Is God faithful?

I think sometimes that I have believed a lie. Yes, I think sometimes that I have bought into something that isn’t true. For example, the idea that somehow my sin is too great for God to forgive, or that he may forgive me but never help me get beyond it. Or how about this one—habitual sin causes God to leave me.

In Leviticus 26, God is describing to the Jews how he will discipline them if they disobey his law, and the punishments listed there are hard and terrible to me. Yet, at the end of all this discussion of exile and desolation, God says, “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.”

Note the faithfulness and love of God in these verses. He will not forsake his people, no matter how horrible their disobedience or failure or sin. He will keep his covenant because it is what he does. He is the LORD, he is Yahweh, and it is his essential nature to keep his covenant. He will “remember” the promises, the covenant, he has made with us, and more importantly, he will not break that covenant. As Romans 10 says, “The kingdom and word of God is near you, even in your heart.” We know in our hearts that God will not abandon us, yet we cover over our sins as though somehow we may be that one exception to the rule. Proverbs 28:13 warns us against concealing our transgression, and yet that is exactly what we all try to do when conviction first hits our hearts.

Why do we do that?

Thank God he is faithful and merciful! As 2 Timothy 2 reminds us--even when we are faithless, he is faithful. As Paul records elsewhere--God is faithful to complete the work he has begun.

Thank God today for how he has been faithful to you.

Thanks for reading!

Desire

Desire is inherent in the human species. Think of it, we all desire something, whether it is a sinful or evil thing or a blessed and heavenly thing. We are lonely, so we desire companions. We are sad, so we desire encouragement. We are happy, so we desire to continue in it. When tired we desire rest. When satisfied we desire more. Desire is part of who we are. Even spiritual desire is a part of each of us—we all hope to “leave our mark” or have some kind of legacy. Even the most committed atheist or agnostic hopes to leave some evidence behind that he or she lived and breathed and did something worthy of note. That is a spiritual desire. We need to cultivate it, to encourage it, to nurture it.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Some interesting quotes for you . . .

“A theological thought can breathe only in the atmosphere of dialogue with God.” Helmut Thielicke, A Little Exercise for Young Theologians

“There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.” Thomas Edison

“Truth is always a quarry hard to hunt, and therefore we must look everywhere for its tracks.” (From On the Spirit 1.1)--Basil the Great.

“Preach always. If necessary, use words.”--St. Francis

“The more seriously I take (God), the more completely I shatter myself against him.” Helmut Thielicke, I Believe! The Christian's Creed

Thanks for reading!

God is There

Here's a little something I wrote while I was managing a Christian bookstore. Enjoy!

I like to think of myself as some kind of writer, a scholar or academic of sorts, yet I never seem to have the words to say what is really in my heart. Of course, God is in my heart, and that is enough. Even if words fail me and my ability to explain clearly the thoughts and intents of my heart disappears, nonetheless Christ remains faithful and stalwart. Will God fail? More likely the sun will cease to shine, the stars will blink out, the universe will cave in, and the earth will stop rotating on its axis! Will God be there? How silly we can be! How can God not be there? For God not to be there amounts to nothing short of hell! That is the only place where God is not. Oh, we try to exclude him, to push him out of our lives as though we somehow have power or authority over the one who holds the cosmos in the palm of his hand!

Sure, we try to rid ourselves of God, but it never works. He is there, still loving us, still caring, still taking care of us, still pouring grace into our graceless lives. Oh, we may not acknowledge him, we may not “notice” the subtle coincidences as the hand of God, but they are there. Everyday, in hundreds of ways, God is watching out for us. Amazing thought, huh? The Psalmist said that “such knowledge is to wonderful for me,” and I think he was right.

Consider this—God was in that little hole with Saddam Hussein, loving him, trying to get him on the right track. That same merciful God is with you, in whatever rabbit hole you find yourself, he is there to comfort, to help, and most importantly, to love on you like nobody’s business. Do you think God doesn’t care? Look around you. Do the trees worry about their next drink of water? Do the flowers worry about the sun? Do the birds worry about food? God doesn’t care? How utterly foolish we can be! If God didn’t care, none of life would be good, none of this would matter, none of us would be alive.

