Overcoming Humiliation

 

The Humiliation Tour is a tale of runners from two distant generations. Jeffrey tells the story of two young men who love to run and who run well, but who have the most bizarre misfortunes befall them. Their stories turn out to be connected, although one lives almost a hundred years earlier. Their lives revolve around running, family, love, public humiliation, and a shared yearning for redemption. As someone who has trained for and finished a 26.2 miles marathon, I understand how stories evolve from running. Each young man makes bad decisions that hinder his progress.  But each has a love for his family and for running that keeps him going. If you live to run, read this book. If you think that no one has ever dreamed of having the kind of bad luck that you have had, you may want to read it, too. But their bad luck is not the end of their stories. Neither, in the end, allows their misfortune or family history to determine their destiny.  Each one keeps running towards their common goal and both will be remembered as heroes. 

Traumatic experiences threaten to drown hopes and dreams. We may suspect that the demons who conquered an ancestor are threatening to overwhelm us. We can surrender to the trauma or we can seek healing. We can sit down and give up on life or we can adjust to our new circumstances, set goals, and live in such a way that we can reach those goals. When we do that, we follow in the example of the apostle Paul, who wrote first of his setbacks, then of his determination to overcome

"Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked" (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).

"I want to know Christ, yes to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...But one thing I do Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:10-14).

The two young men in the novel survive their own bad decisions, attacks from competitors, abysmally bad advice from advisors, and exposure to obstacles and experiences that threaten to kill them. Yet each keeps pressing forward, training for their common goal, encouraged by love, and transforming into a hero along the way.

Even if physical abuse, betrayal by a family member or trusted friend, or unexpected losses have rocked your world and shattered your dreams, I encourage you to persist in loving, dreaming, and hoping. I urge you to identify and to train to reach healthy goals. Especially, I suggest that you adopt Paul's goal - to know Christ and to become like him. Keep pressing forward toward hope. End your own humiliation tour and never, never give up!

How I've Adapted to the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has exacted a grim toll on the world in general, and on the United States specifically.  Over 250,000 have died from this virus during this year in our country.  Businesses have struggled; some have closed their doors, perhaps never to open again.  Millions unexpectedly have found themselves unemployed or underemployed, while others found their jobs suddenly described as essential, and as a consequence, worked harder in a more highly stress charged environment than before.  Doctors and nurses literally have risked their lives trying to save others.  This crisis has been compounded by the subtraction of some normal means of coping and encouraging one another.  Schools have met virtually; churches have done the same.  Funeral assemblies have been restricted to immediate families in many places, removing the comforting care of a community of friends and extended family. 

I love meeting together with fellow Christians to sing praises to God, to share communion, to pray, to hear the word of God read and discussed. My monthly activities included preachers meetings and American Legion activities.  These have morphed into Zoom or YouTube experiences.  Hugs and handshakes have disappeared. Both my surviving adult children live more than four hours away and extended family members live even farther away. Modified coping experiences were required.

First, my wife and I have sung together at home more.  She and I have watched more documentaries and Hallmark movies.  Zoom meetings for me and Zoom graduate school classes for her have provided some give and take with the outside world.  I put my job search on hold until she graduates in May.  I've learned how to bake communion bread. We have worn masks when out in public in crowds. We have practiced social distancing. We have worshiped online, which is sadly not sufficient, but still somewhat helpful.

Second,  I blew past my goal of reading sixty books this year.  I've read a mixture of scholarly theology and history tomes, best selling and classic novels, poetry, books on sports, homiletics, and political science, and all the big books of the Outlander series.  I have reviewed some of these books on this site. I've also finished reading the New International Version 2011 edition of the Bible for the first time and am reading it again (I have read through nine or so other translations over the past fifty years since I first read through the King James Version at age 12).  I've read books on civil rights and racism.  I've read biographies.  Some books have encouraged me. Others have depressed me.  Most have made me think and evaluate others' perspectives on life.

Third, I've served an American Legion post as its chaplain remotely, praying on Zoom and making telephone calls to members.  I spoke about lessons learned from a book I had reading, Preaching in the Shadow of Hitler, to a group of Kansas City preachers in November.

