Frustrations of House-Searching

My wife and I walked through five houses today, searching for the one that best would meet our needs as a family. Only one was an easy rejection; it just did not have the right configuration for our furniture. A second fell by the wayside because we found it difficult to exit the neighborhood because of traffic patterns. We still ponder the strengths and weaknesses of the final three. Among the variables that guide our thinking: Distance to a church where we would worship, Distance to work, Adequate room and configuration for furniture, noise in the neighborhood, security, and access to running trails or pool. What factors would you consider if you were searching? What nightmares have you experienced as you searched for a house? As we searched, and admittedly worried, a Bible verse I had cited recently when teaching a class popped into my head, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). The verse, which seems to allude to God's promise of hope to Adam and Eve after their sin in Genesis chapter 3, suggests that pursuing a life of faith in God will produce peace. It's no guarantee of conflict-free existence, but a reminder that God provides, and will supply the means to overcome. Seek first his kingdom, Jesus told his disciples (Matthew 6:33). That is hard to do when it seems that obstacles pop out of every corner. Pray for us. We'll pray for you as well.

Why do they sacrifice?

Over thirty years ago, we toured together as singers in a college choir. Now reunited, we talked of a new common passion, distance running. Each of us had run a marathon; he's faster than I am. We both have learned that age and injuries may slow us, but we will reach the finish line if we maintain focus on the goal. He's nearly ready for another 26.2 mile adventure; I'm still a few months away. Self-discipline and a clearly defined objective will see us through.
However, we had not come together to discuss recreational running. He and his wife had come to my post to visit a memorial to their son-in-law, who died serving our country. We met his brother at the site. The tree that honors their loved one does not stand alone. Many other such trees line three long sidewalks. Many men and women, most (but not all) quite young, perished while trying to bring hope to another part of the world. They gave up other goals, and ultimately, their lives. I knew several of them personally. You may not approve of the military profession, nor of the wars in which they died, but I ask you to honor their willingness to sacrifice themselves for others. Achieving that mindset required a change of worldview for some of them; others came from a lineage of soldiers or public servants. Societies and nations survive because of people like them who will leave safe homes to protect others. As with running, the military lifestyle requires self-discipline and hard work to "get it right." They did that.
What would (or does) motivate you to sacrifice? If you don't know, ponder why runners run 26.2 miles and then want to do it again, why soldiers with comfortable homes and beloved families will leave them to go to very dangerous places and then do it again, why parents will stay up for a child to come home. If this is not your experience, and if perhaps you do not understand it, pick up a Bible and turn to the New Testament book of Hebrews. Read the twelfth chapter all the way through. Perhaps then you will find your goal.

An allnighter

Staying up all night is much harder now than when I was in college. So when I did so last night in order to witness four groups of soldiers returning to the United States, it took a toll on me. My sacrifice, however, pales before what each one of them gave in the past year. Some of their comrades did not return. Those who survived, served in difficult environments. They lost a year of memories with their spouses, children, and parents. They gained a sense of how living in our nation compares with living in another. They learned what it means to help someone else when the other may not always want or appreciate the help. Many also experienced the joy of watching a light come on in another's eyes when that person receives an unexpected gift. My loss of sleep was a small price to pay in order to honor men and women who put their lives on the line to help others gain a chance for a better life. I had also the opportunity to meet veterans who came to welcome new members of their fraternity, their band of brothers. Families waiting for reunion gave the morning even more sparkle. My wife's presence at my side give me energy to keep on through the night. Watching her connect with military families, taking pictures of newly reunited couples, and holding small children to give a mother a break inspired me. What a night!

