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Confessions from Living in A Maze In Grace

(I wrote this in August of 2014 following the suicide of Robin Williams. After the tragic suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain this week, I felt like we needed this article again. JAP)

The tunnel was dark, black, and bleak. Not right. If there was a tunnel, there might be an exit, and light ahead, and if there is light, hope exists for an escape. No, it feels like no hope exists. It’s not a tunnel but a prison, with a lifetime sentence and no chance for parole. The darkness, blackness, and bleakness felt heavy, like a thick fog, disabling your vision. Or the darkness, blackness, and bleakness is pounding like a rainstorm, so strong you cannot see the road before you. It felt heavy, like a hundred pound weight strapped around your neck, and every step takes all your effort. Inches for everyone else is miles for you. The message you hear between your ears is loud and clear, like an announcer at a stadium for all to hear,

“You are a failure!

                You are worthless!

                                You are unloved!

                                                The world is better off without you!”

Do you remember the video from the 9-11 attacks? The planes struck the World Trade Center, the fire consumed the buildings and they were about to fall. People, hundreds of people, were trapped in the building. If they stayed where they were, they would have either been consumed by the smoke and fire, or become the rubble from the fallen building. Some 200 people saw no other option, and in order to escape the inferno, they jumped to their deaths. 

Depression is the silent killer. It feels like you’re living in a dark hole, and no hope of escape reveals itself. No one loves you, and if they knew you they would hate you, so the depressed person believes. Suicide is rationalized as the only means possibly of escaping the hole. Reports tell us that about 10% of the American population suffers from depression (10% is probably a low estimate). Do the math, make the count; at least one in every 10 people you know probably suffers from depression, and its cause is varied in form: chemical imbalance, medications, chronic illness, sedentary lifestyles, abuse, ADHD, life setbacks, alcohol etc. 

The outward signs of our lives may have nothing to do with the inside of our hearts. The perceived success in business or in beauty only cover up the failure and ugliness realized within our own lives. I once sat with a successful, beautiful middle aged woman and talked. From the outside looking in, she had everything: A respected business, a godly husband, wonderful children, a spiritual depth to be admired, and she looked ten years younger than her age. However, out of the depths something was swelling. “I fight it every day,” she confessed. “What’s that?” I wondered. “Depression. Sometimes getting out of bed takes all my energy.”  She continued to explain, “I would never commit suicide,” a long pause emerged as she tried to find the right words, “but every night I pray that God will give me a heart attack while I sleep so that I will not have to wake up in the morning.” 

I wanted to dismiss her feelings and tell her to “snap out of it,” but you cannot simply snap out of depression. I wanted to minimize her pain by telling her to listen to more upbeat, praise songs, but her heart needed to read more of the Lament Psalms. I wanted to ignore her journey and tell her that the road will get better, but what she needed to know was that God would continue to give her the strength to face each day.  

Depression is a heavy burden, and those who suffer from it often hide the symptoms, and they’re often experts at hiding the symptoms. They can make you laugh and be the life of the party. They have good days, and they have bad days – and when they have bad days, it seems that they’re strung together like stringed popcorn wrapped endlessly around the Christmas tree. They feel very weak, but demonstrate a strong faith by bravely facing each enclosing storm. Sometimes those suffering from depression just need to know you care, that you love them, and that “God’s grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness.”

My name is Jon Partlow. I am your minister. I have battled depression since 1999, and my life has been A Maze in Grace.                                                               

Solo Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Spiritual Disciplines Everyone Can Do

Spirituality in a person’s life can be difficult to balance and to manage. We believe the giants of faith can walk on water, move mountains, or are beyond temptation. But everyone fights in the battle. Everyone struggles with sin. Everyone lives with the scars. While everyone drinks from the spiritual wells, some wells are deeper than others. So the question might be, how can we deepen the wells we drink from to enrich our spiritual life? Here are some common suggestions anyone can do to improve their spiritual walk with God.

