Christmas Lights

Already Christmas lights are lit in surrounding communities poking holes of light into the dark nights of December. There is something comforting about seeing those lights, whether in a solitary house on a rural road or in numerous windows in an urban community. They seem to shine in such a way that they announce that the bleakness of winter is not going to win. The sparkle of light thrust into the darkness somehow deflates the dome of gloom often associated with shorter days and longer nights of winter. They portend that from dark nights there will again emerge days where we will again enjoy the sun-warmed days of Spring. One might say the Christmas lights both illuminate our vision and brighten our spirits.

         It is interesting how lights became associated with Christmas. Historians tell us ancient peoples often lit lights during winter solstice celebrations as a way of reminding themselves that spring would soon come. Many historians conclude that with the indefinite birth date of Jesus that the early church simply picked a date to commemorate the birth of Christ. Western Christians of the early church decided upon December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus. When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity we have a record of the first official Christmas celebration occurring on December 25, 336 A.D.. The date may have been selected with a desire to provide an alternative to the Roman “birthday of the unconquered sun” celebrated on or around the winter solstice. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.), wrote, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of Him who made it.”

     The lights of Christmas are an appropriate symbol of Jesus Christ who identified himself as the “light of the world” (John 8:12). In addition to using this description of Himself, He also said how people in a dark world reacted to the light. He said, “The Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil” (3:19-20). We have all had the experience of being in a darkened room and suddenly someone throws a switch turning on a bright light. The natural response is to somehow shield our eyes from the brightness flooding the room and overwhelming the darkness. Jesus used light to both define Himself and describe the reaction He would receive because of who He was.

     Christmas lights also remind me of who I am to be as a follower of Jesus. Jesus said to those who would follow him, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Who Jesus is, “the light of the world,” is to be what His followers are to be. In fact, the Apostle John said firmly, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”(1 John 1:5-6). Life must match lip.

     The very life that Jesus lived on planet earth supported the claims of who He said He was. Could this be true of those today describing themselves as “Christian?” The first time followers of Jesus were called Christians was by the people of Antioch (Acts 11:26). When followers of Christ came to this city, Brian Kammerzelt writes they, “Began breaking down the dividing barriers in a way that upset the society’s existing categories. People from all parts of the city—Jews and Gentiles alike—were suddenly coming together. This group of people was redefining community in a radical and unprecedented way, so much so, that a new word was needed to categorize what in the world was happening.” They coined a new term to describe them, Christian – “little Christs” – the ending “-ian” means “belonging to the party of,” essentially “the Jesus’ party.” It wasn’t a derisive term; it was a reflective term. As “lights” in that city they reflected the Jesus they said they followed. When they did, the barriers between people were dissolved and the culture around them noticed. It is hard to overlook light in a dark place.

     Our world right now seems to be in a dark place. It needs people who are so committed to reflecting the character of Jesus that they are not defined as being a part of a national political party but as “belonging to the party of Jesus.” Reflect love not hatred, peace not turmoil, hope not despair, joy not anger, control not chaos, compassion not indifference, sacrifice not selfishness, and benevolence not bickering. Let’s see Christmas lights as a reminder of whose birth we celebrate and reflect on how we are to live. Enjoy the Christmas lights as you acknowledge Jesus’ birth!  

Who Me?

The political discussion in recent months has put the word “hypocrisy” in the spotlight and most frequently used by people of opposing viewpoints to attack one another. To clarify, the simple definition of hypocrisy according to Merriam-Webster is “the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do: behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel.” Lest we come down too severely upon those in the political arena, Brennan Manning reminds us, “Hypocrisy is not the prerogative of people in high places. The most impoverished among us is capable of it. Hypocrisy is the natural expression of what is meanest in us all.”

     Often persons find themselves easily attacking the shortcomings of another while embracing their own. Over the years I have squirmed at times talking about the excesses of another while engaging in excesses of my own – A.K.A. chowing down at the buffet tables in a popular smorgasbord. A truth we declare we believe is only our belief if we manifest it in the details of how we live life.  Poet Mark Green wisely observes, “The self-righteous scream judgments against others to hide the noise of skeletons dancing in their own closets.” 

     During the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, one of his harshest condemnations of hypocrisy is leveled against those of the religious establishment of that day. Seven times in Matthew 23 he calls the religious leaders “hypocrites.” Here we have one calling out hypocrisy that was fully qualified to do so because he was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was not the first time he used the word “hypocrisy.” His disciples even squirmed a bit earlier when he did, saying, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" (Matthew 15:12). The Greek word Jesus was using for hypocrisy means an actor, stage player, a dissembler, or a pretender. Jesus is saying in essence, “You are play acting. You say one thing but do another.” Jesus had said quoting Isaiah, “These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Religious hypocrisy was not new. Religious people often are inclined to say things that their lives do not validate. Napoleon Bonaparte noted in his day, “I am surrounded by priests who repeat incessantly that their kingdom is not of this world, and yet they lay hands on everything they can get.”

