God calls each and every one of us to Him, but it is up to us and our free will to respond. It seems to me, though, that this call can appeal to us in one of three ways…..
The first is through an obedience to tradition – faith as passed on from those that came before. Some view this in a negative light, as if being born into the faith isn’t legitimate without a “born again” experience. Personally, though, I find such beauty in the idea of the seeds of faith being sowed in the youngest members of a community, and growing in a nurturing environment to blossom and bear fruit. A person knows God because God as always BEEN THERE – there has never been a day, a time, when God was not a part of their existence, and they accept that implicitly. “Teach a child in the way he should go, and He will not stray from it.” As G.K. Chesterton wrote – “there are two ways to get home, and one of them is to stay there.” The danger here lies only in the chance that faith never rises above “religion” (not that religion is a negative word, as it’s often portrayed) – or more accurately “ritual” and “culture”. Christianity is NOT a heritage, as one might claim to be an Italian, or bear the mark of a familial Roman nose. There is a Christian heritage, a Christian culture, but it is not what being “Christian” IS. Being a Christian implies an active faith, an active relationship both with our God and a community of believers (“Where two or more are gathered in my name, so also will I be”). God seeks us on a deeper level, and at some point – be it in small increments over time too gradual to pinpoint, or in jumps and starts in some dramatic, definitive way – that heritage of faith needs to be owned for yourself. Not because it was what you were taught by those around you, but because you believe it for yourself. And that’s where the two other means come into play.
Whether you start inside or outside a faith tradition, God "knocks at our door" in two ways: through our heads, or through our hearts. Logic or emotion. We often seem to be called in the way that most resonates with our personality (who WE are), but in reality, we are called based on who GOD is. God is love, He is not merely loving. God is the Word, logos, logic. He is not merely logical. Love and Reason. That is God.
For the thinkers among us, God calls us to Himself through logic. He plagues us with questions, planting a desire for answers. “Why are we here? How did we come to be? How do we reconcile science with faith? Who was Jesus historically, and what evidence, what documents, support his existence?” Reason can point us in the direction, put us on the path to truth, if we step back far enough to gain perspective. It is undeniable that Jesus and His followers existed. We know from outside sources (or “hostile witnesses” if you will) that Jesus performed unexplainable feats deemed “miracles” or “magic” even by skeptics. Our reason tells us then that we can either believe one of two things: Jesus is the Son of God that He claims to be, or He is a madman. Our logic can take us right to the foot of Jesus, but then it leaves us there. The last final step, the “conclusive proof”, the scientific certainty, cannot be. The last step is the leap of faith that takes us from the miracle worker or the madman, to the divinity of Christ. Where science ends, God begins. This also makes logical sense. Science is an understanding of our existence. We can comprehend only those things that are finite, that fit inside our brain. How can we possibly understand the infinite? If God is greater, then there is no way we can begin to completely understand – we can only attempt a glimpse. Science can tell us only the “how”, but not the “why” or “by whom”. In the end, we have faith. But it is not a blind faith, or an illogical faith. Because God is neither blind nor illogical.
Others find their way to God through their need, their desire, through their heart. The idea of God fulfills a longing placed there by the very Creator who can be the only one to fill it. We have a “God”-sized hole in our heart. It is a universal human desire to be loved. It sets us apart from mere animals. A dog might desire affection from it’s master, but it’s a need that’s fulfilled with a pat here and there, a thrown ball now and then. Humans desire to be LOVED perfectly, completely. Evolution has no means of explaining that uniquely human desire. As part of being human, we inherently know that there is a perfection SOMEWHERE, and our existence falls short of it. It is the reason we call out in despair “Jesus, I need you. Heal me.” And He responds. Often, this lends itself to a dramatic conversion experience, what some evangelicals might call being “born again”. But we must not fail to note that being “born again” in the Bible was explicitly referring to baptism, and not to an emotional conversion experience. One must be born of the water and the spirit. It seems to me that this way to faith, this emotional need or desire, is a means very much rooted in the present, the “here and now”. It runs the risk of losing all perspective and grounding, as emotions are volatile and subject to change.
Whichever path leads you to the Father, the important fact is only that you GET THERE. It’s evident, though, that one cannot exist without the other. Complete rationality cannot explain the magnanimous agape, the all-encompassing love our Creator has for us, and desires us to spill out to our fellow brothers. Emotion when not tempered with logic loses it’s theology and orthodoxy – the grounding which keeps us straying from the truth.
God draws us to Him, through Himself, love and logic. In a much more concrete sense, God drew all humanity to Himself in the physical embodiment of that self -- in the person of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Catholicity
I am Catholic. It is the denomination of my heritage... my mother, my aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents have all been Catholic. I am not sure how far back the links of this chain go; for certain back to the mining towns of Idaho, the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Battle of Little Big Horn, and before that -- across the distance of an ocean, back to the motherland of Germany. It was a gift given to me at birth, this heritage, and for this reason Catholicity is in my blood, and frames my way of viewing the world. It has only been as an adult, though, and through the loving questions of non-Catholics, and the skepticism of myself and others, that I have been led to become a Catholic in my head and in my heart. That I have been able to say that I choose this way of viewing the Truth that was revealed and entrusted to us by God. I choose this way of worshipping -- a way as old as Christianity itself. I know that every time I attend Mass, I am speaking the same words that billions have spoken before me through 2000 years of Christian history. They sang the same songs, partook of the same supper. I am part of a body of Christ that does not consist only of those of us who happen to be alive and walking around. I am a part of a communion of saints and believers that worship together still, even though their earthly eyes witnessed different eras. This is immensely comforting to me.
It may seem hypocritical to some (it does even to myself) that although I feel THIS Catholic, I have worshipped in the Lutheran Church for the past 10 years. I love my church, and the family it has become to me. I love the warmth of this congregation, and the Christian examples that inspire me daily. I love the sincerity of faith that is shown in humble people going about God's work. And I love the questions that have made me think and dig and research and challenge my heritage of Catholicty. There are very few people that know that, although I attend this church for many reasons, I don't consider myself Lutheran. I consider myself a Catholic attending a Lutheran church. I attend a Catholic church on Saturday and a Lutheran church on Sunday, and as I write this, it seems ridiculous. Choose one. Make a decision. It's more complicated than that, although I agree it shouldn't be. Part is resistance, part is fear - of the rift it would cause in my marriage, with my inlaws, with my friends. The gut anti-Catholic reaction in Protestantism is alive and well, I assure you. So I feel a "secret" Catholic, or a "closeted" Catholic. I feel that I am worshipping with hands containing four fingers instead of five - that the biggest thing that is WRONG with the Lutheran way of worship is that it lacks fullness, the completeness that I yearn for.
I go back to the Early Church, and I study the Church Fathers, and I know that that church was undeniably "catholic". It may have grown and morphed in appearance over time, but there it is in it's fledgling form. I see a sacramental view of the world, a theology that does not deny the POWER -- real, non-symbolic, actual POWER, through the grace of God -- that is granted to His church body. I see a depth of understanding of His word; not merely literal and fundamental, because if we take these words at only their surface meaning, we miss the wellspring of revelation beneath. I see liturgy that has remained essentially unchanged throughout history, and it is as if I hold the hands of the early martyrs and all that have gone before me when I participate in such a liturgy. I see apostolic succession. As I look into all the major Christian religions who claim apostolic succession (such as the Copts, and eastern Orthodox churches), I see their similarities, and know that those truths entrusted by the first Christians have been preserved and protected through out the ages, to remain intact. I also see how the history of God's people didn't end with the book of Revelation - it could continue to be written today. God didn't drop a book in our laps and leave. He's still HERE among us, with the Holy Spirit to guide us. I see, as I look back on this faith of my heritage, the frailty of the human being, how imperfect we are, and how we have failed our commission, failed our Covenant, repeatedly. But I know that God has not failed US. When Jesus said it would be a new and EVERLASTING covenant through His body and blood, I know that the powers of Satan infiltrating Christ's church cannot break that covenant. The love story God has with mankind is permanent.
So I stand at a crossroads - because I don't want to upset the cart, the peace, because I have been told that how things are is "good enough". Because I am afraid. Which is silly, but true. And I want my children to know the fullness of faith that I am finding. I want them to know TRUTH. Full truth. I want unification - not a "your" and "my" church, but OUR church, OUR way of worship. I want to be another link in the chain, and pass the gift on to my children, just as it was a gift given to me. I do not want this chain to end with me, especially not because I am AFRAID.
As G.K. Chesterton says, "There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there." Others, like myself, leave home, and go searching, only to one day turn around and find our answers in the very place we just left. We just need the perspective to see it.
It may seem hypocritical to some (it does even to myself) that although I feel THIS Catholic, I have worshipped in the Lutheran Church for the past 10 years. I love my church, and the family it has become to me. I love the warmth of this congregation, and the Christian examples that inspire me daily. I love the sincerity of faith that is shown in humble people going about God's work. And I love the questions that have made me think and dig and research and challenge my heritage of Catholicty. There are very few people that know that, although I attend this church for many reasons, I don't consider myself Lutheran. I consider myself a Catholic attending a Lutheran church. I attend a Catholic church on Saturday and a Lutheran church on Sunday, and as I write this, it seems ridiculous. Choose one. Make a decision. It's more complicated than that, although I agree it shouldn't be. Part is resistance, part is fear - of the rift it would cause in my marriage, with my inlaws, with my friends. The gut anti-Catholic reaction in Protestantism is alive and well, I assure you. So I feel a "secret" Catholic, or a "closeted" Catholic. I feel that I am worshipping with hands containing four fingers instead of five - that the biggest thing that is WRONG with the Lutheran way of worship is that it lacks fullness, the completeness that I yearn for.
I go back to the Early Church, and I study the Church Fathers, and I know that that church was undeniably "catholic". It may have grown and morphed in appearance over time, but there it is in it's fledgling form. I see a sacramental view of the world, a theology that does not deny the POWER -- real, non-symbolic, actual POWER, through the grace of God -- that is granted to His church body. I see a depth of understanding of His word; not merely literal and fundamental, because if we take these words at only their surface meaning, we miss the wellspring of revelation beneath. I see liturgy that has remained essentially unchanged throughout history, and it is as if I hold the hands of the early martyrs and all that have gone before me when I participate in such a liturgy. I see apostolic succession. As I look into all the major Christian religions who claim apostolic succession (such as the Copts, and eastern Orthodox churches), I see their similarities, and know that those truths entrusted by the first Christians have been preserved and protected through out the ages, to remain intact. I also see how the history of God's people didn't end with the book of Revelation - it could continue to be written today. God didn't drop a book in our laps and leave. He's still HERE among us, with the Holy Spirit to guide us. I see, as I look back on this faith of my heritage, the frailty of the human being, how imperfect we are, and how we have failed our commission, failed our Covenant, repeatedly. But I know that God has not failed US. When Jesus said it would be a new and EVERLASTING covenant through His body and blood, I know that the powers of Satan infiltrating Christ's church cannot break that covenant. The love story God has with mankind is permanent.
So I stand at a crossroads - because I don't want to upset the cart, the peace, because I have been told that how things are is "good enough". Because I am afraid. Which is silly, but true. And I want my children to know the fullness of faith that I am finding. I want them to know TRUTH. Full truth. I want unification - not a "your" and "my" church, but OUR church, OUR way of worship. I want to be another link in the chain, and pass the gift on to my children, just as it was a gift given to me. I do not want this chain to end with me, especially not because I am AFRAID.
As G.K. Chesterton says, "There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there." Others, like myself, leave home, and go searching, only to one day turn around and find our answers in the very place we just left. We just need the perspective to see it.
