Better Than a Mini-series

     Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey, according to Maria Elena Fernandez, senior entertainment reporter for Newsweek, has generated critical acclaim, audience enthusiasm, and impressive ratings, garnering both Emmys and Golden Globe awards. People are amazed at the success of a series focused upon a period of the early 20^th century when history was at the hinge of a cultural mega shift. The three season series focused upon the English aristocratic Crawley family and their servants who are deeply embedded in a post-Edwardian culture and class structure. They lived lives many 21^st century Americans find at best intriguingly obscure and at worst disturbingly socially unfair. Weaving throughout the series are snippets of historical events and their impact upon all levels of society. 

     One actor commenting on the series universal appeal noted, “What’s interesting about the show is that as our culture’s protocol and etiquette deteriorates, we get to watch this show where it’s in full swing from the turn of the century, where people actually honor their place in society and live there.” He added, “That’s why it’s so interesting to watch Downton Abbey because these people know their place and they thrive in their place.” In our era of social discord it seems as if people are discontent with where they are in life and equally discontent that someone else may be in a better state than they are. We increasingly hear political rhetoric highlighting the differences between people and classes rather than seeing the individual value of people regardless of status, wealth, or achievements in life.

     Throughout Downton Abbey, people are clearly portrayed with a different station in life, yet they were also portrayed as being proud of the status they had and the inherent responsibilities associated with their position. They saw themselves as having personal value, making a contribution by the part they played in the overall scheme of life, and desiring to do the best for others to whom they related. The series portrayed some notable exceptions who viewed life differently, but they were not portrayed favorably.

     The aristocratic Crawleys viewed their servants as people whom they valued and for whom they were responsible. There was genuine affection for those who worked for them. Their staff worked with the attitude that they wanted the Crawleys to have the best of their service and proudly carried out their duties, no matter how seemingly trivial, as a privileged vocation not just a job to complete. When exceptions to these attitudes were seen, they were portrayed as an aberration to the norm and not an attitude to be tolerated. The series portrayed people living life as collaborators so life could be jointly enjoyed not as competitors seeking to benefit oneself over the welfare of others.

     The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:5-9 wrote to Christians in a Roman world that was definitely filled with class distinction. He wrote that if one’s life was controlled by the Spirit of God, those with a different status in life would relate to one another differently than the cultural norm. Such people would respect their vocation on earth as a means by which God can be glorified. Servants worked in their vocation “as to Christ” (5:5). Masters would carry out their vocation knowing that they too were serving God and “knowing that your own Master is in heaven” (5:9). This view of a person’s vocation and value adjusted how servants worked and how masters treated those who worked for them. This is the standard God has for people of different vocations as they relate to one another.

     Yesterday I conducted a funeral for an Irish immigrant who knew that God had called her to a vocation as a maid. She and her husband, who was a chauffeur, served one family through several generations with integrity, diligence, hard labor, respect, and love from the day they arrived in the United States until they had to retire. Her service was not a job to perform but a way to express love to God by lovingly serving another. The family she served respected her and her vocation and treated her with respect, care, and love. When she could no longer work and needed to retire they provided her a house, cared for her needs, and maintained loving contact with her and her family. As time passed this maid needed to go to a nursing home; and there, too, her needs were met by the family she had served. Above all, they visited her. Yesterday at her funeral, a family member she was probably closest to was there. Her glistening eyes revealed that that this Irish maid and this wealthy family had connected as an employer and employee on a level which God intended and honored. Two people from two very different worlds with different status, and fulfilling different God-appointed vocations, connected in such a way that developed a strong bond of love.

     Downton Abbey is a work of fiction that has caught our nation’s collective imagination. But what I have seen over six decades in the life of an Irish maid and an aristocratic American family is a wonderful reality of what life can be like when people of different status can value, respect, and love one another. What would our world look like if people looked at themselves and others this way? It would be much better than a mini-series!                 

Post-holiday Perspective

             It is that time of the year when we feel like we are standing with one foot in the past year and one foot in the new year. We have this nagging feeling that life has abruptly changed and we are not sure that is a good thing. Unrealized expectations of last year haunt us, while the premonitions surrounding our unknown future unsettle us. Coupled with these perspectives is the shroud of holiday blues that confront many people. The hype of the holidays has been replaced with the reality of the mundane. Perhaps family gatherings did not match the Norman Rockwell portrait of what life should be like. The longed for gift did not supply the emotional surge that was anticipated. Life that had been moving along at warp speed suddenly slows to a pace of normalcy, and the impact is emotionally jarring. As psychologist Dr. Jennifer Hartstein observes, "We have all of this stuff going on from really the end of October, from Halloween, through the end of the December. We are going, going, going. And often, there's nothing left after that. We go back to the regular lives and we're bummed out about it."   