     There is a story in the Old Testament that reveals the hypocrisy of King David. David is declared by God as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). Yet he was a man who was susceptible to sin. The Bible honestly reports that Davis was an adulterer and a murderer (2 Samuel 11). He attempts a massive cover up that essentially is David being a hypocrite – trying to appear what he was not. God used a prophet, Nathan, to confront him (2 Samuel 12). Nathan tells a story of a rich man who stole a lamb from a poor man and used it to prepare a meal for a guest giving the impression it was one of his. David’s self-righteous reaction to the story was immediate, filled with anger, and severe (12:5-6). Nathan calls out his hypocritical reaction saying David was just as bad as the rich man in the story. Our natural tendency is to see the offense of another and overlook our own. Jesus asks, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). One person wisely notes, “The splinter in your eye [often becomes] the best magnifying-glass available.” David could see perfectly the wrong of another, while ignoring his own. However, since he was a man after God’s own heart, when confronted, he repented, and ceased the cover-up.  

     In the book by Kyle Idleman, Not a Fan, a distinction is made between someone who is a fan of Jesus versus a follower of Him. A fan is fickle – think of the fan that is only supportive of a winning sport team – while a follower is totally committed and loyal, no matter the cost. Fans are prone to hypocrisy. He concludes that many of the religious leaders of Jesus days were mere “fans” of the religious system. Idleman writes, “These religious types were the fans that Jesus seems to have the most trouble with. Fans who will walk into a restaurant and bow their heads to pray before a meal just in case someone is watching. Fans who won’t go to R-rated movies at the theater, but have a number of them saved on their DVR at home. Fans who may feed the hungry and help the needy, and then they make sure they work it into every conversation for the next two weeks. Fans who make sure people see them put in their offering at church, but they haven’t considered reaching out to their neighbor who lost a job and can’t pay the bills. Fans who like seeing other people fail because in their minds it makes them look better. Fans whose primary concern in raising their children is what other people think. Fans who are reading this and assuming I’m describing someone else. Fans who have worn the mask for so long they have fooled even themselves.”

     Another word for a “fan” is often hypocrite. The late Adlai Stevenson II observed, “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.” What do we say we believe but fail to allow that belief to alter our behavior?  Please excuse me; I have something in my eye that needs removed!

Watch Out for a Collapse

It was just another hot, humid, late summer morning. An early walk was appropriate in light of the day’s forecast of temperatures in the nineties, high humidity, and a relentlessly sunny day that would bake anyone venturing outside. The shade trees in our neighborhood were welcome on days like this. While not able to avoid the heat and humidity even at 6:00 AM, at least my walk would be spared the sun’s rays. My route changes daily and is adjusted largely by the angle of the early morning sun and the subsequent shade the massive maples and towering oaks afford. I never thought much about walking under these stately shade trees except to be grateful for the relief they provided on days like this. 

     As I rounded the corner of one block, the still air allowed the heat to radiate off the asphalt adding to the discomfort. Even the night’s darkness had not cooled the surface of the roadway. Stepping off a curb a tremendous crack and an almost immediate crash jolted me out of my sleepy state. The ground vibrated as an immense limb fell to the ground yards away from my path. There was no warning, no indication that the limb was in danger of falling, just the noise and the swish of air from leaves of the limb. The wide boulevard was completely blocked as the branch spanned the road from one curb to beyond the other. The branch was so huge that had I not known better, I would have assumed an entire tree had fallen. In that instant I became an Olympic sprinter as I tried to distance myself from the area not knowing if more collapses were imminent.

     Almost instantly a crowd gathered from surrounding houses. The crash was heard and felt even in their residences. Keeping our distance, we visually examined the place on the tree from where the branch had detached. It was rotten. The branch appeared healthy but it was obvious something had caused the branch to decay close to the trunk. For whatever reason, the decay became so large that it could no longer sustain the weight of the branch and the collapse resulted. Who would have thought! I walked under that tree several times a week and never could have imagined that I was in peril of being crushed by a branch from a tree that I had depended upon for a shade.

     Continuing my walk I began to reflect on what happened. Numerous thoughts came to mind. What appears outwardly healthy may be internally diseased. Outward appearances are not guarantees of inward realities. Collapses often are not planned; they just happen. Safety should not be presumed in a world that is subject to decay. A person can plan their day, but they do not know what a day brings forth. I was amazed at what I could learn from a broken branch!

     When it comes to people, there can be unexpected collapses too. There are numerous examples that just came to your mind as you read that line. People that gave the appearance of being the picture of health, suddenly collapse from an ailment of which they were unaware. People appearing to have a stable home suddenly are a family unit in chaos due to some sort of fracture in their relationships. People look like they are financially well off only to suddenly find their finances a mess and bankruptcy a real possibility. People seem to be emotionally stable and suddenly the “wheels” fall off their peaceful existence. They are paralyzed by fears and incapacitated by depression. To use the expression we so often hear today, “I did not see that one coming!”  