I don’t know how to say it—we are caught up in God moments everyday. We may not recognize them, but there they are! Jesus shows up at work as the odd person who can’t pronounce Jean Guyon’s name, or as the young preacher looking for encouragement concerning something “disturbing” he has found in Scripture, or as the mother with three young Veggie Tales fans who is taking great pleasure in her latte and in browsing for books. He shows up as the person who tips or compliments you, as the person who “accidentally” gives you a word of encouragement. He smiles, he says, “well done.” He is There with YOU! In the flood, in the fire, in the sweet times, in the good times, he stands with you and applauds you. He kisses your face and thinks to himself, “What a delightful child! How proud I am to be here!” Thank you, Father, that you are here, and you will be there. Create moments for us that remind us of your subtle and eternal watch of care for us. Energize us by that knowledge and create the character of your Son Jesus in us. For Christ’s sake, do these things we pray.

Thanks for reading!

Please Excuse our Mess . . .

Just wanted to stop by to let you all know that my blogging may be a bit interrupted this summer. My office at the seminary is under construction, so I am working from home a lot. Also, my wife and I recently purchased a home and just moved our stuff into our new place. Add to that the fact that I have had some problems with internet connections, that I have several projects to finish up as well, and you will understand why my blogging will be sparse this summer. I will try to be here at least once a week, but I just wanted to update everyone.

Thanks for reading!

July 4, 2005--Independence Day

Hello all:

I have been having a few thoughts lately about Independence Day and what independence means to me, so please forgive me a few moments of "stream of consciousness" thought.

I was watching the ending of "Saving Private Ryan" the other night. As Capt. Miller is dying (Tom Hanks' character), he says to Ryan (who I believe is Matt Damon!), "Earn this!" In other words, he wants Ryan to show his worthiness to have other men die on his behalf to get him safely home. At the end of the movie, a much older Ryan says to Miller's tombstone, "Everyday I've remembered what you've said, and I've tried to live a life worthy of the sacrifice." Ryan then turns to his wife and begs her, "Tell me I've had a good life. Tell me I've been a good husband, a good father." The amount of pressure that fellow felt was due to the fact that other men had literally laid down their lives so that he could continue living his life of freedom. What a weight to carry! What pressure!

I watched "The Longest Day" today, and as I saw the many depictions of soldiers giving their all on the beaches and battlefields of France, I felt a bit of Ryan's pressure. I mean, my uncles and other relatives fought in that and other wars. Some of them lost body parts, some lost their lives. I can almost hear them whispering through history to me, "Earn this! Be worthy of our sacrifice."

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Hancock and a host of other heroes gave their possessions and in many cases their lives or their children's lives to give birth to a free nation.

I don't know if I can be worthy. You see, freedom comes at a heavy price. Not only that, it bears a heavy responsibility. I cannot rightfully expect liberty and freedom for myself that I do not wish for others. Nor can I expect to keep whatever liberty I have without some struggle and responsibility on my part to "earn it" by my own personal sacrifice and struggle.

Freedom isn't easy, it doesn't come cheap.

Those of us blessed to be born in this democratic republic called the United States of America sometimes forget the heavy price paid by lots of people for us to have our "freedoms" and our "rights." Martin Luther King, Jr., Sgt. York, the Founding Fathers, the men and women of our armed services since 1776--these and countless others have bled and died for me to have the "right" to be free. It is humbling, it is heavy. I'm not worthy.

Freedom isn't free. Yes, it is trite and a cliche, but that doesn't change the truth value of the statement. We owe a debt to those who died to secure our freedoms. We owe a debt to those who serve to keep our freedoms. We must "earn this" glorious right to freedom and liberty. Will we? Like Private Ryan, will we look back and ask, "Did I do good? Did I earn it?"

I hope I can. I know I want to be worthy. God help us to secure liberty on this earth. God help us to do it with dignity, nobility, honor, and integrity. God help us to be worthy.

Go today and read the Declaration of Independence at http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html. Watch an old movie about the fight for freedom. Remind yourself of the debt of gratitude you owe.

Happy Independence Day!

Thanks for reading!

Who knew he lived so close?