● Worship . . . The Church gathers every week to worship God and to break bread. While together we sing, pray, give, commune at the Table, and are encouraged and challenged by exhortations from God’s Word. Because it’s an assembly, accountability and fellowship is built into this one hour. Unfortunately, church and the church gatherings have been devalued and even attacked; it’s often viewed as irrelevant. However, for spiritual purposes, never underestimate the discipline and value of spending Sunday with God and with each other.

● Prayer . . . From the simple prayer before a meal to the quiet time you spend with God, prayer allows us a direct line to God. We can share, not only our struggles and pains, but our dreams and visions too. It’s really about a relationship with God, and he wants us to come to him with no pretense (Mt. 6:7). We can talk to God and open up about our lives. We can approach him in full confidence knowing that he will not reject us because he wants to have a relationship with us.

● Fasting . . . Of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting has probably taken the biggest hit. Who wants to go without eating? The value of fasting is the discipline of saying “no” to your body for something it wants but doesn’t need. Most of us have conditioned our bodies to get hungry at a certain time when the truth is what we experience is “false hunger pains.” Paul talks about making his body a slave (1 Cor. 9:27) so that he can avoid his body enslaving him on its desires. While many people cannot fast an entire day or a few days, one can skip meals, limit snacks, or even limit fluid to juices.

● Confession . . . They say “confession is good for the soul.” They may be right. Getting things “off our chest” helps lighten the load, and makes our burdens easier to bear. James links confession with prayer (5:16) telling us that the two disciplines work in tandem with each other. We confess to each other and pray for one another.

● Serving . . . While volunteering has taken a hit lately, finding ways to give back to the community, the church and/or to God takes attention off of self and places it onto others. It’s a way to empty ourselves so that we can keep our own selfishness at bay. More so, secretly doing service keeps our motives in check.

● Reading . . . We live in a time where more volumes have been written than we’ve previously known, but fewer people are reading. An amazing paradox stands that the most common way God has revealed himself has been through his written word, and yet we don’t like to read. Beyond prayer, the simplest way to encounter God every day is to open up our Bibles and begin reading. While we’re in the mood to read, why not look at the ocean of books, periodicals and blogs put out there on a regular basis. While a lot of stuff published isn’t worth the time or effort, much of it is. Find or ask someone you respect where the good stuff to read is.

● Generosity . . . As we continue to look outside of ourselves, being generous reminds us that we do not own the material things but that we’re stewards of the resources God has given us. In order for money to lose its control over our lives (1 Tim. 6:10), money must be viewed as a means for ministry not as a stockpile for wealth. By letting go we’re building trust in God that he’ll take care of our needs and use us to bless others.

By no means are these the only spiritual disciplines for our lives. Echoing the Hebrews writer (Heb. 11:32), I don’t have time to talk about joy, quiet time, role of music, simplicity, and more. However, these are good starting blocks to develop your spiritual walk with God. They only demand what you’re willing to give, but what they give back will deepen the spiritual wells you drink from.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(only God is glorified!)

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A Light to Guide My Faith? Or A Barrier to My Own Belifs?

The Psalmist says that God’s word is a lamp to his feet and a light for his path (Ps. 119:105). He goes on to proclaim his loyalty to God’s law and his word no matter the circumstances, for his hope is in God’s word (v. 114).

The backbone of my faith has always been Scripture. I was taught at an early age to read it and to study my Bible. We carried it with us to church and, like the Bereans of Acts 17:11, followed the preacher’s logic to see if it lined up with Scripture. We kept the Bible by the bedside to read before going to bed. And if that wasn’t enough, I was sent to a small, private Christian school where daily prayer and Bible classes were mandatory to my education. The result was the emergence of a high view of Scripture, and a conscience effort to root my teaching and preaching in God’s word.

While I was taught to trust God’s word, I was also taught to be suspicious of anyone whose view of Scripture differed from mine. Since I was a conservative Christian, anyone to my left was held in suspicion. Since they didn’t take God’s word seriously (according to the standard I was shown), they were not to be trusted. They watered down God’s word and refused to preach the whole council of God. But in my twenty-five years of preaching, my experience has not quite lined up with what was taught me.