Fruits of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The boys have been learning about the Fruits of the Spirit in Sunday school. It’s been wonderful listening to them rattle them off – it’s sinking in!! It’s also gotten me to thinking about what living a spirit-filled life LOOKS LIKE. What the world sees on the outside when God changes us on the inside. It’s not self-righteousness. Not condemnation. We shouldn’t become more stern, laugh less, have less patience with those around us because they aren’t living up to God’s standards. We are more acutely aware of ALL of that as we grow closer to God. That is true. But instead, as we truly become more in tune to how often we as humans fail our loving God – a fact that should rightly strike us with guilt – He grants us the grace to face that realization with JOY. And HOPE. Yes, we’re all sinners. Yes, this world is going astray. We know that – it’s been the way of humankind since Adam and Eve. We are frail, and weak, and make mistakes. But through God’s grace, as we grow ever mindful of these facts, the Spirit blesses us. Because through our darkness, we see the hope that the Light brings, and we rejoice in that! Thank God! There is a way out! And that faith, that hope in salvation, causes a blossoming, not a shriveling, inside of us. The fruit of that hope is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. THAT is what we need to portray to the world as Christians. We need to let the Spirit shine through us. Let us not portray ourselves as self-righteous, judgemental. We recognize evil, we call it for what it is, but our response is not one of condemnation, but LOVE. Because that is what Christ offers us. ALL of us, if we only accept that gift. And if we let the Spirit shine through our lives, those in darkness will flock to it like moths to a flame. We are called the share the Light with all. May the fruits of the Spirit in our lives be a beacon.
The boys have been learning about the Fruits of the Spirit in Sunday school. It’s been wonderful listening to them rattle them off – it’s sinking in!! It’s also gotten me to thinking about what living a spirit-filled life LOOKS LIKE. What the world sees on the outside when God changes us on the inside. It’s not self-righteousness. Not condemnation. We shouldn’t become more stern, laugh less, have less patience with those around us because they aren’t living up to God’s standards. We are more acutely aware of ALL of that as we grow closer to God. That is true. But instead, as we truly become more in tune to how often we as humans fail our loving God – a fact that should rightly strike us with guilt – He grants us the grace to face that realization with JOY. And HOPE. Yes, we’re all sinners. Yes, this world is going astray. We know that – it’s been the way of humankind since Adam and Eve. We are frail, and weak, and make mistakes. But through God’s grace, as we grow ever mindful of these facts, the Spirit blesses us. Because through our darkness, we see the hope that the Light brings, and we rejoice in that! Thank God! There is a way out! And that faith, that hope in salvation, causes a blossoming, not a shriveling, inside of us. The fruit of that hope is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. THAT is what we need to portray to the world as Christians. We need to let the Spirit shine through us. Let us not portray ourselves as self-righteous, judgemental. We recognize evil, we call it for what it is, but our response is not one of condemnation, but LOVE. Because that is what Christ offers us. ALL of us, if we only accept that gift. And if we let the Spirit shine through our lives, those in darkness will flock to it like moths to a flame. We are called the share the Light with all. May the fruits of the Spirit in our lives be a beacon.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
An Inspiration
I have a friend who is newly 5 years old, and is fighting a cancer that is spread throughout his body. His mother is a woman of great faith, and - as the family is in the throws of a full-on battle with this cancer - has the fortitude to be an inspiration to others. This is her latest journal entry. I a humbled by her faith, humbled by this little boy's faith, and humbled by all of their strength.
Friday, November 27, 2009 11:21 PM, EST
We are headed into the hospital Monday for another week, more chemo.
It’s not easy for any child to be in the hospital. Early in Everest’s hospitalization, I shared with family/friends that I was concerned about him managing the hospital and all it entailed with his sensitivities. Has the cancer, pain, and the extreme month of tests, transition and treatment escalated how he sees his experience and responds to it? Yes. Yet I’ve been realizing cancer or no cancer, Everest is who he is…loving, creative, restless, strong, sensitive, driven, challenging, brave, curious, stubborn, thoughtful, and always beautiful….He’s our Everest. We give thanks.
Such thanks in this light allows me to recognize that the traits I first worried about when looking at “How do we get him through treatment???” are likely the exact traits required of him to climb this mountain. Sensitivity makes him extremely aware of what is going on around him. Even though sometimes he may not have the words to address things, he is a participant in all that is happening and his being will not allow him to be anything else. Awareness brings strength. Stubbornness means it takes a heck of a lot to get medicine down him at times, but it’s that same drive that will fight, fight, fight. Giving thanks for all parts of him I am reminded where we each need to be, about ourselves and in how we see others.
In our home we talk about being a child of God and celebrating that we are God’s children. In everyday activities and with our congregation, Good Shepherd, (who bless their hearts accept we don’t always make it there every Sunday, or with two young kids roll in late!) Everest sees gifts in each person he meets. While enjoying stories and pictures sent from many of you he asked, “How do they ALL know I am here?” We talked about how it was important for us to tell people who love him that he wasn’t feeling well, so they could share prayers for him to get better and good thoughts to help him feel comfortable in treatment. My words came out, “Because you are a very special child of God.”
His response was immediate and strong, “BUT MOM…EVERYBODY IS A CHILD OF GOD!” I tried to be a bit more specific, only to be met with the same response even louder. “EVERYBODY!” To Everest, every life is special and valuable. If only we could package that and sell it, but I know it spreads….It spreads.
So, as we pack bags to head back in, and my mind knows all of this I have shared with you, please send prayers, warm thoughts, and peace our way. The minute we get on the floor, my heart will again need reminders to keep celebrating every day, every person, every part….even when I am tired and not seeing as clearly. I thank God for Bill as well. He brings me back when needed and holds a caring, calming strength. We are a team.
(Also, though Grandma Sandy is as strong as they come, she has been ill and receiving treatment for an intestinal illness. She is on the mend, but has struggled as all she wanted to do is be here and play with her Everest. Please keep her in mind as well.)
Finally, thanks to friend Ruth (the Elder) for the hymn reminders. I have been in prayer in a very meditative sense; seeking quiet spaces, walks, chapels. But yesterday I sang in the tub! It was full of spirit and needed.
Here we go! Everest is strong, like a mountain. He’ll again climb another stretch of his journey as only he can. -Liz
The “tub hymn” for those who wish to raise their voice for Everest…
Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets sing to the Lord a new song!
Oh, victory! Loud hosts of heaven sing to the Lord a new song!
Refrain:
God has done marvelous things.
I too, I too sing praises with a new song! (repeat)
Hail, wind, and rain! loud blowing snowstorm sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees! loud rustling dry leaves sing to the Lord a new song!.....
(Refrain)
Trumpet and pipes! loud clashing cymbals sing to the Lord a new song!
Harp, lute, and lyre! loud humming cellos sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Engines and steel! loud pounding hammers sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams! loud building workers sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Knowledge and truth! loud sounding wisdom sing to the Lord a new song!
Daughter and son! loud praising members sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Friday, November 27, 2009 11:21 PM, EST
We are headed into the hospital Monday for another week, more chemo.
It’s not easy for any child to be in the hospital. Early in Everest’s hospitalization, I shared with family/friends that I was concerned about him managing the hospital and all it entailed with his sensitivities. Has the cancer, pain, and the extreme month of tests, transition and treatment escalated how he sees his experience and responds to it? Yes. Yet I’ve been realizing cancer or no cancer, Everest is who he is…loving, creative, restless, strong, sensitive, driven, challenging, brave, curious, stubborn, thoughtful, and always beautiful….He’s our Everest. We give thanks.
Such thanks in this light allows me to recognize that the traits I first worried about when looking at “How do we get him through treatment???” are likely the exact traits required of him to climb this mountain. Sensitivity makes him extremely aware of what is going on around him. Even though sometimes he may not have the words to address things, he is a participant in all that is happening and his being will not allow him to be anything else. Awareness brings strength. Stubbornness means it takes a heck of a lot to get medicine down him at times, but it’s that same drive that will fight, fight, fight. Giving thanks for all parts of him I am reminded where we each need to be, about ourselves and in how we see others.
In our home we talk about being a child of God and celebrating that we are God’s children. In everyday activities and with our congregation, Good Shepherd, (who bless their hearts accept we don’t always make it there every Sunday, or with two young kids roll in late!) Everest sees gifts in each person he meets. While enjoying stories and pictures sent from many of you he asked, “How do they ALL know I am here?” We talked about how it was important for us to tell people who love him that he wasn’t feeling well, so they could share prayers for him to get better and good thoughts to help him feel comfortable in treatment. My words came out, “Because you are a very special child of God.”
His response was immediate and strong, “BUT MOM…EVERYBODY IS A CHILD OF GOD!” I tried to be a bit more specific, only to be met with the same response even louder. “EVERYBODY!” To Everest, every life is special and valuable. If only we could package that and sell it, but I know it spreads….It spreads.
So, as we pack bags to head back in, and my mind knows all of this I have shared with you, please send prayers, warm thoughts, and peace our way. The minute we get on the floor, my heart will again need reminders to keep celebrating every day, every person, every part….even when I am tired and not seeing as clearly. I thank God for Bill as well. He brings me back when needed and holds a caring, calming strength. We are a team.
(Also, though Grandma Sandy is as strong as they come, she has been ill and receiving treatment for an intestinal illness. She is on the mend, but has struggled as all she wanted to do is be here and play with her Everest. Please keep her in mind as well.)
Finally, thanks to friend Ruth (the Elder) for the hymn reminders. I have been in prayer in a very meditative sense; seeking quiet spaces, walks, chapels. But yesterday I sang in the tub! It was full of spirit and needed.
Here we go! Everest is strong, like a mountain. He’ll again climb another stretch of his journey as only he can. -Liz
The “tub hymn” for those who wish to raise their voice for Everest…
Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets sing to the Lord a new song!
Oh, victory! Loud hosts of heaven sing to the Lord a new song!
Refrain:
God has done marvelous things.
I too, I too sing praises with a new song! (repeat)
Hail, wind, and rain! loud blowing snowstorm sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees! loud rustling dry leaves sing to the Lord a new song!.....
(Refrain)
Trumpet and pipes! loud clashing cymbals sing to the Lord a new song!
Harp, lute, and lyre! loud humming cellos sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Engines and steel! loud pounding hammers sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams! loud building workers sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Knowledge and truth! loud sounding wisdom sing to the Lord a new song!
Daughter and son! loud praising members sing to the Lord a new song!.....
( Refrain)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
An Encounter
Odd, what happens in the check-out line at Walmart sometimes. Today, as I was loading my groceries on the belt, I noticed a book on angels and miracles amongst the People magazines and National Enquirers. I picked it up briefly, glanced at it, and then put it back on the shelf, going about my business. A few minutes later, an elderly gentleman behind me did the same thing. Then, he tapped me on the shoulder.
"Do you mind if I tell you a story about a REAL angel encounter?" I told him I didn't mind at all.
He then proceeded to tell me that he was a crisis chaplain for the military. He was counselling a man who had been in the elite forces in Cambodia years ago, a group of 31 men sent to capture Pol Pot. They never got him, but captured (and beheaded) several of his hench men. Upon their return to the states, all but 5 of those men died from self-inflicted injuries - suicide, drugs, alcohol. This man that he was counselling was one of the last five left, and he had contacted this chaplain because he wanted him to preach at his funeral. He was planning on committing suicide in the near future, and was making his arrangements. The chaplain called a friend, and together they prayed that angels would protect this man from harm until he had a chance to know God. Two days later, he received another call from the vetran. He said that he had been out in his field, riding his tractor, when the tractor went over an embankment and rolled. Twice. On top of him. It was heading for a third time - a blow that would surely have killed him -- when a large, bright figure stopped the tractor. Just as it was about to crush him. This man was not a believer, and he was afraid to tell anyone about what had happened to him, afraid he was going insane. So he called this chaplain - the one he wanted to preach at his funeral. The one who had prayed not two days earlier for angels to protect him. And the one who is now leading this man to know his Father.
