The French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and follower of Jesus, Blaise Pascal, once penned a prayer entitled “You Alone”:
Everything that is not you, God,
cannot fulfill my hopes.
God, I seek and desire you yourself.
To you alone, my God, I turn.
You alone could create my soul,
you alone can create it anew.
You alone could stamp it with your image,
you alone can stamp it anew
and impress your countenance on it again,
which is Jesus Christ, my Savior,
who is your image and the sign of your being.
As I reflect on this prayer I find that it challenges me to look at what I really want or desire in life. Amidst the noise, pressure, group compulsions, rivalry, competing “goods”, direct and indirect control by others, and multitudes of things that fill my days and life, I find it hard to really listen in freedom to the real desire of my heart. There are actually many things I desire – health, security, comfort, affection, etc. But as I look at each of those desires, I really find that there are desires beyond those desires. What is the genuine, deep longing in my life?
Now, as a follower of Jesus, I know what it SHOULD be. Jesus makes that very clear in Matthew 6:33 that the desire that is to be pre-eminent in my life is the Kingdom of God/the doing of the will of God. After all that was the focus and deep desire of Jesus’ life. But how do I get there?
Peter van Breemen writes that “The will of God isn’t something strange and terrible that gets laid down on top of us and to which we must blindly bow. On the contrary, it corresponds to our true deepest being.” He further writes: “If we could all realize our most authentic longings, then the kingdom of God would be here.” (The God of Our Deepest Longings, p. 11)
What I think he is trying to say is that if we keep pushing back beyond our stated desires, we find that ultimately they bring us back to the fundamental longing to live out our identity as people created for relationship with God. God wants to see the unfolding and true fulfillment of our person. This is what it means to live authentic lives. This is what it means to “delight” in the Lord. And the Psalmist reminds us: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Why? Because if our delight/joy, pleasure/contentment is in God, our desires align with God’s longings for us.
I find that often I am more delighted in the gifts that God gives rather than delighting in the Giver. My joy is often in what I receive from God more than finding my joy in God. I really would like to be able to say with the prophet Habakkuk (3:17-18):
Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet will I rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
I have a long way to go, but I am on the journey. First comes joy in God – the gracious, loving God revealed in Jesus. And when I find my joy there, I am free enough to surrender everything. And when I do, I can experience the fulfillment of my deepest longing – a peace that the world cannot give or take away (John 14:27)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Don't Give Up On The World Just Yet
The late Indian Jesuit teacher Rev. Anthony de Mello once told a story of a journalist who wanted to write a book about a certain spiritual leader. He visits the teacher and begins with a question: “People say you are a genius. Are you?” “You might say so,” the guru answered none too modestly. But the journalist—who was not particularly shy either—immediately fired back with another question, “And what makes one a genius?” The guru responded, “The ability to see.” With this response the journalist was at a loss and helplessly mumbled, “To see what?” The teacher quietly answered, “The butterfly in a caterpillar, the eagle in an egg, the saint in a selfish person.”
De Mello told this story to illustrate the nature of love, particularly God’s love. To love with a God-like/Christ-like love is to be able to pick up what is hidden in the other and is able through this loving way of looking to call it forth. And what is hidden in the other is the image of God in which that person was created.
Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, an international network of communities for people with intellectual disabilities, once wrote that love is “to reveal to a person his or her inner beauty.” As we read the Gospels we see that Jesus had a special gift for this. Wherever he went he seemed to be able to create a climate in which people could see themselves, in which they discovered the value they carried in themselves. Whether it was a the leper, the “sinful” woman, the religious zealot, the up-tight super pious, righteous religious leader, they were able to see that, in the eyes of Jesus, they all had value and dignity. Unfortunately, not all accepted that picture of themselves.
Jesus’ way of looking at others is so different from our normal understanding of love and so different from the way that many Christians often look at the world around them. In recent months there has been a lot of talk about Rev. Harold Camping’s prediction that the beginning of the end of the world will take place on Saturday, May 21. While I think I’ll go with Jesus on this one – where in Matthew 24:36 Jesus makes it clear that he doesn’t even know the date of the end, that the time is known only to the Father. But I am concerned that many people who seem to be attracted to this sort of doomsday movement are Christians who have given up on the world. I just don’t see this in Jesus. The first century world had its wickedness and hatred and injustice – what is the Cross if not the height of cruelty and injustice – and yet Jesus never stopped loving. Admittedly, that love was not always returned, but that isn’t the purpose of real love. Inter-personal love, in the New Testament sense of agape love, is always focused on the object of the love and the hoped-for-transformation of the other rather than on how the person doing the loving feels or what he/she gets out of the relationship. One loves because the other needs the love and deserves the love based on who he or she is – one created in the image of God. This is why those end-of-world bumper stickers that say “In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned” rub me the wrong way. I envision driver-less cars running into people (“lost people” who seem to have been abandoned by God) without any regard for them. I just don’t see Jesus’ love in this.
What I think Jesus calls us to do as we come to have his heart and mind as his followers is to see beyond appearances and the superficial to what is hidden within the other, in particular the image of God that is in them. It is not easy – both because we fall so far short of aligning our hearts and minds and lives with the Jesus we profess to follow, and because the image of God is so often hidden beneath so much garbage that has accumulated in the other person’s life that it takes some deep excavation and patience. But if we are followers of Jesus we have no other option – “As I have loved you, so you are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). And if Jesus’ life is any indication, this love doesn’t begin and end with those who in the family of God.
This is why I can’t give up on the world – “For God so loved the world, …” (John 3:16). My goal should be to pick up on what is hidden in the other and through my love hopefully draw it out. Because when the other becomes alert to his/her dignity and honor as one created in the image of God and loved into existence by this God and shown the heights of this love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, they become fully alive.
So don’t write off this world just yet. Instead, with the love that God’s Spirit has poured into your heart (Romans 5:5) show that love to each person you meet. It means looking beyond the external and picking up on what is hidden within, but when we do, we continue Jesus’ ministry in the world.
