On monday, August 6th, Kirani James won the first Olympic medal in his countries history. Grenada, a small, island country in the the southeastern Caribbean seas, with a population barely over 100,000 people has competed in the summer Olympics 7 times without ever medaling. Yet all that changed as their 19-year-old track phenom rounded the track for his gold medal in the 400 meter sprint.
Although the finesse and ease with which the young man was impressively dominant, it was the response of the Grenadians to their victorious athlete that caught my attention. Following James' victory, the Olympic news reporters cut to the Grenadian camp, where the Grenadians had already begun the party. The whole Grenadian crowd was jumping and hollering in utter exuberance at their athletes' triumphant win. In essence, James had won for the whole country and the people could not contain their joy.
As I was watching the unabashed, unrestrained excitement, I had conflicting and complicated thoughts that began to fill my mind. While the Grenadians were exhibiting a truly pure joy, it astonished me that the sight seemed so foreign. The question stuck with me: Why aren't Christians this excited? Why don't Christians shout for joy at the work of Christ?
Although this may seem like gibberish musings, there is some validity in the reality of such thoughts. Jesus is the source, the true source, of joy. He sacrificed His very flesh and won the ultimate prize, saving all humanity from its sins and securing eternal life to all those who would come to Him in faith. Because of this, we, as Christians, should live as if our only athlete has won the ultimate prize on our behalf. Let us then cast aside our reserve and shout with excitement and joy at what Jesus has doen for us!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Looking into the Welding Torch
Welding is a fabrication process for joining metals or other hard substances by causing coalescence. It is different from soldering or brazing because welding using absurdly hot temperatures to create molten states so as to actually join two separate pieces of metal. There are all sorts of different types of weld types, but the process of all of them causes an unbelievably bright light. This is why welding lenses, in glasses or helmets, are a necessity when welding. It is this phenomenon that Jim was concerned about when he brought his son, Bradley, to his workshop.
Bradley was nine or ten when Jim finally decided it was time to show his son the workshop. Jim was a sculptor. He did large metal installations for museums and corporate headquarters. He almost exclusively worked in metal; his primary canvas was steel beams and his main brush was an arc welder. Because of the industrial-sized danger, he waited until Bradley was old enough to stay safe before he brought him to the shop.
As they were going in, Jim made sure to repeat himself several times that Bradley was to always keep his helmet up when daddy was welding and to never look at the welding directly or it could burn his eyes. Yet, despite Jim's best intentional effort, Bradley lifted his mask and looked right at the bright lights of his father's welds; more than once even. By the end of the time in the shop, Bradley could barely see anything other than a reddish spot.
Jim, while driving Bradley to the hospital and he was infuriated and worried about his son, asked Bradley, "Why didn't you listen to me? I told you that it would hurt you and I warned you so much. Why did not listen to daddy?" The young boy, crying and scared because his vision was so hampered, looked at his dad and answered, "The light just looked so pretty. I couldn't stop myself. I didn't think it would really hurt me if I looked at it. But after I saw it once, I just couldn't stop."
This sort of story is all-too familiar but it might be startling to recognize that this very sort of disobedience occurred even at the very beginning of creation, as chronicled in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were given freedom and dominion over every fruit and animal in the whole garden. God's only request was that they not eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge, for in doing so they would surely die.
Unfortunately, neither Eve nor Adam could refuse the beautiful fruit or the serpent's promise of knowledge. They did not heed to the warnings of God and, like His word always does, God's warnings proved themselves to be true as humanity was banished from the Garden and cursed with death for their sin.
The point is listening to the Lord's warnings when it comes to life decisions, both small and large. This means that we will listen to the Holy Spirit speaking within us. But we will also pay attention to the counsel of godly people around us. If we practice this kind of awareness and discipline, we will be far-less likely to find ourselves blind from staring into the sun. Let us then heed the warnings of God because He always knows best.
Bradley was nine or ten when Jim finally decided it was time to show his son the workshop. Jim was a sculptor. He did large metal installations for museums and corporate headquarters. He almost exclusively worked in metal; his primary canvas was steel beams and his main brush was an arc welder. Because of the industrial-sized danger, he waited until Bradley was old enough to stay safe before he brought him to the shop.