The man behind me in the Walmart check out line had tears in his eyes as he told me this story. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. So I muttered something about "WOW", and then kept unloading my groceries. There was awkward silence on both our parts, but I kept feeling like I needed to say MORE. After a few minutes had passed, I turned to him.
"Well, I believe in angels, too. My son was miraculously healed. His kidney." And then I had tears in my eyes, too -- talking to this perfect stranger about precious, private things. He just looked at me, and said "I don't normally talk to people about this stuff, but the Holy Spirit prompted me to talk to you. You are a believer?"
"Yes," I said. He nodded.
"This world needs all the believers it can get right now."
I agreed. And then there was nothing more to say, and I paid the cashier, gathered my children, and left.
One can truly encounter God anywhere. Even in Walmart.
"Do you mind if I tell you a story about a REAL angel encounter?" I told him I didn't mind at all.
He then proceeded to tell me that he was a crisis chaplain for the military. He was counselling a man who had been in the elite forces in Cambodia years ago, a group of 31 men sent to capture Pol Pot. They never got him, but captured (and beheaded) several of his hench men. Upon their return to the states, all but 5 of those men died from self-inflicted injuries - suicide, drugs, alcohol. This man that he was counselling was one of the last five left, and he had contacted this chaplain because he wanted him to preach at his funeral. He was planning on committing suicide in the near future, and was making his arrangements. The chaplain called a friend, and together they prayed that angels would protect this man from harm until he had a chance to know God. Two days later, he received another call from the vetran. He said that he had been out in his field, riding his tractor, when the tractor went over an embankment and rolled. Twice. On top of him. It was heading for a third time - a blow that would surely have killed him -- when a large, bright figure stopped the tractor. Just as it was about to crush him. This man was not a believer, and he was afraid to tell anyone about what had happened to him, afraid he was going insane. So he called this chaplain - the one he wanted to preach at his funeral. The one who had prayed not two days earlier for angels to protect him. And the one who is now leading this man to know his Father.
The man behind me in the Walmart check out line had tears in his eyes as he told me this story. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. So I muttered something about "WOW", and then kept unloading my groceries. There was awkward silence on both our parts, but I kept feeling like I needed to say MORE. After a few minutes had passed, I turned to him.
"Well, I believe in angels, too. My son was miraculously healed. His kidney." And then I had tears in my eyes, too -- talking to this perfect stranger about precious, private things. He just looked at me, and said "I don't normally talk to people about this stuff, but the Holy Spirit prompted me to talk to you. You are a believer?"
"Yes," I said. He nodded.
"This world needs all the believers it can get right now."
I agreed. And then there was nothing more to say, and I paid the cashier, gathered my children, and left.
One can truly encounter God anywhere. Even in Walmart.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
On Calvinism and Free Will, part 2
God is not on a power trip.
Why does God want us to obey Him? So He can prove He’s “in control?” That He’s “da Man?” Why then, is “the fulfillment of the law” LOVE? (Galatians 5:14)
The Law does not state “you shall wear green on odd Thursdays”. They are not pointless, endless laws to obey with no purpose. The law of God was obviously not established for the sole purpose of bending us to His will, although He very well could have made it that way. He is all-powerful, our Creator. He can do whatever He wants. If His only goal was to control us, then the Law would be random. But it isn’t. Even the laws and commands that made no sense at the time (washing hands before you eat? WHY?) make sense in the light of retrospection. NOW we know why it’s important to have clean hands before you eat, even if the scientific data to support that was another few thousand years in coming.
Look at God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Do we think God was doing a trial run for human sacrifice? Do you think Abraham had ANY idea why God would possibly want Abraham to kill the son God had so miraculously blessed him with in his old age? Why would God do such a thing? Abraham didn’t question God’s purposes, though. He just obeyed. In light of the New Testament, however (thousands of years later), we can get an inkling of what God was thinking with this command to His faithful servant. We realize, with a giant “AHA” moment, that God knew HE would give up HIS son as sacrifice for US, because He loves us so much. He wanted to know that some one of His creatures would sacrifice as much for Him. God did not caprciously order Abraham to do anything. There was a purpose. And that purpose was LOVE.
I feel like our time here on earth is essentially our infancy, to prepare us for the “adulthood” of a “new Heaven and a new Earth”, which we are gifted to partake of through our Savior’s sacrifice. Our lives here are but a training ground. God is our Father, and just as an earthly parent sets down “the rules”, so does He. Our rules as a parent aren’t random, though. They’re designed to mold our children into thinking, moral adults. As such, we allow our children to make mistakes, and suffer the natural consequences of those mistakes. Not that we don’t WANT them to obey us every time, and that we couldn’t MAKE them obey us every time. A good parent, though, knows when to back off and let the child experience for themselves the consequences of their own actions, in order to learn the lesson well. To prepare them for making the right choice the next time. To prepare them for being an adult. We don’t leave them alone. Even when they’re making a bad choice, we’re in the distance, watching, making sure they don’t fall too far to get seriously hurt. We’re saying to them “remember what I taught you!” We’re prompting them, guiding them. But ultimately, we let the child old enough to make a right decision the opportunity to MAKE that decision. “I taught you to wear a coat outside so you don’t get cold. Now that you’re 10 – if you don’t wear your coat, then…. Get cold!”
Why do we allow our children to make choices, even when they are BAD choices? Why do we give them FREE WILL? Because we love them, and we want them to love us, and we want them to learn to eventually become the people we want them to become. A parent who makes every last decision for a child ends up with an adult who is incapable and weak. Our God is no less of a parent to us.
I feel that there is a fear out there that if we say we have the ability to make a free choice in our response to God, that it means somehow that He is not in TOTAL CONTROL, and that it belittles His power. This is not true in the least. Man has the ability to make something that he totally controls - he has the intellect and power to make a robot. It obeys a man's every command. TRUE power and genius comes from creating something that can think and feel and reason for itself. Man hasn't even come CLOSE to the genius of the Father.
He allows us FREE WILL, not because He CAN’T control us, but He chooses not to – for Love’s sake.
Why does God want us to obey Him? So He can prove He’s “in control?” That He’s “da Man?” Why then, is “the fulfillment of the law” LOVE? (Galatians 5:14)
The Law does not state “you shall wear green on odd Thursdays”. They are not pointless, endless laws to obey with no purpose. The law of God was obviously not established for the sole purpose of bending us to His will, although He very well could have made it that way. He is all-powerful, our Creator. He can do whatever He wants. If His only goal was to control us, then the Law would be random. But it isn’t. Even the laws and commands that made no sense at the time (washing hands before you eat? WHY?) make sense in the light of retrospection. NOW we know why it’s important to have clean hands before you eat, even if the scientific data to support that was another few thousand years in coming.
Look at God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Do we think God was doing a trial run for human sacrifice? Do you think Abraham had ANY idea why God would possibly want Abraham to kill the son God had so miraculously blessed him with in his old age? Why would God do such a thing? Abraham didn’t question God’s purposes, though. He just obeyed. In light of the New Testament, however (thousands of years later), we can get an inkling of what God was thinking with this command to His faithful servant. We realize, with a giant “AHA” moment, that God knew HE would give up HIS son as sacrifice for US, because He loves us so much. He wanted to know that some one of His creatures would sacrifice as much for Him. God did not caprciously order Abraham to do anything. There was a purpose. And that purpose was LOVE.
I feel like our time here on earth is essentially our infancy, to prepare us for the “adulthood” of a “new Heaven and a new Earth”, which we are gifted to partake of through our Savior’s sacrifice. Our lives here are but a training ground. God is our Father, and just as an earthly parent sets down “the rules”, so does He. Our rules as a parent aren’t random, though. They’re designed to mold our children into thinking, moral adults. As such, we allow our children to make mistakes, and suffer the natural consequences of those mistakes. Not that we don’t WANT them to obey us every time, and that we couldn’t MAKE them obey us every time. A good parent, though, knows when to back off and let the child experience for themselves the consequences of their own actions, in order to learn the lesson well. To prepare them for making the right choice the next time. To prepare them for being an adult. We don’t leave them alone. Even when they’re making a bad choice, we’re in the distance, watching, making sure they don’t fall too far to get seriously hurt. We’re saying to them “remember what I taught you!” We’re prompting them, guiding them. But ultimately, we let the child old enough to make a right decision the opportunity to MAKE that decision. “I taught you to wear a coat outside so you don’t get cold. Now that you’re 10 – if you don’t wear your coat, then…. Get cold!”
Why do we allow our children to make choices, even when they are BAD choices? Why do we give them FREE WILL? Because we love them, and we want them to love us, and we want them to learn to eventually become the people we want them to become. A parent who makes every last decision for a child ends up with an adult who is incapable and weak. Our God is no less of a parent to us.
I feel that there is a fear out there that if we say we have the ability to make a free choice in our response to God, that it means somehow that He is not in TOTAL CONTROL, and that it belittles His power. This is not true in the least. Man has the ability to make something that he totally controls - he has the intellect and power to make a robot. It obeys a man's every command. TRUE power and genius comes from creating something that can think and feel and reason for itself. Man hasn't even come CLOSE to the genius of the Father.
He allows us FREE WILL, not because He CAN’T control us, but He chooses not to – for Love’s sake.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
On Calvinism and Free Will
Our God is a sovreign God. He is all-powerful, and is capable of total control. The question, however, arises.... does He utilize that total control? Or does He, in His infinite wisdom, allow us to make a choice in response to His leading, His prompting, and His calling? Does He pre-ordain his "elect", or allow His children free-will in choosing Him?
The problem starts with the idea of the Total Depravity of Man... utter and complete. Man is a creation of the Father, and made in His image. Man is a recipient of His love. "And God saw that it was good". From the beginning, however, we chose to move away from that perfect love, through our disobedience. The Great Fall separated us from intimate union with God. Did Adam and Eve's decision rid all future generations of any worth? I look at an unwanted child, whom our society has deemed "worthless". We intrinsically base that child's worth on whether or not it is loved and wanted by it's parents - we base that child's right to LIFE on whether or not it is loved and wanted by it's parents. So we inherently and subconciously base WORTH on love. What we, in our short-sightedness, fail to remember, is that even that unwanted child is loved by the Father of creation, and therefore has worth. Our worth stems not from ourselves, but from God. A canvas and paint is of no value in and of itself. Only through the mastery of the Artist does it become priceless.
Evil is the opposite of Good. Sin moves us away from God, as Love draws us toward Him. Can God love what is the opposite of Himself? That which propels away from Him? Yet he loves us repeatedly and completely. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God IS love. And our worth as recipients of that love comes not of our inherent selves, but only as a consequence of Him, and being His created being.
This idea of Utter Depravity leads to the concept that we are not CAPABLE of doing anything in our relationship to God, and not WORTHY of being an active participant. Thus the idea of pre-destination... that God chooses only those whom He wants beforehand, controls them to His purposes, and elects them for salvation. But is the opposite also true, then? Would an all-loving God predestine His own child to Hell? Would God purposely give up a SINGLE one of His children? Would a loving father or mother condemn one of their children from its first breath out of the womb? Would an Artist create a masterpiece for the sole purpose of burning it? Could we believe even for one moment that Jesus died for the atonement of only a few, and not for the many? What parent would give up his life for one of his children, and not the others?