     One biblical character who displays that collapse can occur in a world that is subject to decay is King Saul. He looked good outwardly – handsome and bigger than his contemporaries (1 Samuel 9:2). He was a man of privilege – chosen to be king and deliverer of Israel (9:16). He was recognized as leader by the majority of the people (10:24). He accomplished great things by leading his nation to victory and rallying the nation around him (11:11-15). He looked like a healthy king. The problem is that he was flawed in his inner life. There was a disease that caused him to decay as king until God determined to replace him. Saul’s problem was that he was not a man after God’s own heart which is manifested by obedience to God (13:14). Saul was all about outward appearances, but God was all about inward allegiances to Him. The collapse of Saul was announced by the judge and prophet Samuel (15:22-23) saying, “You rejected the word of the Lord and He has rejected you.” What a collapse – from the one chosen by God to the one rejected by him.

     Lest one become complacent or conceited about their standing with God, the Apostle Paul issues a warning. As he looks at other collapsed lives he writes, “Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us… So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12). Too often we look at those who have collapsed with contempt rather than with concern, compassion, a cautious reminder.

     Living in a world subject to decay should alert us to the reality that a collapse may occur. While it may surprise us at its suddenness, the possibility should not shock us. As Paul says, “Be careful.” On the days I walk past the tree where the branch collapsed and see the decayed spot, I ask myself, “Have I allowed decay in any area of my life that will foster a future collapse?” That tree is good visual reminder.  Oh, and as I walk, I do so cautiously!       

A Trunk of Memories

An old humpback steamer trunk sits in the corner of our guest room. It is small compared to today’s luggage – a mere 20” x 26” x 18.” For most of its existence the trunk resided in the corner of an attic. Prior to that in 1929 it traveled on a steamship as the baggage of a 20 year old Irish man immigrating to the USA. That trunk carried all the worldly possessions my father would bring from the “old country.” Over the years the trunk has been the depository of miscellaneous artifacts that were saved by my parents as memories to recall in the future. I have often wondered how my parents determined what was significate enough be placed in the trunk. The contents filling the trunk include several Bibles, a variety of small boxes containing pictures, trinkets representing events in their lives, and sundry documents recounting marriages, births, and deaths. The trunk is rarely opened and sits there containing memories that hopefully will be recalled and explored. In the past 45 years my wife and I have added to the contents items we wanted to keep as memories. In some ways this trunk is a treasure trove of the history of the Reid, Potts, Shenk and Ebersole families.

     Recently my son has been interested in tracking down the history of my father. He has poured over documents both in this country and Ireland that I did not know one could even access. In many respects he now knows more about my family background than I do. He asked months ago to look at some of the pictures he heard were stored in the trunk. Several weeks ago I took boxes of pictures to his house and we began to pour through them. It was then I made a sad discovery – much of the treasure trove of history and memories was lost. They were there physically but they had no meaning. The pictures were clear but now they were a mystery. Who were these people? Where was this picture taken? What time period did they represent? Most of the pictures were unlabeled and my family had never reviewed them with me. Occasionally as we reviewed the pictures, I came across one that stirred a memory and I was able to recount to my son the picture’s story. Well over the half of the pictures in the box were a mystery, a lost memory. I should have prodded my parents to review the stories that the pictures represented. Did I come across as too preoccupied with my own life that they assumed they had nothing worthwhile to share?

     Psalm 71 records for us the words of an older person who finds his strength diminishing (vs. 9) and the signs of old age were obvious (vs. 18). Rather than become self-absorbed by his many problems or assume that at his age he had nothing to contribute, he boldly prays, “O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to those who come.” He has a mission even in his older years to “praise you yet more and more… tell of your righteous acts… your deeds of salvation… for their number is past my knowledge” (vs. 14, 15). To draw an analogy, he is saying that he needs to open the “trunk” of his memory and share from the treasure trove memories of God’s blessings and lessons. To do less is to cause the next generation to lose knowledge of how God has worked in the past, lose valuable lessons that could impact their lives today, and possibly rob them of the hope that God may work in a similar way in the future.

     In my role as Pastor at Large at Lancaster Bible College, I spend most of my time with students that are decades younger than me. Each day I have coffee or lunch with a number of them and we talk about life. They share the burdens of their life and I relate to them things that I have experienced in my life’s journey with the Lord. Sometimes what they are experiencing is foreign to me, yet often there is a Scriptural principle that comes to mind that may relate to their situation or give them encouragement. We can always pray together. Age makes no difference when one comes to “the throne of grace to obtain mercy” (Hebrews 4:16). Additionally in my role I minister in churches and to pastors of all ages. Sometimes pastors just need to share a burden and I listen. Sometimes pastors need to hear of how God was faithful in another pastor’s life that made big mistakes, faced large discouragements, and saw God pour out His mercy and grace. All I am doing either with college students or pastors is “proclaim… your power to those who come.”