De Mello told this story to illustrate the nature of love, particularly God’s love. To love with a God-like/Christ-like love is to be able to pick up what is hidden in the other and is able through this loving way of looking to call it forth. And what is hidden in the other is the image of God in which that person was created.
Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, an international network of communities for people with intellectual disabilities, once wrote that love is “to reveal to a person his or her inner beauty.” As we read the Gospels we see that Jesus had a special gift for this. Wherever he went he seemed to be able to create a climate in which people could see themselves, in which they discovered the value they carried in themselves. Whether it was a the leper, the “sinful” woman, the religious zealot, the up-tight super pious, righteous religious leader, they were able to see that, in the eyes of Jesus, they all had value and dignity. Unfortunately, not all accepted that picture of themselves.
Jesus’ way of looking at others is so different from our normal understanding of love and so different from the way that many Christians often look at the world around them. In recent months there has been a lot of talk about Rev. Harold Camping’s prediction that the beginning of the end of the world will take place on Saturday, May 21. While I think I’ll go with Jesus on this one – where in Matthew 24:36 Jesus makes it clear that he doesn’t even know the date of the end, that the time is known only to the Father. But I am concerned that many people who seem to be attracted to this sort of doomsday movement are Christians who have given up on the world. I just don’t see this in Jesus. The first century world had its wickedness and hatred and injustice – what is the Cross if not the height of cruelty and injustice – and yet Jesus never stopped loving. Admittedly, that love was not always returned, but that isn’t the purpose of real love. Inter-personal love, in the New Testament sense of agape love, is always focused on the object of the love and the hoped-for-transformation of the other rather than on how the person doing the loving feels or what he/she gets out of the relationship. One loves because the other needs the love and deserves the love based on who he or she is – one created in the image of God. This is why those end-of-world bumper stickers that say “In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned” rub me the wrong way. I envision driver-less cars running into people (“lost people” who seem to have been abandoned by God) without any regard for them. I just don’t see Jesus’ love in this.
What I think Jesus calls us to do as we come to have his heart and mind as his followers is to see beyond appearances and the superficial to what is hidden within the other, in particular the image of God that is in them. It is not easy – both because we fall so far short of aligning our hearts and minds and lives with the Jesus we profess to follow, and because the image of God is so often hidden beneath so much garbage that has accumulated in the other person’s life that it takes some deep excavation and patience. But if we are followers of Jesus we have no other option – “As I have loved you, so you are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). And if Jesus’ life is any indication, this love doesn’t begin and end with those who in the family of God.
This is why I can’t give up on the world – “For God so loved the world, …” (John 3:16). My goal should be to pick up on what is hidden in the other and through my love hopefully draw it out. Because when the other becomes alert to his/her dignity and honor as one created in the image of God and loved into existence by this God and shown the heights of this love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, they become fully alive.
So don’t write off this world just yet. Instead, with the love that God’s Spirit has poured into your heart (Romans 5:5) show that love to each person you meet. It means looking beyond the external and picking up on what is hidden within, but when we do, we continue Jesus’ ministry in the world.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Giving to Help Another
Today is one of those days when I just want to close all the blinds, crawl back into bed and wait for the melancholy to pass.
It is a gray, wet, dismal day here in the Northwest. After the last couple of sunny and warm days, the rain seems especially gloomy and oppressive. But it isn’t just the rain. I had a phone call this afternoon from a pastor friend who told me he had just resigned reluctantly, painfully, from his church; the daily spectacle of the posturing of politicians holding to an ideological line while millions of people experience the pain and debilitating apprehension and fear of an uncertain economic future or face uncertain health challenges without medical insurance; the face of some senior citizens I visited this earlier week who sit in care facilities wondering about their children; international news of a cholera outbreak that continues to take its toll in Haiti and in other parts of the world; news of men, women and children cut down by evil elites bent on holding on to their power; etc. It is easy to feel low when we focus on these things.
But at the same time I am reminded of the strength and dignity and resolve and sacrifice of many of the same people and the people around them who are willing to give and share with them. Sometimes it is something tangible such as medicine or financial aid or a place to stay. Other times it is the gift of presence and encouraging words and prayers.
A while back I came across this story. Dr. Samuel Weinstein is the chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. In May of 2006, he traveled to El Salvador with Heart Care International in order to provide life-saving operations for less-fortunate children. However, Dr. Weinstein discovered that it would take more than his expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of 8-year-old Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez.
Dr. Weinstein and his team began operating on Francisco's heart shortly before noon. Twelve hours later, the procedure took a deadly turn. "The surgery had been going well, everything was working great, but he was bleeding a lot and they didn't have a lot of the medicines we would use to stop the bleeding," Weinstein said. "After a while, they said they couldn't give him blood because they were running out and he had a rare type.'' Francisco's blood type was B-negative, which, according to the American Red Cross, is present in only 2 percent of the population.
As it turned out, the only other person in the room with a blood type of B-negative was Dr. Weinstein. Knowing what he had to do, he stepped away from the operating table. As his colleagues continued their precision work, Dr. Weinstein set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then, in the corner of an unfamiliar operating room, this surgeon from one of the most advanced hospitals in the world sat down to give away his own blood.
When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then, 20 minutes after stepping away from the table, he rejoined his colleagues. After watching his own blood begin circulating into the boy's small veins, Dr. Weinstein completed the operation that saved Francisco's heart and his life.
You and I may not be in the exact same situation as Dr. Weinstein, having to give our blood, but you do have something to share, especially if you are a follower of Jesus.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the circumstances or situations around us. It is easy to give up or shut down. But God has given us a message as well as a gift or many gifts to use in the service of the church and the world. There is not always an easy or immediate solution to some of the challenges and situations we face or that others face. But if we are followers of Jesus we have been told, and hopefully believe, that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has changed everything. That because of Jesus it is possible to move from worry to trust, from unease to peace, from a sense of abandonment and isolation to the joy of acceptance and community. These are possible, not because of our own resources, although God expects us to use what has been entrusted to us to help others who have all been created in God’s image, but because of what the resurrected Christ wants to do in and through us in a hurt and bleeding world.