Without worth, there can be no free will. And without free will there is no merit (nothing we do can be deemed "good", because it is God controlling us for His purposes). On the same token, though, without free-will there is no GUILT. If I am merely a pawn, then those choices I make that are disobedient are also not of my doing. Without guilt there is no REPENTENCE, and without repentence there is no SALVATION. The inherent worth of a man given to us by God our Father makes us capable of responding to His touch, makes us able to make a choice to obey Him, have faith in Him. We are worthy of taking responsibility for the wrong choices we make, and that responsibility grants us our NEED for God and salavation. Read Genesis 1:31. "God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good." Now read Genesis 6:5-7. "When the Lord saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, He regretted that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was grieved." How do you get from "very good" to "ever anything but evil"? Free will. How do you explain the fall of man? Free will. God's heart was grieved, because it was not HIS plan for us to fail as miserably as we did. Not that He couldn't have made things differently. But He chose not to.
God is infintiley wise, and knows us better than we know ourselves. Predestination is not the same as preknowledge. God is omnipotent and outside of time, and knows which decisions we will make before we make them. But they are still OUR decisions to make, right or wrong - towards God or away from Him. He chooses NOT to control us. We humans, as pitiful as we are, constantly put God on the judgement seat, to see if He is worthy of our faith in Him. We creatures put the God of All Creation on the "dock", when, in reality, it is we who are being judged on how we live our life for HIM. He prompts us through the Spirit, and then allows us the choice to obey that call, because the fufillment of the law is LOVE, and love cannot be compelled. Love is a choice, not a feeling. God wants us to love Him, but He would never compel us to do so. Would God deny anyone who comes to the foot of the cross with a sincere desire and true repentence? As John 3:16 states so succinctly, God LOVES US. It is WE who choose to reject HIM through our unbelief- never the other way around. And our choice is our Free Will. For good or bad. Not that God CAN'T control us, but that He chooses not to. For Love's sake.
C.S. Lewis states it far more eloquently than I ever could....
"(God) could, if He chose, repair our bodies miraculously without food; or give us food without the aid of farmers, bakers, and butchers; or knowledge without the aid of learned men; or convert the heathen without missionaires. Instead, He allows soils and weather and animals and the muscles, minds, and wills of men to co-operate in the execution of His will. 'God', said Pascal, 'instituted prayer in order to lend to His creatures the dignity of causality.' But not only prayer; whenever we act at all He lends us that dignity. It is not really stranger, nor less strange, that my prayers should affect the course of events than that my other actions should do so. They have not advised or changed God's mind - that is, His over-all purpose. But that purpose will be realized in different ways according to the actions, including the prayers, of His creatures.... He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly in the twinkling of an eye. We are not mere recipients or spectators. We are either priveleged to share in the game or compelled to collaborate in the work, to weild our little tridents."
The problem starts with the idea of the Total Depravity of Man... utter and complete. Man is a creation of the Father, and made in His image. Man is a recipient of His love. "And God saw that it was good". From the beginning, however, we chose to move away from that perfect love, through our disobedience. The Great Fall separated us from intimate union with God. Did Adam and Eve's decision rid all future generations of any worth? I look at an unwanted child, whom our society has deemed "worthless". We intrinsically base that child's worth on whether or not it is loved and wanted by it's parents - we base that child's right to LIFE on whether or not it is loved and wanted by it's parents. So we inherently and subconciously base WORTH on love. What we, in our short-sightedness, fail to remember, is that even that unwanted child is loved by the Father of creation, and therefore has worth. Our worth stems not from ourselves, but from God. A canvas and paint is of no value in and of itself. Only through the mastery of the Artist does it become priceless.
Evil is the opposite of Good. Sin moves us away from God, as Love draws us toward Him. Can God love what is the opposite of Himself? That which propels away from Him? Yet he loves us repeatedly and completely. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God IS love. And our worth as recipients of that love comes not of our inherent selves, but only as a consequence of Him, and being His created being.
This idea of Utter Depravity leads to the concept that we are not CAPABLE of doing anything in our relationship to God, and not WORTHY of being an active participant. Thus the idea of pre-destination... that God chooses only those whom He wants beforehand, controls them to His purposes, and elects them for salvation. But is the opposite also true, then? Would an all-loving God predestine His own child to Hell? Would God purposely give up a SINGLE one of His children? Would a loving father or mother condemn one of their children from its first breath out of the womb? Would an Artist create a masterpiece for the sole purpose of burning it? Could we believe even for one moment that Jesus died for the atonement of only a few, and not for the many? What parent would give up his life for one of his children, and not the others?
Without worth, there can be no free will. And without free will there is no merit (nothing we do can be deemed "good", because it is God controlling us for His purposes). On the same token, though, without free-will there is no GUILT. If I am merely a pawn, then those choices I make that are disobedient are also not of my doing. Without guilt there is no REPENTENCE, and without repentence there is no SALVATION. The inherent worth of a man given to us by God our Father makes us capable of responding to His touch, makes us able to make a choice to obey Him, have faith in Him. We are worthy of taking responsibility for the wrong choices we make, and that responsibility grants us our NEED for God and salavation. Read Genesis 1:31. "God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good." Now read Genesis 6:5-7. "When the Lord saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, He regretted that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was grieved." How do you get from "very good" to "ever anything but evil"? Free will. How do you explain the fall of man? Free will. God's heart was grieved, because it was not HIS plan for us to fail as miserably as we did. Not that He couldn't have made things differently. But He chose not to.
God is infintiley wise, and knows us better than we know ourselves. Predestination is not the same as preknowledge. God is omnipotent and outside of time, and knows which decisions we will make before we make them. But they are still OUR decisions to make, right or wrong - towards God or away from Him. He chooses NOT to control us. We humans, as pitiful as we are, constantly put God on the judgement seat, to see if He is worthy of our faith in Him. We creatures put the God of All Creation on the "dock", when, in reality, it is we who are being judged on how we live our life for HIM. He prompts us through the Spirit, and then allows us the choice to obey that call, because the fufillment of the law is LOVE, and love cannot be compelled. Love is a choice, not a feeling. God wants us to love Him, but He would never compel us to do so. Would God deny anyone who comes to the foot of the cross with a sincere desire and true repentence? As John 3:16 states so succinctly, God LOVES US. It is WE who choose to reject HIM through our unbelief- never the other way around. And our choice is our Free Will. For good or bad. Not that God CAN'T control us, but that He chooses not to. For Love's sake.
C.S. Lewis states it far more eloquently than I ever could....
"(God) could, if He chose, repair our bodies miraculously without food; or give us food without the aid of farmers, bakers, and butchers; or knowledge without the aid of learned men; or convert the heathen without missionaires. Instead, He allows soils and weather and animals and the muscles, minds, and wills of men to co-operate in the execution of His will. 'God', said Pascal, 'instituted prayer in order to lend to His creatures the dignity of causality.' But not only prayer; whenever we act at all He lends us that dignity. It is not really stranger, nor less strange, that my prayers should affect the course of events than that my other actions should do so. They have not advised or changed God's mind - that is, His over-all purpose. But that purpose will be realized in different ways according to the actions, including the prayers, of His creatures.... He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly in the twinkling of an eye. We are not mere recipients or spectators. We are either priveleged to share in the game or compelled to collaborate in the work, to weild our little tridents."
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Quotes from one of my favorite Authors
G.K. Chesterton is one of my favorite authors. He just had such an abundance of common sense. These quotes are so applicable to today's world, that it's hard to believe that the man lived at the turn of the last century. Here's some of his quotes:
"Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions."
"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."
"Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance."
"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."
"The reformer is always right about what is wrong. He is generally wrong about what is right."
"Reason is always a kind of brute force; those who appeal to the head rather than the heart, however pallid and polite, are necessarily men of violence. We speak of 'touching' a man's heart, but we can do nothing to his head but hit it."
"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around."
"War is not 'the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you."
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
"The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right; for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequal. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man."
"Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all."
"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."
"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."
"Theology is only thought applied to religion."
"The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice."
"Truth is sacred; and if you tell the truth too often nobody will believe it."
"It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong."
"Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice."
"All science, even the divine science, is a sublime detective story. Only it is not set to detect why a man is dead; but the darker secret of why he is alive."
"Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities."
"[No society can survive the socialist] fallacy that there is an absolutely unlimited number of inspired officials and an absolutely unlimited amount of money to pay them."
"We are learning to do a great many clever things...The next great task will be to learn not to do them.-
"Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it." –
"When people talk as if the Crusades were nothing more than an aggressive raid against Islam, they seem to forget in the strangest way that Islam itself was only an aggressive raid against the old and ordered civilization in these parts. I do not say it in mere hostility to the religion of Mahomet; I am fully conscious of many values and virtues in it; but certainly it was Islam that was the invasion and Christendom that was the thing invaded."
"There is no bigot like the atheist."
"Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle."
"There are arguments for atheism, and they do not depend, and never did depend, upon science. They are arguable enough, as far as they go, upon a general survey of life; only it happens to be a superficial survey of life."
"There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there."
"Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break."
The man of the true religious tradition understands two things: liberty and obedience. The first means knowing what you really want. The second means knowing what you really trust."
"I might inform those humanitarians who have a nightmare of new and needless babies (for some humanitarians have that sort of horror of humanity) that if the recent decline in the birth-rate were continued for a certain time, it might end in there being no babies at all; which would console them very much".
"Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions."
"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."
"Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance."
"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."
"The reformer is always right about what is wrong. He is generally wrong about what is right."
"Reason is always a kind of brute force; those who appeal to the head rather than the heart, however pallid and polite, are necessarily men of violence. We speak of 'touching' a man's heart, but we can do nothing to his head but hit it."
"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around."
"War is not 'the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you."
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
"The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right; for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequal. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man."
"Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all."
"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."
"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."
"Theology is only thought applied to religion."
"The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice."
"Truth is sacred; and if you tell the truth too often nobody will believe it."
"It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong."
"Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice."
"All science, even the divine science, is a sublime detective story. Only it is not set to detect why a man is dead; but the darker secret of why he is alive."
"Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities."
"[No society can survive the socialist] fallacy that there is an absolutely unlimited number of inspired officials and an absolutely unlimited amount of money to pay them."
"We are learning to do a great many clever things...The next great task will be to learn not to do them.-
"Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it." –
"When people talk as if the Crusades were nothing more than an aggressive raid against Islam, they seem to forget in the strangest way that Islam itself was only an aggressive raid against the old and ordered civilization in these parts. I do not say it in mere hostility to the religion of Mahomet; I am fully conscious of many values and virtues in it; but certainly it was Islam that was the invasion and Christendom that was the thing invaded."
"There is no bigot like the atheist."
"Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle."
"There are arguments for atheism, and they do not depend, and never did depend, upon science. They are arguable enough, as far as they go, upon a general survey of life; only it happens to be a superficial survey of life."
"There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there."
"Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break."
The man of the true religious tradition understands two things: liberty and obedience. The first means knowing what you really want. The second means knowing what you really trust."
"I might inform those humanitarians who have a nightmare of new and needless babies (for some humanitarians have that sort of horror of humanity) that if the recent decline in the birth-rate were continued for a certain time, it might end in there being no babies at all; which would console them very much".
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I Believe....
The upcoming national election, and a few brief conversations with friends, have got me thinking about what my personal "platform" is in terms of our country.... what values, beliefs, hopes, dreams, thoughts do I have regarding the United States of America. To be a responsible voter, I really should pick the person who I feel can best represent THESE specific things. There's not going to be a candidate that agrees with Monica Aho 100%, I realize that... but when "interviewing" for the job of President, I suppose it's my responsibility to really clarify my own stances about things. For myself. So that's been on my mind, and this is what I've come up with....