            Looking back at the past year we try and process the events with the question, “Why?” Why has the weather gone wild with killer storms, wildfires, and superstorms like Hurricane Sandy? Why has politics become a quagmire of ideologies that paralyze our nation into warring factions that cannot address financial, social, or humanitarian issues? Why does a nation rich in resources become financially bankrupt and increasingly greedy? Why have tragedies like mass murders in a movie theater, an elementary school, and a religious gathering begun to define us as a nation? Why have international matters become even more unsettling as terrorism escalates, wars grow more numerous, and people’s inhumanity to others morphs into barbarous brutality? Why has our nation become even more morally and spiritually bankrupt? Looking back can be unsettling.

            Looking ahead to the coming year causes us to ask the question, “What’s next?” Some conclude hopefully that things will be getting better and better without explaining the catalyst for such a shift. Those less optimistic see the trends of the past year spiraling even further downward toward greater agonizing uncertainty. Will people change, and in doing so, generate change? Or will fate dominate as the old song goes, “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” Either view generates a rather bleak perspective looking ahead to the new year. As the WebMD notes, “Hitting January 2 is like going from 60 to zero in one day. The mandatory cheer, cooking, visitors, glitz, glitter, toys, a million chores -- have drowned out the drumbeats of war, the nuclear posturing, the fear of downsizing, all the doubts and fears, for a couple of weeks -- then, over, zip. What now?” Looking ahead can be unsettling too.

            What is the alternative to the post-holiday blues? Many have offered suggestions like healthy eating, exercising, getting proper sleep, and focusing upon new goals. Susan Battley, a leadership psychologist and clinical professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook, proposes what she calls “Three Bags Full” describing, “A BAG is a 'Big Audacious Goal.'" Using her suggestion, let us consider three BAGs for the New Year from a biblical perspective. First, practice gratitude. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Seeing life with purpose gives meaning even to the most difficult circumstance of life. With this understanding there is an opportunity to pause and look for at least one thing for which we can give thanks in the events of our life.

            A second bag may be to practice grace. Grace is defined as “disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency toward another.” How many disputes would be defused, relationships restored, and bitterness neutralized if we extended grace toward one another.  We want grace extended to us, yet often withhold it from others. The Bible challenges us in Ephesians 5:18 to, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” What would a world look like if this was the predominate response to offenses we experience from others? Such a quality was displayed in Jesus. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22).  Grace reduces the friction of dealing with people who may cause us so much pain.

            Perhaps the third bag for the New Year is to practice generosity. There are ample opportunities to bless others as we have been blessed.  "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you…Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:31,38). Seeing the need of another met by your investment in their life easily turns the post-holiday blues golden. All that people need is not material. Perhaps your generosity can be expressed by means of time, effort, or other meaningful investments. Other-centeredness lifts the hearts of other people as well as our own.

            This year let’s transform this post-holiday season from a potential letdown to a time of positive growth and action. Have a blessed New Year!    

Advent Agenda and Attitude Adjustment

People in this season seem to be in a perpetual state of motion as they frantically move from one holiday event or plan to another. The schedule becomes so complex that there is little flexibility in people’s plans for anything to be added or even adjusted because the “holiday schedule juggernaut” must plow through to fulfill our agenda. One dare not get sick for one needs to be in top form and have their full faculties to get through “the holidays.” A friend or family member knows better than to share a burden right now sensing that individuals’ listening ears are more attuned to bargain sale opportunities than to broken hearts or bewildered minds. The National Weather Service dare not issue a winter storm warning because one has no time for cancellations or delays. Heaven forbid a person loses their shopping list that has been masterfully crafted to deliver a significant gift at minimal cost and marginal investment. Peace on earth and good will toward men will have to wait. Such a thought may be entertained after the Christmas season has past. Maybe in January it can be penciled in to the calendar. 

            In this season it would be well for us to realize that God does not run the world by our agendas. Joseph, the virgin Mary’s soon-to-be husband, illustrates this reality. Matthew’s gospel records that he was a man who had a personal agenda laid out before him. Mary was “pledged to be married” to him. In all likelihood this meant that betrothal arrangements had been completed, promises had been made, and the anticipation of a peaceful life with Mary was firmly lodged and perhaps idealized in his mind. Mary likely became the passion of his life. He looked forward to a wedding celebration and feast that culminated in his marriage to Mary. Perhaps God would bless them in the future with a baby – maybe even a boy to join in his carpentry business. God then alters Joseph’s agenda in a supernatural, unexplainable, and incomprehensible way. How does he adjust to the agenda-altering intervention of God?  

            At first Joseph did what we all tend to do when our agendas are interrupted. He tries to fix things and make the best of a bad situation. His inclination was not to approach God for direction or understanding. He assumes that if his dream cannot be realized, he needs to dispose of the perceived nightmare he currently faces and embrace a new dream. He wanted do the best he could in these difficult circumstances and chose the option of not exposing Mary “to public disgrace” but “to divorce her quietly.”

            God again steps into his life with another agenda – His agenda. God does not fully explain all of the details of the unimaginable and the inexplicable. He just assures Joseph that what was happening was not a product of unrighteousness but an act of a holy God. God reveals that he had an agenda that was far greater and significantly larger than what Joseph had or could ever imagine. God discloses that the pregnancy of Mary was a result of a divine act that had a divine plan attached to it. God’s agenda was to involve a virgin who would deliver to planet earth, Immanuel – meaning “God with us.” This One that Mary would bring into the world “will save his people from their sins.”

