Unveiling Hope

Mission Control

“Uh, Houston – we have a problem...” Famous last words.

Last week I came upon an article by Reuters which headlined, “Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god.”
The article went on to say that after having had technical problems with one of their jetliners, two goats were sacrificed to the Hindu god of “sky protection.” Although officials at the Kathmandu airport did not report what the problem was, the local media (don’t ask me how they knew) blamed the “snag” on electrical problems. It was further reported that the airline resumed operations after the sacrifice but didn’t mention if anyone actually got on the plane.

Should they not have sacrificed a bull or two to the god of electrical problems? Do they only make sacrifices when there are problems with the aircraft or, do you think they do some preventive maintenance sacrifices? I wonder do they ask about the mechanical issues? And people wonder why I’m a “home body.”

Seriously though being a Christian is so much simpler and safer. I love that Jesus loved us and He gave Himself as a sacrifice - once for all. No further need for mission control, any other “god” or facsimile thereof.

Truth in Football

I’ve seen a lot of calls that really bite. Aside from the cheesy Subway ad that follows, this ad really speaks to me. What does it say about life and the world when truth speaks to us this way?
I’ve watched a lot of sports in my life and I’ve never seen a referee, umpire or linesman EVER admit that they “blew” a call, not to mention that they’d “make it up to the other team,” (even though I’ve seen them make up for bad calls many times especially between the Senators and the Maple Leafs).

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was so quick to confess or apologize? Wouldn’t it be great if everyone would repent, or at least let people know how they plan to make up for their transgressions? Imagine doing it in public! Strangely enough, people don’t mind “blowing it” in public, but making up for it in public is just unheard of.

Diluted or Pure?

Have you ever sat down to watch a movie with someone who wants to know how everything turns out? Annoying aren’t they? That’s classic me. I can’t stand surprises. TLC would hate me because Life Unscripted to me is frightening. I like routine and I like to be prepared.

The last few weeks have launched a new season for me. While there are some interesting, challenging, and even exciting, things to come, the words “brace yourself,” keep bubbling up in my spirit, heart and mind. There are some difficult things going on in various areas of my life and they are all things in which there is no way that I can foresee how they will turn out. Given that they are all going on at the same time makes these trials seem even more significant than they probably are. Uncertainty is not my friend. BUT, I’m trying to embrace it.

James 1:2-4 reads, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

My nature asks, “When will this perseverance be finished and what will it look like when it’s complete, and - oh yes – what type of trials are we looking at here?” It’s the word pure that stumps me all the time. I’ve been rereading some of my past journal entries (this can be very dangerous). There were quite a few entries which were of the “pick me, Lord” nature – you know like: “here I am, Lord”; “use me for whatever you need me for, Lord”; “transform me, Lord.”

It didn’t take me long to realize what a whiner I am. I jump onto the altar full tilt and then as soon as things get a little bit dicey I jump off, “Oh, Lord – please remove this situation from my life.” HELLO!! Am I making God’s head spin? Am I giving Him whiplash? It seems that my joy is diluted rather than pure. Oh, wait! Was I trying to get through these trials on my own steam? There I go trying to get an advanced copy of the script again.

Sometimes all you have to do is read the next line: “If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.” Sometimes, all you have to do is pray; God, help me to consider these trials pure joy that you might receive all the glory.

The Real Me?

“Put a smile on your face!” “You better be on your best behaviour!” “Why can’t you be more like ...!” “Oh, grow up!” “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.” Unfortunately, these are words too many children have heard coming from the mouths of many well intentioned but misinformed parents. Ah, yes – I too have succumb to the occasional unthinkable blurt.

I spent some time with my eldest son today. I must have caught him on a bad morning because he was pretty cranky. As I noticed how I was affected by his mood, I was quickly brought back to not all that many years ago when I had the same disposition on a regular basis. I had to fight the urge to tell him to put a smile on or be on his best behaviour. In my own discomfort, I tried to smile my way through it.

I was fake. I didn’t want to make things worse for him. There was obviously something bothering him. I wanted to say something, anything, to change his mind up but nothing really worked. I didn’t want to aggravate the situation for him, so I put my old familiar face on. The cooperative one. The happy face. The face that doesn’t like conflict. The face that doesn’t know how to handle someone else’s unhappiness, because I feel the need to “make” them happy.