In the book of Zechariah, the people came to the prophet for advice. Following the fall of Jerusalem and the temple, Israel initiated a day of fasting to mourn the temple. For seventy years they commemorated this day, but now that the temple had been rebuilt they weren’t sure if they should continue this tradition. So they asked Zechariah for a word from God on this matter.

The response they received was not what they expected. God indicted them. First, God questioned their motives for their so-called “moment of silence” (Zech. 7:5-6). Secondly, he told them that their continued actions was not better than their forefathers taken into captivity (Zech. 7:7). Then he landed the final blow to Israel when he outlined what he really wanted from them, and it wasn’t a feast or a “moment of silence.”

Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other (Zech. 7:9b-10).

I wish I could tell you that the Israelites responded and repented. I wish I could tell you that they tore their clothes in sorrow for their self-righteousness. I wish I could tell you how revival swept the land. But they were no better than their forefathers. They stood, turned their backs to Zechariah and plugged their ears to his message (Zech. 7:11-12). The response of the prophet did not fit their definition of what God wanted from them, so they refused to listen.

Where the word of God is intended to be a light to guide our faith, more times than not, it’s a barrier to what we want to believe. When we’ve stood to condemn people for undermining Scripture to support their belief system, we’ve failed to consider if we’ve done the same thing. We believe we should forgive, but justify the refusal to forgive “that” sin. We believe we should be compassionate, until we don’t trust people’s motives. We believe we should help the poor, only as long as the poor help themselves. We believe we should show love, until it’s a person difficult to love. Somewhere Jesus voice is silenced: “Yes, forgive ‘that’ sin. Yes, continue to be compassionate. Yes, keep helping the poor. Yes, true love is being stretched to its full measure.” If the truth be known we are the ones undermining the very authority of the Scripture we hold so dear.

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) once said, “Most churches don’t hear God’s voice because we’ve already decided we aren’t going to do what he says.” I don’t think it’s just an indictment on those to my left, but to all who claim to follow the word of God.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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The Least of These

They never saw Jesus. Surely if they saw him they would have acted. Clearly if Jesus was present the food would have been given and shared. But no one saw the Son of Man, they just saw a homeless man on the side of the road dressed in ragged clothes, needing a bath, and holding a sign asking for food.

Rationalizing is easy. They’re too lazy to actually work. They’re manipulating the welfare system. They’ve blown their money on drugs and alcohol. They’re reaping what they’ve sown. If I dehumanize them, I don’t have to feel guilty when I ignore them.

So Jesus offers a glimpse into the scene on the day of his Return. He divides everyone into two groups as if dividing sheep from the goats. One group is welcomed into his kingdom, while the other group was rejected. One group was called “righteous,” and the other group was called “cursed.” The one group took action, while the other did nothing. Significant to the story, and to history of the church, the Return scene in Matthew 25 is rooted in compassion for the poor, not in specific doctrinal differences that divide the Christian community. In other words, Jesus is more interested in your level of compassion and less concerned about how many times you’ve taken the Lord’s Supper.

One of my fondest memories my two trips to Honduras was feeding the homeless with Amber Foster of Breaking Chains. She made a huge pot of soup and we drove to three locations to distribute the soup to the hungry. They were kind and gracious. They snorted glue from empty Coke bottles. Though we were in a dangerous part of town, I never felt like I was in danger.

I imagine plenty of people could rationalize a reason for Americans to avoid participating in such a ministry. It’s dangerous as the gang activity is high; Americans are at risk on foreign soil. If you get hurt what kind of medical care will you get? Or the government is supposed to take care of the poor. But one night under an overpass as we reached out to homeless families and offered them something to eat and kind words of encouragement, left a lasting impression.