     Many of us can do the same thing I do in my role. I have seen teens this summer talk to children and “proclaim God’s might.” I observed older married couples mentor younger couples who are wanting to strengthen their marriages. It essentially requires two qualities: interactions of the various generations, and a willingness to want to listen and learn from one another.

     Sitting around my son’s kitchen table and looking at pictures generated great conversations of God’s faithfulness in our family. My son remarked, “It was good to do this.” There was a great value for me too. In sharing the memories the pictures sparked, I too was recalling the way God has worked in our family and in me. Too often memories fade unless the stories are reviewed and shared. Our lives are more than a tweet. They are a book with many chapters that need to be reviewed and shared. There is a tremendous value of various generations opening up the “memory trunk” together and sorting through both the painful and pleasurable experiences of life. Those memories contain many life lessons. Perhaps it is time to stir up the fires of our memories! 

Young Adults Welcome

Society’s anger has come to a rolling boil around the world. In England a majority, albeit a small majority, said that things are out of control, people are not being heard. They conclude it is time to take things out of the hands of the ruling establishments and bring control back into the hands of the nation’s people. Thus they voted for Brexit. In the United States the current political stage seems to reflect disgust with the status quo and a desire to see old political regimes replaced by one that is responsive to the citizenry. Thus the voters have created political turmoil leading up to November’s national election. The citizenship appears to seek solutions to national problems rather than promote political careers and perpetuate the paralyses of political one-upmanship. Globally, people do not like things as they are and they do not like the direction in which things are heading. An over simplistic summary as to how people are reacting could be: our predecessors have made a mess of things, are not addressing the issues properly, and we need to take back control and fix this mess.

     This societal frustration seems to be a cyclical one. Decades ago the Boomers of the 60’s were sure they needed to clean up the mess of the previous generations. So they protested, petitioned, and screamed, “Power to the people.” Those same “screamers” are now the ruling members of the political status quo displaying ineptness in addressing the pressing crises of our time. Now millennials raise their voices in protest as they view issues being mishandled by a political establishment who previously raised their voices for change only to perpetuate the ineffectiveness they protested.

      Alvin Toffler (American writer and futurist who died June 27, 2016) wrote in an essay, Learning for Tomorrow, “The secret message communicated to most young people today by the society around them is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they — at some distant point in the future — will take over the reins. Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely and, indeed, there may be little of value left for them to take over in the future, unless we re-conceptualize the roll of youth in the social order. Not because young people will necessarily tear down the social order, but because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties. For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.” It seems that youth often becomes frustrated with things as they are, protest the present failures, and propel their ideas and energy toward new solutions. Such involvement by youth is needed and should be encouraged rather that mocked or resisted.

     One such “youth” is seen in the ancient Book of Job (chapter 32). Elihu was a young man who becomes frustrated with ineffective answers that Job’s older friends were providing to the issues of life. He was angry “because they had found no answer, and yet condemned Job” (32:3). He launches into a soliloquy trying to do what Job’s older friends had not done – “convinced Job or answered his words” (32:12). We find later in the story that Elihu’s passion and good intention, while not fully on target, were not condemned by God as were Job’s three older friends (42:7-8). In fact, many Bible teachers feel he was used to set the stage for God’s corrective address in chapters 38-41. He did not know everything about life, nor what was happening in Job’s life, nor understand what God was doing, yet he walked into the perplexities of life and offered to be involved and to offer solutions.

     I have the privilege of working with many young adults in a variety of settings. I serve on the campus of Lancaster Bible College where students are investigating the meaning of life that reaches beyond material and temporal explanations. They are seeking to discover people’s immediate and ultimate purposes. They wrestle and debate many cultural issues in both national and international settings that reflect spiritual and social dysfunctions. They have compassion and concern for people and the planet that moves beyond the theoretical to the practical. Their consternation is expressed as they encounter a cynical culture too often self-absorbed to the point of indifference with things as they are and ignoring things as they could be. I see energy. I see the same spirit in young adults in Christian communities where I minister whether they are churches or non-profit organizations. I too see this engagement in young adults that are operating in many other contexts in addition to the Christian communities I described. 

     Older generations sadly are focusing upon “youth” who live lives counter to those I have described. Those that catch the sound bites of the media are often those associated with bad news, and it is assumed they are the majority of this generation of young people. They are not. As Toffler said we “need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties.” We need young people who have the courage of Elihu who, when frustrated with things as they were, stepped into a place where elders had failed and became engaged. May those who are older welcome the involvement of the younger and serve alongside them.      