As they were going in, Jim made sure to repeat himself several times that Bradley was to always keep his helmet up when daddy was welding and to never look at the welding directly or it could burn his eyes. Yet, despite Jim's best intentional effort, Bradley lifted his mask and looked right at the bright lights of his father's welds; more than once even. By the end of the time in the shop, Bradley could barely see anything other than a reddish spot.
Jim, while driving Bradley to the hospital and he was infuriated and worried about his son, asked Bradley, "Why didn't you listen to me? I told you that it would hurt you and I warned you so much. Why did not listen to daddy?" The young boy, crying and scared because his vision was so hampered, looked at his dad and answered, "The light just looked so pretty. I couldn't stop myself. I didn't think it would really hurt me if I looked at it. But after I saw it once, I just couldn't stop."
This sort of story is all-too familiar but it might be startling to recognize that this very sort of disobedience occurred even at the very beginning of creation, as chronicled in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were given freedom and dominion over every fruit and animal in the whole garden. God's only request was that they not eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge, for in doing so they would surely die.
Unfortunately, neither Eve nor Adam could refuse the beautiful fruit or the serpent's promise of knowledge. They did not heed to the warnings of God and, like His word always does, God's warnings proved themselves to be true as humanity was banished from the Garden and cursed with death for their sin.
The point is listening to the Lord's warnings when it comes to life decisions, both small and large. This means that we will listen to the Holy Spirit speaking within us. But we will also pay attention to the counsel of godly people around us. If we practice this kind of awareness and discipline, we will be far-less likely to find ourselves blind from staring into the sun. Let us then heed the warnings of God because He always knows best.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
As Simple as Loving a Loving God
Sometimes breadth and depth are unnecessary when the simple can be so direct and satisfying on its own. Bible study that comments on the density of salvation or remarks upon the doctrine of the Trinity are useless without the basics. In this case, the most basic things of all:
God is love. He loves us. And He asks us to love Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and strength.
These facts are not in dispute but they go hand-in-hand. It is in God's very nature to love. And, just as He has made us in His image, we are made to love Him. Therefore, what could be more important than this fundamental truth?
So, while looking at verses is always a good and necessary part of theology and of the Christian life, sometimes the best way to get back to the basics is to pause, breathe, and pray. Let us then take this opportunity to pray and be reminded of who God is, what He has done for us, and that He asks us to love Him. This is a good thing for us to practice whenever we can. Again, while depth is beneficial, sometimes just a reminder to refocus is the step that's needed at the time.
God is love. He loves us. And He asks us to love Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and strength.
These facts are not in dispute but they go hand-in-hand. It is in God's very nature to love. And, just as He has made us in His image, we are made to love Him. Therefore, what could be more important than this fundamental truth?
So, while looking at verses is always a good and necessary part of theology and of the Christian life, sometimes the best way to get back to the basics is to pause, breathe, and pray. Let us then take this opportunity to pray and be reminded of who God is, what He has done for us, and that He asks us to love Him. This is a good thing for us to practice whenever we can. Again, while depth is beneficial, sometimes just a reminder to refocus is the step that's needed at the time.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Wilber McLean & Jonah
On July 18, 1861 the most destructive war in American history began on the farmstead of Wilmer McLean in Virginia. The battle became known as the First Battle of the Bull Run. McLean, a 47-year-year-old retired Virginia militia man, was too-old and too-apathetic towards the Confederate cause to join in the war effort.
Add to this that the war's first battle was fought on his front lawn and McLean had had enough. He sold his estate and moved some 120 miles south to a small, rural town in Virginia that McLean thought would be too-insignificant and secluded to ever have to deal with the growing war: Appomattox County, Virginia.
However, despite his best efforts to disappear and get away from the war, on April 9, 1865, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant sat down at a table inside the parlor of McLean's house to finalize the terms of the Confederacy's utter surrender and the end of the Civil War. No matter the lengths that McLean went to get away from the war, he couldn't escape it. He was there at the very beginning and the very end. Later, McLean is quoted as saying, "The war began in my front yard, and ended in my front parlor."
McLean's story is one of those great tales of how inescapable destiny can be. Although the particulars are vastly different, the well-known story of Jonah tells the same thing, but instead of trying to run from an impending civil war, Jonah tried to run from God Himself. However, no matter how far Jonah tried to run from his destiny to prophecy to Nineveh, he could no get away from God.