Are you sharing? You may have what is needed to help. What you have may save a person life. What you have may help another person in bringing them closer to God. Are you sharing?
It is a gray, wet, dismal day here in the Northwest. After the last couple of sunny and warm days, the rain seems especially gloomy and oppressive. But it isn’t just the rain. I had a phone call this afternoon from a pastor friend who told me he had just resigned reluctantly, painfully, from his church; the daily spectacle of the posturing of politicians holding to an ideological line while millions of people experience the pain and debilitating apprehension and fear of an uncertain economic future or face uncertain health challenges without medical insurance; the face of some senior citizens I visited this earlier week who sit in care facilities wondering about their children; international news of a cholera outbreak that continues to take its toll in Haiti and in other parts of the world; news of men, women and children cut down by evil elites bent on holding on to their power; etc. It is easy to feel low when we focus on these things.
But at the same time I am reminded of the strength and dignity and resolve and sacrifice of many of the same people and the people around them who are willing to give and share with them. Sometimes it is something tangible such as medicine or financial aid or a place to stay. Other times it is the gift of presence and encouraging words and prayers.
A while back I came across this story. Dr. Samuel Weinstein is the chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. In May of 2006, he traveled to El Salvador with Heart Care International in order to provide life-saving operations for less-fortunate children. However, Dr. Weinstein discovered that it would take more than his expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of 8-year-old Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez.
Dr. Weinstein and his team began operating on Francisco's heart shortly before noon. Twelve hours later, the procedure took a deadly turn. "The surgery had been going well, everything was working great, but he was bleeding a lot and they didn't have a lot of the medicines we would use to stop the bleeding," Weinstein said. "After a while, they said they couldn't give him blood because they were running out and he had a rare type.'' Francisco's blood type was B-negative, which, according to the American Red Cross, is present in only 2 percent of the population.
As it turned out, the only other person in the room with a blood type of B-negative was Dr. Weinstein. Knowing what he had to do, he stepped away from the operating table. As his colleagues continued their precision work, Dr. Weinstein set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then, in the corner of an unfamiliar operating room, this surgeon from one of the most advanced hospitals in the world sat down to give away his own blood.
When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then, 20 minutes after stepping away from the table, he rejoined his colleagues. After watching his own blood begin circulating into the boy's small veins, Dr. Weinstein completed the operation that saved Francisco's heart and his life.
You and I may not be in the exact same situation as Dr. Weinstein, having to give our blood, but you do have something to share, especially if you are a follower of Jesus.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the circumstances or situations around us. It is easy to give up or shut down. But God has given us a message as well as a gift or many gifts to use in the service of the church and the world. There is not always an easy or immediate solution to some of the challenges and situations we face or that others face. But if we are followers of Jesus we have been told, and hopefully believe, that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has changed everything. That because of Jesus it is possible to move from worry to trust, from unease to peace, from a sense of abandonment and isolation to the joy of acceptance and community. These are possible, not because of our own resources, although God expects us to use what has been entrusted to us to help others who have all been created in God’s image, but because of what the resurrected Christ wants to do in and through us in a hurt and bleeding world.
Are you sharing? You may have what is needed to help. What you have may save a person life. What you have may help another person in bringing them closer to God. Are you sharing?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Focusing
Recently I had a visit to the optometrist. The exam went well, but she suggested that I get a Visual Field Exam. This sounded serious, but she assured me that it wasn’t a big thing and that they just wanted to check my peripheral vision and to see if there were any signs of Glaucoma.
When the day came for the exam, it was pretty straight forward. You sit in front of a machine with your forehead pressed against it peering into a screen; one eye is covered and you are asked to stare straight ahead at a light. You are given a small handheld buzzer and told to click the buzzer whenever you see a light appear on the screen, all the while focusing on the light in the middle. So while focusing on the light in the middle I clicked the buzzer whenever another light appeared -- in the lower right hand corner, the upper left, to the left of the center, and so on. The test is then repeated with the other eye.
The exam turned out fine. No significant or notable issues. But I felt that as I was doing the test it was hard to stay focused on the light in the center of the screen. When I saw a light to the side or above or below, there was a real tendency to focus on that light and lose sight of the main light.
Since I was thinking pastorally and homiletically (as a pastor and preacher) I began to draw some parallels from that test to our walk as followers of Jesus. If the New Testament makes one thing clear it is that we are called to focus on Jesus. The writer of Hebrews states as much when he says to a struggling group of first century believers, that they should be: “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,…” (Hebrews 12:2. The word used by the author (aphorontes) for “looking” has the idea of “looking away from other things” and because of the tense in the original suggests constant attention (cf. Hebrews 2:1). The larger context with its imagery of a race adds to this. The believer is running a race and everything that would encumber him/her or divert ones attention must be put away and the athlete must keep his/her eyes fixed on the goal towards which they are pressing. The goal is to be like Jesus in faith and faithfulness.
Now, I know that this is really the goal and focus of the Christian life, but it is so easy to be sidetracked and diverted and drawn away by the other “lights”. Like crows attracted to bright shiny objects we lose our way and instead of focusing on Jesus and the life he calls us to and models before us, we find ourselves focusing on other things – a great academic career, a prestigious job, a great family, the allure of material things, the pull of being a part of the “in-group” – and we lose sight of Jesus, the one who is supposed to be the focus of life. Now some of these things that capture our attention are good. But if we have lost sight of Jesus, it is easy to make these other things into gods that capture and consume our souls.
