same as agreeing with a sweeping concept "Wear a mask to protect others." There is a long list of exceptions to that rule, which are not addressed in the talking point. 

The interests of others is something to apply in the most awkward way - - - to the others around you, and close to you. Being kind to them. Not condemning them with some labeling of them as "The Other." That other person is not wearing a mask! So what? They are still human. They still are doing the best they can! 

What if it just isn't in their make-up to wear a mask? Keep your mask on. Keep your distance! But keep treating them as a human, with respect and dignity. 

Get to know them . . . . This always turns out better. 


Youth (Church)

Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions . . . 

 - From Psalm 25

God understands youthful indiscretion. In Old Testament times, with a few exceptions, He seemed to wait until people were fairly old, before calling them to His service. Abraham was about a hundred. Noad was way up there. 

David was called at a young age, and still messed up, while yet an unseasoned king. 

Jesus waited until He was at least thirty-something to launch His formal ministry. His "silent years," between the ages of about twelve and thirty are perhaps a model to us. Those would be good years for any young person to remove him or herself from society, for learning, reflection, growing (this was probably the original intent of college).

God seems willing to overlook our dumb activities up until we're about thirty. 

Therefore, the responsibility for the well-being of young people, all the way up to twenty-five, at least, rests on our shoulders. Yours and mine. 

If young people (anybody up to twenty-five years of age) goes out and destroys property, or makes other reckless decisions that hurt themselves and others, it pretty much is because we have allowed it to happen, or have even enabled it to happen. When young people act out, it is probably because of a sense of frustration that nobody seems to care. Before hitting twenty, they are already wracked with crippling debt and fears for the future that become further debilitating. They may feel they have no where else to go, and just start swinging their arms about, literally, or figuratively on social media. 

It gets worse when older people look the other way, or even openly endorse the emotional and non-reflective reactions of the young. God will, and does, forgive them. But we are expected to establish an orderly community that is safe for our youth, and elders. 

All of them.

King David had a lot of regrets. So do we. Chalk it up to youth and foolishness. 


Parent (United)

 . . . the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine . . . 

 - From Ezekiel 18

The Gen Xers have eaten sour grapes, and Millennials' teeth are set on edge.

Actually, that's not the way it should read. Ezekiel 18 sets itself up this way:

"The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge." This was a Proverb used in the days of Ezekiel, used as an excuse for the wild and violent behavior of the young people. Apparently Israel had become a nation that had lost its way. It no longer stood for peace and safety, and freedom. It was no longer virtuous and prosperous. 

The young people took it upon themselves to visit retribution against the sins of the forefathers. They took to the streets. They valued nobody, and they valued nothing. In the end, everybody, young and old, got swept under a tide of violent and brutal occupation by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and then Romans. 

God rejected the Proverb making the rounds, like He rejects excuses we make today, for the violence in the streets, and untethered hate we express to each other. 

Here's a good reason to practice unconditional and sacrificial love to each other: 

Because we love our elders, and we love our children. 

When you start tearing things down, from reputations to brick-and-mortar, you invite invasion from people that hate your freedoms, individuality, and prosperity. Our divisions become targets for the machinations of outside interests . . . which are constantly seeking ways to expand their global footprint. 

Before he died, my Dad said "I will be okay. I'm just worried about your mother."

We promised him she would be okay.

And then the world started making itself unsafe to our most vulnerable. 

Stop blaming other generations. Stop finding excuses for your violence. We are still, and always, responsible to treat all others with kindness and love. This is the path to the justice and peace that you seek.

If there is no other reason for our kind behavior, do it for this reason:

You want peace and safety for your kids . . . and your parents. 


Hide (Andrews)

That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us, we will not hide from their children. 

 - From Psalm 78

Yesterday, my oldest daughter turned 25. During the past year, she has begun to comment on things happening to her, that I can only respond with "That's aging."

Aches and pains that have no explanation. 

A sense that there is not enough time to achieve her life goals. 

The sudden desire to take a nap at odd times. 

A gray hair. 

In my own twenties, I began to notice the onward march of the aging process, and how certain things can be organized into the decades of life. 

In your first decade, it's all about play.

In your teens, you seem to be able to make great strides physically, if you work on it. 

In my twenties, I could come home from work, in my suit and wingtip shoes, recline back in my Laz-Z-Boy, and fall deeply asleep.

In my thirties, I had my first high cholesterol reading and began to experience certain digestive . . . irregularities. 

In the forties, I had to really start watching what I ate, because of problematic results in blood sugar and blood pressure. 

In the fifties, my vision became more of a problem, and I lost the ability to stay up long hours into the night, when I used to be very productive. And I experienced the first medical procedure that an older friend had told me once "Wait til you see what they do to you when you turn 50!"

I just turned 60. I may circle around to some of my high school friends later, and ask them for advice. 

But 25, for my daughter, is a big deal. Sure, we say you can drive when you're 16, vote when you're 18, smoke and drink when you're 21, and rent a car when you're 25. But in an age that reverences "Science" so much, we do not reflect much, on the fact that your frontal cortex, the part of the brain that governs moral decision-making, is not fully developed until you're 25. Physiologically and biologically, a person should be fully and completely formed, for adulthood, when they hit 25. 

That's my daughter now. She is a Millennial. 

How have we spent the first twenty-five years of our kids' lives, in preparing them for adulthood?

Throughout Scripture, this point is hammered down, constantly - - - you have to proactively, and aggressively, teach your kids. But it isn't even just teaching them . . . it's reminding them. Share with them your own stories of faith, and of God's working in your life. Tell them honestly, about your own experience. They may have doubts about miracles from thousands of years ago. But you can openly discuss God's working in your life . . . just tell them. They'll figure out for themselves that it was all a bunch of miracles. In teaching, that's called Show, don't tell. 

We hide God from our kids. I hid God from my kids. I did not make God an intimate part of our lives. It is awkward to talk about God to them. That is my fault. 

But at the same time . . . this means ensuring that they hear about God and His workings on earth, and in our lives, everywhere. We do support the separation of church and state, and we do not force our beliefs on others . . . but there are creative ways to teach kids about the Lord . . . even while they are away from us, in school and college.

The world understands this about our development. By the time they are twenty-five years old, they have been influences by people that do not believe in God, or even hate Him, more than we have influenced them. They have spent more time around these people, in their classrooms and dorm rooms, watching their television and films, listening to their music. 

Even in Old Testament times, without all these distractions, we were admonished to talk about the Lord . . . constantly. 

The Psalmist frames the point as something we owe to our own forbears. Don't do it for our own peace of mind, or for accolades to ourselves. Don't even do it for the good of our kids. But share the love and plan of God to our kids . . . because we owe it to our own ancestors. We do not want the sacrifices that they made, to be in vain. 

So this is the challenge . . . let's take that magic number of "25". The implication is that there's still time, for a person that has not yet reached that age. They may be drawn to professors, celebrities, and friends during the formative first twenty-five years of life, because they perceive that these other influences, simply care more.