I believe....
In the sanctity and dignity of all human life, at all stages of life, and all conditions of life. From conception to natural death, including the abled and disabled, all life is precious, a gift from God, and to be protected. No one is expendable.
That our country was founded on the concept that all men are CREATED equal, and that all members of society have equal OPPORTUNITY to create the life that they want for themselves. This does not mean that everyone will BE equal - financially, or otherwise- but rather that every person has the opportunity to work hard, to become educated, and to better their own lot in life through perserverance, talent, ingenuity, and self-discipline. Those opportunities for betterment should be protected. Everyone's status in life is not, and shouldn't necessarily be, the same as everyone elses.
That, when assisting members of society, it is far more beneficial to provide a "hand up", rather than "hand out". Give a man a loaf of bread, he eats for a day. Teach him how to farm, he can provide for himself forever.
There is evil in this world, and our country MUST forever recognize this fact realistically, and choose actively to be a beacon of light and hope to the world.
In pragmatic stewardship of the environment. Our natural resources are limited and precious, and a source of great pride - another gift from God. They need to be utilized appropriately and responsibly. But I believe they SHOULD be utilized.
Our society is obligated by God to protect the most vulnerable amongst us - the unborn, the young, the elderly and the disabled. Those who make bad decisions, as knowing adults, need to be accountable for their own actions. Those whose condition is, through no fault of their own, vulnerable - those who are unable to protect themselves - require our help. I believe that even the disabled have something to add to society, and can contribute to their ability.
In personal responsibility, and that the role of government is not to "take care of" the people, but rather to represent the common interests of society as a whole. That includes defense, education, infrastructure, safety of the citizens, protection of individual rights, and maintenance of common, public land. Beyond that, government's role should be limited.
Taxes are the people's money, pooled together to achieve the above goals of government. It is not inherently "the government's money". It should be used responsibly, and with fiscally sound practices. If there is a surplus, it should be returned to the people.
In a strong, but fiscally and morally responsible, national defense. I fully realize that Freedom Isn't Free, and that military might is at times necessary to protect our country.
In freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. Religion should not be publicly imposed on citizens, but neither should it be ignored or, worse yet, villified by government. A free society respects that it's people have varying belief systems, and it rejoices in the freedom of all to practice those beliefs, so long as they do not impinge upon the rights of other individuals. "Impinging upon the rights of others" does not include "offending others" by virtue of displaying outward signs of one's own religion. I believe that the Founding Fathers, when drafting the concept of separation of Church and State, were more worried about government corrupting religion than vice-versa.
Separation of the branches of goverment - executive, judicial and legislative. Each has it's role, and great care must be taken so that those boundaries are not over-stepped.
In the rule of law, and strong enforcement of those laws. The death penalty should be rare, and reserved for extreme circumstances only. The government acts as a representative for society on the whole in such cases, and we all bear the responsibilities for such public executions..
Immigration reform. Our nation was built on immigration. Problems exist, however, when foreigners enter the country illegally, breaking the rule of law. If we need them as workers, then there needs to be legal and efficient ways of allowing them into the country for work. If they entered illegally, there needs to be consequences for that. Deporting 12 million illegal aliens is not an option. Creating a physical barrier to keep them out is a symptomatic band-aid, not a cure. Finding ways for foreginers seeking a better life to enter the country LEGALLY, if in the best interest of our economy, needs to be streamlined. Keeping people out who wish our country harm (terrorists, drug dealers, etc.) needs to be a top priority as well.
Gun ownership is a right, but has nothing to do with "sports and recreation". It has everything to do with protection of one's self, family, and property. Obtaining guns through legal means does not impede on this right. Laws governing guns can be appropriate, so long as they do not impinge on the right of responsible citizens to protect themselves and their property.
Education is the foundation of our economy and our future. Increased general funding does not necessarily translate into a better quality of education. Teachers who are well-qualified and teach because they are talented and love to teach are imperative. Scholarships attracting the best and brightest to education, and merit salary increases for teaching based on student performance and results will reward those teachers that are best at teaching. School districts need standards and accountability, with increased funding for increased achievement (achievement can be measured by academics, percent of parental involvement, decrease in drop-out rates - many different aspects of successful education, not just test scores).
That the family unit of man-woman-child is the core of our society. Individuals form family units, family units form communities, communities form states, and states form countries. There are other living arrangements, but the most stable unit is that which has been the anthropological grouping of human kind throughout all of history. This is not imposing my religious beliefs or morality on anyone else. It is how we are created, how the species has perpetuated and protected itself throughout time, in every culture, in every location, in every time period, for as long as human beings have been human beings. Aberrations to this unit have been found, but they have always been recognized as just that -- aberrations to the "norm". I have no problems with "civil unions", where any one individual may bestow rights of survivorship, buy a house, or share life with any other person of their choosing - and what they do in private is up to them, their conscience, and God. I do have a problem with marriage as being defined as anything other than what it always has been. The word "marriage" has already been taken, and has already been defined, long before any of us were here.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
A Quote
"Miracles... seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always." Willa Cather
Thursday, May 22, 2008
A Meditation
This is something I wrote several years ago, while camping in a wilderness area. It was a beautiful, quiet day, surrounded completely and utterly by nature, and I felt very close to God. I wrote this letter to myself to remember the feeling, so I wouldn't forget.
In between the green filtered light and shadows of trees, underneath the songs of birds, above the tickle of the river, just this side of the aroma of lupines and pine.... there.... THAT is where it is found. It is here but not here, a shiver outside what your senses tell you. But be sure of this. It is REAL. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, the faint breeze that kisses the back of your neck. You know it is real. So, if you go to find it, sit quietly, close your eyes, breathe deep and just listen. Just wait. Just BELIEVE. There you will be, to the tiniest degree, in the presence of the kingdom of God.
Once you have seen and experienced, it will be incomprehensible that you had not thought to seek before. You will not fathom that anyone could NOT want to be in this place, in this presence. You have caught a glimpse of something you could find only by closing out everything else. Getting rid of the stuff that clutters the mind and ultimately has no meaning, no bearing whatsoever on this pure life. You now have been here, to this place of ultimate forgiveness, unbounded love, and true peace. Remember it! Because in our concrete world, the knowledge of it quickly fades, forcibly pushed out by the details of our every day. Go back as often as you can, stay long, cherish each instant. Move deeper and deeper each time, don't be content to stay at the entryway. You have been offered a glimpse of the truth -- that which is to come, that which is struggling to take hold in the hearts of a billion souls. Nurture. Fan into flame. Walk the narrow path. Believe.
It is REAL.
In between the green filtered light and shadows of trees, underneath the songs of birds, above the tickle of the river, just this side of the aroma of lupines and pine.... there.... THAT is where it is found. It is here but not here, a shiver outside what your senses tell you. But be sure of this. It is REAL. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, the faint breeze that kisses the back of your neck. You know it is real. So, if you go to find it, sit quietly, close your eyes, breathe deep and just listen. Just wait. Just BELIEVE. There you will be, to the tiniest degree, in the presence of the kingdom of God.
Once you have seen and experienced, it will be incomprehensible that you had not thought to seek before. You will not fathom that anyone could NOT want to be in this place, in this presence. You have caught a glimpse of something you could find only by closing out everything else. Getting rid of the stuff that clutters the mind and ultimately has no meaning, no bearing whatsoever on this pure life. You now have been here, to this place of ultimate forgiveness, unbounded love, and true peace. Remember it! Because in our concrete world, the knowledge of it quickly fades, forcibly pushed out by the details of our every day. Go back as often as you can, stay long, cherish each instant. Move deeper and deeper each time, don't be content to stay at the entryway. You have been offered a glimpse of the truth -- that which is to come, that which is struggling to take hold in the hearts of a billion souls. Nurture. Fan into flame. Walk the narrow path. Believe.
It is REAL.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Guidance
I didn't write this, but I really liked it, so thought I would share...
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word. And I remember reading that doing God's will is a lo t like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.When one pe rson realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'. 'God, 'u' and 'i' dance. God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life and once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God,Trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Family
I went for a long walk with my neighbor Beth the other day. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and it was so good to just get out in the fresh air and talk about "Mom things" with another woman! The conversation turned to family (of course... a mom's favorite topic) and Luke 20:34. We were pondering whether we would see our families in Heaven -- still be married to our spouses, have our children gathered about us as we do here on earth. And Jesus' answer, of course, in response to the Sadduccees who asked a very similar question, was this... "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.” At first that seems hard to take. If there's a Paradise, then those I love most in the world should be with me! But as we talked on, it became clear to us that it's not that we won't SEE or BE WITH our earthly families up in heaven. It's the construct of the family that won't be there. There will be no marriage, because there won't be need for marriage there. Marriage and the family unit was created by God in order to teach us about HIM and his relationship with us, during our sojourn here on earth.
The answer is EVERYWHERE in what Jesus teaches us. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke 8:21
Once we become Christians, we become part of God's family. The word covenant is not interpreted as a "contract" to be signed and agreed upon, like a business dealing. God says "I will be yours and you will be mine". We become family. Family terminology is used repeatedly and almost exclusively in describing the Church and our God. "Our Father". The church is the "Bride". We become "brothers and sisters in Christ". Not just figuratively. Literally. The love we experience towards our spouse, towards our children, will be perfected towards ALL in heaven. That's an amazing thought, that we might one day have the capacity to love and be loved by that many, that intimately, that intensely.
So what is family, then? Why is it here? I believe it is to teach us, to give us a basis for understanding our relationship to God, and His love for us. We know, in our earthly existence, how a Father feels towards his children, because God gave us an innate love for our children that is undeniable and primal. We understand that when Paul exhorts "Husbands, love your wives" and "wives, honor your husband", that he is describing to us the ideal relationship between God and His bride, the church. Wives are repeatedly told to submit to their husbands, not as slaves, but in love, because God demands obedience from us and his Church in just the same way. The entire book of Song of Solomon describes the relationship of God and His people as lovers, a husband and wife. When the Bible tells us that "the two shall become one flesh" in marriage.... they become one in flesh so much that they have to give it a name! When God and his Church unite in the same way, the offspring is us... the believers. The Children of God. Literally.
Understanding marriage and family this way makes me realize how "short" I come to the ideal. My role as a wife, as a mother, needs to reflect the love I have for our Creator, and I admit that I am woefully inadequate to this task. But it gives me something to strive for. It makes me realize that my marriage and family is holy. It is not just a legal agreement, but an integral part of my relationship to Christ. It needs to be nutured and grown in love. It is infused with God's blessing, because it is His Creation. It is sacramental.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Echoes of God everywhere.
This is far from an original thought, but it seems to me as if God has created little reminders of Himself everywhere. Echoes, analogies. Jesus didn't use just words as parables in the Bible. He also used ACTIONS and EVENTS. That tells us that God is a God of symbolism. So that's what I was musing over this morning, driving to work during the absolutely breathtaking sunrise over Portage Lake. Thinking about symbolism, God's creation, and the Trinity.