“Christ is not speaking to the press at this time,” said West Virginia attorney A. P. Pishevar the other day. Well, there’s a thing you don’t hear every day. Mr. Pishevar was actually referring to his client, a gentleman who started out in life as Peter Robert Phillips Jr., but who subsequently changed his name to Jesus Christ as an expression of piety. That was all very well in Washington, D.C., where Mr. Christ was living at the time, but when he moved to West Virginia recently, he found himself up against stricter driver’s license requirements. His new state of abode simply will not issue a license to him as Jesus Christ, because they say the documentation on his name change is insufficient. Hence the attorney. May we offer a suggestion to Mr. Christ? Perhaps an affidavit from your Father . . ."

National Review, June 6, 2005, Vol. LVII, No. 10

Some interesting quotes

“For us murder is once for all forbidden, so even the child in the womb . . . is not lawful for us to destroy. To forbid birth is only quicker murder . . . the fruit is always present in the seed.” Tertullian

“Whenever you find yourself disposed to uneasiness or murmuring at anything that is the effect of God’s providence, look upon yourself as denying either the wisdom or goodness of God.” William Law

“The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that was not known before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was always there.” H. Richard Niebuhr

“If my faith is false, I ought to change it; whereas, if it be true, I am bound to propagate it.” Bishop Whatley

Thanks for reading!

Quick update

My family and I arrived back from my cousin's funeral safe and sound. I have been busy catching up on grading and other work. They are currently renovating the offices, so I am a nomad professor at the moment. At any rate, the point I am trying to make is that due to the funeral and other commitments, it may be next week before I get to post much on this blog. Thanks for the prayers, and thanks for reading.

Leo

Blogging interrupted

Due to the recent death and upcoming funeral of my cousin, Drew Renfro, I will not be on-line much the next few days. Thanks to you all for your prayers and words of encouragement during this time of loss. Drew was as fine a man as anyone could hope, and more importantly, he had a wonderful relationship with God through Jesus and his sacrifice. Drew leaves behind 5 beautiful children and a wife, and I am sure they (and Drew's parents) will appreciate your continued prayers. I know I do.

A Final Word today--it is funny how in the past couple of months I have come to see this blog and others as a kind of community, a family really, where I get to catch up with folks and give them news of my life. I like it. I find myself thinking of you all as dear friends that I've known for ages. Wayne, Veriphile, Michael--I appreciate you all. Funny how a computer and a site can create a type of community (almost like a church, no?). Thanks for being there, and thanks for reading.

Rich or Poor?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus states “Blessed are the poor” or “Blessed are the paupers.” He also states in the Gospels that it is difficult for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Have you ever wondered at the juxtaposition of those two thoughts? I know the traditional interpretation of both sayings, and I am aware of the devotional literature that surrounds them as well. What I want to consider for a few moments today is the abject difference between the two.

The poor are blessed, but the rich have a difficult time entering into God’s kingdom.

Why?

Most of us have been “poor” at some point in our lives. Oh, we may not have been as poor as the poorest of the world, but we had to do without due to our lack of means. Maybe our stomachs even growled and our heads hurt from hunger. Perhaps we even had to bypass the purchase of a particular item we desperately wanted or even needed. Yes, we have known some form of poverty.

Did we feel blessed? Really?

Did you feel “happy” during those times of poverty? In all likelihood, we looked forward with some measure of pleasure/joy to the day when we wouldn’t suffer such setbacks. We prayed and wished for a time when we would have abundance and would not have to “do without.” We didn’t feel blessed, we felt miserable.

Some of us today are rich, or at least, we aren’t poor any more. We can pretty much get what we want or need when we want or need it. We don’t have to “do without” unless we choose to do so. As an example, I recently signed a contract on a house that is much more than I have ever paid for a house. Homes in Lynchburg are costly (compared to homes in Waco, that is), and yet I can afford the note. I am no longer “poor”!

Do I feel far from the kingdom of God? Do I feel unhappy or a lack of blessing? Not really.

What could Jesus mean then? Was he just speaking rhetorically or do these words tell us something important?

I think it is Matthew who says “Blessed are the poor in spirit” as opposed to simply “Blessed are the poor.” I like what Oswald Chambers says in My Utmost for His Highest.

