God’s Reassurance
Ray of Hope – Relaunch
“Let’s Be Careful Out There!” Faith in the Face of Fear
Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, played by Michael Conrad, gave roll call and the morning report to the men and women comprised of the precinct on Hill Street. He was the father figure to the police officers and the voice of reason. After summarizing the local crime activities, he dismissed the officers but not before warning them, “Let’s be careful out there!”
Police work is hard and dangerous work. Police work in the urban cities carries its own unique difficulties with so many people living in such tight quarters. A daily reminder to keep vigilant is not only needed but wise in its own right.
We live in a time of heightened anxiety. Fear feels like it’s lurching behind every corner and dark alleyway. With the opioid crises still hovering, crime rates higher than what is comfortable, amount of (sex) trafficking keeps growing and with the high level of domestic violence, we need reminded to be careful out there.
Being careful out there does not mean we embrace fear, for we are a people of faith. But being people of faith also does not mean we ignore our surroundings, in fact we should be mindful of what is happening around us. Even Jesus exhorted the Twelve to mindful of current events unfolding around them, either in regard to the temple’s destruction and/or to his return (three times he says “watch” in Mark 13:32-35). But he doesn’t tell us to be afraid, worried or filled with anxiety.
I believe what drives the fear today comes from two sources. First is the twenty-four hour news cycle. Not only do these news media outlet use fear to drive their coverage/agendas, but the fear keeps us from turning it off. Like a cliffhanger, we’re driven to see what happens next. Ultimately, we have no time to process and reflect on the information feeding us (Ps. 1:2; 46:10). So we’re overwhelmed by information and exasperated at the same time.
Secondly, social media exasperates our fear. By leveling the playing field, a person’s voice is heard and engaged when normally they are discarded or ignored. Even more so, he who has an opinion caries the same weight as a specialist in that same field (and memes are viewed, not as satire, but as solid truth). Everyone, then, is an expert accountant, historian, theologian, doctor, etc. Feeding that mindset is the amount of disingenuous websites available to the public, wherein we know nothing of their origin or agenda. Even then, conspiracy theorists throw shade on the fact-checkers. We’re overwhelmed with information and have (or should have) trust issues with sources of information. No wonder we live in a time of heightened fears.
As people of faith we neither panic when facing uncertain times nor be dismissive without cause or evidence. True faith is the non-anxious presence, like Jesus sleeping on the boat in the midst of the storm (Mk. 4:35-38). The wind and the waves were real and the disciples were afraid. Fear, not just of the deep, but the actual danger drove the disciples into panic. But Jesus is not simply sleeping on the job or sticking his head in the sand to hoping the storm goes away. He’s resting in the One who holds the world in his hands. He lives in faith.
Faith might mean we use the news media to get the information we need, and then turn it off so that it does not consume us. Faith might mean we put social media aside so that we stay in our moment, not someone else’s moment. Faith might mean we’re staying prepared for an emergency without being consumed by something that may or may not happen. Faith might mean not crossing the emotional/imagined bridge before actually arriving at the bridge. Faith might mean inviting someone to your table, even if the oil runs dry. Faith might mean washing your hands for twenty seconds, then going on with life as normal. Faith might mean creating some physical distance without creating emotional distance.
So Sergeant Esterhaus was right, “Let’s be careful out there!” And while we’re being careful, let’s avoid checking our faith at the door on the way out.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
“Where Are You, God?” Faith in the Midst of Suffering
Questioning God’s presence or his sovereign rule during the midst of tragic suffering is common among believers. One might say it’s the norm. For if everything is under God’s reign, then what happens under his watch is on him. The buck has to stop somewhere. “Where are you, God?” ends up being a good question.
While Jesus was hanging on the cross, he cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46; Mk. 34). Most people believe Jesus was facing a form of “separation anxiety.” At the very moment God turned his back on his Son, Jesus felt alone, vulnerable and abandoned. Like a child who cannot find his parents in the store, Jesus appears to be unable to find God.
