It is a perverse feature of human nature that the consolation of a thousand blessings can be so easily stolen by one harsh word, or difficult circumstance.
Archive for the ‘Commentaries’ Category
Thought for the Day – Fragile Consolation
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged blessings, difficult circumstance, harsh word on October 12, 2014| 2 Comments »
Thought for the Day – Molestation of the Mind
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Jesus, religion on September 16, 2014| 1 Comment »
I am currently reading, “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs”, which was originally published in 1563. While fumbling through the old English text can be a little challenging, there are also some unusual phrases that really resonate. One of those is found in the description of the Apostle Andrew at the time of his martyrdom. Knowing what awaited him, Foxe describes Andrew’s state as he marched toward crucifixion. “Going toward the place, and seeing afar off the cross prepared, did neither change countenance nor colour, neither did his blood shrink, neither did he fail in his speech, his body fainted not, neither was his mind molested, nor did his understanding fail him, as it is the manner of men to do”.
While this is no doubt a beautiful portrait of unshakable faith, I was especially taken with the image of a mind that has been “molested”. The word molestation has some interesting inferences, which makes it especially meaningful in this context. Molestation almost always involves a child, or at least an innocent. It also tends to be initiated by someone close to the victim, like a family member, a teacher, a coach, or maybe even an older child. Often, the perpetrators of such crimes wrap their insidious intent in a cloak of legitimate authority, empathy, or even affection. Because of this guise, these predators generally don’t have to break down the door, as their unsuspecting victims willing let them in. And in all of this I see profound parallels to the manner in which our minds become corrupted from pure and simple devotion to the person of Jesus Christ.
More so than the hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world, I sense that it is the false doctrines of religion that have most defiled our understanding of Christ, and His Kingdom. Generally, these things came to us when we were as yet still children in the faith, and dressed in their priestly robes, we succumbed to their implied authority. Years later, and far removed from those circumstances, the taint of these formative experiences continues to stain our thinking, and distort our vision. Like Andrew, the key to our freedom lies within a genuine relationship with the man Jesus. We need to get past those things which have simply come to represent Him, and engage with Him actively and directly.
Thought for the Day – Apples & Oranges
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Garden of Eden, Tree of Life, Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil on August 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I recently read an article about a popular young actress, who claims that she’d been a “born-again Christian” for 4 years. She says that this all changed when, at 16 yrs. old, she had a major crush on a bisexual man, who liked to dress in women’s clothing. Because of her great affection for him, she thought, “There’s no way this guy’s going to hell. This guy is amazing.” Since that was counter to the teachings of her church, she decided to leave Christianity behind. Her take on the Bible is that it lacks “strong female role models” and that though “it was a nice guide”, “it certainly wasn’t how I was going to live my life.” I would guess that her story isn’t all that unusual in Hollywood, or the rest of America for that matter. At least this girl seemed to recognize that by throwing the Bible “out the window” she was fundamentally departing from the entire system of belief. There are many folks who still count themselves “Christian” and even occupy a pew on a weekly basis, who believe that they can pick and choose which parts of God’s word they adhere to.
While I wasn’t really surprised by this article, I was struck by this girl’s utter confidence (i.e. faith) in her ability to discern what was acceptable and what was not. In effect, she’s saying that she’s not willing to believe in a God who doesn’t agree with her conception of right and wrong. As I pondered the source of her confidence I couldn’t help but think of the Garden of Eden, where man first got to choose between the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Interestingly, religion has confused people into believing that the choice was between the knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil, which really skews the lesson of the fall of man. Ultimately, mankind’s folly is wrapped up in his desire to decide for himself rather than to depend on a Savior. In fact, Jesus told his disciples, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” In the end, it will all boil down to what we’ve placed our faith in. For this young woman, who is rich in the things of this world, that will likely be her own sense of righteousness. For those who choose the tree of life, that will be the righteousness of our Savior.