Rejoicing in Resurrection

How may we rejoice in resurrection when news of death accosts us at every turn. Terrorist actions, natural disasters, oil spills, and disease end life every day. Grief dismantles joy. When a loved one dies, people often react first with denial, then lash out angrily at the messenger. Anger and depression soon follow. Two biblical stories (1Kings 17:17-24 and Luke 7:11-17) relate how reactions to the deaths of two young men changed when God came into the picture. Cynicism changed to faith. Grief became hope. Death segued into life. The prophet Elijah and Jesus teach us that even when hope seems an illusion, we still can rejoice in resurrection.
The mothers of the dead young men react as we often do when we grieve. Elijah’s landlady lashes out in anger at the alleged man of God from Israel. “What do you have against me, man of God?” she says. The woman also voices the fear that her own sin has in some way caused the death of her son. “Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son. In contrast, the widow from Nain asks nothing of Jesus. Perhaps, numbed by her grief, she thought nothing could be done. She, too, may have felt anger when Jesus told her, “Don’t cry,” and when he defied tradition by reaching out to touch the coffin. For each of these widows, the death of her only son bore great costs for her future. How would she provide for herself? The death of an only son hinted at economic catastrophe for the family. Poverty was almost certain when his mother was already a widow. As Jesus, his disciples, and the crowd with them see the mournful procession, Jesus takes in the situation and seems to realize all that is taking place. “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her.” Jesus has compassion for the woman.
When the grieving mother verbally attacks him, Elijah simply replies, “Give me your son.” He then uses prayer and ritual as he pleads with God to restore the boy’s life. Jesus tells another grieving woman not to cry. He then goes to the coffin and touches it. Jesus did more than offer a trite expression of sympathy. He acts to remove the source of the grief. With words that must have stunned hearers from both his followers and the funeral possession, Jesus spoke to the dead body and said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” “What is he saying? Is he mad?” – Those thoughts probably ran through the minds of those who hear him speak. But then, they marveled and stared in fear and surprise as “the dead man sat up and began to talk.” Jesus gave him back to his mother. What a reunion that was! At one moment, the woman viewed her future as bleak and lonely; the next moment she saw only hope and love as she held her living son, her only son, close to her again.
Resurrection gave birth to faith in both incidents. The Sidonian woman says, to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth. The reaction of the woman from Nain remains a mystery, but surely she shared the response of all who surrounded her: “They were filled with awe and praised God. ‘a great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. ‘God has come to help his people.’ Later in Luke 7, an imprisoned John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come or should we expect another. The raising to life of the young man from Nain foreshadows the answer given by Jesus to the messengers from John: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Yes, Jesus says, God has come to help his people.

Both resurrections produced a reversal of emotion. Wailing and painful protests resolved into shouts of jubilation. The widow of Zaraphath’s cynical mocking of Elijah becomes a confession of faith. The villagers of Nain spoke the truth when they rejoiced, “A great prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his people.” You and I know more than they did just how true those words were. We may rejoice as did the Ethiopian treasurer after his conversion because God has brought us from spiritual death to life. As the apostle Paul writes in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the death through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Where hope and happiness have evaporated, God moves to renew through his word and his grace.

The stories of these two widows begin with bitter grief. Their stories end with faith and joy. However, we must contemplate not only their stories, but also our own. Anger, cynicism, doubt, and fear rob us of joy. We suffer loss. Those whom we love most, die. Employers downsize. Deployments and training separate military families. Illness and injury interrupt plans for active living. Pride corrupts our perspective. We see, as it were, through a glass darkly, very darkly. We question motives and actions. Pain is real. Without it, we would really suffer, for pain warns us that something is wrong. The pain in these two scriptures initially overshadows any hope. Hope returns when people realize that they can trust the word of the Lord and that God has acted to help his people. Then they, and we, can rejoice in resurrection.

Marking a Milestone in my Mother's Life

My family and a select number of her friends gathered today to celebrate the 80th birthday of our matriarch, my mother. For once, we managed to surprise her. She walked into a room totally unaware that the people there had gathered to honor her. We remembered specific ironies from her life. This mother almost died as an infant herself. Only her paternal grandmother's determination and loved saved a frail baby even as her mother faded and died within a month after giving birth. This animated, highly intelligent woman went to college, spoke to groups of Christian women in several states, was married for over fifty years, but did not get her driver's license until the age of 76. We honored her sacrificial love, her sense of humor, her ability to inspire loyalty in friends, and her joy in learning new things. Three sons gave thanks that this marvelous woman had set them on their way into life.