In his book, The Silver Chair (chapter 2), C.S. Lewis has a scene where Aslan, a Christ-figure, is speaking to the children about what they have experienced in his presence and what he has said to them. Aslan says: “Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”
“Remember” – that is the advice that Aslan gives to the children. It is also good advice for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus. It is easy to feel God’s presence and grace when we are gathered together in worship – praising God and hearing his word shared and being supported and encouraged by those around us who also share the same faith. It is easy to focus on Jesus when we are in that kind of setting. But down in the valley, in our day-to-day lives, it is easy to forget. It is easy to allow the appearances and the pressures and the voices and things of life to overwhelm us and we begin to question whether that time with God was real. We lose our focus. That is why not only in worship, but in our daily devotional time, small groups, and fellowship groups it is important to know “by heart” God’s word and to remember the grace and truth, the comfort and challenge of the Gospel. That is why Jesus seems to sum up the Christian life by saying it is all about seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
What about us? What are you focusing on? What are you committing to memory? What is guiding your life – appearances or promise? Do you have your eyes fixed on Jesus or is your attention drawn away by the peripheral lights and attractions of life?
When the day came for the exam, it was pretty straight forward. You sit in front of a machine with your forehead pressed against it peering into a screen; one eye is covered and you are asked to stare straight ahead at a light. You are given a small handheld buzzer and told to click the buzzer whenever you see a light appear on the screen, all the while focusing on the light in the middle. So while focusing on the light in the middle I clicked the buzzer whenever another light appeared -- in the lower right hand corner, the upper left, to the left of the center, and so on. The test is then repeated with the other eye.
The exam turned out fine. No significant or notable issues. But I felt that as I was doing the test it was hard to stay focused on the light in the center of the screen. When I saw a light to the side or above or below, there was a real tendency to focus on that light and lose sight of the main light.
Since I was thinking pastorally and homiletically (as a pastor and preacher) I began to draw some parallels from that test to our walk as followers of Jesus. If the New Testament makes one thing clear it is that we are called to focus on Jesus. The writer of Hebrews states as much when he says to a struggling group of first century believers, that they should be: “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,…” (Hebrews 12:2. The word used by the author (aphorontes) for “looking” has the idea of “looking away from other things” and because of the tense in the original suggests constant attention (cf. Hebrews 2:1). The larger context with its imagery of a race adds to this. The believer is running a race and everything that would encumber him/her or divert ones attention must be put away and the athlete must keep his/her eyes fixed on the goal towards which they are pressing. The goal is to be like Jesus in faith and faithfulness.
Now, I know that this is really the goal and focus of the Christian life, but it is so easy to be sidetracked and diverted and drawn away by the other “lights”. Like crows attracted to bright shiny objects we lose our way and instead of focusing on Jesus and the life he calls us to and models before us, we find ourselves focusing on other things – a great academic career, a prestigious job, a great family, the allure of material things, the pull of being a part of the “in-group” – and we lose sight of Jesus, the one who is supposed to be the focus of life. Now some of these things that capture our attention are good. But if we have lost sight of Jesus, it is easy to make these other things into gods that capture and consume our souls.
In his book, The Silver Chair (chapter 2), C.S. Lewis has a scene where Aslan, a Christ-figure, is speaking to the children about what they have experienced in his presence and what he has said to them. Aslan says: “Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”
“Remember” – that is the advice that Aslan gives to the children. It is also good advice for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus. It is easy to feel God’s presence and grace when we are gathered together in worship – praising God and hearing his word shared and being supported and encouraged by those around us who also share the same faith. It is easy to focus on Jesus when we are in that kind of setting. But down in the valley, in our day-to-day lives, it is easy to forget. It is easy to allow the appearances and the pressures and the voices and things of life to overwhelm us and we begin to question whether that time with God was real. We lose our focus. That is why not only in worship, but in our daily devotional time, small groups, and fellowship groups it is important to know “by heart” God’s word and to remember the grace and truth, the comfort and challenge of the Gospel. That is why Jesus seems to sum up the Christian life by saying it is all about seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
What about us? What are you focusing on? What are you committing to memory? What is guiding your life – appearances or promise? Do you have your eyes fixed on Jesus or is your attention drawn away by the peripheral lights and attractions of life?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Moving Beyond the Walls of Fear
In the Gospel of John’s account of that first Easter day, we find a picture of the disciples hiding behind locked doors out of fear of the religious authorities (John 20:19). The Jewish authorities, working with the Romans, had arrested, condemned, and killed their teacher, Jesus, and the same could easily happen to them. Yes, there had been rumours that Jesus wasn’t dead, that he was alive, resurrected --at least, that is what Mary Magdalene had said. But Peter and another disciple had only found an open tomb and empty grave clothes. Interesting, but not convincing. So out fear, confusion, self-preservation the disciples sought safety in a locked room.
Fear hems us in; ties us in knots; makes us live cramped lives. Sometimes we feel that we have good reason to fear. But there are other times, probably most of the time, when our fears are faceless fears. Fears that come more from inside than from outside. The fear of trouble can often be more crushing than the trouble itself. The truth is that people seldom work themselves into a nervous breakdown. They worry themselves into it. The American humorist Mark Twain once wrote: “Over the years, I have worried about many things, most of which never happened.” The reality is that we often create and bring on many of our troubles. This is true in my life and experience. The educator William James once pointed out that 85 percent of all suffering is self-induced.
There is an interesting line in the holocaust novel The Diary of Anne Frank. Anne and eight other fellow Jews had been hiding out from the Nazis for many months, when suddenly the pressure of confinement and living so closely together caused a serious argument. Long-repressed resentments burst into the open in a very bitter exchange. Then Anne’s father says, “If we continue the way we are going, the Nazis will not need to destroy us. We will have destroyed ourselves.”
That is a warning we need to take seriously. The real issues of life, more often than not, are decided within us, deep down in our hearts and souls, not “out there” somewhere. It’s the trouble within us that often crushes us--those lurking fears and insecurities.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t real difficulties and challenges in life – the call from the doctor that they have discovered something they would like to discuss with you; the news that your job has been made redundant; the refusal letter that comes from that school or that job you applied for. And the list goes on of challenges and set-backs and disappointments.