Following a Pilot Car

Having just traveled almost 6,000 miles from Lancaster to Yaak, Montana, has convinced me of one major reality. Most roads seem to be under construction. Some of the construction created minor inconveniences as one whizzed through the posted modified speed limit at 65 mph in the great expanses of Montana. Others were more annoying, limping along at 45-55 mph through good portions of the Ohio Turnpike. I realize roads need to be repaired. However, I just couldn’t get past the fact that many of the construction zones seemed to be construction-less. After 10 miles or so in a reduced lane and speed construction zone, suddenly a sign would appear reading, “End of construction.” I would comment to my wife, “Did I miss something? What construction?”

     There were on the other hand roads that were clearly undergoing major construction. In those areas your teeth rattled as you traversed a gravel washboard that seemed designed by car manufacturers to test the structural integrity of the car and challenge the warranties on the tires. At the end of those stretches where the sign read “End of construction,” I wanted to jump out and scrawl, “Congratulations you made it!”

     There were several spots where the reconstruction of the road was so major that you had to follow a “pilot car or truck” that carried an affixed sign “Follow me.” In these areas, if you were unfortunate enough to have missed the last convoy, you just opened the windows, shut off the engine, got comfortable, and waited. Patience was not always my strongest trait on those occasions and I would get out of the car and walk around. If I was close enough to the person holding the walkie-talkie and the reversible “stop and slow” sign, I’d try and get a look at their face to see if there was a hope of moving soon. I realized it was pointless to try and speak with them. I really got concerned when they looked at their watch and then looked around for something to occupy their time while they waited. That was a sure sign the “pilot car” was not showing up any time soon.

     It was on a route in Iowa that we ran into a series of these “pilot car” stoppages. The first few were only about 10-15 minutes long. The last one in the series was looking like we were going to be there long enough that we could break out a barbeque and grill up a few burgers. Finally in the distance we saw dust in the air, giving us hope that the wait was soon over. We started the engine, closed the windows, and waited for our turn to join the caravan following the “pilot car.”

     Our “pilot car” pulled into a turn off and the cars and trucks that had followed him passed by kicking up dust and pebbles as they were released from their caravan. Then the “pilot car” pulled in front of us and there was the sign, “Follow me.” We started but suddenly encountered several tractor trailers hauling grading equipment with dump trucks following close behind. The “pilot car” veered for a ditch and we tried to reverse and squeeze as fast as possible to the right hoping the truck drivers had won the Iowa Truckers Rodeo for excellence in driving. The trucks flew past and no one was harmed. The “pilot car” inched back out to the gravel roadway. You could see the driver craning his neck to see as far as he could while the road worker holding the “slow” sign yelled into her walkie-talkie. I am glad that I did not hear what was being expressed.

     A lesson was learned that afternoon. Just because someone advertises they are a “pilot car” and you are to “follow them” doesn’t mean you are safe in doing so. They have limitations and one is only a good pilot if they know the reality of what lies ahead. Now I do not know how things got mixed up on that road in Iowa, but I do know that I followed the next “pilot cars” a bit further back. I had no desire to be a hood ornament on some tractor trailer.

     In a similar way there are lots of people who make the claim that you should follow them. Some are politicians who claim they have the solution to the world’s problems and you can trust and follow them. Some are popular personalities that assure you that they have all of life figured out and that if you listen to them your life will be hunky-dory. Some are people of certain religious persuasions that try and convince you that they have the key to life both now and the life to come. So what is one to do? The writer of Proverbs even warns, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (14:12). So is it hopeless and we simply abandon all “pilots” and strike out on our own?

     There is another alternative. Pick a “pilot” that is perfectly reliable and has demonstrated that reliability to the ones he leads. For me the perfect “pilot” is my creator, sustainer, lover and redeemer. He demonstrated his love for me that while I was on a path to certain destruction He died for me making it possible to be piloted away from that disaster (Romans 5:8). His character is marked by truth and not deception (John 14:6). My response to a “pilot” like this must be, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Provers 3:5-6).

     Soon I travel to Maine. I may encounter a “pilot car” along the way. However, what really gives me confidence in life’s journeys is that I have a “divine pilot” who will lead me perfectly all the way, even into eternity. 

Is Bigger Always Better?

Have you heard the cliché, “Bigger is better?” Is it really true? At times one may think so while supersizing a fast food meal or ordering an extra-large dessert. Upon consuming the bigger portion, they feel uncomfortable or realize the amount of physical exercise needed to minimize the impact of their uncontrolled impulse. The initial anticipation of satisfaction is often quickly replaced with annoying indigestion.

Many times after the “bigger” has been achieved or acquired one finds out the “bigger” has a price tag attached to it for which one has not bargained or even imagined. Consider some of the “bigger” things we desired that carry a big price tag. Persons may want a bigger home and lot. However, now more time is spent maintaining property and more income consumed on real estate taxes and other expenses.

Consider all of the discussion in the political arena about “bigger government.” Some have requested the government take a bigger role in providing services for people. They later realize that such desires carry huge price tags, more regulations, and governmental intrusion. The desire to escape certain burdens only adds stress and responsibilities upon those seeking to avoid obligations.