The Six Thousand Mile Walk

I enjoyed a great walk with families from Ft Stewart's 3rd Infantry Division this morning. A kickoff for the post's "Walk to Afghanistan/Iraq and Back" campaign, it brought out hundreds of Soldiers and Family Members who want to show solidarity for their deployed Soldiers. Deployed Leaders and Soldiers spoke to the participants through large screen video teleconference. Walkers will continue to walk regularly and turn in their mileage to their unit groups until they collectively surpass the distance of more than six thousand miles that marks their goal. This activity will fight depression and loneliness by getting people out of their houses for exercise and interaction with people who share their experience. It's a truly marvelous idea. I am glad that I get to be a part of it.

A Refuge in Chaos

A deluge of emotions swirled among University of Tennessee athletic fans. Four basketball players, pulled over by police, were found in violation of several laws. An energetic young football coach deserted the university to return to a former employer in a weaker conference. Followers of the Volunteer sports program were stunned. Comments on Facebook, in blogs, and in other media reflected disarray. Yet on the basketball court, under the tutelage of Coach Pearl, the remaining players shocked the nation by defining character and honor as they defeated first the top ranked school in the nation, and then another ranked team from within their own conference. Leaders at the university hired a new football coach with deep roots within the Southeastern Conference and experience working in a winning program. While all this drama played out, a horrible earthquake devastated the nation of Haiti. Hundreds have died; horrible agony persists. Much infrastructure of this already poverty-stricken nation lies in ruins. People from around the world have rushed to help. Yet some of the aid has not reached those who need it. The Haitian experience brings perspective. Athletics can teach us valuable lessons about life. Life sometimes does not wait for those lessons to be learned and rushes in on the unprepared. I stumbled across a paragraph in the rarely read biblical book of Nahum this past week that gives hope in dire circumstances: "The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who live in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire and by him the rocks are broken in pieces. The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him"(Nahum 1:5-7 NRSV). When all in life crumbles arounds us, hope remains. In a world in which so much evil and horror exists, good remains. God protects those who take refuge in faith in his goodness rather than those who enjoy their acidic bitterness. Patient faith reveals that life prevails against the darkest and most terrible that life throws at us. A playoff loss by a favorite sports team won't ruin one's life. A hero's fall from favor will not devastate the balance of power among nations. God protects, and because he protects, believers assist and protect those who have for a time lost the ability to care for themselves. University of Tennessee students and fans will survive the recent upheavals in their athletic department. The people of Haiti will emerge from this crisis. Even in the midst of apparent chaos, order remains and hope persists.

Sifting for the Significant

A new year begins even as we sort out the significant from the year before. We reflect on what happened last year. I accomplished some of my goals in 2009. I took my wife to Disneyworld for her first visit. Following up on a suggestion at a seminar for chaplains that I attended, I started reading the Quran (and finished today). Reading it both dismissed and confirmed opinions I had had concerning Islam. Much prejudice is based on ignorance. Security requires knowledge. Understanding demands knowing enough to have a conversation. I reconnected with old friends at the Freed-Hardeman University Bible Lectureship and on Facebook. My work responsibilities shifted during the year in ways that helped me to learn new skills and gain a greater appreciation for the complexity of our national defense. Singing gives me great joy. The Diana Singing for forty years has given Christians the opportunity to stay up all night singing praises to God and having great fellowship. The past two years I have participated in that magnificent celebration of God's love for his people. Patrick Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer reminded me how that horrible disease killed my father. Perhaps someone quickly will find an answer, or at least a way for quicker recognition, for that illness. Each of my children found a way to make me proud during the year. While each may stumble, as is the tendency of people their age, I pray that they will continue to mature and succeed in ways that will bless not only themselves, but the world around them. Faith, family, and friends enrich my life. I pray that my love and my work will return the favor.