When Job was enduring his assault from Satan he questioned God’s ability to rule. With a belief rooted in retribution, he announced his innocence having done nothing to deserve such punishment (Job 6:24-30). Job’s friends believed otherwise (Job 5:17) and assumed their friend was holding out on them. So disturbed, Job was willing to take God to court, even though he was convinced justice was beyond his reach (Job 9:3, 17-18).
How do we step into the vacuum of the unanswerable question, “Where are you, God?”
Deadly tornados swept through Middle Tennessee leaving in its wake about a 200 (?) mile mass of destruction and death. At this time 24 people have died, most of whom are children and in Putnam County. While all have been accounted for, some 150 were hospitalized. One site claimed that 75 buildings were destroyed in Nashville alone. The number that hurts the most is the 18 children who died, particularly the four year-old girl of the Collegeside Church of Christ youth minister.
So in the midst of our pain as we endure the suffering around us, we ask, “Where are you, God?”
Job was granted his wish. He was offered the chance to present his case before God, but the Almighty asked the first series of questions. He grilled Job on the details of the universe and complications and difficulties of comprehending how the world even works. Job never received an answer for his suffering, even though we were told from the opening lines of the drama what was unfolding behind the scenes. Job realized that his finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite (Job 42:1-6). Sometimes that’s where we sit. We stop reading into the cause or looking for an explanation. Certainly, we refrain from indicting God. We simply trust that God is bigger than our biggest moment of tragic suffering.
Astute readers of Scripture will note that Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 while on the cross. Some assume he was framing his suffering in the faith of the Psalmist because it reads like a prophecy to the cross. It also ends with hope, and the very next Psalm proclaim the faith of following the Good Shepherd (Ps. 23). But something else is at work too. As Jesus utters these words from the cross, it’s the only time in the New Testament where he refers to his Father as God. Even more so, Jesus personalizes his relationship with God by crying out, “My God, My God” (emphasis mine). The closeness and intimacy Jesus had with his Father is evident even in the most difficult, tragic and unjust moment in humanity’s history. Instead of focusing on “forsaken,” we should focus on his intimate relationship with God. He’s not just anybody’s God, he’s “my God.”
So we ask the question, “Where are you, God?” and in his silence we beg for an answer.
But God is far from silent. In the midst of a tornado, sickness, fear, forsakenness and death, God speaks. He provides an answer. He offers the answer. As we gaze upon the Golgotha hill, we watch Jesus suffering from the cross. For in the midst of his faithful suffering we find our answer. The God of the universe, who reigns above all, is suffering with us.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
Fallen From Grace: The Face of the Boy Scouts of America
The bumper sticker on my car says, “I’m proud of my Eagle Scouts.” And I am proud of my sons. They are good young men who worked very hard, modeled the Scout Law of being trustworthy, loyal, friendly, reverent, etc., sacrificed free time and overcame significant obstacles to earn the requirements for Boy Scouts’ highest rank. Without bragging, they could have been the face of BSA.
I remember the day Jonathan came home from first grade with a flyer asking if he could join Cub Scouts. Someone had come to his school with a demonstration, and he was sold. Having experienced some of the Cub Scouting program as a child, I was easily sold as well.
Over the next fifteen years I ran the gamut with scouts. I was Jonathan’s Den Leader and eventually stepped into the Cub Master role (I oversaw all the Dens, leadership recruitment and training). When Matthew joined Scouts, Cile was his Den Leader. Both boys earned the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouts highest honor, and bridged over into Boy Scouts. I kept my involvement in their scouting lives by being an Assistant Scout Master. I led scouts to both Summer and Winter Camps, and took larger roles at those same camps, including leading boys to complete sections of Merit Badge requirements. Both Jonathan and Matthew attended BSA’s National Jamboree.
It was during my adult scouting career that BSA began facing turbulent waters. At first the rumors were just that, rumors. Like the Titanic captain, the leadership downplayed the cries and minimized the damage. All the while membership was half the size it boasted thirty years earlier and the outlook wasn’t promising.