This should be a reminder to us all that what God has for is what He has for us and when we try to escape of run away from those things, all we are doing is adding consternation and pain in the long run. Instead, we should make an effort to seek after God's specific will for our lives and to consistently pursue that will in earnest.
Add to this that the war's first battle was fought on his front lawn and McLean had had enough. He sold his estate and moved some 120 miles south to a small, rural town in Virginia that McLean thought would be too-insignificant and secluded to ever have to deal with the growing war: Appomattox County, Virginia.
However, despite his best efforts to disappear and get away from the war, on April 9, 1865, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant sat down at a table inside the parlor of McLean's house to finalize the terms of the Confederacy's utter surrender and the end of the Civil War. No matter the lengths that McLean went to get away from the war, he couldn't escape it. He was there at the very beginning and the very end. Later, McLean is quoted as saying, "The war began in my front yard, and ended in my front parlor."
McLean's story is one of those great tales of how inescapable destiny can be. Although the particulars are vastly different, the well-known story of Jonah tells the same thing, but instead of trying to run from an impending civil war, Jonah tried to run from God Himself. However, no matter how far Jonah tried to run from his destiny to prophecy to Nineveh, he could no get away from God.
This should be a reminder to us all that what God has for is what He has for us and when we try to escape of run away from those things, all we are doing is adding consternation and pain in the long run. Instead, we should make an effort to seek after God's specific will for our lives and to consistently pursue that will in earnest.
Friday, August 3, 2012
The Heavy Pack of Pride
There is a specific mountain northeast of Nepal that the over centuries has been dubbed, Shikhanah Benerkha, which is loosely translated as "the mountain of life". For centuries, travelers have come to the mountain to climb it. The legend goes that if a man can climb the mountain with his burdens and sins on his back, they will be released from their troubles after they ascend to the highest peak and drop off their packs.
At the base of the mountain, before the ascent, the would-be climbers meet with their guides, fill their packs with their burdens, and consider their journey. After the arduous hike up and down the mountain, the climbers, now freed from their burdens, would go home with a renewed sense of life. A journalist had heard the reports of the mountain and went to report on what was going on.
For weeks, the reporter stayed at the base of the mountain and watched as people would come with their packs full of burdens, then climb the mountain to let them go. The journalist saw people with packs full of coveting, others with packs full of greed or of lust, but one time a man came to the base of the mountain with a giant pack, far bigger and more stuffed than any other pack that he had seen yet.
The journalist walked over to the man as he was meeting the guides and the other climbers. The journalist inquired, "Hey there, I've seen a lot of packs. Your's is the biggest. Your burdens and sins must be huge. What are they? Lust? Greed?" The man looked at the reporter and chortled, "Ha! Greed, lust, covetousness, vanity, wrath--that's nothing compared to my problems! Ha! Get out of here and let me handle my business."
The man then turned back to his preparations. The journalist shrugged at the man's rudeness and turned back to the shack at the base of the mountain. It wasn't until the man had started his trek up the mountain that the reporter realized that his giant, heavy pack was full of only one thing: pride. For pride is the heaviest and most destructive of all of man's sins.
The poison of pride seeps into every pore of a person. It is the basis for every sin. The essence of pride is the overvaluing of self to the undervaluing of everyone else. Because of this truth, it has no place in Christianity. Unfortunately, because pride is a sin disease that is common to all mankind, only through the powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit regenerating our minds and our hearts will we be able to overcome the destructive force of pride. Let us then devote ourselves to laying down our burdens of pride and selfishness at the foot of the cross so as to follow Christ and love people truly selflessly!
At the base of the mountain, before the ascent, the would-be climbers meet with their guides, fill their packs with their burdens, and consider their journey. After the arduous hike up and down the mountain, the climbers, now freed from their burdens, would go home with a renewed sense of life. A journalist had heard the reports of the mountain and went to report on what was going on.
For weeks, the reporter stayed at the base of the mountain and watched as people would come with their packs full of burdens, then climb the mountain to let them go. The journalist saw people with packs full of coveting, others with packs full of greed or of lust, but one time a man came to the base of the mountain with a giant pack, far bigger and more stuffed than any other pack that he had seen yet.