Veterans Day Thoughts

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served. We've had tragic reminders of the risks that our soldiers experience during the last few days. A soldier appears to have killed his fellow soldiers at Ft Hood. Soldiers have died in helicopter crashes in combat zones. Other soldiers have died in tragic accidents or by their own hand. I've participated in memorial ceremonies and in exercises intended to increase safety of our soldiers when they are home this last week. Please pray for our soldiers that they may grow in resilience and that each one may grow in faith in a way that will ultimately produce mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Still More Pursuing Peace

Ephesians 5:15-20 gives more guidance on finding peace. Rather than finding a temporary peace in drunkenness, the apostle Paul instructs to be filled, not with spirits that you drink, but with the Spirit of God. Wisely make the most of every opportunity; Christians are people of action for good in a world in which many act for evil. Note: Act wisely. Carefully examine charges against others. Avoid gossip. Also, he says encourage and seek encouragement from other Christians by instructing one another in song. When we sing, we do so to teach and encourage, not just to enjoy a pleasant melody or to rock to a pulsing rhythm. This speaking to one another in song also conveys an implied task, assembling to worship with other Christians. It is when we meet together in worship that we speak to one another in song. We do not find peace in isolation. Adopt an attitude of gratitude, “always giving thanks to God for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we search for problems or mistakes, we will find them. When we search for evidence of God’s grace, we will find peace.
John 6:51-58 also gives guidance in our search for peace, but the words of Jesus there may frighten or even disgust us at first, just as they did many of those who first heard them. Jesus says here in riveting terms what he says more mildly in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Follow Jesus and you find the path to peace. This is not an easy path. It is not for the faint of heart. The words of Jesus here led early opponents to accuse his disciples of cannibalism. Those accusations were false. These words also have significance for us when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, something early Christians made a point to do when they met together. But eating the bread and drinking the cup of the Lord’s Supper do not exhaust the meaning of these words. Jesus calls us to follow him with fervent faith and intensity of spirit. We obey his will, whatever the consequences. I give a word of caution here: We always must beware of thinking what we want is what God wants. Study hard, pray hard, and determine God’s will after careful consideration of the facts. Then act in faith with trust in God. Jesus says here that if we follow him with a consuming faith, we will find life - we will know peace. Many people left Jesus when he spoke this call to radical discipleship. Peter however understood, and told Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Jesus calls a man, he bids him come and die.” When we give everything to Christ in faith, when we die to sin, and are buried in baptism, we arise into a new life, Romans 6 says. In that Christ focused life, we find peace. To be sure problems remain. Like David, like Peter, like Paul, we will still stumble as we go forward. But if like them, we maintain our focus on our Savior, we will reach our goal.
I began by talking about international, community, and personal searches for peace. Most of our lesson has concentrated on the personal search. I submit to you, however, that peace in the community, in the nation, and in the world, begins as each individual finds peace and seeks to help others find the way. Pursuing peace does not mean avoiding conflict, letting people abuse others, or refusing to interact with others because after all, they are not perfect. The passages and examples we have examined counsel us to pray for wisdom and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, to tell truth, to avoid slander, gossip, and to make the most of every opportunity, to assemble and sing songs of instruction and joy with other Christians, and to adopt an attitude of gratitude. Our course of action is to follow Jesus with an intensity and fervent focus that may frighten our friends until they realize that we have found a peace that they too can share. So today, we stand before Jesus. Are we focused? Will we act for him? Now is not the time to cower or to say, I can do nothing. It is the time to say, “Just as I am, Lord, I come.”