“The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man—the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our arrogance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to him as paupers and receive from him. ‘Blessed are the paupers in spirit,’ that is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility—I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus says—Blessed are you. That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works. . . . Jesus Christ never asks us to decide for him, but to yield to him—a very different thing.. . . If I know that I have no strength of will, no nobility of disposition, then Jesus says ‘Blessed are you, because it is through this poverty that I enter his kingdom. I cannot enter his kingdom as a good person, I can only enter it as a complete pauper.”

In other words, as long as I think of myself as offering some gift or blessing to God, I cannot receive his free gift or blessing. Unless I recognize the poverty of my own will and spirit, I cannot humbly receive what God has to offer. Like a little child, I must recognize my limitations in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Rich people like us think we can buy or earn what we need or want, God says that the kingdom of heaven is for those who realize that they cannot enter on their own abilities or initiatives. Thanks be to God for the grace to enter! Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift in Jesus Christ!

Thanks for reading!

It isn't fair!

“It isn’t fair!” I hear these words more often than I can count from my children every day. Usually the complaint has to do with some “cherished” position, or some privilege, or some opportunity, or whose turn it is to “go first,” etc. More often than not, the cry is one for justice but from a strictly partisan or selfish position. Given the smaller piece of cake, the child exclaims the unfairness and unrighteousness of life. Offered an opportunity that seems less than satisfactory, the sibling rails to the parents about the need for equality, or fairness, or justice, in the present situation.

We’ve all endured moments of injustice. We were overlooked for a promotion or unjustly removed from a position. We expected more than we got, we worked hard and received a lower wage. Maybe it was a relationship that promised so much better than we received. Maybe we were overlooked in one of our rare moments of success. Maybe our idea was attributed to another without a concern for our opinion or sense of fairness.

Maybe you’ve lost a loved one at an untimely time in an unpleasant manner. As I write these words, a cousin lies “near death” after some routine surgery on his back. He is a fine fellow, a generous man, a husband and a father. He has accomplished much with his life, but he continued to show a type of humility rarely found in a person of success. He is what we may call in America “well off,” at the very least he lives comfortably with his wife and children. And yet, here he is, suffering silently near death as the doctors and family decide what to do next.

I want to scream at God “It’s unfair! He doesn’t deserve this situation! His wife and kids don’t deserve this injustice.” I cry out my dissatisfaction not as an objective judge, but as a person who has a stake in the outcome. My cousin is one of my extended family with whom I feel I share a bond beyond blood. I recently moved to Virginia, where he lives, and I hoped to renew our relationship and even hopefully deepen it. I feel shortchanged by the circumstances, I feel like it isn’t fair.

In my feelings of injustice, I cry out to God for a boon of grace, for a favor that (in all honesty) I don’t deserve. Yet, I want it. I want my cousin to live. Will God grant it? I don’t know.

Life is unfair at times. Injustice happens. God seems silent and life seems dull. I don’t always get the biggest piece of cake. What do I do after I have registered my disappointment with God? I live. I breathe in and out. I move on to the next thing. I trust that even when the outcome doesn’t suit my plans, still my Father has good things in store.

Life isn’t easy, treat each day as a precious gift. I have learned in the last 10 months that this physical existence we experience is much more fragile than we imagine. I do not know when my time may come. I have no way of predicting what will happen, but I know the character of the One who does. He is faithful, he is trustworthy, and, perhaps most importantly, he has himself suffered outrageous injustice so that when we cry “It isn’t fair!” he not only hears, but he empathizes. He understands, he hears, he cares. God may not always act the way we want him to in our situations, but he is never so aloof as to be unloving or uncaring. Jesus suffered so that I could live. I’m alive because he died. More importantly, I have the hope of resurrection because he didn’t stay in the grave. Is life unfair? Yes, but God is just, loving, merciful, and he is here. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Addendum (06-07-05)—Last night, my cousin passed away surrounded by his family. God is still good, but I am sad.

This topic is heavy, I want to put it down now.

Thanks for reading!