Then it came out. It all came out, reminiscent of the Catholic Church. Boys and boys and boys accused BSA of creating an environment where they were abused. Twelve thousands boys have come forward and BSA has identified over 7000 predators with some accounts dating back to 1920 (ten years after Scouts began in America). In an attempt to compensate the victims, the national office of BSA, apart from the local chapters, has filed bankruptcy. Right now it’s kind of a “wait and see” holding pattern. What will Chapter 11 bankruptcy look like, especially with all the BSA holdings like famous artworks and campgrounds.
Maybe the fatal flaw of the BSA culture is our flaw too. We perceived a time of innocence, when it was really a time of naivety. We’ve been far too trusting of people and institutions with our children without due process. Even Paul tells Timothy to “vet” deacon candidates before installing them (1 Tim. 3:10) and to be slow about laying on of hands (1 Tim. 5:22). Society thought that since the BSA program had a good reputation, the leaders of the program were good as well. We were wrong, dead wrong. We failed to scrutinize the people and the system. What we found was that beneath the surface, the reputation and hype was something disgustingly ugly, shamefully sinful and utterly destructive. No one deserves a pass simply because of their position. And now more than 12,000 former scouts are paying a huge price, for they are the face of BSA (and that number will probably continue to grow). So the organization must be held accountable for turning a blind eye and covering up its messy corruption.
BSA has changed its culture. During my adult leadership era, they began enforcing background checks and implementing mandatory training to raise awareness of abuse for all participants. My favorite move was the two-deep leadership plan which prevents one adult from being alone with a child. They have a long way to go to earn back the trust they squandered, if they ever earn back that trust. For now BSA needs to feel the hurt and pain they’ve caused on so many lives.
For me, the bumper sticker still reflects how proud I am of my sons who are Eagle Scouts. They, with so many other young men, have modeled the Scout Law of being trustworthy, loyal, friendly, reverent, etc. beyond their days of wearing the uniform. Those young men should be the face of BSA. With hope and healing, maybe one day they will.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
Gilligan’s Island: to the Tune of Amazing Grace
On Sunday afternoon, Cile and I sat on the couch and absorbed the three hour tour of Gilligan’s Island. We were both tired. I was recovering from a twenty-four hour bug, but wasn’t sleepy. She slept. I stayed awake. I watched four of the six episodes and pretty much knew each storyline and joke before the cast members experienced them.
One has to suspend a lot of reality to embrace the show, but it’s worth it. How can one person like Gilligan make so many mistakes without being exiled? How come the professor can create so many inventions and never be able to get them rescued? For a three hour tour, how come the Howells packed so much luggage and money? What did Ginger need with an evening gown? How come their clothes were always clean? How good are the AM radio waves and how long do batteries last? How do you make banana cream pie without the necessary ingredients and an oven?
As I was watching the shows unfold before me, I realized two important aspects of humanity that were continually fleshed out in the show.
First, Man at His Best. The seven castaways come together to survive, and even thrive on their island. Leadership is provided by the Skipper and Professor, though clearly they seek input from the other five castaways. You don’t usually see them making decisions from selfish motives, but always for the good of the group’s survival and rescue.
None of that is to say that they were an idyllic society. They struggled with situations and with each other. Conflict was a normal part of their lives as danger lurked and/or feelings got hurt. But the group could not survive without the individual, and the individual couldn’t survive without the group. So when conflict arose, reconciliation was always woven into the solution. Let’s face the facts, it was a TV show and conflict is a key component of keeping the viewer’s attention. And, the writers needed a reset button to film the next week’s episode, so the conflict was resolved by the end of the show. That said, the lesson taught was valuable: we need each other to survive.