Still Pursuing Peace

Yesterday I started to write about pursuing peace. Next we turn to the perspective of a Hebrew poet, perhaps King Solomon’s father David, in Psalm 34: 9-14. Do you seek peace? Seek the Lord. Fear him, abstain from slander, and tell the truth. Aggressively seek peace. The admonition to “Seek peace and pursue it” is quoted in the New Testament. We cannot accept continual conflict. We must keep on searching for answers. We reach the goal of our quest, Psalm 34 insists, by speaking truth, by treating others fairly, and by avoiding evil and doing good. We reach our goal however not merely by doing good deeds, but by living with direction – We seek the Lord. As Jesus said (Mt. 6:33), “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Pursuing Peace

We seek peace, but peace eludes us. It slips away just when we think it firmly in our grasp. Whether that peace is internal, a local community’s, or international, all of us know the frustration of searching for harmony in a discordant world. For decades, world leaders have labored to achieve peace in Palestine, to bring unity to Afghanistan, to forge territorial integrity, governments that respect people and use resources wisely in Africa. Those efforts continue. In our own nation, opposite ends of the political spectrum profess to fear greatly what will befall our society if the other side pursues their agenda fully. Tensions continue between races and between people from different economic, educational, and religious backgrounds. In our homes, anger, cynicism, distrust, and harmful lifestyles disrupt domestic bliss. Even within ourselves, we find ourselves echoing those words of the apostle Paul in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Where can we find the peace that eludes us? I want to examine passages of Scripture that identify paths that lead away from peace and roads that lead to it. I want to conclude by describing a course of action that will lead us to an enduring peace.
Let’s look first at a young man who has just assumed a position of national leadership: King Solomon of Israel, son of David. 1 Kings 3 describes how after the king had spent a day in worship to God, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever want me to give you.” In response, Solomon asked for a discerning heart to govern his people and to distinguish between right and wrong. In his dream, God looked favorably upon his response and promised him that if he would walk in his ways and obey his commands, he would grant him long life. Solomon, however, did not always do that. Several biblical passages describe how he strayed from the course in his latter years. The book of Ecclesiastes, many believe, describes his spiritual quest for peace. The writer, perhaps Solomon himself, describes how he searched for peace in wealth, in education, in all kinds of pleasure, and in excess. It all was in vain. Solomon’s search is reflected in the choices we and our contemporaries make. People crave wealth. They gamble, steal, invest, and work long, hard hours of overtimes to achieve it. Scholars go to school endlessly and then seek to stay one step ahead of rivals in research and publishing. Soldiers push for perfection in fitness, or seek peace in the freedom of speeding on a motorcycle. They drink too much alcohol or try to out do their peers in terms of sexual conquests. We too fail. Financial recklessness produces the kind of economic wreckage plaguing many of our countrymen. Too many soldiers are dying in motorcycle accidents. Alcohol abuse contributes to spouse abuse; suicide rates increase on our military posts and among our youth in general. Solomon concludes in the final verse of Ecclesiastes, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, for God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." I will continue this subject in my next posting.

Thoughts on Gospel Meetings

I went to gospel meetings as a child. I very vaguely remember one when I was four when my father told me the preacher was named N.B. Hardeman. I also heard Guy Woods and a host of others. I remember sitting in congregations where Christians expected someone to come down the aisle for baptism. I confess that I took my infant daughter to two gospel meetings in the first month of her life. Reuel Lemmons held her in his arms; Guy Woods shook her little hand. I know about the RVers who sacrifice their time and give it to the Lord. I was part of a congregation last year that though known as a progressive church regressed (I'm joking here) in having them and had more baptisms that week than in the rest of year: people who weren’t going to church anywhere, who came from very different economic strata, and were of various races. Those gospel meetings of my youth, if nothing else, added to my knowledge of the God’s word, and to my love for congregational singing, and to my awareness that there are people in the world who truly are lost, who need an excuse and a venue to hear good news, who sometimes are the people who are there every time the church door opens, looking for a crumb of gospel. It troubles me that some people disparage congregations who give their members and their community extra opportunities to hear a message about Jesus. I truly regret that some belittle Christians who travel hundreds of miles (when perhaps older in poor health themselves) to walk down the streets of strange cities and talk to people they don't know about Jesus. Let’s look for the grace of God at work in our churches and our history. Let's give our neighbors a chance to know Jesus and how we relate to him. Gospel Meetings or Revivals may not be the best way to present the Gospel in our time. They are however one method that can strengthen congregations by renewing evangelistic zeal, by increasing the biblical knowledge of members as well as visitors, and by introducing preachers from other places (which might actually build unity).