The other day, I left SOMC after visiting a church member, the local hospital. Since it was near lunch time and I was driving past Burger King on my way back to the office, I decided to get a bite to eat. The sign on the door said, “Accepting Applications,” and I took notice of it as I entered the restaurant. I ordered my burger, fries and drink “to go.” With my drink and bag of food in hand, I exited the establishment, got in my car and started my trip back to the church building. As I turned left out of the parking lot, I stopped at the red light. To my left was a homeless man holding a sign asking for food scribbled on a piece of cardboard. Our eyes met. I had the bag of food and drink next to me, unopened. The light turned green and I took my eyes off the man and focused on the road before me. As I reached into the bag for the hamburger, I rationalized . . . “he’s too lazy to work, and he’s probably manipulating the system, and more likely, he’s blown his money on booze.”

As I drove away in silence, something in the back of my mind kept saying, “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Mt. 25:45).

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Trash Pick Up for the Soul

As a child, I remember commercials trying to educate people on what trash is versus what trash is not, as if people really didn’t know the difference. Everything they showed was trash, from the cigarette butt flicked to the road to the fast food wrapping paper tossed into street to the bags of trash falling out of a truck.

During the 1980’s a national movement was underway to clean up the roads and highways. Commercials were produced with the then popular Oak Ridge Boys lending their voices for the theme song, “Take Pride in America.”

When I lived in Tennessee in the 90’s a State-wide campaign was in place to raise awareness for the amount of trash on the side of the highways. I remember a heavy man wearing a tank top driving a convertible down a road. His car was full of trash and as he was going down the road the wind blew the trash all over the highway. It didn’t help things that he was throwing some of it out himself. They called the guy in the car, “Tennessee Trash.”

Following the flooding in Scioto County, keeping Highway 335 impassible, one of the disturbing aftermaths was the amount of trash that lined the highway and other main roads. Finding the source for all that trash might be hard to determine. But it feels like the trash simply gravitates to water.

For the past couple of months, it seems like all I’ve seen is the line of trash accumulating beside the road, and with it comes two concerns. First, something is disheartening when considering how apathetic people act about the trash, and their disregard for creation by throwing trash to the side of the road. As a society, we’ve lost our pride in the beauty of the earth. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” Our world does not belong to us, or even to the next generation, but we’re caretakers of our world for God.

Secondly, the trash by the side of the road will eventually make its way into the rivers and streams, and ultimately to the ocean. The trash will kill the land, and in turn kill us too. Have you seen the videos of the amount of trash that is collected out of our oceans? One source says that 5.25 trillion pieces of (plastic) trash floats on the surface of the water, or 800 million tons of (plastic) trash. How does one begin the process of cleaning up that mess?

We may not be able to stop the big corporations and companies from polluting the land and water, but we can stop being the cause for our trash reaching the waters. We can stop throwing trash to the ground, and we can be mindful of picking it up as well.

I remember the first time a trash problem was evident. It’s not like I’d never not seen trash before that time, but I never noticed the extent of the trash until college. As a child, and when my mother was not around, I remember finding glass bottles on school playgrounds and I’d shatter them because it sounded cool (if mom saw me do that, I’d not be alive today, and if mom reads this, um sorry mom). But when I was in college, my brother and I travelled to the Florida beach for a summer holiday weekend. As we swam in the ocean, I was horrified by the amount of beer (and maybe Coke) bottles and trash floating in the water. Who uses the ocean as their personal garbage disposal?

The Old Testament carries a rich theology of the land. How Israel took care of the land was in direct proportion to their relationship to God. Second Chronicles 7:14 links repentance to God healing the land. In the same vein, Numbers 35:33 warns against polluting the land, and how its result has spiritual consequences. Leviticus 18:24-28 describes the land as having vomited out it caretakers because of their idolatry, and warns Israel its fate for participating in the same rebellious sin. Maybe what the Biblical narrative is telling us is that the way we treat the land is in proportion to the way we treat God. If we’ve polluted the land, maybe it’s an outpouring of the pollution in our own lives.