Even children’s play is impacted by the “bigger is better” syndrome. Small backyard sports have morphed into bigger organizations requiring leagues and associated complexity. Once the concern of children was simply having enough players for a pick-up game. Now the concern is paying participation fees, obtaining approved equipment, and abiding by established league requirements. The burden has become so large that some children cannot even play a game that used to be open to anyone – boy or girl. The former games may not have displayed much finesse, but they produced lots of fun and character building opportunities.

            This intoxication with “bigger is better” has even seeped into church endeavors. Pastors from churches of varying sizes reveal how they constantly encounter this mindset. People assume a person’s spiritual experience will be enhanced if they gather with a bigger group of people for worship and fellowship. The pastors of numerically smaller churches talk about the migration of people from their churches to bigger churches because an assumption is made that the bigger church will provide better programs. Leaders in larger churches often speak of the burden that comes with bigger groups of people. They struggle to see people engage in the life of the church rather than simply consume benefits that attracts them. Regardless of the size of the church, they have similar challenges often directly proportional to the numbers who attend. One pastor from a larger church said rather tongue in cheek, “Remember there is another saying about being big. It is, ‘The bigger they are the harder they fall.’” He added, “Bigger churches are always on the brink of a big fall if they are not careful.” God uses a variety of churches in His kingdom. There is room for both bigger and smaller churches for both are needed.

            The notion that “bigger is better” comes into focus in numerous Bible passages. One is about a farmer, Gideon, who God was calling to deliver his nation from bondage. He had a big force gathered as he set about to deliver his people. God then directed him to reduce his warriors from 22,000 to 300. The Lord explains His reason for the reduction by saying, “The people with you are too many… lest Israel [overlook] me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’ (Judges 7:2). Bigger isn’t better when we rely upon the power associated with big numbers rather than the power of our God.

            Another time in Israel’s history revealed that “bigger is better” may not be true. A young boy, David, faces a giant enemy on behalf of his nation. The lad was smaller in stature, strength, and special military training. Goliath saw his opponent and ridiculed him embracing the notion that “bigger is better.” David dismissed that perspective by saying, “You come to me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts… This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand… that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:41-47). The battle was the Lord’s and Goliath was defeated. Bigger isn’t better when one relies upon the size of their strength or abilities rather than God.

            During the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry the disciples assumed that “bigger is better.” They had been involved in a mass meeting with Jesus where thousands of people attended. It was near evening and masses of people needed to be fed. Jesus commands his disciples to feed the multitudes. They quickly conclude they do not have the resources to do so. In fact, their inventory indicated that they only had a boy’s small lunch of five rolls and two fish. Andrew, one of the disciples, looked at what was available and said, “But what are they for so many?” (John 6:5-13). The disciple’s perspective assumed they needed big resources, but they didn’t. Jesus took the resources available and abundantly provided. Bigger isn’t better when people assume that large amounts of human resources alone are required to meet people’ needs rather than rely upon God’s miraculous supply.

            Bigger isn’t always better. Chris Tiegreen observes, “”Expect great things from God…especially when your opportunities seem small and insignificant because this is His modus operandi.” We need to realize that God is the “bigger” that makes things better!  

Great memory... Just Short

It happened again. I came back from the grocery store and my wife asked me if I got a certain item that she had asked me to purchase. I had to confess again, “Forgot it.” Even carrying a bag with two cream-filled donuts did not seem to diminish her disappointment. Such is the life with a person with a great memory… albeit a short one. After a recent date with my wife I randomly asked, “Do you think my memory is getting worse?” Graciously she responded, “It is just about the same as it has always been. It is not so much that it is bad, it is just that at times you really are not paying attention to what is being said. The glaze in your eyes indicates that your mind is preoccupied with something else when I am talking to you.”

     After a sense of relief that I was not in early stages of dementia, I felt a tinge of regret that I could be so inattentive to someone I love. Then I began to consider how often this lack of focus affects me. From that thought I wondered how common this problem is among the general population. Actually I was looking for some sort of rationalization that I was no worse than most people in the world.

     Upon further reflection I concluded that forgetfulness is most likely an individual and collective problem that impacts humanity. There is ample evidence that individually people tend to be forgetful – there are a lot of men as inattentive as me! Females respond, “No kidding,” There is also ample evidence that people may even display collective amnesia. One may conclude that humans never plan to forget; they do it quite naturally.

     A biblical account came to mind about how easily we lapse into forgetfulness. In Joshua 24 the children of Israel have come to the place where they have now entered and occupied the land that God had promised them. Their leader, Joshua, in his farewell address, gives them a historical summary of all that God had done for them over the centuries (verses 1-13). Then he sets before them a challenge to serve the Lord, who had been so faithful and done so much for them (verses 14-28). You can almost hear the emotional roar of voices as the nation openly pledges, “The Lord our God we will serve” (24). To put it another way they were pledging to never forget what God had done nor what He wanted them to do. Shortly afterward Joshua dies.