The journalist walked over to the man as he was meeting the guides and the other climbers. The journalist inquired, "Hey there, I've seen a lot of packs. Your's is the biggest. Your burdens and sins must be huge. What are they? Lust? Greed?" The man looked at the reporter and chortled, "Ha! Greed, lust, covetousness, vanity, wrath--that's nothing compared to my problems! Ha! Get out of here and let me handle my business."
The man then turned back to his preparations. The journalist shrugged at the man's rudeness and turned back to the shack at the base of the mountain. It wasn't until the man had started his trek up the mountain that the reporter realized that his giant, heavy pack was full of only one thing: pride. For pride is the heaviest and most destructive of all of man's sins.
The poison of pride seeps into every pore of a person. It is the basis for every sin. The essence of pride is the overvaluing of self to the undervaluing of everyone else. Because of this truth, it has no place in Christianity. Unfortunately, because pride is a sin disease that is common to all mankind, only through the powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit regenerating our minds and our hearts will we be able to overcome the destructive force of pride. Let us then devote ourselves to laying down our burdens of pride and selfishness at the foot of the cross so as to follow Christ and love people truly selflessly!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
How Far Would We Go For Love?
There is an old sailor's tale that goes something like this:
There was once a proud sailor. He had sailed the seas of the world his entire life, living his whole life on a ship. The sailor had always loved the allure and freedom of the seeing, never considering that he would or even could be pulled away from the torrent and tides of the deepest oceans. He had a variety of lovers at each of the ports he would visit; a different girl in every place.
Then, on one of his frequent in-land tours, he and his party stumbled across a native peoples that intrigued him. They were a fishing tribe but were remarkable skilled in dying fabrics, and they wore of the brightest colored clothing that he had ever come across. While trading various trinkets with the tribe, he met the chief's daughter.
She was a beautiful woman with auburn hair that stirred up images of autumn and her lightly-tinted, grain-colored skin reminded him of the grain-filled pastoral plains of his childhood. Within moments of being in her presence, he fell for her like the dropping of an anchor from the ship of his heart. He vowed that he would make her his wife.
The sailor brought the woman gifts of the finest jewels and silk from the farthest corners of the earth but she was uninterested in his knickknacks. He then decided that he would impress her by studying her tribe's culture and history. As his ship set sails for other shores, he stayed behind to settle with her until he could convince her that he loved her. For months, he tried to impress her with his enthusiasm and gifts, but he was always hindered by the significant language barrier.
Finally, as his time was drawing to a close because his ship would be returning, he determined to learn to speak her language so that he could tell her in her tongue that he was madly in love with her and that he wanted to make her his wife. Over much arduous and intent practice, he had finally learned enough to tell her that he loved her.
In the end, this final step was what the chief's daughter was waiting for. Although there had been many sailors who had tried to woe her and win her hand with gifts, none of them had been so determined in his affections that he would learn her own language. When the sailor had learned her language and gotten to the point that he could tell her how he felt, he had proven his love for her by his persistent pursuit and determination. She then knew that he would go to any lengths to love her.
This tale is one of love. It is remarkable how determined the sailor was to love the woman. He went to the limits of his power to express his love for her: he gave her his finest treasures, he gave her his time, his career, and his mind. In the end, it was his utter and persistent devotion that was the limit of his love.
Let us translate this to God. How far are we willing to go to love God? Would we give up all our treasures? Our time? Our very lives? Like the sailor, there should be no lengths to which we would not be willing to go to show our love for God. Truly, there are many verses that express this very thought, but perhaps Jesus' words in Matthew 16:25 says it best:
"Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Let us, then, determine to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and with all strength regardless of the cost!
There was once a proud sailor. He had sailed the seas of the world his entire life, living his whole life on a ship. The sailor had always loved the allure and freedom of the seeing, never considering that he would or even could be pulled away from the torrent and tides of the deepest oceans. He had a variety of lovers at each of the ports he would visit; a different girl in every place.
Then, on one of his frequent in-land tours, he and his party stumbled across a native peoples that intrigued him. They were a fishing tribe but were remarkable skilled in dying fabrics, and they wore of the brightest colored clothing that he had ever come across. While trading various trinkets with the tribe, he met the chief's daughter.