And there are those faceless fears – will people like me? Can I do that job? Will I ever find love? Is my faith strong enough? How will I cope when he/she is gone? These fears challenge us to look deep within and find our strength and peace, otherwise they will crush us.
When Jesus comes to his disciples on that Easter evening, he knows that they are fearful. He knows that their fear can easily paralyze them. But he has called them to Life and to embrace the life that he gives; to accept that life, to follow him means to risk; to move beyond the walls that can easily hem us in and to live by faith. This isn’t an irrational leap in the dark, but a realization that Jesus unlocks the doors of our lives and invites us to step out with him. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). It is confidence in God’s love and power, the power that raises the dead. To follow Jesus is to be on a journey that expands our horizons and refuses to live cramped lives.
Nothing enables us to overcome fear as much as our awareness deep within that God is with us, that God loves us, that God will never desert us or forsake us; that God will see us through. This is what the Psalmist meant when he said, “I fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4). This is what the prophet meant when he wrote: “But thus says the Lord: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1). This is what the Apostle Paul was emphasizing when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who continues to strengthen me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Can you and I say that and mean it? Can we say, “I will not allow fear to win. I refuse to live my life hemmed in, cramped by fear and insecurity. I’m ready for anything, through Christ, who strengthens me?” When life is supported by that kind of faith, a resurrection faith, that kind of strong sense of God’s presence and watchful care, then we are released from cramped lives and faceless fears and are better able to face the challenges of life creatively and expectantly.
Here is another prayer by Terry Tassard (Stations of the Resurrection) that you might find helpful as you seek to break through the fears that hem you in:
Sometimes, Lord,
fear hems us in.
We fear the judgment of others,
of being put in the balance
and found wanting.
We fear being thought too unfashionable.
Too unconventional.
Too old. Too young.
Too religious,
or as not having enough faith.
Lord, help us to be ourselves.
Usher us out of the locked room of our fears,
so that we may take our place
in the world,
and do what we can do.
Peace and Easter Blessings.
Fear hems us in; ties us in knots; makes us live cramped lives. Sometimes we feel that we have good reason to fear. But there are other times, probably most of the time, when our fears are faceless fears. Fears that come more from inside than from outside. The fear of trouble can often be more crushing than the trouble itself. The truth is that people seldom work themselves into a nervous breakdown. They worry themselves into it. The American humorist Mark Twain once wrote: “Over the years, I have worried about many things, most of which never happened.” The reality is that we often create and bring on many of our troubles. This is true in my life and experience. The educator William James once pointed out that 85 percent of all suffering is self-induced.
There is an interesting line in the holocaust novel The Diary of Anne Frank. Anne and eight other fellow Jews had been hiding out from the Nazis for many months, when suddenly the pressure of confinement and living so closely together caused a serious argument. Long-repressed resentments burst into the open in a very bitter exchange. Then Anne’s father says, “If we continue the way we are going, the Nazis will not need to destroy us. We will have destroyed ourselves.”
That is a warning we need to take seriously. The real issues of life, more often than not, are decided within us, deep down in our hearts and souls, not “out there” somewhere. It’s the trouble within us that often crushes us--those lurking fears and insecurities.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t real difficulties and challenges in life – the call from the doctor that they have discovered something they would like to discuss with you; the news that your job has been made redundant; the refusal letter that comes from that school or that job you applied for. And the list goes on of challenges and set-backs and disappointments.
And there are those faceless fears – will people like me? Can I do that job? Will I ever find love? Is my faith strong enough? How will I cope when he/she is gone? These fears challenge us to look deep within and find our strength and peace, otherwise they will crush us.
When Jesus comes to his disciples on that Easter evening, he knows that they are fearful. He knows that their fear can easily paralyze them. But he has called them to Life and to embrace the life that he gives; to accept that life, to follow him means to risk; to move beyond the walls that can easily hem us in and to live by faith. This isn’t an irrational leap in the dark, but a realization that Jesus unlocks the doors of our lives and invites us to step out with him. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). It is confidence in God’s love and power, the power that raises the dead. To follow Jesus is to be on a journey that expands our horizons and refuses to live cramped lives.
Nothing enables us to overcome fear as much as our awareness deep within that God is with us, that God loves us, that God will never desert us or forsake us; that God will see us through. This is what the Psalmist meant when he said, “I fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4). This is what the prophet meant when he wrote: “But thus says the Lord: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1). This is what the Apostle Paul was emphasizing when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who continues to strengthen me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Can you and I say that and mean it? Can we say, “I will not allow fear to win. I refuse to live my life hemmed in, cramped by fear and insecurity. I’m ready for anything, through Christ, who strengthens me?” When life is supported by that kind of faith, a resurrection faith, that kind of strong sense of God’s presence and watchful care, then we are released from cramped lives and faceless fears and are better able to face the challenges of life creatively and expectantly.
Here is another prayer by Terry Tassard (Stations of the Resurrection) that you might find helpful as you seek to break through the fears that hem you in:
Sometimes, Lord,
fear hems us in.
We fear the judgment of others,
of being put in the balance
and found wanting.
We fear being thought too unfashionable.
Too unconventional.
Too old. Too young.
Too religious,
or as not having enough faith.
Lord, help us to be ourselves.
Usher us out of the locked room of our fears,
so that we may take our place
in the world,
and do what we can do.
Peace and Easter Blessings.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Alleluias from Head to Toe
It’s been a few days now since we celebrated Easter. You remember that day, don’t you? The festive, joyful, palpable-with-excitement day of celebration? But how are you today? Still excited? Still caught up in the celebration? Probably not and we are halfway through the work week. It is back to the regular routine - the office, the classroom, the daily chores. And Easter can seem a long way off.