Prayers for Carl Harris
Posted in Commentaries, Personal, Prayers, tagged bad decision, Carl Harris, Chillicothe & Unioto High Schools, Chillicothe High School, football scrimmage, genuine emotion on August 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »
On Friday night (08/22/14) the families, and fans, of both the Chillicothe & Unioto High Schools got together for what was ostensibly billed as a football scrimmage. Even though these two schools aren’t in the same conference, or even in the same division, it would not be an exaggeration to call them cross-town rivals; or to acknowledge that this rivalry isn’t always friendly. But for this gathering, we were more of a community coming together for a common cause; and we spent our energy battling the elements instead of each other. With thunder, lighting, and torrential rains, the organizers of this event pretty much had to throw away the script in order to keep things going, and they did manage to pack a lot into the time they had. Money was raised for the cheerleaders, and for the football boosters, and for the ALS foundation. There was a helicopter dropping golf balls at a target, and ice bucket challenges, and even a little bit of football. But perhaps the most significant moment of the night occurred off of the field, in a place that most of us couldn’t see. In a parking lot adjacent to the field, where many members of Chillicothe’s team came face to face with their fallen star, Carl Harris.
People from our area have likely seen it in the paper, or heard about it around town. But since these words might reach further than that, I can tell you that Carl was to be a senior at Chillicothe High School, and until about a week ago, he was their star running back. Those who’ve seen him play would tell you he was absolutely electric on the field. Unfortunately, if the police reports are correct, a week earlier Carl made a very bad decision, and now he is going to have to pay a terrible price for it. For the guys on the team, it was a shock, and I think that many were hoping to find that it was all just some sort of misunderstanding. But coming face to face with Carl made it all too real. The emotions that flowed out of that moment were as profound and sincere as any you’ll witness from a group of teenage boys. Their tears weren’t for the touchdowns that Carl won’t score for the team; they were for their brother who would no longer be a part of their daily gatherings. Their tears were for the young man they looked up to, and for the realization of what has been lost.
While I would never attempt to defend the actions that Carl allegedly took, I can’t help but point out that he is not defined by that moment, or even by what he’s accomplished on the athletic field. Many of his teammates described him as a “leader” and my wife, who substitutes in the school system, confirmed that Carl was someone who’d stand up for her in the classroom. Whatever caused him to make the choices he made, there is no way to justify simply writing him off as a bad kid. On a personal level, my prayer is that, as difficult as this season of his life will be, Carl will battle through with the same grit and endurance he always displayed on the football field. I pray that he will find that his gifts go well beyond his athletic ability, and that maybe someday he’ll be able to help young people avoid the heartbreaking situation that he finds himself in today. I also pray that his Chillicothe teammates don’t allow this gut-wrenching lesson to pass by them too quickly. I suspect that there are many other young men out there who are one bad decision away from their own disaster.
About an hour and a half after the scrimmage finally ended, I went out to get some pizza for my family; and as I was returning home, I saw a player from the team, walking along the road in the rain. As I gave him a ride home, he mostly sat in stunned silence. He did tell me that his head hurt from crying for the last two hours, and we talked about how your whole life can change in the blink of an eye. I’m not sure what he derived from that conversation, but I can’t help but think it was a conversation worth having. We often try to get past the hard moments quickly, but if we go too fast, we fail to learn the necessary lessons. For now, we as a community need to keep all of these young men in our prayers, most especially young Carl Harris.
Thought for the Day – Standing at Death’s Door
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged death, sudden death on June 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »
We seem to be going through a period where death is all around us. Within the last two weeks we lost a co-worker to cancer, my father-in-law had a stroke (which easily could have taken him from us), and a young man, who is close to our family, once again stopped his heart through his use of heroin (he is still in the Intensive Care Unit). Though the latter two survived, the sense of death’s nearness has been tangible. Then, a couple of days ago, we got word that one of the five soldiers killed in the friendly fire incident over in Afghanistan was from a small community that is immediately adjacent to the plant I’ve worked at for the last two decades. Though I didn’t know this boy personally, his family and friends are embedded in our community; and when I looked into his smiling face, I couldn’t help but think of my own son Patrick, who is enthusiastic to join the military when his school days are done. Finally, another co-worker was killed yesterday in a traffic accident, just outside the plant. This is the same intersection I’ve been passing through, on an almost daily basis, for over 20 years. Though the depth of my association to each of these individuals was varied, it’s hard not to feel a sense of connection to all of these events.