            How one responds to God’s alteration of their agenda says a lot about them. Joseph’s response was to adjust his agenda and to allow God’s agenda to dominate his attitude and actions. Matthew records Joseph “took Mary to be his wife.” The completeness of his obedience to God’s agenda was reflected in the words, “He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” In summary, God’s agenda became Joseph’s. Joseph responded with faith and not frustration when his agenda was altered.

            Faith propels us to accept God’s agenda without conditions or demands. Oswald Sanders writes, “Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see…Trust yourself in God's hands…Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him…Faith is the heroic effort of your life, [flinging] yourself in reckless confidence on God. God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him.”

            In this hectic season let God adjust your agenda. See it not as an inconvenience but a “reckless confidence” that “God is aiming at something you cannot see.” Make room for God to use you as a listening ear, a comforting presence, a caring person, and becoming a person who is available for the Lord to use to manifest His presence in this world. Then you can sing in all honesty, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”                   

Thanksliving

           Even before Thanksgiving arrives our mail boxes begin to fill with, not only Christmas catalogs, but also a smattering of appeal letters from various organizations. The letters seek to solicit donations from people who hopefully are developing a generous spirit as the holiday season arrives. Many organizations rely upon these yearly appeals to support a major portion of their budgets for the year. Numerous studies report that 33% of all yearly online donations for non-profits take place during the month of December. This year in particular people’s needs are in high profile. The unemployed are highlighted as struggling to meet basic needs, let alone having any hope of sharing a gift with anyone else. The spotlight is upon military families with a parent overseas who find this season especially difficult emotionally and financially. On the minds of many people are the individuals in the northeast corridor of the nation struggling physically, emotionally, and financially to recover from the devastating impacts of hurricane Sandy – the monster storm that relentlessly delivered lingering hardship upon millions of people in the region. Taking a more global view of the world, we observe nations of the world struggling with war, famine, disease, and economic poverty. These glimpses touch our hearts with even micro glimpses sparingly released by the national media. All of this stirs the hearts of many in the nation, and they respond by making either an electronic or physical donation. They hope their action might in some way assuage a measure of pain and provide some semblance of comfort to a person facing a world of hurt.

            It is indeed wonderful to see how many people in our community and nation respond to the needs they see around them in the world. On the other hand there are those who convince themselves that their own plight is too great to be able to respond. Somehow they transform their abundance into meagerness and see generosity as an impossibility. How can one conjure up such a mindset when the World Bank indicates that 3 billion people are living on less than $3.00 per day? There is a great difference between having to forgo a luxury and being unable to acquire a necessity. Granted one individual’s donation will hardly make a dent on the massive need within the world. Yet, joining with others who choose to respond generously to the needs they see, does make a difference.     

            What we do with our funds and possessions is noticed by God. During the earthly ministry of Jesus he observed people making donations to the Temple (Mark 12:41-44), a portion of which may have been used to care for those in need. In doing so he observed “one poor widow” making a donation that would amount to 1/64^th of a day’s wage – all told, a meager amount. He also saw a wealthy person making a substantial gift. Jesus’ assessment was, “This poor widow has put in more than all who have given to the treasury.” What was Jesus seeing? John Calvin suggests it was her heart, saying, “Whatever men offer to God ought to be estimated not by its apparent value, but only by the feeling of the heart.” Jesus noticed that the wealthy gave out of their abundance, but “she out of her poverty put in all she had.” Such giving reflected her heart.

            Shortly before Thanksgiving in 1992, I was in Ukraine visiting and working with our sister church. The nation was in financial collapse. Food shortages abounded. People sold or bartered their earthly possessions on the street hoping to acquire food to eat. Our church had been shipping aid to the church and they were dispensing it to the people of the church and community. We were there to assess the situation and plan further action. After the few days with them we were scheduled to take a night train to Kiev to connect another train for Moscow – 24 hours of travel by train. From Moscow we would catch a flight home arriving a few days before Thanksgiving. We began our journey being escorted to the train by hundreds from the congregation. Farewells and tears flowed as we boarded the train. A widow handed me a small brown paper package as I stepped on the train as it began to move.

            After securing our luggage, my eyes spotted the small package I had been given at the last moment. Sitting on the sleeper bed I untied the well-used string. Upon seeing the contents, tears began to whelm up in my eyes. There on my lap sat a small loaf of dark Ukrainian bread, and a can stamped, “USDA Humanitarian Aid – Meat – Not for sale.” She hadn’t sold it. This widow in love gave out of her poverty all that she had. In that act, on a snowy train platform in Zaporozhe, Ukraine, I got a glimpse of the proper spirit of giving. She wanted to give so that her brother in Christ would not go hungry on his journey.

            During this Thanksgiving, give thanks that you can give, and then give. You can determine before God where your donation should go. Don’t worry about the size. Just make sure it reflects a heart that loves God and loves “your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34-40).