Quick hello

No time for blogging today, but I wanted to at least stop by and say "Howdy" to any readers out there. I'm still digging out from under a deluge of grading that needs to be done, so I don't know when I may post a longer item here. In the immortal words of General MacArthur, "I will return!"

Thanks for reading!

Memories of Dad

I know that Father's Day is still a month away, but I wanted to share this anyway. I have been thinking this morning about memories. You see, my father passed away last August (2004), and for some reason thoughts of him have been central in my mind recently. I’m afraid I’m losing him.

Let me explain.

My dad wasn’t very active the last few years of life. Due to his own lack of proper care for his physical body and a host of problems with illness, the primary memory my children have of their grandfather is dad sitting in a big lounger watching TV and occasionally waking up long enough to tease them.

My children did not get to know my dad. Oh, my dad was never the most active guy in the world (I think I know where my own lack of activity comes from!), but he didn’t sit around a lot as I remember it. Dad coached baseball, football, basketball, if it had “ball” in the title, he learned it, played it, and probably coached it. My dad cared about folks that no one else wanted. He loved kids, even his own. I once saw my dad kick a field goal from the 45 yard line (that’s a 55 yard kick, if you didn’t know!). I was in high school then, so dad was probably in his mid-40s. He could kick the ball further than the place kicker on our team.

I remember looking for dad’s vehicle to pull up at the football practice field. I don’t know if he knew that I saw him, but I looked for him to show up so I could perform for him. Dad didn’t get real excited about sports (that was mom’s job!), but you could tell when he was enjoying something. He had this infectious grin and mischievous smile that would literally light up his face. I heard that for almost 10 years after my younger brother graduated high school, dad would make his way to the practice field and sit in his car and watch the players go through their paces. For me, his watching was a comforting presence that reminded me that he was there if I needed him. Oh, I’ll admit that I didn’t “need” him as much as he would like, but it made me feel real good to know dad was there.

I miss him.

Sometimes in my work here, I think that dad is sitting in heaven, in his heavenly lounger, watching his boy perform. Oh, I’m not blindsiding running backs and quarterbacks any more, but I can’t help but think that dad is silently cheering for me. He sits there, intently studying me as I pace a classroom or teach a class or grade a paper. When I make a particularly brilliant play, he smiles that smile. Even when I don’t do so well, dad looks approvingly on his boy. I can see him, sitting there, a big glass of sweet tea on the table, a smile in his eyes, and joy in his heart. I want to make him proud, and I think he knows that.

My last words to my dad face-to-face were spoken around Easter of 2004. I don’t remember everything we discussed, but I remember putting my arm around his shoulders and looking into that face. His eyes were a bit dimmed by senility due to old age and strokes. But somewhere in those eyes I saw the place kicker kicking a field goal from the 45 yard line. I remember saying this to him, “Dad, I love you. I’ll see you later.” At his funeral in August, the pastor asked me to pray at the grave site (actually, my mother asked me to do it). As I walked away from dad’s coffin, I touched the lid and said, “I love you, dad, see you later.”

I miss him, but thank God I will see him later. If your father is alive, call him up. Tell him you appreciate him and love him. Memories are great, but I’d love to have my dad here to hug again. He’s much better off, but I need his smile. Dad, I love you. See you later.

Thanks for reading!

Killing time

Today I don't feel witty or clever. I wanted to post on my blog, but then I knew that in reality I'd just be killing time. Guess I'll go grade some papers.

Thanks for reading!

Some ramblings . . .

Well, I hear that C. S. Lewis is about to be on the big screen again in the form of a movie based on volume one of his "Chronicles of Narnia." The movie, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," will hit the movie screens sometime in December, and from the looks of it, it will have a decidedly "Lord of the Rings" feel to it. Poetic justice, I think, that two of the greatest fantasy writers I've ever read will be immortalized on the big screen! Ah well, on to other news.

I purchased a few comics yesterday--got issue #4 of the new Black Panther and wasn't too impressed. The current writer seems to have a tendency to ignore the history of this character and "make it up" as he goes along. I'm not enjoying it much. However, issue #8 of the New Thunderbolts also came out, and I enjoyed it tremendously. It is funny to me how one writer will appeal to me in some way, while another just leaves me feeling like I wasted my time and money. I wonder why we are like that? No doubt there are comic fans out there who love what Reggie Hudlin is doing in Black Panther, but I'm not one of them. People have strange tastes, don't we?