I once participated in a “adopt a highway” campaign stretching by the church I was preaching for. We got out and spent an evening picking up trash. It wasn’t fun, but the company was. It was hard work. And the stretch of highway looked a lot better. Maybe picking up trash is a simple reminder of cleaning the trash from our own lives.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Blessed Are the Blest, for They Will Be a Blessing

The word, “blessed,” has become a “go to” word among the Christian community. People’s prayers are filled with acknowledging how blessed God has been, including our health, the friends we have, and the country we live in. The word has run the gambit, from the blessings received for the building we assemble in to the slogan, “Too blessed to be stressed.” Certainly, this word has probably been overused over the last decade or so, and the connotation has been given a “health & wealth” slant.

The word, “blessed” has a rich heritage, and a form of it appears about 65 times in our Bibles. While the Hebrew and Greek word for “blessed” can be translated “happy,” contextually, the kind of happiness the Bible speaks about is not something external but internal. Being blessed carries with it the grace of God’s approval, so that the person blessed by God is the person who has God’s esteem. That approval does not always translate into physical or material prosperity.

As already noted, the word “blessed” appears frequently in Scripture. However, the formula found in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-11) is a twist on a common formula in Scripture as well. In order to reorient our lives to a life truly “blessed” by God, we need a clearer understanding of God’s perspective.

● The Psalms > When the book of Psalms opens up, it boldly begins its journey with the blessing formula, “Blessed is the man” (Ps. 1:1 [this formula occurs fifteen times in Psalms]). Most scholars will tell you that the placement of this Psalm at the beginning of the Psalmist collection is intentional, and sets a tone for the rest of the Psalms. The Psalm contrasts two different people, the one blessed because he/she walks in righteousness versus the wicked one who has no place in the assembly. While the Psalmist does not tell us what the wicked has done, one can assume he/she is contrasted with the righteous who spend their time meditating on the law and allowing God’s word to sink in.

● The Gospels > Both Matthew and Luke contain what we call, The Beatitudes, though each do so very differently. Matthew (5:3-12) focuses on the inner spirit and character development of the follower of Christ. One might paraphrase Matthew’s “beatitudes” as “blessed are the broken,” for only the ones who see themselves as broken before God are the ones God can truly fix. On the other hand, Luke (6:20-26) seems to focus his attention on material possessions. The poor, as opposed to poor in spirt, are the ones blessed. Those who hunger now, for physical food, will be satisfied. Luke also records Jesus’ scathing rebuke to the wealthy because, in contrast to the poor, they’re enjoying the good life now (and probably at the expense of the poor).

● Revelation > The “Blessed” formula appears seven times in John’s apocalypse. Like the Psalms, the first one opens the letter and sets a similar tone to Psalm 1. The one who is blessed “takes to heart what is written in (his revelation” [Rev. 1:3]). John is concerned about his audience buying into what he’s offering, “because the time is near,” though he doesn’t explain right there what he means by “time is near.” Of course the rest of Revelation fleshes out his message of to the churches in Asia Minor they are to “take to heart.”

While this is a sampling of the way Scripture uses “blessed,” and not a complete study, it does point us in the direction we should go when we drop the phrase, “I am blessed.” It has less to do with the physical things many of us already experience simply by living in a country of wealth and prosperity. It has more to do with the spiritual perspective of emptying ourselves and depending solely on God for his grace.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(only God is glorified!)

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Be Still

Be still . . . for in the midst of the storm God is our refuge (Ps. 46:1). So the Psalmist speaks of sink holes and earthquakes, foamy and turbulent waters, and trouble with danger. But he also speaks of God’s actions, how God makes war and destroys the bow, shatters the spear, and burns the shields of his enemies.

Be still . . . in a world filled with white noise. From screaming kids to the TV blaring to the cars honking to the neighbors shouting, we long for quiet. I believe my father’s joy of working in his garage, whether it was on the car or wood working projects, was probably and partly motivated as a means to seek out quiet solitude from a household of five children.