It dawned on me that I hadn’t worn that face in a very long time. By the time I got home I was exhausted from the 1 hour experience. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting trying to be someone you’re not.

The real me is sensitive. I’m not wonder woman and I don’t want to be; it takes to much energy. I don’t want to wear a mask or pretend I’m stronger than I am. I cry. I hurt. I worry. I feel. I love. I get angry. I have good habits and bad habits. I’m loving and I’m weird. I’m honest even when it hurts – most of the time – except when I’m not being the real me.

Are you always true to yourself? What mask do you wear?

Talk to the Hand

Why is it that some people seem to have an innate desire to be right all the time? It’s not enough that they themselves believe they are right but they insist that everyone else be in agreement. Unfortunately, not all Christians can be excluded from this group. We can also have a tendency to be that way too.

What is our contribution when we are not only right, but everyone has acknowledged it? Does it make us superior, smarter, or holier than the other individual or have we allowed ourselves to take the bait of the enemy? Why do we “put our ugly on?” I think that sometimes we’re so bent on hearing those words “Oh, you were right!” that we lose sight of the entire reason we’re in discussion in the first place.

Conversations about religion are a prime example... Does God really exist? Every good Christian is just dying to let people know the answer to that. And rightly so, after all “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” (John 15:13). After all, that is exactly what the Great Commission is all about, right? I mean, we are called to make sure everyone hears the life and soul saving words of God, but many of us become so indignant at the thought of someone challenging our beliefs or insulting Christ that we end up forgetting the entire purpose of the discussion and it ends up being all about who’s right and who’s wrong. The motivation moves from a simple sowing of seed to “I’ll save you from damnation if it kills me!” Is this how we lay our lives down? Eek.

As the Apostle of Love (John) so eloquently said, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Not everyone believes the same truth, but the Truth is born of our actions and reactions. This is where the testimony comes in. No one can disagree with us when we talk about how Jesus changed our lives. It’s not even up for discussion. There is no right or wrong. We tell our story. It’s as simple as that. People can take it or leave it, or ask pertinent questions that we should be answering in respect, remembering that Jesus loves them as much as He loves us. We are no more special to Him than they are. Ouch!

We were grafted into the vine in order to bear fruit. The fruit of patience, kindness, gentleness and humility are always in season. Love never fails. Discussions about the existence of God for the sake of winning an argument are not fruitful. Discussions about the existence of God in order to save a life are fruitful. We don’t get to make their choices for them. Love is not rude. It doesn’t boast. It bears all things and endures all things and doesn’t always have to be right.

Steaming Hot!

Wordnet defines the word ‘extreme’ as: “the point located farthest from the middle of something.”

Not long ago, someone suggested that being extreme was not a good thing. In general terms, I tend to agree that moderation in many things is likely the safest path there is. However, there is one area in which it is not only unsafe but dangerous NOT to be extreme – being lukewarm or in the middle just doesn’t cut it.

In the Book of Revelation (3:15-17), Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” When it comes to being committed to Him, we are called to be extreme, faithful to the end, unrelenting and uncompromising.

Being extreme has never really been an issue for me. I have done many things to the extreme – most of them not very healthy. I either loved too much or hated too hard. I did too much or I did nothing. I believed hook, line and sinker or not at all. You get the idea. So, you would think that when I was born again that I would have no problem being extreme about my commitment.

Truth be told, it was difficult to some degree to be completely honest about my devotion to the Word of God, in its entirety as it is. Lukewarm. Why? Because expressing one’s opinions or beliefs on certain subjects is considered “politically incorrect.” And while it’s true that I have not hidden my Christianity, I have secretly hoped that certain questions would not be brought up at the risk of making me subject to scorn or ridicule. I was ashamed of that and I have recently repented.

It was easy to quote scripture and provide sound interpretation of what God’s Word says about those “hot potato” subjects. The truth or dare, hot/cold question of the day was “but what do you think or feel about the subject?” To unequivocally and unapologetically take a committed stand and say, “I agree completely with the Word.” That is a risk that I am finally able and most willing to make. I will not waiver nor will I any longer avoid the hard questions. I will not be lukewarm about my faith, values or beliefs.

The fact is that Christ was never lukewarm about His love for us. He was never lukewarm being about His Father’s work. He was never lukewarm about the cross. He wants us to love the way He loved. HOT! HOT! HOT! He wants us to be committed to the Word, every word as it is written – verbatim – always.