The idea of the Trinity is hard to grasp... what does "3 persons in one Godhead" mean? I've heard the analogy of an egg... shell, egg-white, and yolk. I think a far more apt example is the human being... body, mind, and soul. Three in one to make a complete human. And we are, after all, made in His image, which is also three in one. Looking out over the lake, I was also pondering water as a perfect metaphor for the Trinity. An undeniable metaphor. One oxygen, two hydrogen makes a single water molecule. Again, 3 in 1. The Creator as the oxygen, with the Son and the Holy spirit as the Hydrogen. If you look at a picture of a water molecule, you find that it is bent, like a tent, with Oxygen at the top, and the Hydrogens pointing always towards the Oxygen. Everything that Jesus and The Advocate do points the way to our Father. I was pondering that the Trinity might also not be a "what" so much as a "how" and a "who" of God... the three states of God, just like water has three states of matter. When God came in human form as Jesus, he was solid - just as water becomes solid as ice. Ice is individual and concrete, we can feel it, touch it, see it, it has defineable dimensions and distinct edges, yet it is still water, still divine. God as Holy Spirit is as water in liquid form. The Bible describes the spirit as "pouring forth", and "filling us up". The edges become indistinct as water flows. God the Father and Creator is as water in gaseous form. He is everwhere, permeates everything - limitless, unable to be defined. Yet all are water - an oxygen and two hydrogen.
There is no life without water. There is no life without God. The human body is over 75% water. It infuses all parts of our anatomy, just as our bodies are infused as vessels for God. All plants, all animals - all life is dependent in some matter upon this one substance. We may survive for a good while without food, but not without water. Water washes us clean when we are dirty. Water takes our weight, our burdens, and makes them light. Water reflects back to us who we are, what we see. The water of the ocean is immense, powerful, awe- and fear-inspiring. There is good reason that God requires a baptism of water in order to claim us for His own. I've often wondered why Jesus saw the need to be baptized in water, when he was already so obviously the prime member of God's family - unless, of course, he wanted to be an example for us, which he most certainly did. But I always felt there was something more than that. I was reading St. Ignatius recently, and he explained that it wasn't so much that Jesus was being baptized BY the water, but that Jesus was making the water holy for us - transforming that water into the means by which our baptism might be complete through Him. In essence, Jesus was baptizing the water! That rings entirely true.
From the microscopic level of the molecule to the macroscopic level of the ocean, we can see the Holy Trinity in water. Our God is a God of details and vast expanses. And undeniably a God of symbolism and metaphors.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Another Open Door
About a year and a half ago, I came up with an idea. As I work with disabled children, it was an idea to help these children walk better. It was just a thought. Then I mentioned the thought in passing to a parent of a child I work with. "I happen to have my Ph.D. in Materials' Science, and I know that is a patentable idea," he told me. Wow. That got me excited. So I brainstormed some more, drew some things up, got samples, did a little research. A few months later, I spoke with a friend, and asked, again just in passing, what her husband did for a living. "He's the patent lawyer for the university. " Hmmm, I thought. Did he ever offer advice? "Absolutely," she said, "And he loves to do it for free." So we met, and he gave me great advice. Then, a few months after that, I happened to be talking to another friend. "I never did find out what your husband does for a living" I told her, just to make conversation. "He works for an agency that helps small businesses and inventors get started." No. He met with me, again for free, loaned me books, let me attend teleconference educational seminars, and set me up with a patent lawyer for a free consultation. I mentioned my idea to my boss. "I just happen to know the head of the Biomechanical Engineering department. I'll see if he'll work with you." The head of the Biomechanical Engineering department would work with me, and we've discussed a research protocol. My boss said that my next step would be to get permission from the university and hospital to do testing on children. "How do I do that?" I asked. "I am on the committee. Here's what you do."
A few months back, I saw a magazine article in one of our trade journals about two PT's who had an idea, got a patent on it, and it's now in production. I cut it out and filed it with my project stuff. "See... it can be done. Other people do it." I met with another PT a few weeks ago, and showed her the article "Would you partner with me on my idea? See, these other two therapists did it." She said she would.
Between work and raising young children, my project had come to somewhat of a standstill. It was so big, to make this idea come to fruition, and the entire process is so unfamiliar and overwhelming.
Well, tonight... another door opened, encouraging me to step through. We had a training at work on a new piece of equipment, and who should be providing that training but the very therapist whose article I cut out of the trade journal. The one who had an invention of her own and brought it to fruition, who had so inspired me by her story. She told me of her journey through the patent and marketing process, and encouraged me to continue. "It has been so worth it!" And she has offered to give me any advice and help she can about the process. I am being led to do this, and I need to DO it!!! WHY I am being led I don't know, but if I don't walk through the doors that are opening before me, then I am being disobedient. OKAY, God. I am listening! I will follow through, even though I don't know what I'm doing!!!
Father Jonathan
Jonathan Morris is a commentator on ethical issus for Fox News. I stumbled upon this that he wrote, and it really struck a chord....
"Week after week I offer on this opinion page and on the FOX News Channel ethical analysis of the big news items of the day. It must seem to some I have an unquenchable passion to offer my moralist opinion on everyone else's business. Hollywood movies, political platforms, media bias, sports doping, immigration policy — nothing gets a bye, no flimsy proposal is left standing.
Today, however, I happily step off my soapbox, and put myself and my work under your gaze. For the sake of our future conversations, I want to explain why I — a piece of work, a flimsy project in my own right — would dare speak in moral absolutes, and so often.
More importantly, I throw out a question: can any mortal speak authoritatively about right and wrong? And does it do any good?
In this light, I often ruminate on the many blistering responses to my articles and television appearances: “Who the heck do you think you are (here I paraphrase, out of respect for all audiences)?”; “What makes your opinion so important?”; “Why don't you focus on getting your own house in order?”
The non-religious frequently throw me a bone — a sharp one — by framing the same argument in Biblical terms, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”
All of these stinging missives serve good purposes, no doubt. First, they call me to personal conversion. In my business and in the business of life in general, personal witness is not optional. Second, they invite me to analyze events more maturely, from foreign and often uncomfortable angles. Finally, they remind me to place the individual, in all of his uniqueness and considering all of his circumstances, at the forefront of any moral judgment.
But for every message I receive of ire and contempt, I am blessed to read countless stories of personal growth. “I never thought about it like that before?” “Why didn't they explain these reasons behind the rules when we were kids?” “I'm beginning to see how faith and reason can be friends?” “Why do I almost always agree with you if we don't belong to the same Church?”
Such contradictory reactions to the exact same content sometimes makes me doubt our species' claim to the titles of “intelligent beings” and “pinnacle of God's creation.” I ask myself, “Am I speaking in tongues?”
But then I reflect. Can we at least say some things are always wrong, everywhere, and for everyone? Can we make the claim rape, stealing, cheating and killing the innocent are bad? If so, should we speak out against them when they occur?
Can we likewise say some things are always good? In a world of much darkness, should we try, then, to spread the light of goodness more widely?
Then I reflect some more. There seems to be a faculty of the soul — a conscience — that when left alone, shouts truth on its own. It says, “This is good for you, do it! This is bad for you, avoid it!” When I obey that voice, the next time it gets stronger, clearer. When I silence it, the opposite occurs; tragically, it can even go away for good.
It is as if God has hardwired our hearts and minds to his truth.
My personal reflection continues. If we can recognize good and evil in the big things, with a little search, there is no reason we can't discover them in the little things too! Might it be possible to cultivate a sensitive, fine-tuned conscience that will point us not only to goodness, but also to greatness?
If we can do this personally, can we do it also as a society?
I think we can. And that's why I write and speak as I do, so often, and even in moral absolutes.
It's not about me. It's certainly not about my righteousness. The search for morality in the public square has to do with discovering the truth about how we were made, what we were made for, and the fastest way to get there.
On these pages, I hope you never witness personal attacks. I hope you never hear me break a scandal, dig up dirt, condemn a heart. If you ever do, remind me of who I am and who I am not.
But likewise, if you ever stop hearing me say that we can truly know the difference between right and wrong — in the big things and in the little things — please send me a note to remind me that I have no right to hide behind the fact that I too am a mess.
Today, however, I happily step off my soapbox, and put myself and my work under your gaze. For the sake of our future conversations, I want to explain why I — a piece of work, a flimsy project in my own right — would dare speak in moral absolutes, and so often.
More importantly, I throw out a question: can any mortal speak authoritatively about right and wrong? And does it do any good?
In this light, I often ruminate on the many blistering responses to my articles and television appearances: “Who the heck do you think you are (here I paraphrase, out of respect for all audiences)?”; “What makes your opinion so important?”; “Why don't you focus on getting your own house in order?”
The non-religious frequently throw me a bone — a sharp one — by framing the same argument in Biblical terms, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”
All of these stinging missives serve good purposes, no doubt. First, they call me to personal conversion. In my business and in the business of life in general, personal witness is not optional. Second, they invite me to analyze events more maturely, from foreign and often uncomfortable angles. Finally, they remind me to place the individual, in all of his uniqueness and considering all of his circumstances, at the forefront of any moral judgment.
But for every message I receive of ire and contempt, I am blessed to read countless stories of personal growth. “I never thought about it like that before?” “Why didn't they explain these reasons behind the rules when we were kids?” “I'm beginning to see how faith and reason can be friends?” “Why do I almost always agree with you if we don't belong to the same Church?”
Such contradictory reactions to the exact same content sometimes makes me doubt our species' claim to the titles of “intelligent beings” and “pinnacle of God's creation.” I ask myself, “Am I speaking in tongues?”
But then I reflect. Can we at least say some things are always wrong, everywhere, and for everyone? Can we make the claim rape, stealing, cheating and killing the innocent are bad? If so, should we speak out against them when they occur?
Can we likewise say some things are always good? In a world of much darkness, should we try, then, to spread the light of goodness more widely?
Then I reflect some more. There seems to be a faculty of the soul — a conscience — that when left alone, shouts truth on its own. It says, “This is good for you, do it! This is bad for you, avoid it!” When I obey that voice, the next time it gets stronger, clearer. When I silence it, the opposite occurs; tragically, it can even go away for good.
It is as if God has hardwired our hearts and minds to his truth.
My personal reflection continues. If we can recognize good and evil in the big things, with a little search, there is no reason we can't discover them in the little things too! Might it be possible to cultivate a sensitive, fine-tuned conscience that will point us not only to goodness, but also to greatness?
If we can do this personally, can we do it also as a society?
I think we can. And that's why I write and speak as I do, so often, and even in moral absolutes.
It's not about me. It's certainly not about my righteousness. The search for morality in the public square has to do with discovering the truth about how we were made, what we were made for, and the fastest way to get there.
On these pages, I hope you never witness personal attacks. I hope you never hear me break a scandal, dig up dirt, condemn a heart. If you ever do, remind me of who I am and who I am not.
But likewise, if you ever stop hearing me say that we can truly know the difference between right and wrong — in the big things and in the little things — please send me a note to remind me that I have no right to hide behind the fact that I too am a mess.
God bless, Father Jonathan"
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sola Fide
Faith Alone. It is the mantra of a vast number of Christians, and a dividing line among Christ’s church. What is required for our salvation? Faith ALONE? Or is there more? Are we required “to do something” in order to work out our salvation? The truth is everywhere throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and we have only to look and see in order to understand.
“God alone gives grace to whom He chooses, and often when the soul is least thinking of it… I mean that although we may meditate and try our hardest, and though we shed tears to gain it, we cannot make this water flow”. St. Theresa of Avila
Salvation, undoubtedly, is a gift from God. It is his promise to us, and it is a gift of which we are wholly unworthy. We are imperfect, despite our attempts toward perfection. It is the nature of being human. St. Theresa of Avila said “As a rule, all our anxieties and troubles come from misunderstanding our own Nature.” We need to understand that we all, even the very BEST of us, fall short of the glory of God. THAT is our nature. We don’t deserve to live in Heaven eternally. Yet that is what God promises us. As a gift, freely given.