Speaking of tastes, I was listening to Toby Mac's "Welcome to Diverse City" CD in the car yesterday, and (I can't believe I'm saying this!) I actually found some rap music I like! Yes, I sincerely believed it would never happen, but I like this stuff. No, that doesn't mean that I've converted from the "alternative" sound I love to gangsta rap, but I am a bit surprised that the crisp vocals and deep bass of Toby Mac's music could attract me. Maybe you can teach an "old dog" new tricks, huh?

Finally, I just want to say thanks to those of you who think my ramblings are worth reading. Feel free to comment or drop me an e-mail if you want to "talk" about anything on this blog! Thanks for dropping by!

A Few Random Quotes

“No emotion is, in itself, a judgment: in that sense all emotions and sentiments are alogical. But they can be reasonable or unreasonable as they conform to Reason or fail to conform. The heart never takes the place of the head: but it can, and should, obey it.” C. Lewis, The Abolition of Man.

“Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. But it is their strength that will decide whether the human race must relapse into that state of stupor which a deluded multitude appears today to regard as the ideal.” –Albert Einstein

“Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily; and our Lord Himself has told us that ‘he that is faithful in little will also be faithful in much.’” St. Frances de Sales

Thanks for reading!

A frightening and sobering reality . . .

This morning I was reading some excerpts in a little devotional book I have, and I was thinking about the “absence” of God. Some of the things I read gave me pause as I thought about the concept of God’s omnipresence. Those of us who claim to be Christians (or even Jews and Muslims, for that matter) typically claim that God is everywhere always. That is, he is right with us even when we don’t think he is, and worse, when we hope that he is not. He is there. I think Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled The God who is There. At any rate, I was thinking about all the times in my life when God was present (like he always is), but I tended to overlook that reality.

When I notice God there on the fringe of my experience (kind of hanging around like a brother who wants to be involved in everything you do), sometimes I respond with a sense of comfort (Oh good, he is there!). Other times I respond with fear (Oh no, did he see that!). Other times I am complacent (Oh, it’s just you, huh?). Still some times I am overwhelmed (Thank God you’re here!). I think of the Jews wandering in the wilderness and camped at Mt. Sinai. God showed up on the mountain, and they begged Moses to make it stop! “Don’t let God speak directly to us again, we can’t take it!” The acknowledgement of God’s presence frightened them, maybe it made them a bit uncomfortable. Maybe we respond to God in the same way. Annie Dillard addresses this problem when she says:

“It is difficult to undo our own damage, and to recall to our presence that which we have asked to leave. It is hard to desecrate a grove and change your mind. The very holy mountains are keeping mum. We doused the burning bush and cannot rekindle it; we are lighting matches in vain under every green tree.
“What have we been doing all these centuries but trying to call God back to the mountain, or, failing that, raise a peep out of anything that isn’t us? What is the difference between a cathedral and a physics lab? Are they not both saying: ‘Hello?’ We spy on whales and on interstellar radio objects; we starve ourselves and pray till we’re blue.” From Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard

Our fear of God’s omnipresence causes us to turn off a switch in our minds and souls that helps us to ignore this fascinating (and sometimes frightening) reality. We pretend he isn’t there. We even ignore his obvious appearances. We ignore the God of all, then we say that we didn’t know he was there. As A. W. Tozer notes:

“. . . If God is present at every point in space, if we cannot go where he is not, cannot even conceive of a place where he is not, why then has not that Presence become the one universally celebrated fact of the world? The patriarch Jacob, ‘in waste howling wilderness,’ gave the answer to that question. He saw a vision of God and cried out in wonder. ‘Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.’ Jacob had never been for one small division of a moment outside of the circle of that all-pervading Presence. But he knew it not. That was his trouble, and it is ours. People do not know if God is here. What a difference it would make if they knew.” From The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

We “know it not” because we don’t like the reality that God’s omnipresence makes us face. That reality is this—when we fail and sin, he is there. When we succeed, he is there. When we need him, he is there. When we think we don’t need him, he is there. Even when we don’t want him to be, he is there.