She was a beautiful woman with auburn hair that stirred up images of autumn and her lightly-tinted, grain-colored skin reminded him of the grain-filled pastoral plains of his childhood. Within moments of being in her presence, he fell for her like the dropping of an anchor from the ship of his heart. He vowed that he would make her his wife.
The sailor brought the woman gifts of the finest jewels and silk from the farthest corners of the earth but she was uninterested in his knickknacks. He then decided that he would impress her by studying her tribe's culture and history. As his ship set sails for other shores, he stayed behind to settle with her until he could convince her that he loved her. For months, he tried to impress her with his enthusiasm and gifts, but he was always hindered by the significant language barrier.
Finally, as his time was drawing to a close because his ship would be returning, he determined to learn to speak her language so that he could tell her in her tongue that he was madly in love with her and that he wanted to make her his wife. Over much arduous and intent practice, he had finally learned enough to tell her that he loved her.
In the end, this final step was what the chief's daughter was waiting for. Although there had been many sailors who had tried to woe her and win her hand with gifts, none of them had been so determined in his affections that he would learn her own language. When the sailor had learned her language and gotten to the point that he could tell her how he felt, he had proven his love for her by his persistent pursuit and determination. She then knew that he would go to any lengths to love her.
This tale is one of love. It is remarkable how determined the sailor was to love the woman. He went to the limits of his power to express his love for her: he gave her his finest treasures, he gave her his time, his career, and his mind. In the end, it was his utter and persistent devotion that was the limit of his love.
Let us translate this to God. How far are we willing to go to love God? Would we give up all our treasures? Our time? Our very lives? Like the sailor, there should be no lengths to which we would not be willing to go to show our love for God. Truly, there are many verses that express this very thought, but perhaps Jesus' words in Matthew 16:25 says it best:
"Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Let us, then, determine to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and with all strength regardless of the cost!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Relying on the Lord in times of Fear
Jonathan and Susan had been married for over a decade when Jonathan was offered a promotion from his company. The Job was considerably more salary and benefits, and was simply too-good to refuse. Unfortunately, the new position required Jonathan to be traveling three or four days a week. Although they were apprehensive, after some prayer and counsel, it became clear that God had prepared this career move for the family and Jonathan accepted the position.
For the next several months, Susan had began to grow accustomed to Jonathan being away, though she still missed him greatly when he was on the road. She would feed the children and put them to bed, always remembering to say prayers. She had never felt unsafe or unprotected when Jonathan was away, because Susan knew that God was watching over the family.
One night, when Jonathan was away, Susan woke up in a dreadful fear. She glanced at the clock, which read: 2:00. She couldn't understand why, but she was simply rigid with fear. Susan, though an adult, pulled the covers over her head and said a brief but earnest prayer for relief and for protection from her prayers. She prayed that God would not allow any evil to injure her or her family. She breathed a couple deep breaths and drifted back to sleep.
When she woke up in the morning, she went downstairs to brew herself a cup of coffee. She peered out her window and across her lawn to see a police squad car parked in the street in front of her house. She closed her robe and walked outside to see the neighbor girl who babysat the family's children running towards her. The teenage girl was so excited that she could barely speak but Susan could pick out that a burglar had robbed three houses on the block last night but that they had caught him.
Susan walked over to the police officer and, after exchanging pleasantries, Susan asked the officer for some clarification of the previous night's foray. The officer shared that indeed three of her neighbors had been robbed last night and that her house had almost been robbed too but not to fear because they had caught the burglar. Susan was startled by that and asked for more information.
The police man said that the burglar had made it to her house after he had robbed the other houses and was about to break her in through the side window when, suddenly, the burglar suffered a minor cardiac arrest and passed out on the ground outside of her house. She was astonished and asked the officer when that happened. The officer looked at her and said, "Oh, about 2 o'clock."
God had saved Susan's family. Her prayer had been efficacious and God protected her and her family. This is incredibly scriptural. The writer of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 118, writes: "So we can confidentially say, 'the Lord is my helper; I shall not fear; what can man do to me?'" If, when faced with fear and gripping trepidations, we would turn to God for our support, we will always find that God is there. Although the above example may seem a bit far-fetched, it is a true story. God is our fortress and our shield, our ever-present help in times of trouble and need (Psa. 46:1). Let us then turn to Him when we feel uneasy with fear and find comfort in the shadow of His might!
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