What does it mean to accept that gift, though? To believe in it? Yes. Absolutely. That is the first step. But it cannot be our only step, because even the Devil believes in God, and believes that He offers salvation to His people. The demons recognized Christ as God’s son…. they had faith in Him as well. The difference, the second step to accepting the gift of salvation, is OBEDIENCE. Nowhere in the Bible do the words “faith ALONE” exist. EVERYWHERE in the Bible does God command us to obey Him.
Noah believed that God would flood the earth and that God would save him, as He had promised. His faith was intact. Was it enough? It wasn’t until He acted on that faith, was obedient to the work God called on Him to complete, that the means to that salvation was worked out, in the form of the Ark. God offered Noah and his family the gift of salvation from the flood, but it required Noah’s obedience and action to become saved from the waters. One could not have happened without the other. “Saved by faith alone”, but “sanctified by works” is a flawed concept. Noah was not merely “made holy” by doing as God commanded. His very life, and that of his family, depended on it.
So what does OBEDIENCE mean? Every covenant God made with mankind required obedience as a stipulation of the promise. Exodus 19:5 is but one of numerous examples. “Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people.” It is a gift, but there is an “if”. And that “if” required a response from the people.
What is God calling us to obey? His laws, surely. The 10 commandments, living a just and righteous life, doing good works. But it was Jesus who explained to us what the fulfillment of the law was…. LOVE. Everything that God commands us to do and be can be boiled down into two very simple statements: “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and love your neighbor as yourself”. LOVE is the fulfillment of the law. When we talk about “works”, if they are not done out of love, they mean nothing.
1 Corinthians 13 explains this beautifully. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Faith, Hope, and Love. And the GREATEST of these is LOVE. Sola Fide is incomplete. Faith alone cannot save without an active love.
St. Terese of Lisieux said “If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn’t lack the noblest of all, it must have a Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members of the Church to act, if it ceased to function, then the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. Love, in fact, is the vocation which includes all others; it’s a universe of it’s own, comprising all time and space – it’s eternal.”
The next thing that Jesus commands us to do, is “Abide in my love”. What does that mean? Live in it, stay connected to it, wallow in it. How? Where do we encounter His presence? Through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. But also, through His sacraments, where we receive His grace, in order to abide in His love. This is very explicit.
John 6:53-55 “Amen, Amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh, drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
John 3:5 “Amen Amen I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.”
We need to partake of the Eucharist and be baptized with the seal of the Holy spirit in order to receive our gift of salvation. It is what Jesus commanded us to do, in order to “abide in His love”. And we must obey. Participating in these activities does not merely “sanctify” us, or make us Holy. Our very salvation depends on it. Because Jesus told us so.
Faith alone cannot be enough, without obedience to the law, which is LOVE. First Corinthians tells us why this is… because only love remains. The other gifts of the Spirit are tools for our life here on earth. When we complete a journey, we no longer need a map. In the same way, when the Kingdom of God comes, when the veil is lifted, we will no longer need Faith. Faith becomes knowledge. Speaking in tongues becomes perfect communication with God. Works will be finished. So what remains? Love. God is love. And love is eternal.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Random Thought
I took the boys to my in-laws this morning, bright and early, just at sunrise. The sky was pink over the lake, and Quinn said "Look Colby! The sun's waking up! " Colby replied "ooohhh, pretty". Then they asked where the moon was, and we talked about how we don't see the moon as much when the sun is up, because the sun is so bright. And it occurred to me that this is just one more of the millions of "parables" God built in nature, echoing the "reality" of Him. We people of the earth are so much like the moon... a dull, lifeless rock, that becomes glorioius only through the reflection of the sun's light. What gives us life and beauty is the spirit that is a reflection of our Creator, just as the moon's beauty comes as a reflection of the light of the Sun....
Just another example of how we are adjectives, and not the Noun. Hmmmm.
Just another example of how we are adjectives, and not the Noun. Hmmmm.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
In the Image of God
What does it mean to be created in the “Image of God?” I’ve been contemplating this a lot lately. As our culture struggles with Darwinian evolution versus Young Earth Creationism… the question seems to crop up. Were we placed here on earth whole and complete as human beings, or were we molded over time? Are we merely very advanced forms of other creatures that cohabitate the earth with us? Are we just another animal? Or is there something more? I personally see nothing disparate about believing that God, outside of Time and Nature, set in motion a path and set of circumstances that He knew would end in the creation of mankind -- that God DID mold us over millions of years into our present form. After all, a miracle that occurs very slowly is no less a miracle than if it happened quickly. And by any objective standard, human beings are not JUST another animal. G.K. Chesterton noted “Man is not merely an evolution but rather a revolution.” The fact is, we are here, we are vastly different, and it is wildly improbable that this happened by chance. Evolution may tell us how our physical bodies were changed into their present shape. Science, however, can only tell us the “how”… never the “why” and “by whom”. “No one denies that a mystery still attaches to the two great transitions: the origin of the universe itself and the origin of the principle of life itself. Most philosophers have the enlightenment to add that a third mystery attaches to the origin of man himself…There may be a broken trail of stones and bones faintly suggesting the development of the human body. There is nothing even faintly suggesting such a development of the human mind. Something happened, and it has all the appearance of a transaction outside of time.” G.K. Chesterton. We are physically animals by nature, but human beings are something infinitely more than animals. How and why did this happen? There is something of the supernatural in us… and that is, I believe, the “Image of God” imprinted on our souls.
Francis Collins, the medical geneticist in charge of the Human Genome Project, notes in his book “The Language of God” that humans and chimps are 96% identical on the DNA level. Of the genes that code for protein (the “worker” genes), chimps and humans are 100% identical. So why the immense differences between these two species, if they are “programmed” so similarly? Darwinian evolution can’t tell me anything except the skull’s capacity to hold a larger brain. This explains very little, if anything. It may hint towards in increased intellect, but not the “moral law” that has dwelled inside every human being in recorded history. Chimps and humans are different because one of us is created in the “image of God”. One of us has a soul that cries out to be one with a Creator.
I am not a theologian, a scientist, or a brilliant mind. But common sense tells me that we are fundamentally different than animals. What’s more, there does not appear to be any indication of gradations of humanity. “Art is the signature of man… monkeys did not begin pictures and men finish them… this notion of reproducing things in shadow or representative shape is that it exists nowhere in nature except man as something separate from nature”. G.K. Chesterton. From as far back as archeology can dig, we know that human beings were HUMAN, in that they drew pictures of things on cave walls, using tools to do it. They searched for the divine, had rituals, worshipped. Even the most pre-historic, ancient evidence puts us as vastly different from animals. A bird can build a nest, but when have we seen it build a cathedral? A cow can eat grass, but when have we seen it bow down and worship?
“For long centuries, God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself…. Mankind wanted to be nouns, but they were, and eternally must be, mere adjectives.” C.S. Lewis
We are adjectives, because we are only descriptors of a Creator. And if we take the time to look at how we differ from animals, we might just see how God reveals Himself to us, through us. That which sets us apart from the animals is that which is either a reflection of God, ora preparation of our person for worshipping Him. It is why we are here, why we were created. To be a reflection, and a worshipper.
So here is my list, my supposition, and it is most likely very incomplete.
Only Humans display the following attributes:
1. A moral law – a universal knowledge of good versus bad. This is strikingly similar across all times and cultures.
2. The ability to consciously break the moral law – to know something is bad, and do it anyway. This allows us the free will to worship God. We choose good or bad, knowing full well, if we take the time to be honest with ourselves, that what we are doing IS either good or bad.
3. Seeking of the Divine – again, a universal attribute of all cultures through all times. Spirituality appears implicit in human nature.
4. Rituals and religion -- go back as far as you can. Mankind has always utilized rituals, and engaged in religion.
5. Altruism – this goes AGAINST what we see in nature. If nature is survival of the fittest, than there is no place for altruism in this world. Yet altruism is also inherent in human nature.
6. A sense of sin – that something is imperfect with mankind. Look at ancient folklore and mythology. It is everywhere. A knowledge of our own imperfection implies that there is a standard of perfection with which to compare. Again this is an essential first step for worship.
7. Contemplation. Humans think about things in depth. What animal questions “why are there stars?” Where are the monkey philosophers?
8. Self-examination. Humans also look deep into themselves. “Why am I here?” It is through the search for answers to questions that we strive towards knowledge of God.
9. Imagination – the art of “what if” and “let’s pretend”.
10. Shame – as related to the moral law. If there were no moral law, shame would not exist. An animal feels no shame for it’s actions, because it knows no right from wrong. A dog might feel sheepish stealing food off the counter, but only when it is caught, as it knows this action will bring anger and punishment from it’s master. It does not inherently know that eating food off of a counter is “wrong”.
11. Intelligence. This almost goes without saying because it is so obvious, but it is awe-inspiring the differences between the most intelligent ape and even an infant child.
12. Creators. Human beings build, mold, change, and make things. An otter may build a dam from sticks, but it does not build a chair or an altar.
13. Civilization – complex government, laws, and community. A herd of sheep does not hold elections for a leader, and then organize laws to govern the behavior of the herd.
14. Appreciation of Beauty. All of nature’s creatures can see the same sunset. But only mankind can revel in it’s beauty enough to sing songs, write poems, and paint pictures of it.
15. Art and Music for the sake of enjoyment.
16. Wear clothing. Humans wear clothes not just for protection, but also for modesty, privacy, dignity, and decoration. It is universal among humankind. The aborigines in the desert wear loin-cloths… not to keep their “loins” warm, but for an inherent sense of modesty, or shame, associated with nakedness. Does this go back to the Garden of Eden? Clothes for protection fits a Darwinian model. Clothes for modesty goes against a Darwinian model.
17. Authority over other creatures. Humans tame horses, domesticate cats. Partnered with this is an attribute of humans to care for other creatures willingly. We have a desire to care and tend to others.
18. Laughter in response to joy. A hyena makes a sound like laughter, but it is not in response to joy.
19. Humor.
20. The ability and need to relay forth history and past experiences to the next generation.
21. Cultivation of the land. We alone can encourage a seed to grow in a specific way.
22. Preparation of food. This also prepares us for worship. Animals eat their food “as is”. Humans cook, mix, bake. In the old testament, sacrifices were burnt, because the smell was pleasing to God. We cook our food, and the smell is pleasing to us.
23. Use of tools – in order to create, cultivate, prepare food.
24. Complex written and oral language that can convey thoughts and abstract ideas, as well as specifics. A dog can growl a warning, but he can’t tell you (or another dog) “there is a man with a black coat about to enter the house”. And he certainly cannot encode his growl so that dogs a hundred miles away might also know that “a man with a black coat was entering the house.” This idea of language, or the Word (logos) is used repeatedly in the Bible to describe God and Jesus. A means to convey a message far away. John 1:1-5 states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was Life, and this life was the light of the human race, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
25. A cohesive family unit, that nurtures its young for years. Human children need to be tended for by adults far longer than any other youngster in the animal kingdom. The family unit of mother, father, and child is also universal among humankind. There may have been (and still are) aberrations to this family unit, but the basic family unit has always been the base, and has survived throughout history. God uses family imagery everywhere throughout the old and new Testatments. God the Father, the creator, and his Son Jesus. The Bride of Christ is the church. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We understand our relationship to God through our knowledge of family relationships.
26. Architecture, building. Going back to our nature as creators, and our appreciation for beauty outside of functionality.
27. The need for furniture. Only humans need chairs, tables, sofas and the like to position our bodies. Animals make rudimentary beds for themselves. But being fully upright also leads us to the need for external supports for positioning. To put our arms at the right height for eating at a table. To keep our heads upright to interact while resting our legs. We as humans in many ways are the most physically vulnerable of the species… we need clothing, shelter, protection for years when young, in order to survive. We have no sharp claws, savage teeth, poison stingers for protection. And yet we hold dominance over every creature on earth. Despite our physical vulnerabilities. We are meant to be aware of our weaknesses, because it creates a desire in us to search for something more powerful than ourselves. We are not invulnerable in and of ourselves.