Be still . . . so that when the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, gale force winds unexpectedly emerged. Sudden storms were common on the sea because the mountains surrounding the lake acted as a funnel for the wind. Even experienced sailors, with no life jackets, feared such storms. So while the disciples were facing the raging storms, Jesus was sleeping on the job. In their fear and panic, they woke their master who faced the storm, saying, “Peace! Be still!” (Mk. 4:35-41).

Be still . . . and in the early morning hours a young mother nurses her baby. While they rock together, comforting the little one in her arms, she whispers her love in the night while praying over her child.

Be still . . . for as Elijah was told to stand in the opening of the cave, God was going to pass him by. When the wind tore through the mountains, God was not in the wind. And when the earth shook beneath his feet as rocks and boulders produced landslides, God was not in the earthquake. And when the fire raged through the valley destroying everything in its path, God was not in the fire. But when a soft gentle whisper was heard, Elijah pulled his cloak over his face (1 King. 19:11-13a).

Be still . . . for when chaos runs wild, a calm presence is needed to ascertain what is happening. The easy response is always a knee-jerk reaction to match the intensity of the event. A vase breaks and it’s matched by a scream from the other room, “What is it?” Or a child falls and the adult gasps, running and screaming to pick up the child, making one wonder if the child needs comforting or the adult?

Be still . . . as Jesus arose early in the morning, while it was still dark, he found a place where he was by himself so he could pray. No interruptions. No responsibilities. No distractions. Just time with him and God.

Be still . . . the messages that bombard us daily are trying to shape our thinking and world view. They incite fear and sometimes lay the groundwork for others to create conspiracy theories. We’re stressed, worried, and believe the worst case scenario will unfold before us. We struggle to find a solace anywhere.

Be still . . . and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10).

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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A God, A Towel & A Parable

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5). 

The Kingdom of God is like a college student whose frustration with the dorm’s housekeeping was reaching an apex; the dorm was quickly becoming an eyesore. The carpets were not being vacuumed. The stairwell had not been mopped since the infamous Coke spill; the area was still grabbing your shoes as you walked by. The blinds and curtains hanging in the lobby were torn and tattered from the roughhousing. The bathrooms and community showers were marked by so much mold and mildew that the biology majors were excited about the possibility of gathering daily active, cultures. 

The student had hopelessly complained to his Resident Assistant. Either the R.A. was not doing his job or the filed complaint got lost in the bureaucratic red tape of the university. With no relief in sight, he took matters into his own hands by setting a meeting with the university president. With respect in his demeanor and passion in his presentation, he filed the complaint: carpets, stairwell, curtains, bathrooms, etc. The president listened like the student was a wealthy donor, and having clearly understood the deteriorating conditions, promised that he would ensure the student’s living conditions would measure up to the university’s standard.

Sure enough, the president was good to his word, as a beautication project wasa underway with the dorm. No one actually saw the changes being made, but they saw the difference. The blinds and curtains were cleaned, repaired, and some were even replaced. The stairwell was mopped and the Coke spill vanished. The carpets were regularly vacuumed. And since the bathrooms were cleaned, residences no longer saw the wide-eyed biology students.

Yes, for the rest of the semester, the dorm was clean. The student was satisfied and the former dilemma was distant dream, until one early morning. With finals behind him, he woke long before dawn for his drive home. As he walked into the bathroom, he saw a mop, bucket, and cleaning supplies. More so, he saw the university president wearing jeans and rubber gloves, bending over the commode to clean it.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(only God is glorified!)

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If I Were A Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would see . . .
Crowds of anxious people gathering at Golgotha to witness the crucifixion;
The face of an innocent man – no – the face of God suffering for his people;
Charges nailed above the criminal’s head pronouncing, “King of the Jews;”
The sun blackening the daylight into nighttime. 

 If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would smell . . .
Rawness of flesh from the accused’s back where he was flogged at his trial;
The stench of death as life drains out of the condemned;
An overwhelming odor of salty sweat secreting from the crowds in the heat of the day;
The metallic mixture of blood and water as the sword pierces the dead man’s side.