Secondly, Man is Bad. In the realm of suspending belief, they found themselves on a deserted island not located on any map. Yet visitors upon visitors stumble upon the island, because it’s not found on a map? A famous hunter, an actor pretending to be “Tarzan,” a knock-off Beatles and Monkeys rock band, The Mosquitos, and multiple others appear on the show. The rise of hope is felt and they believe the new visitor will contact authorities to have the castaways rescued. But they never do. The visitors usually have a deep dark secret and are afraid it will be exposed and ruin their own lives. So selfishly, and in the spirit of self-preservation, they keep the castaways and island a secret. They move on with their life, while the castaways are “condemned” to their prison.
The Bible continues to paint mankind with both brushes, a little bit of good and quite a bit of bad. Paul quotes that Psalmist to reinforce the depravity of mankind, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). At our very best, we have mixed agendas and shades of evil. We may be giving, but too many times it comes with strings attached. No one stands before God in all purity, because we’re tainted in sin. On the other hand, the Bible speaks highly of good people like Cornelius who generously cares for the poor (Act. 10:2) or Tabitha who is described as “always doing good and helping the poor” (Act. 9:36). But even at our best, we still need a Savior to redeem us from our own sin.
So here we are a mixture of something good and something bad. Sometimes the good in us shines very bright and sometimes it doesn’t. Other times the bad in us overpowers the good and what we experience causes shame. Maybe the hope is found in accepting, embracing and owning God’s grace. After all, the theme song to Gilligan’s Island can be sung to the tune of Amazing Grace.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
Revsiting WWJD
The fad took over the late 90’s and still had legs into early 2000’s with its footprint still present today. Let’s be honest, it was kind of cool to walk into Walmart and see then name, Jesus, plastered everywhere (even if profiting off of Jesus’ name raises spiritual questions?). People were wearing t-shirts and bracelets, drinking from mugs with Jesus’ name on it, or his first initial. Two movies starring John Schneider and a hit song by Big Tent Revival sealed the legacy with the call letters, WWJD, all beginning its legacy in 1895.
Charles Sheldon was the author who wrote a book entitled, In His Steps. The fictional story takes place in the small community of Raymond whose world is turned upside down with a homeless man passing through their town. He had asked for help, but no one responded. Even Henry Maxwell, the minister for 1st Church of Raymond, dismissed his plea for help. Then on Sunday morning the man sat in church, and while telling his gripping story of homelessness he collapsed and passed away.
Henry Maxwell took the event personally. Driven back to Scripture, he landed in 1 Peter 2:21,
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
Maxwell took that verse to exhort those willing to participate in an experiment. He challenged them to ask a simple question before making any decision, ‘What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) in your place, then follow through at best you can. The rest of the story explores how a handful of devoted followers answered the question and the impact it had on their lives and in their community.
Sheldon should be commended for posing the question and encouraging Christ’s disciples to follow him wholeheartedly. Certainly, simply asking WWJD is far better than never contemplating what it means to follow Jesus. But Sheldon’s premise is flawed for at least three reasons.
First, yes, Jesus lived a human life, but never in our shoes, thus making it difficult to determine how to answer so many questions. He never married. He never bought a car. He never went to college or even trade school. He never dealt with the fast food industry. He never had to vote for a politician. He never grew old. So when we ask the question, WWJD, we have to deal with guiding principles like love, forgiveness, compassion, serving and self-sacrifice to inform our decisions. The simple WWJD question ignores the deeper significance of actual discipleship.
Secondly, Sheldon interpreted much of the WWJD through the lenses of the Social Gospel. The Social Gospel addressed social issues of the day like poverty, alcohol, child labor, justice and race relations. Such issues needed and still need addressing as the church should never remain silent in such matters. But the movement was flawed, at least in part because it was rooted in the optimistic hope of the turn of the twentieth century: man wasn’t that bad and God wasn’t that mad (I borrowed that definition). Ultimately, the Social Gospel tried transforming society without transforming lives and it all unraveled when WWI broke out. Man really was that bad, and God must have been that mad.