Let’s admit it, it isn’t possible to always live on the Easter high. But we can live in the Easter message and as Easter people. To live as an Easter person means being reminded that there is a power greater than death: the power of God, who is LOVE. Love gives life, and God, in Christ, draws us to share his Son’s resurrection. The cross, an instrument of human cruelty, humiliation and death, has become now an instrument of life.
The experience of Easter also reminds us that there are many around us and beyond us who feel trapped in their lives, with no way out. And those of us who have experienced the new life that is given in Christ and previewed in his resurrection, are called to join the resurrected Jesus who is set free in our world in reaching out to those who are still trapped in their tombs – tombs of despair, alienation, boredom, selfishness, tiredness, self-doubt, confusion, fear. We reach out not because we have it all together or that we don’t sometimes forget the good news of Easter and the power of God’s love and life – but because of God’s grace. Because of God’s grace we have the ability to start over again and again and again,…. And with each new beginning and each new reminder and realization of the really Good News of Easter and our identity as a Resurrection People, especially as we celebrate it in our gathered communities, we find ourselves living more and more in the power of the resurrected Christ and in the joy and hope of the New Life that we have in Christ and we want to share it.
This year I attended our local church’s Easter Vigil. It began at 9 in the evening in the almost complete darkness and ended around midnight in the light of the resurrection. It moved from a recounting of the story of human Fall and sin through reminders of God’s unrelenting pursuit of his rebellious creation, to the vivid picture of the passion and the brokenness of God’s heart in the death of Christ. But it didn’t, couldn’t stop there. Then came the glorious news of the resurrection --that Jesus wasn’t dead, but alive. The Good News that the God Jesus had told us about, introduced us to, had based his life on, had kept faith with Jesus and raised him to new life. And that that power of enduring love and grace is extended to each of us in and through Christ.
I don’t know where I found it, but I have this quote in one of my journals – “A different word, a new word, has come from another place, interrupting the monochrome monotony with vibrant vision.” That is Easter – “interrupting the monochrome monotony with vibrant vision.” Or at least it can be.
The great fourth century theologian Augustine once said that “a Christian should be an alleluia from head to toe.” This alleluia life is no pretense, no manufactured attitude. It rises from reality, the deepest and most profound truths about how things really are, namely that Easter shows that God is with us and that life is stronger than death. That is something that should change our lives.
I came across a prayer recently from the Rev. Terry Tastard. It is one that I have found myself coming back to over and over again these past few days. I have given it a name – “A Living-the-Resurrection Prayer.” I hope you find it helpful to reflect on when you feel yourself sliding back into one of the various “tombs” that Christ came to liberate us from and we can be free off because of his resurrection. Blessings.
“A Living-the-Resurrection Prayer”
( adapted from a prayer by Terry Tastard )
Lord, do not let the tomb enclose me.
The tomb of self-doubt and anguish.
The tomb of cynicism or indifference.
The tomb of selfishness.
The tomb of hurt and despair.
Always, dear Christ,
reach down and draw me out.
Set me on my feet again and send me out on my way,
comforted by the knowledge that you are the hidden presence beside me,
knowing that I am not alone, but part of a great company of people to whom you give life.
Amen.
Let’s admit it, it isn’t possible to always live on the Easter high. But we can live in the Easter message and as Easter people. To live as an Easter person means being reminded that there is a power greater than death: the power of God, who is LOVE. Love gives life, and God, in Christ, draws us to share his Son’s resurrection. The cross, an instrument of human cruelty, humiliation and death, has become now an instrument of life.
The experience of Easter also reminds us that there are many around us and beyond us who feel trapped in their lives, with no way out. And those of us who have experienced the new life that is given in Christ and previewed in his resurrection, are called to join the resurrected Jesus who is set free in our world in reaching out to those who are still trapped in their tombs – tombs of despair, alienation, boredom, selfishness, tiredness, self-doubt, confusion, fear. We reach out not because we have it all together or that we don’t sometimes forget the good news of Easter and the power of God’s love and life – but because of God’s grace. Because of God’s grace we have the ability to start over again and again and again,…. And with each new beginning and each new reminder and realization of the really Good News of Easter and our identity as a Resurrection People, especially as we celebrate it in our gathered communities, we find ourselves living more and more in the power of the resurrected Christ and in the joy and hope of the New Life that we have in Christ and we want to share it.
This year I attended our local church’s Easter Vigil. It began at 9 in the evening in the almost complete darkness and ended around midnight in the light of the resurrection. It moved from a recounting of the story of human Fall and sin through reminders of God’s unrelenting pursuit of his rebellious creation, to the vivid picture of the passion and the brokenness of God’s heart in the death of Christ. But it didn’t, couldn’t stop there. Then came the glorious news of the resurrection --that Jesus wasn’t dead, but alive. The Good News that the God Jesus had told us about, introduced us to, had based his life on, had kept faith with Jesus and raised him to new life. And that that power of enduring love and grace is extended to each of us in and through Christ.
I don’t know where I found it, but I have this quote in one of my journals – “A different word, a new word, has come from another place, interrupting the monochrome monotony with vibrant vision.” That is Easter – “interrupting the monochrome monotony with vibrant vision.” Or at least it can be.
The great fourth century theologian Augustine once said that “a Christian should be an alleluia from head to toe.” This alleluia life is no pretense, no manufactured attitude. It rises from reality, the deepest and most profound truths about how things really are, namely that Easter shows that God is with us and that life is stronger than death. That is something that should change our lives.
I came across a prayer recently from the Rev. Terry Tastard. It is one that I have found myself coming back to over and over again these past few days. I have given it a name – “A Living-the-Resurrection Prayer.” I hope you find it helpful to reflect on when you feel yourself sliding back into one of the various “tombs” that Christ came to liberate us from and we can be free off because of his resurrection. Blessings.
“A Living-the-Resurrection Prayer”
( adapted from a prayer by Terry Tastard )
Lord, do not let the tomb enclose me.