     The story of the nation of Israel continues in Judges. The writer says that after Joshua and the generation that were his contemporaries died, “There arose another generation after them that did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel” (2:10). Sadly the result of this collective forgetfulness was, “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord… And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods” (2:11-12). It took only short period of time, less than a full generation, for the collective memory of the nation to develop amnesia. Forgetfulness yielded faithlessness which generated abandonment of well-intended commitments.

     One may wonder how there could be such forgetfulness both individually and corporately in the nation. Perhaps the generation that preceded the one that followed had failed to fulfill their spiritual duty. The Psalmist states the duty clearly, “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” (145:4). Elsewhere the Psalmist adds, “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done” (78:4). Reminders are the best way to counter spiritual forgetfulness. Some of the best reminders are in the form of instructions, stories, acts, and deeds of a mighty and faithful God.

     Preoccupation may also have contributed to forgetfulness. What may have been preoccupying them? A warning had been given to the nation earlier that blessings could become a preoccupation. This would cause the nation to forget the Lord their God who had delivered them from bondage and blessed them (Deuteronomy 8:11-18). Christianity in the western world faces a similar temptation.  Often they are more interested in their comfort and acceptance rather than being guided and obeying the Word of God. Stephen Colbert, TV personality and cultural satirist, quips, “If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.” Being preoccupied with the right things helps us to remember to do the right things.

     Perhaps their preoccupation was upon the dangers of life. In Joshua’s day his nation was still facing a number of hostile nations intent on destroying them. There is nothing as distracting as danger. When self-preservation dominates one’s life, one may easily forget their mission in life. Their mission was to obey and trust God’s promises to preserve and protect them (Joshua 23:5). Memory often flees in the face of adversity. Remembering what God has done and has promised to do strengthens our recall of the mission God has given us. Christians today need to recall that Jesus calls us to be “lights” in the world. “Lights” do not hide even in the face of danger (Matthew 5:14-16).

     Memory can be a fragile thing. Our natural tendency is to forget and that tendency increases in certain circumstances. Let’s challenge ourselves to remember to remember what God has done for us, what He promises to do for us, and what he expects of us. It is sad that we forget the words of one we love and who loves us.    

O Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

The rhetoric erupting from our current culture reflects a loss of the ability to communicate one’s beliefs and opinions in a respectful and winsome way. Wherever you turn, one sees verbal tirades flowing from the mouths of people who feel they are justified in giving people a piece of their mind. Often such speech reflects more negatively upon the character of the speaker than the one they are lambasting.

     In the political arena the way candidates speak to one another has become so repulsive that many are beginning to ignore their dialogue. They do not want to listen to another harangue from a political leader displaying a character that one would not condone from a preschooler. It is hard to imagine wanting a leader to represent our nation who conducts themselves in a manner that thwarts clear communication, cooperation, and negotiation. Shock speech may make good sound bites, but it does little to develop dialogue between people of opposing views.

     In the field of entertainment many stars have replaced four letter words for meaningful insights. How often one has to be bleeped by a program sensor does not measure passion; it measures crudeness. How sad that a person carrying the label “star” cannot construct a sentence without profanity. Perhaps assigning the title of “star” to such individuals reflects the state of our nation’s cultural character. A culture’s heroes reflect what a culture applauds, tolerates, and even expects. If this is true, our national character is sorely in need of refurbishing.    

     Even in churches there are evidences that careless speech has invaded the lives of those who are supposed to represent God as His ambassador. Occasionally one will hear a preacher justify his “colorful” speech as necessary to connect with contemporary culture. So they resort to crude, rude, or even questionable speech. However, an ambassador is to reflect the one they represent regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves. If one is an ambassador of Christ, then they ought to reflect His character. Rick Warren notes, “Character is never built in a classroom. Character is built in the circumstances of life.” In the face of mistreatment Christ controlled His speech “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:23). We should expect His ambassadors to reflect such control of their speech.    

     The Bible clearly portrays our speech as a reflection of our character – what is really in the control center of our life. Jesus taught, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). One’s speech is revealing and a good litmus test of what a person is really like. If lies and unguarded speech flow from a person’s mouth, you know what is really lurking in their life regardless of their personal assurances.

     The Bible also reveals that one’s speech is a measure of a person’s self-control. The Apostle James stresses that faith is revealed by deeds (James 2:18). Shortly thereafter he points to the deed that is most revealing – ones speech. James 3:2 says, “If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life” (MSG). The verses following in James 3 illustrate both how difficult and necessary it is to control our speech. How disappointed I have been at times when my words reflected that I was under control of my misguided emotion rather than displaying the fruit of the Spirit which is self-control (Galatians 5:23).

