Checking the Logs on the Bridge
A Distant God: A Psalm of Lament for the Church
Why, O Lord, are you so distant?
Why do you stay so far away when trouble rises?
Do you not see your people suffering?
Can you not hear the prayers of the pained?
We are scared,
As every step taken feels like a walk in a land mine.
We don’t know where to go and no longer know what to say,
Will our next step only ignite a fuse?
Scared of the present,
Scared of the future.
Fearful of the unknown,
And we even fear what is known.
The gulf between each other is widening,
As competing ideologies fuel the division.
We cannot find common ground,
While distrust, suspicion, cynicism and jealousy prevail.
Socio-Economic division widens like the Grand Canyon.
Racial tensions feel like they will soon snap.
Social and Religious Ideologies collide like a train wreck.
Political Parties refuse to cross the isle.
Stereotypes are over used and have become our default mode.
Too many in the news media outlet are biased, unethical and bent.
We point the finger,
And we play the blame game;
With heels dug in and lines drawn,
The feeling is that the standoff will escalate into a fight.
We see the speck of dust in the eye of our opponent,
While ignoring that plank that blocks perspective in our proponent.
We look for a reason to hate and attack,
We stop learning to listen and to understand.
Tensions are rising,
Anxiety is increasing.
Anger simmers under the surface,
Because steam needs to be released.
We’re turning on each other,
Where we should be turning to each other.
Hear our prayer, O Lord,
Listen! As we cry out to you.
Intercede on our behalf,
And do not forget us.
Turn your Church into a haven of peace,
Teach your children to lay down their arms.
Calm our fears,
So that we may be a calming presence
Let us listen to your still voice,
Amidst the white noise.
Lead us to the unity and diversity of your Godhead,
So that we may celebrate our own unity and diversity.
Draw near,
So that we may draw near to you.
Until the storm passes
We admire and adore you,
We turn to you in prayer and praise,
We are shielded and sheltered in the cleft of your Rock.
For you are our hope,
Our help,
Our honor, and
Our Holy One.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)
Singin’ In The Rain
Greatest Commands
The Gospel According to Anthony Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci is at the top of his game. He’s been the leading epidemiologist for the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease since 1984, having advised six US Presidents. In the past eight months he‘s become a household name, communicating simply and succinctly the information Americans need to navigate the dangers of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I might add that while his confidence is strong his humility is stronger. He’s the smartest guy in the room, but he never projects such arrogance. I’m not the only one who admires him as some polls show 71% of Americans trust Dr. Fauci.
But that doesn’t mean Dr. Fauci has been right every time he has stood before the microphone. He’s been wrong. He’s been wrong more than once. He told us in February that he doubted A-Symptomatic people could spread the disease. Later in that month he reassured the American people that he saw no need to make any major changes to our lifestyles. In March he told us not to wear masks. If Fauci was a baseball player, his batting average is promising.
How can someone who has been wrong so many times still have an approval rating of 71%? Two factors are at play. First, the COVID-19 virus is brand new, discovered at the end of 2019 (thus, the reason for the “19,” not that it’s the nineteenth strand of the coronavirus). The situation has been fluid since its outbreak in China and in the US in January. Assumptions made early on were abandoned when new and more reliable information emerged. He was wrong, not because he’s incompetent, but because he was on the learning curve. That leads to the other admirable quality about Fauci, his ability to pivot when he was wrong. As new data emerged, Fauci shifted his views and perspective to line up with the best information available. Thus, A-Symptomatic people do spread the disease. Major shifts to our lifestyle have been needed to lean into and flatten the curve. Masks are a necessary move, not to prevent you from getting the virus but to insure you don’t spread the virus. His credibility is high because he’s willing to admit when he was wrong in order to pursue what is right.
In that one strand, Fauci is modeling the Gospel. When confronted with our wrong, we change our stance to line up with the truth. The Gospel calls this change “repentance.”
When John the Baptist preached, he called his hearers to repentance (Mk. 1:4). After John was arrested, Jesus stepped onto the world’s stage. He echoed John’s message by calling people to repentance (Mk. 1:15). After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Peter moved the story forward by calling people to repentance (Act. 2:38; 3:19). As Paul moved through the mission field, he continued to call people to repentance (Act. 17:30; 26:20). Changing one’s belief system, thought process and actions stand at the core of the Gospel Message. God expects to see change in us through repentance.
Herein lies the rub. We don’t want to change or shift our position or behavior no matter what the data and new information shows. Or even what the Bible says. It’s in our DNA. Studies are confirming that no matter what logical argument or statistical information that is revealed, we’ll reject it. We’re so entrenched in our world view and ideology, sometimes it feels like the Battle of Somme. No one will budge and everyone will suffer. Even worse, we double down on a bet we’re sure to lose, and lose big.
But God keeps calling us to repent, to change, to line our lives up with him. It’s the Gospel. And it’s the very thing that gives Dr. Anthony Fauci his credibility. He is willing to change.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)
Reconciling in Race Relations
Words Matter
T.H.I.N.K. Jesus
Social Media has devolved into an environment where people feel free to share whatever is on their mind without running their words through a filter. Instead of a safe playground to interact with friends, social media has become dangerous and toxic. Not all the time, mind you. But a good portion of the time. Anger. Frustration. Hatred. Divisiveness. Slander. Shaming. All of which fuel the woke/called-out culture. Like the meme says, “I’m just as surprised as you are by what comes out of my mouth.”
To counter, someone created the T.H.I.N.K. paradigm to help provide a filter, not only for social media but for all our words. The T.H.I.N.K. acronym asks five questions based on the letters for think.
Is It True? The erosion/corrosion of truth in our society is well documented and I won’t use space to rehash that now. However, even with good source material to fact check information, we seem to be more concerned with our own agenda and not seeking truth.
Is It Helpful? It’s one thing to post ideas and concepts for consideration. But a very thin line is present to post for simply to stir things up. Like lighting a fire cracker just to watch everyone’s reactions, some post to watch Social Media explode. Instead of helping move the story forward, it becomes a show in and of itself.
Is It Inspiring? If what is posted does not help people, then it’s safe to say that it won’t inspire either. When our emotions overtake us, and when we’re driven by negative feelings, what we say or post will not inspire anyone. When posting to stir the pot or for combative purposes, then driving a wedge between others is the only inspiration, and it’s not very inspiring.
Is It Necessary? The fact that one may need to hit the pause button before posting or speaking may be a big clue to stop forward progress. Since experience tells us that we will not move the ideological needle, then it’s like a futile experience.
Is It Kind? Maybe the biggest question to ask hits at the kindness meter. Since too much social media is filled with anything but kindness, maybe we need to make sure otherwise. Let’s find new ways to encourage one another online.
The five questions that help shape or shift our paradigm only work so far as we’re willing to stop to ask the questions, then honestly answer them. Sounds complicated, especially since rules may offer a guide to holy behavior, but they’ll never transform people’s lives. Something more needs to happen.
Paul exhorts the Philippians to have the mind or attitude of Christ (2:5). While contextually, he’s talking about humility and unity, the broader principle is for his followers to think and act like Jesus. Beyond a simple or mimic WWJD formula, Jesus calls us to be him to the public. So when we speak or post on social media the message beyond the post is the redeeming work of Jesus in our lives. We don’t add to the toxicity of social media, we try to allow Jesus to redeem it. Cheerful. Supportive. Respectful. Harmonious. Complimentary. Honor. Silence. For Jesus himself once posted, “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:16). It’s time to let it shine.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)