The tomb of self-doubt and anguish.
The tomb of cynicism or indifference.
The tomb of selfishness.
The tomb of hurt and despair.
Always, dear Christ,
reach down and draw me out.
Set me on my feet again and send me out on my way,
comforted by the knowledge that you are the hidden presence beside me,
knowing that I am not alone, but part of a great company of people to whom you give life.
Amen.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Idolatry and The Cross
In one of his journals Thomas Merton made the following comments about idolatry. Although it was written during the height of the cold war, I think its central thought is still as relevant as ever.
"The great sin, the source of all other sins, is idolatry. And never has it been greater, more prevalent, than now. It is almost completely unrecognized-precisely because it is so overwhelming, total. It takes in everything. There is nothing else left. Fetishism of power, machines, possessions, medicine, sports, clothes, etc., all kept going by greed for money and power. The Bomb is only one accidental aspect of the cult. Indeed, the Bomb is not the worst. We should thankful for it as a sign, a revelation of what all the rest of our civilization points to: the self-immolation of man to his own greed and his own despair. And behind it all are the principalities and powers whom man serves in his idolatry. Christians are as deeply involved in this as everyone else.
This is clearly one of the most important and inescapable messages of the Bible: that unless man turns from his idols to God, he will destroy himself, or rather this idolatry will prove itself to be his destruction. (The idolater is already self-destroyed.) The other thing: man as a whole will not change. He will destroy himself. The Bible sees no other end to the story. But Christ has come to save from this destruction all who seek to be saved. In and through them He will recreate the world. By no means are we to interpret this to mean that enlightened ethics and polite good intentions are going to make technological society safe for man, and that the new creation will be in fact the technological paradise (plus a renewed liturgy!)."
As I read these words at the end of Holy Week, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I am struck by not only how true they are for my life and life in the early part of the 21st century, but how they also connect to the events of Holy Week.
As Merton points out, “idolatry” is “almost completely unrecognized-precisely because it is also so overwhelming, total.” It is “prevalent.” That statement might shock some of us. We recognize idolatry when we travel to certain third world countries, but not in our country. Besides we are a “Christian” nation. And even if don’t believe that, we are sophisticated, modern, enlightened people. We don’t need the words of the Psalmist or the Prophets to remind us how silly it is to worship an idol that is crafted from wood or stone. After all, those idols were made by someone and as a result are finite like us. They may have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, legs but have to be carried about, so the prophetic criticism goes. Certainly, we don’t have idols like that.
Merton talks about “fetishism.” A fetish is a thing that evokes irrational devotion or respect. We might also add awe and sacrifice – maybe a sacrifice of time, attention, and even money. And then he lists some of the fetishes or idols that really do occupy our modern life – power, machines/technology, possessions, medicine (and the avoidance of pain and suffering and death), sports, clothes. And then he adds “etc.” Now we know that we could add to that list – computer games, Ipods/Ipads, entertainment, food, popularity, even family and religion, for example. And then he says “all kept by greed for money and power….Christians are as deeply involved in this as everyone else.”
Ouch! That hurts. But as soon as I form my response, my defense, my “But…”. I know that it is true. There are things that I have elevated above by devotion to God and I know, in my more lucid moments, that in the grand scheme of things, these things are idols. There is nothing wrong with entertainment or clothes or technologies or possessions in themselves. They can be received as good gifts of God’s creation. But when I begin to crave them or pursue them or fixate my attention and resources on them above my relationship with God, they have become idols because they are requiring from me that allegiance and devotion that only God deserves and can require.
I believe there is a connection here with the events of Holy Week and especially the Cross. Jesus was no prude or killjoy. He knew how to party and have a good time. He knew how to enjoy the rich bounty of the earth and especially the joy of relationships. But Jesus refused to put any of this before his commitment to doing the will of God, and frankly because of that, he was rejected and put to death. On Palm Sunday, the people acclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the one who would usher in the golden age of God’s kingdom which in many ways in the Old Testament and in popular piety was seen in striking political and physical terms. But Jesus rejected those understandings and as it became clear to the crowd that Jesus wasn’t going to confirm their fetishes, they rejected him. But Jesus hadn’t changed. He was consistent throughout his life. That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t tempted to try another way, but Jesus knew that only faithfulness and devotion to the vision that God had given him and to the relationship he enjoyed with the Father would ultimately satisfy. So Jesus rejects the allure of power, of possession, of popularity and material security, because he found his security and happiness and contentment and fulfillment in God. This even leads Jesus to say some shocking things about family relationships and religious traditions (e.g. Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 9:16-17; Mark 7:1-22; John 4:23-24).
And so because Jesus rejected the idolatry of his time and of his people, he goes to the Cross.
Merton also reminds us that we all have a choice here. We can continue in our idolatry, even if we dress it up in “Christian” terms, or turn to Christ. “This is clearly one of the most important and inescapable messages of the Bible,” Merton writes, “that unless man turns from his idols to God, he will destroy himself, or rather this idolatry will prove itself to be his destruction….The Bible sees no other end to the story. But Christ has come to save from this destruction all who seek to be saved.”
“All who SEEK to be saved.” We have a choice. The Cross and the resurrection call us to reject our idols and to find our life in God; to present to God our highest devotion and wholehearted love. That is the invitation of Good Friday and Easter – that in embracing Christ we become new creations.
Maybe as we approach Easter, we might want to stop and reflect on what idols might be a part of our lives. Here are some questions to think about:
1. What prevents me from offering to God my wholehearted love? Am I honest about my known faults and obsessions? Am I willing to change them? Are there areas of my life where I have given in to pressures and temptations that have gradually overtaken me? Do I use my tongue to criticize or judge others, to gossip or exaggerate? In what ways do my words bring or not bring praise to God and God’s creation?