     When our speech is reflecting the character of Christ in our lives and the regulating control of the Spirit is displayed in our lives, then certain qualities are manifested in our speech. There are many described in the Bible but three come to mind. First, our speech will be gracious. Colossians 4:6 says, “Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out” (MSG). One saint of old well said, “Speech… ought to be in a graceful way, with a cheerful and pleasant countenance, in an affable and courteous manner, and not after a morose, churlish, and ill-natured fashion.” Wouldn’t that change the dialogue of our contemporary culture!  

     Speech should reflect a quality that is healthy. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift” (MSG). We live in a wounded world. Words that create infection should be avoided as much as dirty utensils in an operating room. How often words do more damage than good as they are released into conversations.

     A final quality that comes to mind is respectful speech. 1 Peter 3:15 “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy” (MSG). How often we see people who appear pleased when they have put people down and overlooked the possibility of building people up by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Truth needs love, but love always speaks the truth.

     As a child I was taught a simple chorus in Sunday School that said, “O be careful little mouth what you say,

O be careful little mouth what you say, There's a Father up above, And He's looking down in love, So, be careful little mouth what you say.” Maybe we need to heed that reminder more often!

Delusion of Safety or the Conviction of Security?

A number of years ago I had bitten off more than I could chew as far as my schedule was concerned. Evidence of over commitment was the appearance of irrational anxieties. One area was flying in an airplane. While a common anxiety for many, for me it was a new experience. Feeling unsafe in a plane was a problem. In addition to my role as a fulltime pastor, I would fly about once a month up and down the east coast to do teacher seminars for a publisher. A flight to an upcoming conference left me feeling anxious and dreading what before had been enjoyable. Frankly, I could not get past the feeling that I was not safe in an airplane 30,000 feet from the ground.  

     My pride kept me from admitting the problem to the company and I began to look for ways to get around my anxiety. I drove to as many conferences as possible which only added to my overtaxed schedule. Then I came upon an idea. Why not take a train to various conferences since many of the conferences were in cities serviced by Amtrak? I was pleased with having come up with a solution thereby saving face and feeling safe.

     The first train trip was to a conference in Boston. The trip to “Beantown” was a wonderful experience. I felt safe and not the least bit anxious. On the return trip I sank into the train seat confident that this was a perfect alternative to an airplane flight and subsequent anxiety. Crossing a bridge into Harlem, NY, changed that self-assured attitude. The train derailed leaving well shaken passengers inside the passenger cars. My delusion of safety quickly evaporated that night in a darkened rail car! Interestingly enough, that was the last time I was anxious about flying! The Lord graciously reminded me that He could keep me as secure at 30,000 feet in an airplane as 3 feet off the ground in a rail car.

     Often we develop attitudes or embrace actions that we think will make us safe. The problem is that we do not live in a safe world. We do not control life. At best we try and adjust to the dangers that we see in an unsafe world. We wear a seat belt – that is good. But that does not keep us from being in an accident and being injured. We see government make laws and policies to try and protect the citizenry – which the Bible says is their responsibility. But no law will stop a person intent on doing evil from doing so. Parents take precautions in the way they raise their children – a God ordained duty. But there are no guarantees that a child will not rebel and make foolish choices later in life. Even in a perfect environment with a Divine Parent, Adam and Eve still chose to reject their Heavenly Father’s guidance and plunged creation into chaos.

     So does this mean we should live in despair? No. An alternative to living in a delusion of safety is to live with the conviction of security. Safety says we will not encounter dangers, harms, and adversity. Security says that if we do encounter these possibilities we know we can endure and even thrive in the face of living in a fallen world.

     Three men exemplified this sense of security in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had mandated worship of an idol or face the consequence of a horrible death in a fiery furnace. The safe response of these men would be to comply with the cultural pressure and worship a golden image thus placating the demands of government. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose to obey God’s Word rather than a king’s demand. What they decided was not safe. In their minds they were convinced that they could be secure even though they were not safe. Therefore they boldly responded to the king’s command, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known… we do not serve your gods” (3:17-18). That was a secure response not a safe one. They were secure in the relationship they had with Jehovah God that allowed them to forego the delusion of safety they could obtain from abandoning their convictions.

     The result for these three men was both a furnace and deliverance. They were placed into the fire but they were secure and not separated from God. In fact, the biblical account records that even the King noticed that God was with them (3:25). These men ended up as a testimony before a king and nation as the “servants of the Most High God” and they “trusted in Him.” They revealed one could be secure even when things are not safe (3:26-30).

     Do we live in a safe world? Are you kidding? Devastating diseases, barbaric terrorists, atomic conflagration, social unrest, financial instability, international chaos, and a hundred other potential dangers confront us. Yet in all of this we can maintain a conviction of security. That security does not arise because of our power, wisdom, or other assets. Our conviction grows out of a person having a relationship with the Most High God of the universe. Once we are assured we are connected to Him by faith then we can say with boldness, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Paul goes on to say that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ, Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31, 37-39).

     Life can be lived very differently when we live beyond the delusion of safety and embrace a conviction of security. "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8).