Taking Time to Play

A visit to Disney World this last week impressed on me just how stressed I had allowed myself to become. It took two days for me to relax enough to enjoy playing and learning as my wife and I visited three of the resorts. The most restful day was the last one, which we spent at the Animal Kingdom. Seeing a variety of animals, walking through educational venues, and enjoying such comedic animated shows as "It's Hard to be a Bug!" really rejuvenated me. While it is critically important to work, we also must take time to laugh and to love.

Visits to Freed-Hardeman University and the Diana Singing

My wife and I took a road trip into Tennessee this past week. Our first highlight was visiting the place where we first met thirty-two years ago – Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. The school’s appearance has changed some since then. The Milan-Sitka Building, constructed in 1897 and site of several of our favorite classes, has been leveled, as has the old Art Building where, somewhat incongruously, although some describe preaching as an art, I was a student in Preparation and Delivery of Sermons (Prep n’ Del) with Dr. Tom Holland. My “battle buddy” in that class, Samuel Jones, is now the Academic Dean. He actually was the first person who greeted us when we arrived on campus. After talking with him, we visited my wife’s college roommate, who now is secretary to the President of the University. The tennis court where my wife and I met is now the site of the campus bookstore. Despite that change, what impressed both of us is how attention to landscaping and green space has greatly improved the appearance of the campus. New dormitories and academic buildings also contribute to a more beautiful campus. We sat on a swing outside Dixon Hall, just as we did in 1977, and reminisced. Students still attend chapel each day; the beauty of their singing and the level of participation impressed us. If these students are in any way a barometer for the future of the church and the nation, we can be quite optimistic. After we left FHU, we traveled to a small church’s grounds in Diana, Tennessee. Twice each year, thousands of Christians converge on a large shed there to sing praises to God from 7:30 in the evening until early the next morning. We left at 1:30 and people were still singing. My old preaching teacher Tom Holland helped start this singing in 1969 and still is one of its masters of ceremony. In addition to singing (all a cappella and all congregational), attendees commemorated the terrible events of 11 September 2001 and honored the oldest (90 for women and 87 for men), youngest (three weeks), and one who came the farthest to sing (from Alaska; an attendee from Hawaii left before the presentation) of those present. Attendance was greater and more persevering this year than last year; several hundred remained as late as 1:00 in the morning. The website for the singing is www.dianasinging.com. If you love singing and the Lord, it’s a great experience.

Hope on Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day! It has always intrigued me that so many celebrate work by taking the day off. I hope to do that as well, but since I'm on call this weekend, I may very well work on Labor Day. I'm unsure whether my desire is selfish or altruistic, but I pray that families may avoid conflict, that celebrations may remain times of joy marked by moderation in consumption of drink and food, and that drivers will focus on safety rather than careen from lane to lane with a cellphone to their ear while they argue with a spouse. My "holiday" weekend began with holy behavior this weekend, giving hope (and food) to people who didn't have enough of either to feed their families. Over the past few weeks, I noticed a concern for the poor in several seemingly unrelated Bible passages: Acts chapters 2 and 4 rejoicing that there were no poor among the earliest followers of Jesus because the rich sold possessions and gave to the poor, Ezekiel including a lack of concern for the poor as a primary reason for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Deuteronomy's entreaties to leave grain behind in the fields for travelers and the poor, and the apostle Paul's campaigns to raise funds for the poor. The Bible records caring for the poor by practicers of religion, but also in the Old Testament especially states that nations should help their less fortunate citizens. This Labor Day, I know that some who want to work badly have no job. Others who are ill cannot afford treatment. Let's work to find a path to hope for these people.