Finally, Sheldon ignored much of the context of 1 Peter 2. How do you live in a society where you belong to a greater Master and are citizens of a greater Kingdom? What do you do when the government stands against you (2:13-17), your spouse is an unbeliever (3:1-7) and your master is mean spirited (2:18-25)?
Peter calls his readers to look at Jesus who refused to retaliate but absorbed the insults because he trusted God. And without a fad or self-martyr complex, that’s how you follow Jesus in his steps. That is Peter’s understanding of WWJD. In faith we live above board. When attacked, we never retaliate and never threaten. We trust God that his justice will prevail, even if it means we follow Jesus to the cross. And I believe such discipleship is far greater than a market scheme to wear a t-shirt.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
HOPE: Inside An Herodian Jail Cell
Alone … Despair … Uncertainty … Doubt … Second Guessing … Fear …
Worry … Anxiety … Abandonment … Forsaken.
When you’re left to your own thoughts, you can easily fall into a dark hole by over analyzing everything. As John the Baptist sat in Herod’s prison these are some of the words that came to my mind that may describe the prophet.
I always saw John as bold and courageous. With his Elijah-like ruggedness, he prepared the way for Christ by calling people to repentance. When soldiers came for baptism he challenged them to act with integrity. When the religious leaders showed up to hear him preach, he called them out for their hypocrisy. And even behind bars, when given a hearing before Herod, he confronted the immoral relationship with his brother’s wife.
But maybe living in a dungeon kinda gets to you.
So when his own disciples brought him news of what Jesus was doing, the doubt surfaced. Was Jesus the One they were waiting for? Was his preaching to prepare the way for Jesus on task? So he sent two of his disciples to inquire of the Lord (Lk. 7:18-19). And the response John received was far from a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Jesus forced John to connect the dots.
First, Jesus returns to the Jubilee theme of Luke 4:18-19 by reminding John’s disciples what they’ve witnessed: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cured, deaf hear, dead are raised and good news is preached to the poor (Lk. 7:22). If the proof is in the pudding, then sit back and look at what Jesus has done. Beyond the miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry lies a more important message. Jesus is pointing John back to Isaiah to remind him how he’s fulfilling Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy (see Is. 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 42:18; 43:8; 61:1-2).
Secondly, Jesus utters a blessing (i.e. a beatitude?) for John’s disciples, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Lk. 7:23). I’ve struggled to understand why Jesus saw himself as a possible stumbling block to faith. Sure, I heed the warning. My actions and my words can (and sadly have) drive someone away from Christ. I get that. But how does Jesus own such words?
To say Jesus’ ministry was controversial is an understatement; it certainly held a scandalous layer to it. Simeon had predicted the fall of many in association with Jesus’ presence (Lk. 2:34). Throughout his ministry, Jesus offended the established to the point they were willing to execute him. Families divided will found themselves pitted against each other as some were whole heartedly willing to follow Jesus and others rejected him (Lk. 12:51-53). And even now, John’s imprisonment was a sign of Jesus’s coming.
So the blessing that Jesus pronounces (v. 23) is clearly owned by Jesus. He knew the controversy surrounding himself and feared losing people on the “drop-out track.” Thus, John can find strength and security in knowing Jesus is exactly who he thought he was before the doubt set in. His suffering in prison continues the preparatory role for Christ as one who must suffer himself (see v. 27).
And what about us? Following Jesus can still carry a divisive layer to discipleship. Sometimes Christ is lightening rod in relationships. We can be shunned, rejected and abandoned by friends and family because of our loyalty to Jesus. In our walk with him we can face loneliness and feel we walk alone. But like John, it’s in the solitude of our faith we find hope.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
BEFORE THE FALL: Walking Humbly with Your God
When the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, he attacked a vulnerable area: pride. First, he cast doubt on God’s promised provisions (Gen. 3:1). Then he deceptively undermined God’s authority by casting suspect on sin’s fallout (Gen. 3:4). Finally, he fueled their arrogance by questioning God’s motive for keeping them away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:5). In their new found inflated ego, they wanted a “piece of the pie” or a “piece of the action.” God was holding out on them, they believed. Since the fruit looked like it was ripe and juicy to the taste buds (Gen. 3:6), they ate it, dealing with the consequences later.