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would feel . . .
The crowds pressing forward to get as close as earshot to the criminals;
The grip of the hammer’s handle as I nailed the hands and feet of the victim to the
 cross;
A sliver from the cross painfully piercing my finger while assembling the cross;
Uneasiness as somehow the wrong man was executed today. 

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would hear . . .
In loud tones, “Father! Forgive them” from the middle victim;
Crowds hurling and heaping insults while shouting their approval;
The wounded weeping of women, collapsing at the foot of the cross;
My Centurion saying, “Surely, he was the Son of God.”

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion I would taste . . .
The bitter wine-vinegar drink offered to the one suffering;
Drops of sweat dripping down my face from the heat of the day;
The gathering of saliva in my mouth to spit on the condemned;
The injustice of watching this particular man die.

If I were a Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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FNN: Fake News Network

Separating the truth from the lie has always been a difficult process. Parents, school officials, law enforcement, and church leaders, who try to navigate the conflict waters, often struggle to move beyond a “he said – she said” scenario. Sure, the truth is out there, but the truth is often elusive to find. And since we struggle to find the truth, the lies feed our frenzy.

The biblical narrative speaks about the need for truth. The ninth commandment prohibits false testimony in a legal proceeding (Ex. 20:16), so King Ahab is called out by Elijah for breaking this very commandment when he had Naboth falsely accused (1 King. 17:11-19). When Paul describes the immature Christian, he talks about someone lacking the ability to discern truth from deceitful lies, particularly when it comes to doctrine (Eph. 4:14-15). Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus claims to not only speak truth, but to be truth (e.g. Jn. 14:6).

The culture we live in is struggling to decipher the truth from the lie. Our Christian faith swims in a culture of perpetuating lies, and it’s not too hard for us to struggle to distinguish between what is fact from what is fiction. The problem is multifaceted, and the solution is far from simple. Some of our struggle with the lies stem from the very sources that are supposed to provide truth, the news media itself. The result is the amount of unrest we experience from within and from without.

● The twenty-four hour news cycle naturally carries with it sensationalism. Whether we’re watching CNN or FOX News, by being on air all day long means they must have news in order to justify their presence. When something appears newsworthy, every program in the news media must report and hash out every detail all day long. Never mind that the particular news organization we watch has its own agenda to shape the news we watch. Since its cycling every twenty-four hours, we no longer have the down to time to reflect or digest the information being given us.

● Since the 2016 election, the mainstream news media has lost its credibility. During the election, the media miscalculated the presidential winner. The debates were viewed as fraudulent and bent. The tipping scale, beyond the presidential election, was the outlets trying to keep up with “Breaking News,” by reporting misinformed and inaccurate information. Instead of getting the facts straight first, go on air, then mop up the misinformation later.

● With the tarnished news media and the ease of access of the internet, we have run straight into the rise of true fake media outlets. According to multiple sources, Russia (and probably others) have been tampering with the news, not to promote a certain candidate but to sow seeds of discord. One of the means was to post “fake” stories on social media that appealed to the user’s political position. The stories were often irrational and stoked the fires of mistrust in order for people to turn on each other. The result is the rise of civil unrest in our society.

● Calling something “Fake News” does not mean it’s actually fake news, any more than calling something “true” makes it true. The biggest problem I see in the “Fake News” environment is people only reading or believing news that fits their political agenda, thus setting up the made up news stories on social media (Paul talks about being toned deaf to truth in 2 Timothy 4:4 with his image of “itching ears”). Instead of engaging with the news-story, and even rationally debating or discussing the issue at hand, the story is often devalued as nothing more than “fake news.”

While the whirlwind and onslaught of news media continues to swirl, a place of peace, reflection and truth does exist. That place is God. When we pull ourselves away from the distractions of the news media, and spend more time with God in a reflective mode, then and only then can we experience the calming truth of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)