Remembering Who I Am

I have the most problems when I forget who I am and whose I am. No, I don’t suffer from short-term memory loss. At least I have no memory of such loss. Troubles accumulate when I approach a decision and forget that I am a Christian, a member of the family of God. When my brothers and I left home as adolescents, our father would often exhort, “Remember who you are.” Besides belonging to God, he wanted us also to remember that we came from a family where we had learned to respect others, to obey the law, to make ethical decisions, and to love one another. When the moment of decision looms, practicing those values solidifies my identity. When I forsake them, my moral amnesia leaves me gasping in fear, all too aware of what I have lost. Family, of origin and of God, fortifies me against all that is wrong in the world.

Seeking the Salvation of our Nation

I've been reflecting on 1 Timothy 2:1-3 lately. There the apostle Paul writes, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior." We live in tempestuous times, as did Paul. The emperor for whom he told Christians to pray was pagan religiously and a persecutor of Christians. Rather than frontal assault by protest marches, the Christian writer advocates prayer for this ruler. He offers this prayer, later verses reveal, in the context of God's desire to save humanity. A prayer for a ruler includes prayer for his health, for his family, that he will govern in the way that will best serve his nation's citizens, and that he too will know the saving grace of God by obeying God's will. I have read and heard (on television and radio) caustic attacks on our nations leaders (both Democrat and Republican). Some of the most bitter attacks came from professed Christians, and at times simply were false. We can work for good causes without slandering our leaders. Let's pray for our President and other leaders of our government and military. If we want a particular course of action to succeed, let's do our homework, learn details of the situation, write letters to our leaders, participate as informed, well-mannered citizens in town hall meetings, and present to the public and leaders the gracefulness and joy that comes with being a servant of God. Let's lift up holy hands, in prayer, without anger and disputing (check out 1 Timothy 2:8). Let's seek the salvation of our country, our leaders, and ourselves with behavior that God approves.

When Others Misunderstand

Isakson’s awkward contortions on end-of-life counseling

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Sometimes it just seems like no good deed goes unpunished. In the article attached, the discomfort of a Senator after an amendment he sponsored is first expanded by the other party and then attacked by his own, illustrates that. I'm sure that the congressman wanted to encourage senior citizens to take positive steps to help themselves and to remove stress from their loved ones. Now he has to defend or renounce what he did, it seems. While this situation is more intricate than I have described, it does resemble what often happens in life. Someone tries to do a good deed for others, then another misunderstands his action and denounces him. If you have never been there, I rejoice for you. It is a most uncomfortable place. It reminds us to examine ourselves before we act. When we consider the consequences of what we do, when we believe we act for the good of others and are in the will of God, we should move ahead boldly. If others misunderstand, lets stand by our action. If our action was based on misunderstanding, then we should apologize and try to correct what we have done. And in all things, seek to see evidence of the grace of God at work.

I'm back!

I've taken a break from blogging the last year or so. I have decided to revive my blogsite. The focus will continue to be encouraging and searching for means to reconcile in our society where so many seem intent on dividing. Whether in marriages, religious disputes, or political dialogues, cultivating the art of listening is crucial. Patience also is, in that sometimes one must take the time to conduct research and determine whether a claim about an individual, institution, or legislation actually is true. I'll admit that sometime a story in the media will catch my eye and I will be livid about an outrageous action or belief that someone allegedly has taken or has espoused. Too often, when I investigate, I discover that the charge was false. What I try to do (It's difficult at times!) is think the best of people and treat them the way I would want to be treated. Hmm, didn't Jesus say something about that being the summation of the Law and the Prophets? Well, I'm back, and in the future hopefully will return more to my previous format.