2. Can I name the “idols” I have erected so far in my life? Do I allow the media or other people to distract me from loving God above all things? Do I have the courage to remove these false gods from my life, to smash these idols into pieces?
3. What areas of my life are not yet under the guidance, and control of Jesus and his Holy Spirit?
4. Who is there that I know that can help me to be more accountable and to grow more like Christ?
Easter Blessings.
"The great sin, the source of all other sins, is idolatry. And never has it been greater, more prevalent, than now. It is almost completely unrecognized-precisely because it is so overwhelming, total. It takes in everything. There is nothing else left. Fetishism of power, machines, possessions, medicine, sports, clothes, etc., all kept going by greed for money and power. The Bomb is only one accidental aspect of the cult. Indeed, the Bomb is not the worst. We should thankful for it as a sign, a revelation of what all the rest of our civilization points to: the self-immolation of man to his own greed and his own despair. And behind it all are the principalities and powers whom man serves in his idolatry. Christians are as deeply involved in this as everyone else.
This is clearly one of the most important and inescapable messages of the Bible: that unless man turns from his idols to God, he will destroy himself, or rather this idolatry will prove itself to be his destruction. (The idolater is already self-destroyed.) The other thing: man as a whole will not change. He will destroy himself. The Bible sees no other end to the story. But Christ has come to save from this destruction all who seek to be saved. In and through them He will recreate the world. By no means are we to interpret this to mean that enlightened ethics and polite good intentions are going to make technological society safe for man, and that the new creation will be in fact the technological paradise (plus a renewed liturgy!)."
As I read these words at the end of Holy Week, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I am struck by not only how true they are for my life and life in the early part of the 21st century, but how they also connect to the events of Holy Week.
As Merton points out, “idolatry” is “almost completely unrecognized-precisely because it is also so overwhelming, total.” It is “prevalent.” That statement might shock some of us. We recognize idolatry when we travel to certain third world countries, but not in our country. Besides we are a “Christian” nation. And even if don’t believe that, we are sophisticated, modern, enlightened people. We don’t need the words of the Psalmist or the Prophets to remind us how silly it is to worship an idol that is crafted from wood or stone. After all, those idols were made by someone and as a result are finite like us. They may have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, legs but have to be carried about, so the prophetic criticism goes. Certainly, we don’t have idols like that.
Merton talks about “fetishism.” A fetish is a thing that evokes irrational devotion or respect. We might also add awe and sacrifice – maybe a sacrifice of time, attention, and even money. And then he lists some of the fetishes or idols that really do occupy our modern life – power, machines/technology, possessions, medicine (and the avoidance of pain and suffering and death), sports, clothes. And then he adds “etc.” Now we know that we could add to that list – computer games, Ipods/Ipads, entertainment, food, popularity, even family and religion, for example. And then he says “all kept by greed for money and power….Christians are as deeply involved in this as everyone else.”
Ouch! That hurts. But as soon as I form my response, my defense, my “But…”. I know that it is true. There are things that I have elevated above by devotion to God and I know, in my more lucid moments, that in the grand scheme of things, these things are idols. There is nothing wrong with entertainment or clothes or technologies or possessions in themselves. They can be received as good gifts of God’s creation. But when I begin to crave them or pursue them or fixate my attention and resources on them above my relationship with God, they have become idols because they are requiring from me that allegiance and devotion that only God deserves and can require.
I believe there is a connection here with the events of Holy Week and especially the Cross. Jesus was no prude or killjoy. He knew how to party and have a good time. He knew how to enjoy the rich bounty of the earth and especially the joy of relationships. But Jesus refused to put any of this before his commitment to doing the will of God, and frankly because of that, he was rejected and put to death. On Palm Sunday, the people acclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the one who would usher in the golden age of God’s kingdom which in many ways in the Old Testament and in popular piety was seen in striking political and physical terms. But Jesus rejected those understandings and as it became clear to the crowd that Jesus wasn’t going to confirm their fetishes, they rejected him. But Jesus hadn’t changed. He was consistent throughout his life. That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t tempted to try another way, but Jesus knew that only faithfulness and devotion to the vision that God had given him and to the relationship he enjoyed with the Father would ultimately satisfy. So Jesus rejects the allure of power, of possession, of popularity and material security, because he found his security and happiness and contentment and fulfillment in God. This even leads Jesus to say some shocking things about family relationships and religious traditions (e.g. Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 9:16-17; Mark 7:1-22; John 4:23-24).
And so because Jesus rejected the idolatry of his time and of his people, he goes to the Cross.
Merton also reminds us that we all have a choice here. We can continue in our idolatry, even if we dress it up in “Christian” terms, or turn to Christ. “This is clearly one of the most important and inescapable messages of the Bible,” Merton writes, “that unless man turns from his idols to God, he will destroy himself, or rather this idolatry will prove itself to be his destruction….The Bible sees no other end to the story. But Christ has come to save from this destruction all who seek to be saved.”
“All who SEEK to be saved.” We have a choice. The Cross and the resurrection call us to reject our idols and to find our life in God; to present to God our highest devotion and wholehearted love. That is the invitation of Good Friday and Easter – that in embracing Christ we become new creations.
Maybe as we approach Easter, we might want to stop and reflect on what idols might be a part of our lives. Here are some questions to think about:
1. What prevents me from offering to God my wholehearted love? Am I honest about my known faults and obsessions? Am I willing to change them? Are there areas of my life where I have given in to pressures and temptations that have gradually overtaken me? Do I use my tongue to criticize or judge others, to gossip or exaggerate? In what ways do my words bring or not bring praise to God and God’s creation?
2. Can I name the “idols” I have erected so far in my life? Do I allow the media or other people to distract me from loving God above all things? Do I have the courage to remove these false gods from my life, to smash these idols into pieces?
3. What areas of my life are not yet under the guidance, and control of Jesus and his Holy Spirit?
4. Who is there that I know that can help me to be more accountable and to grow more like Christ?
Easter Blessings.
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