28. Bipedal and fully upright – which allows our hands to be free for creating rather than for mobility. This opens whole new worlds.
I know there is much I am missing, or misconstruing. As I said before, I am neither a theologian or a scientist. But I do know that human life is special and unique, and we are invested with a spirit that is holy and cries out to God our creator. This is universal throughout time, throughout civilizations - even when the voice of that spirit has been denied. It is essential to our humanity.
.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Dream
Not too long ago I had a dream. Part of it was a recurring theme -- I often dream about being in a play and not knowing my lines -- but this one had a new twist and was incredibly vivid, which is why I remember it so well.
We were doing a play of the life of Christ. A full-on production, with music and dancing. When they were passing out parts, they originally wanted me to have a fairly large role, and I refused and said “No, I’ll take the part of Deborah (or Phoebe – the name switched half way through the dream). This part was of a woman who met up with Christ near the end of the play, on the road to somewhere, and had ONE line. There were other lines originally, but I didn’t think I would be able to handle them, so let the girl playing the Virgin Mary take them over.
So we’re having the rehearsal, and I remember that when the guy playing Jesus entered the room, even though the room was crowded beyond belief with cast members, his presence was just magnetic. I wanted to be near him. I kept brushing his arm, or finding excuses to talk to him, or be near him. And he gave me a hug – a big warm hug. And made me feel special, like he loved me especially. I remember this Jesus in my play/dream was robust – had the obligatory brown hair and beard, but was not fragile, was not even overly serious, like he’s often portrayed in pictures. He smiled a lot and joked around with people. But you could feel he was strong. Later, after rehearsal was over, we went outside to the darkness and looked up to the stars, and I saw some lights moving in odd ways – not in orbits, not like satellites. I asked my Dad 9who popped into the dream just for this occasion) “Did you see that?” He said yes. He thought they were Israeli and U.S. war planes way up in the sky dog-fighting an enemy. So Jesus and I laid down on the grass and looked up into the sky and watched these little lights dance around each other up in space, but then a few of them swept very low and got very close to us. I could see that they were war planes dog-fighting. I don’t remember being frightened, because I was lying next to Jesus on the grass, and it was just so wonderful being next to him.
So then the dream shifts to the day of the performance. The auditorium is filled to capacity and everyone is getting into costume, and I realize I really don’t have much of a costume – just an old nightgown that’s supposed to look like ancient robes. Everyone else is in lavish, ornate costumes. So I see a coral silk scarf with beaded ends lying around, and ask if I can put that over my head, and whoever tells me it’s okay. Then I follow the crowd to the back of the auditorium to watch the beginning of the play, because my part is near the end. I ask for a program, because I have forgotten where I come in – I remember it only vaguely from rehearsal. Then I start looking around for a script to memorize my one line. Finally, I find one from the woman playing the Virgin Mary, and I say “but you have such a long part – are you sure you don’t need this?” And she says it’s okay if I take hers. The play is continuing with music and dancing, and the crowd is really getting into it. Then we move backstage, and it’s time for us to perform a group number that involves singing and dancing, and I flub my way through it because I’m just part of a group, and can follow everyone else’s lead. I remember being amazed at the lead actors, because they know their parts so well, and the play was going great. At one point, backstage, the lady playing Mary says something about her upcoming part, and I say “NO! That’s MY part! I am Phoebe” (This is the part of the dream that my part changes from Deborah to Phoebe). And I insist that she doesn’t take over that one line from me, because I’ve let her take over all the other lines that were originally meant for me. I’m supposed to go onstage and ask Jesus something when he is on the road to somewhere. I really want to play my part, but I don’t know my line. So I get the script, cut out my one line, and put it on the palm of my hand. I keep re-reading it, trying to memorize it, but I can’t. And I worry that even though I have the “cheat sheet” in my hand, I won’t know my cue to go onstage, or know how to move once there. I have a vague recollection of rehearsal, but that’s all it is – vague – and everyone else knows their parts so well. I can’t wait to be on stage with Jesus, because it means I get to be close to him again, like I was when we were on the grass looking up into the sky.
It’s only one line. I had already given up the rest of the part to someone else. But the play is going so well, and everyone else is doing such a great job, I don’t want to mess it up.
And then I wake up.
We were doing a play of the life of Christ. A full-on production, with music and dancing. When they were passing out parts, they originally wanted me to have a fairly large role, and I refused and said “No, I’ll take the part of Deborah (or Phoebe – the name switched half way through the dream). This part was of a woman who met up with Christ near the end of the play, on the road to somewhere, and had ONE line. There were other lines originally, but I didn’t think I would be able to handle them, so let the girl playing the Virgin Mary take them over.
So we’re having the rehearsal, and I remember that when the guy playing Jesus entered the room, even though the room was crowded beyond belief with cast members, his presence was just magnetic. I wanted to be near him. I kept brushing his arm, or finding excuses to talk to him, or be near him. And he gave me a hug – a big warm hug. And made me feel special, like he loved me especially. I remember this Jesus in my play/dream was robust – had the obligatory brown hair and beard, but was not fragile, was not even overly serious, like he’s often portrayed in pictures. He smiled a lot and joked around with people. But you could feel he was strong. Later, after rehearsal was over, we went outside to the darkness and looked up to the stars, and I saw some lights moving in odd ways – not in orbits, not like satellites. I asked my Dad 9who popped into the dream just for this occasion) “Did you see that?” He said yes. He thought they were Israeli and U.S. war planes way up in the sky dog-fighting an enemy. So Jesus and I laid down on the grass and looked up into the sky and watched these little lights dance around each other up in space, but then a few of them swept very low and got very close to us. I could see that they were war planes dog-fighting. I don’t remember being frightened, because I was lying next to Jesus on the grass, and it was just so wonderful being next to him.
So then the dream shifts to the day of the performance. The auditorium is filled to capacity and everyone is getting into costume, and I realize I really don’t have much of a costume – just an old nightgown that’s supposed to look like ancient robes. Everyone else is in lavish, ornate costumes. So I see a coral silk scarf with beaded ends lying around, and ask if I can put that over my head, and whoever tells me it’s okay. Then I follow the crowd to the back of the auditorium to watch the beginning of the play, because my part is near the end. I ask for a program, because I have forgotten where I come in – I remember it only vaguely from rehearsal. Then I start looking around for a script to memorize my one line. Finally, I find one from the woman playing the Virgin Mary, and I say “but you have such a long part – are you sure you don’t need this?” And she says it’s okay if I take hers. The play is continuing with music and dancing, and the crowd is really getting into it. Then we move backstage, and it’s time for us to perform a group number that involves singing and dancing, and I flub my way through it because I’m just part of a group, and can follow everyone else’s lead. I remember being amazed at the lead actors, because they know their parts so well, and the play was going great. At one point, backstage, the lady playing Mary says something about her upcoming part, and I say “NO! That’s MY part! I am Phoebe” (This is the part of the dream that my part changes from Deborah to Phoebe). And I insist that she doesn’t take over that one line from me, because I’ve let her take over all the other lines that were originally meant for me. I’m supposed to go onstage and ask Jesus something when he is on the road to somewhere. I really want to play my part, but I don’t know my line. So I get the script, cut out my one line, and put it on the palm of my hand. I keep re-reading it, trying to memorize it, but I can’t. And I worry that even though I have the “cheat sheet” in my hand, I won’t know my cue to go onstage, or know how to move once there. I have a vague recollection of rehearsal, but that’s all it is – vague – and everyone else knows their parts so well. I can’t wait to be on stage with Jesus, because it means I get to be close to him again, like I was when we were on the grass looking up into the sky.
It’s only one line. I had already given up the rest of the part to someone else. But the play is going so well, and everyone else is doing such a great job, I don’t want to mess it up.
And then I wake up.
Being God's Hands - written when the boys were young
BEING GOD’S HANDS
As some of you might know, I am the new mother of identical twin boys. The experience has been life-changing to say the least. I have always known that I wanted to be a mom, but wasn’t always sure that it was what God had in store for me. Nothing I imagined about motherhood could’ve prepared me for the utter joy I have experienced through my children. This joy has come as somewhat of a shock – I never expected to be a participant in such perfect love. I remember my husband lying with both boys on the floor not too long ago and asking “is it possible that our parents feel this much love for US??” He was incredulous that anyone could love him as much as he loved his boys. That kind of love is humbling. The most surprising thing to me about being a mother, though, is how I am gaining a new understanding of God. I am beginning to glimpse the immensity of love God must have for us. For me. And it makes me feel a certain kinship with Him that quite honestly wasn’t understood before. It has very much been an “AHA” experience for me. I’m just starting to “get it”.
As babies, my children can give me nothing back – at first not even a smile. They simply are, and that is enough for me. I revel in the miracle of them. I wonder if they can even begin to love me as much as I love them. I thirst for their love. I wait for it. And I realize now how God must yearn for our love in return as well. For us to smile, and laugh, and be amazed by His world, and recognize His face above all others, just as I want so much for my boys to know that I am their mother, and not just another miscellaneous admirer. Jesus said “love one another as I have loved you.” I am beginning to understand what a tall order that is! The love that Jesus has for us is intense and overwhelming, and complete to the point of giving His life for me. And that’s what I need to feel for EVERYONE I meet?
Before they were born, my husband and I were told to expect “double trouble”. “You’re having twins?? Glad it’s you and not me!” “Get your sleep in now!” “Enjoy bed rest while it lasts!” “You won’t have another quiet moment for 18 years.” We heard it all, and feared for the worst. Newborn twins were going to be WORK. And lots of it. Something strange happened after they were born, though. I suddenly had very little need for sleep – didn’t WANT to sleep if my boys were awake and hungry in the middle of the night. I had a sudden LACK of aversion to poop and drool. The sound of a crying baby… TWO crying babies… was no longer irritating, but irresistibly cute and worthy of videotaping. And vomit – all over the furniture, on their 13th change of clothes, in my hair – was not disgusting at all. Preparing 20 bottles, sitting at the breast pump 4 times a day, 6 loads of laundry, changing crib sheets, being peed on… none of that was WORK. Apparently it meets the definition of the word, or so I’ve been told, but it didn’t feel like work. I love them, and I’m meeting their needs because I love them. I came home the other day, and my husband announced “I’ve come full circle. The babies couldn’t breathe so I picked their noses. I never thought I would pick another human being’s nose.” He was meeting a need, and surprised himself when he met that need automatically before realizing how disgusting he previously thought it was!
The babies never thank us. There is definitely NOT a glamorous recognition ceremony attached to parenthood. I don’t even give myself a pat on the back after it’s done, thinking what a good person I am. I simply love them and am meeting a need. It is automatic. It occurs to me that that’s the attitude God would like for us to take as we go about His work here on earth. As we love one another as He has loved us… the same love a parent feels for a child, but a zillion magnitudes larger…. we must address the needs we see. Whether in Nicaragua or in Houghton, Michigan; in our homes or outside our homes; we are God’s hands here on earth. We can be the earthly expression of His love to others. And we as Christians should do it without need for thanks or recognition or fanfare. We don’t need a pat on the back, even from ourselves. We do God’s work without thinking, because we are loving others as He loves us.
They say that love is blind. I think that love makes us blind to ourselves. It replaces our selfish nature with something bigger than ourselves and changes how we look at the world.
The greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37) “He said to them ‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 6:27 “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one check, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 7: 43 “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit…. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
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