They say “pride comes before the fall” (see Prov. 16:18), and the ominous overtones to such a statement carries cataclysmic ramifications with the Genesis 3 narrative overlaying Proverbs 16.
Pride. As the world moved into the 20th Century, the uptake was positive and filled with optimistic hope. The world felt like it was sailing on a sea of blue skies and gentle breezes. Humanity was maturing, evolving and advancing. The Industrial Revolution created wealth while fast-tracking international trade. Science based engineering was producing better sanitation and living conditions while long plaguing diseases were about to meet their end through vaccinations. Air conditions, radio waves, steam engine turbines, gas-motored and manned airplanes were sweeping the country. Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity while Thomas Edison unveiled talking motion pictures. Wars, regulated only to the history books, were no longer susceptible to dawn out affairs and were now far more sanitized. Yes, man was on top of the world and nothing was going to stop him now.
Fall. The very nature of man’s existence was challenged when a massive, four year-drawn-out war engulfed the world. Machines, intended to shorten the war, only exasperated it. Picturesque terrain was burned and destroyed. Trenches were dug, ripe for diseases to spread. And spread they did. Men were sickened by lice, rats and its feces. Kidneys were inflamed and feet swelled; amputations were far too common. The soldiers could not escape the cold and damp winter days leading to multiple infectious diseases. Twenty million deaths with nearly 21 million casualties suffered during the war. Those who survived lost more than their limbs, they lost their humanity. No, they lost their soul. Modern technology, the glory of mankind, became the very element that dehumanized and destroyed humanity.
Scripture reminds us that humility is the path to walk. Both James and Peter quote the verse from Proverbs 3:34, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jam. 4:6; 1 Pet.5:5). Peter is the one who adds for us to clothe ourselves in humility and to humble ourselves before God for he will be the one who lifts us up (1 Pet. 5:6). Micah tells us to embrace mercy and justice while walking humbly with God (Mic. 6:8b). Some of Jesus’ teachings were prefaced with a rebuke to those who were prideful of their own self-righteousness (e.g., Lk. 18:9).
Since pride and humility are abstract concepts, the need to describe them in concrete terms is a difficult process. They are also polar opposites, so that sometimes the best way to experience them is to see them in contrast.
Pride forces people to serve themselves while humility willingly serves others. When Jesus addressed leadership concerns among the Twelve, he described the power-down model where the guy at the top tells those below him what to do. Then he turns the table and admonishes them to invert the pyramid by using their position to serve others (see Mk.10:42-45). A humble person hears the voice of Jesus to model his behavior after him and look for an opportunity to help aid others. Serving maybe as simple as bussing a table or as complex as cooking a meal or as degrading as washing feet.
Pride demands to be right while humility allows room for error. That “room for error” part is the key, because none of us have a monopoly on perspective. We don’t see perfectly, as we’re blinded by our own bias. So Paul’s plea for the Philippi church (Phil. 2:3-4) is to stop pushing and pursuing a personal agenda, but entertain the possibility that your neighbor may actually be right, or just be more right than you.
Pride seeks a God who performs loudly while humility knows God acts in the stillness. One of the problems with Elijah was that he felt that his God always did the big stuff, like the fire from heaven to consume the altar (1 King. 18:16-39). But God works far more behind the scenes and in the quietness of the heart (1 King. 19:11-14). Instead of seeking God to outdo what he did last week, we simply seek God for his continual presence. We slow down and listen to a God who already is speaking to us (Ps. 46:10).
The problem in the garden was pride and it has continued to be humanity’s Achilles heel. We can figure out how to deflate our egos and tone down the rhetoric ourselves and begin walking humbly with God, or we can take the fall when it comes. Because it will come.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)