Perspective Please

A little perspective please. On June 26^th, a British network actually interrupted their broadcast to go to a live feed of Paris Hilton’s release from celebrity prison.

While Paris’ release made front page and network news, a heat wave in south-eastern Europe left 38 people dead; the fire raging at Lake Tahoe left 200 families homeless, there was yet another drive-by murder in Toronto and the families of our beloved soldiers were preparing to bury their loved ones.

Sad but true.

Your Logic is Flawed

Someone used to say to me, “Your logic is flawed.” They used to say it often. It was a passive-aggressive way of telling me I was wrong – a lot. I believed them because I heard it so many times.

I looked up the word logic and believe it or not even scholars cannot agree on its meaning. So here’s what I’ve chosen: logic is deductive reasoning. It seems to me that logic is relative to scientific reasoning and not so much to truth.

As children, we don’t really know truth apart from fantasy or lies. Our truth is made to order by our care givers. For example: Jennifer is your sister; touching a hot stove will hurt; Santa Claus won’t come if you’re a bad girl. At the age of 2 these truths are indisputable because Mom and Dad told you so and everyone else acknowledges it.

At the age of 12 something has changed: Jennifer is still your sister; touching a hot stove will still hurt but Santa ... yeah not so much. After noticing that the Santa in the three malls your mom dragged you out to is three different people, the process of deductive reasoning begins. It seems only logical that Santa is a hoax.

By the time you turn 21 you begin to realize that sometimes people lie and what you always believed as truth is fiction. Jennifer is not really your sister; she’s your mother who had you out of wedlock and your “mom” is really grandma. Santa? Long forgotten. The stove remains the only constant.

You can change the filter through which you perceive. You can decide not to trust anyone. You can even test out the hot stove theory – I gotta touch it to believe it. The point of it really is this – truth is immutable. There are many truths that are not logical. You can waste a good part of your life trying to fight the truth but at the end of the day – a hot stove might be an easier hurt to heal from.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” He didn’t realize that Truth was looking right into his eyes. He didn’t even notice that Jesus didn’t answer him. I don’t think he wanted to know the truth because had he known he would have had some decisions to make instead of washing his hands of it.

I spent the better part of my life accepting other people’s truth as my own without further investigation. I think, somewhere deep inside, I was afraid it would require action on my part, the action of dealing with pain, offering forgiveness, and moving on. The real truth is, sometimes truth hurts and sometimes it doesn’t. But you can always depend on truth as remaining unalterable. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

When I speak the truth, my logic may “sound” flawed, but it’s not really “my” truth it’s the Truth.

Mixed Messages

On my way out of work yesterday afternoon I noticed a guy walking in – actually it wasn’t the guy I noticed – it was his T-shirt. A black T-shirt with a picture of a red, two-horned devil (with accompanying classic pitch fork), and the caption read, “God’s busy, I’m not. What can I do for you?” He saw me notice. I didn’t know him and kind of smiled and walked by. I have no doubt that he probably found that caption to be cute. I’m sure many people did. I wasn’t offended by it, er, well, maybe a tiny tad. I’m not the kind of Christian that has no sense of humour, but I’m not so sure I found that humorous.

I wonder what someone would think, someone feeling hopeless and abandoned by God, if they read that shirt. Would it serve to root their feelings even deeper? Maybe the shirt guy is a believer and he just has a strange sense of humour. Is it a mixed message? I wonder what God thinks, you know, false advertising, defamation of character and all. Okay, I guess I’m a little offended on His behalf. I know God doesn’t need me to save His reputation.

Here’s an idea. Maybe I could print up a few T-shirts. Maybe I could sit beside him at the picnic table at his break or lunch hour. My shirt will say, “Just joking”. Or maybe a shirt with a picture of one of the NJ devils and it would read, “The devil’s messed me up pretty bad, I’m switching teams”. Of course the backside of the T-shirt would have a picture of Jesus in jersey that would read, “God’s Team”. Did I say it would be funny?!

Better still, I think I’ll start wearing my Christian T-shirts to work. I know that we’re not supposed to use the “F” word (faith) at work but he started it!!!!

Alright, I’m over it. But just for the record, I’m heading out to Blessings tonight after work; they have a ton of T-shirts just waiting to cause a ruckus. Game on.