Fourth, I have continued to write, although it has been a struggle at times.  Writing my blog on prayer (https://callforfireseminar.wordpress.com) have deepened my faith and understanding of prayer. Expanding the scope of this blog has given me the opportunity to explore more means of encouraging one another.

Fifth, and most consistently, perhaps most unexpectedly, I have exercised.  Pandemic related regulations in my area have allowed exercise outdoors with precaution and I have taken advantage of that permission. I expanded from just walking several times a week to walking, running, and bicycling (with elliptical on bad weather days) during the pandemic. I had not run for more than three years (despite doing so regularly for the previous twenty-four). Prayer remained constant. 

How has your religious practice changed during 2020? How has that effected the depth of your faith? Has your mental or emotional health been challenged this year? What difficulties have you confronted in maintaining ties with family and friends? How has your fitness regimen changed during this time of  quarantines, isolation, and restricted assembly?  Have you adapted your routines because of the crisis or have you ignored warnings and pressed on with your usual activities?  What has given you great joy during a year that has witnessed a varied of unusual happenings?  What will you miss most after 2020?

The words of Isaiah 40 have continued to anchor me during this strange year.  I still remember that "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31 NIV2011).

The Lessons of Memorials

Memorials remind us of what we value. They preserve memories of heroes or moments that changed history. This past week I ran on a trail alongside the Potomac River. As I ran, I could see the dome of the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial on the side of the river. George Washington's courage and dedication to his people still resonate today. Jefferson's writings still inspire. I walked the halls of a building whose walls feature paintings and plaques that describe heroic acts by American military personnel. I stood in a room and read the names of men and women who died suddenly as a terrorist-piloted airplane plowed through that building at that very spot. That tragedy and other similar events the same day shocked our nation and changed our attitudes toward liberty and security. The memorial, however, speaks to the loss of human beings who were dearly loved and highly valued by their co-workers and families. I said a prayer for those families as I stood there. These memorials challenge me to treasure each day and to use those days more wisely. They tell stories of pain and terrorism overcome by courageous acts and a determined spirit. They remind that tragedy scars the soul even as it strengthens the survivor. Our decisions and our actions lay foundation for memorials to our lives. What lessons will your memorial teach?

Prayer Request

The last few months have challenged me to study and pray hard. Returning from an overseas deployment and realizing that I now had to determine what I would do "now that I've grown up" has proven stressful. My military ministry responsibilities continue and grow, though on a part-time basis. The Soldiers and their families inspire me and humble me with their sacrificial lifestyle, faith, and patriotism. My wife inspires me too with her love for Christian missions, her passion, and her ability to keep me halfway organized. We've moved to a different city; it's good to live at home after several years of living in "other people's houses" (renting). I write regularly on this and another blog (see links; I have to confess I write more regularly on the other page, which has to do with a book I'm writing about prayer.). This county has a great system of running/biking trails that have given me variety on my runs and so helped me keep moving and praying. Some opportunities have arisen for increased "civilian" ministry. Please pray that they will develop in ways that will glorify God and help me to grow as his servant.

Praying on the Run

I pray while I run. I run often, five or six days a week, usually for distances ranging from four to eight miles each day. I run on trails that, while paved, traverse hills. Animals also cross these trails. On a recent run, I encountered a family of screaming humans whose recreational walk had been halted by a snake slithering slowly across the trail. The trail runs along a narrow ridge between a river and man-made ponds. For these reasons, I run and pray with my eyes open. I thank God for the beautiful environment he created. Majestic trees form a canopy over much of the trail. Cardinals, mallard ducks, and herons fly and swim alongside it. Beavers work in the ponds; squirrels and rabbits scurry along the trail's edges. I pray for my wife and our children. I pray for our nation, especially for our leaders and about issues confronting our military. I pray that soldiers may serve with integrity; I pray that God also will help me to do so. I pray for those who disrupt our national life with crime, terror, and slander, asking that their hearts may change. I pray that I may serve with an attitude of wanting God's will done, even when it does not match my own desires. Sometimes it is hard to imagine a Venn diagram that accurately depicts the relationship of my will to God's will. If I think I have the details mastered, but promote God's will with hatefulness and arrogance, I hurt myself, and others as well. I pray while I run. When do you pray?