It’s probably a by-product of my age that I don’t necessarily turn my head from such things anymore. When you’re young, the concept of death can seem abstract, but as the years go by, the reality of it comes crashing in. Like these last two men, it can, and often does, come quickly and without warning. Such events should prompt us to consider each day as a gift, and to endeavor to make the most of them. Last night, as I drove past the site of the car accident, I thought about questions like, “What if that had been me?” “What would I wish I’d have said or done before that moment arrived; and what would suddenly seem like it had been a huge waste of my time?” Maybe that sounds morbid to some, but to me, it is a necessary part of making the most of my days. I’m not sure whether the man in the accident survived the initial impact, but if he did, I feel certain that he wasn’t thinking about the professional achievements of his career, or the balance of his IRA, or his golf handicap, or the status of his Fantasy Football team, or another one of the thousand things that compete for our time and energy. If we are fortunate enough to experience such a moment before stepping out of this life, I have no doubt that we will have a sudden clarity on what really matters. Unfortunately, by then, it’s too late to do anything about it. So even though it may seem strange, I’m not rushing to get past this recent rash of tragedies. As I pray for the families and communities impacted by these deaths, I also catch myself praying that the Lord will help me to make the most of the days that I have left. While a part of me hopes that I’ll have another 25 or 30 years of days, another part of me knows that I’m not guaranteed to make it to the end of this one. And if I die, before I wake, I pray that those closest to me would know how much I loved them, and that the Lord that I love will be able to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thought for the Day – Church Growth
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged church growth on May 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The standard measure of “church growth” is the number of bodies in the pew, though I’d suggest that the more compelling scale would be the degree to which people are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Without that transformation, the church becomes little more than a benevolent order, much like the Elks or the Lions club.
Thought for the Day – Repentance
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged repentance on April 3, 2014| 1 Comment »
Genuine repentance needs to be more than simply deciding to take an alternate path; it ultimately needs to be like a military coup. It should result in a radical overthrow of the existing authority in our lives and the formation of a new government* going forward. Without such a change in command, our new road is likely to bring us back to the same destination.
* This is my articulation of a concept introduced to me by my dear friend and mentor, Don Atkin.
Thought for the Day – The Roof is on Fire
Posted in Commentaries, Parenting / Family, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged sex on October 14, 2014| 4 Comments »
I had an interesting conversation with my kids, and some of their friends, over the weekend. They had just come from their Homecoming dance, where they had been shocked by some of the blatant sexuality displayed on the dance floor. When my daughter said that she’d lost respect for some of her peers, one of my son’s friends chided her, saying that he felt like that was “too harsh”, and that “everyone does it”. I let them banter for a bit before jumping into the conversation, and eventually, it turned into a discussion about sex in general.
The first question I asked was, “is fire a good thing or a bad thing?” After some discussion, they decided it could be good or bad, depending on the situation. “That’s right,” I affirmed,, “people want to over simplify things as either good, or bad, but the truth is that most things can go either way.” “Fire in your fireplace can be great, but fire on your roof is not so good.” “But what about a fire in your fireplace on a 90 degree day” I added. They collectively agreed that wouldn’t be good either. “Right again,” I said. “There is not only a proper place for fire, but there’s also a proper time for it.” Finally, I asked, “So would there be any problem with letting a 5 year old light the fire in the fireplace?” Not surprisingly, they all agreed that wouldn’t be a very good idea. “Indeed,” I replied. “While a 5 year old might possess the hand-eye coordination for the task, it is unlikely that they would have an adequate understanding of the dangers involved with fire to do the job safely.”
With that foundation laid, I steered the conversation back to the topic at hand. “Sex is just like fire. Sex was God’s idea, and when we follow His blueprint, it is very good. He not only gave us the gift of sex, He also gave us the context in which it would be a great blessing to us. But sex in the wrong context (i.e. in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people) can be just like fire on your roof – dangerous and destructive. I believe that departing from that context has led to much of the perversion, dysfunction and destruction that have become so prevalent in our society. Additionally, just because someone is old enough to have functioning sexual organs doesn’t mean that they have developed the maturity to safely handle such a relationship. You guys are growing up in a culture that has largely determined that sex is good, and that having the necessary equipment qualifies you to join the party; but I can promise you that both of those philosophies are wrong. I challenge you to watch those kids who’ve embraced that mentality, and see if you don’t start noticing smoke coming from the rooftops of their lives (e.g. depression, alcohol, cutting, drugs, suicidal thoughts…).”
While I believe that this was ultimately a positive discourse, I have a feeling that my kid’s friends are going to quit asking me for rides.
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