One of my pet peeves is to hear a preacher talking about Jesus’ cry (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) from the cross and say something like, “At that point, God turned his back on Jesus because he became sin for us.” Think of the ramifications of that idea—God, the omnipresence One, turning his back on his only unique Son. God, the merciful, overlooking the sacrifice his own Son Jesus is offering. Can you imagine it? God, forsaking his Son! It sounds ridiculous because it is. God did not “turn his back on Jesus” (look in the text of the Gospels, it does not say any such thing). No, God was watching the brutal fact of it all with tears in his eyes. He did not forsake Jesus, and he does not forsake humanity. He endures when we pretend he is absent, but he is there. He loves Jesus, even when Jesus became sin for us, God lovingly watched his Son. God lovingly watches you as well. Scary, ain’t it?

Thanks for reading!

Some interesting quotes . . .

“There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.” Thomas Edison

"I think that if it had been a religion that first maintained the notion that all the matter in the entire universe had once been contained in an area smaller than the point of a pin, scientists probably would have laughed at the idea." Marilyn vos Savant, The Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame holder of the Highest IQ at 230. Parade, February 4, 1996, p. 7.

"Beware of ideas others come up with for rescuing you from the river, especially if they involve dropping a heavy stone right on you." Eeyore

“There's right and there's wrong. You gotta do one or the other. You do the one and you're living. You do the other and you may be walking around but you’re dead as a beaver hat.” John Wayne, as Davey Crockett in the movie, The Alamo.

Enjoy!

A Sad Memorial, A Sad Anniversary . . .

Recently we remembered a sad page in the history of humanity, we recalled the liberation of the prison camp Dachau among others from the nightmare of Nazi oppression and thuggery. Annually I try to remind myself of the depth of depravity to which humanity can slip, even humanity that justifies its inhumanity and brutality by science. The Nazis showed the dark beastial side of humanity, the side we all have to some degree (although most of us will never admit it). The Nazis were more than thugs or brutes or even barbarians, they were humans that (in C. S. Lewis' words from The Abolition of Man) were humans without magnanimity, "men without chests." Here are Lewis' own words about such people:

"They are not distinguished from other men by any unusual skill in finding truth nor any virginal ardour to pursue her. Indeed, it would be strange if they were: a perservering devotion to truth, a nice of intellectual honour, cannot be long maintained without the aid of sentiment . . . It is not excess of thought but defect of fertile and generous emotion that marks them out. Their heads are no bigger than the ordinary: it is the atrophy of the chest beneath that makes them seem so." (C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001, p. 25).

These Germans were not less human than the rest of us, they just acted as people without that emotion that makes our "better angels" show up instead of the "brutes" in each of us. They became the "elites" who judged other races in humanity as mere brutish nature to be studied. They were Social Darwinists who wanted to keep their race pure, and who ultimately participated in that which Lewis deems "the abolition of man." They were people like us. In many ways we hate to admit, they were us. As one survivor records the event of his liberation:

"The full record of the pseudo-medical experimentations came to light. Prisoners had been used as laboratory animals, without the humane restrictions placed on vivisection. Hannah Arendt suggested that `the camp was itself a vast laboratory in which the Nazis proved that there is no limit to human depravity.' For it was remembered that these experiments were not planned or conducted by identifiable psychopaths. They were performed or supervised by professional scientists, trained in what had been once considered peerless universities and medical schools. Reverend Franklin Littell called them `technically competent barbarians.' Indeed the procedures had the full approval and cooperation of Berlin's Institute of Hygiene." (Sachar, Abram L. The Redemption of the Unwanted. New York: St. Martin's/Marek, 1983, pp. 8-10)

Let us remember with sadness the number of innocents lost and the reality of our own potentially brutish nature. Let us not forget that without grace, we are all irredeemably lost. Could Dachau happen again? Only if humans let it, only if we deny once again our own humanity and treat our fellow humans as mere animals. Yes, it can happen again. Let's pray that it doesn't. Let's make sure it doesn't.

This topic is heavy and sad. I don't apologize for that, but I do want to put the weight down now. Thanks for reading.