And This Is Love...

    So often we forget that the Gospel's foundation is relationship. Even if we understand that fact, we go about our relating in such a righteous manner that the entire purpose of interaction is lost. 

     The foundation to relationship is understanding and accepting the other person. When you make friends, you do not brush people off, telling them to come back to you once they attain perfection. Instead, you interact with them at their level; knowing them is your highest goal. Only once you have relational trust  can you begin to work through the personal flaws, yours especially.
   
     We cannot continue to disown souls merely because they fail to agree with us.
   
     We need to realize that friendship is not an endorsement of that person's mistakes [nor is their friendship a conciliation to your shortcomings either], but it is instead the first step in beginning to pour out love upon someone. Love is patient, love is kind, love keeps no record of wrongs.

     When we throw out the cliché that Christ was "counter-culture," and so we must be the same, I believe we forget what culture he was counter to. Christ did not come to be religiously conceited, joining the religious leaders in their holy, pontificating disapproval, shunning  the lowlifes who pursued their own lifestyles. It was these lowlifes that Christ made his friends and eventually followers and closest disciples.  Never once did he endorse their mistakes nor approve of their misguided living, yet he stoutly defended them from the religious and social furor so often directed at "the sinners." What an example of love we  miss in the actions of Christ! In the end, it was nothing he ordered them to do or convicted them of that persuaded them of his offered salvation - it was instead his constant service and willingness to sacrifice that brought them to his side. No man hath greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends.

     His friends were the least of these.

     So what am I driving at? My question is, why we are more likely to invite someone from a bar to church than to let an open homosexual in at the door? Where do we derive the right to befriend or maintain fellowship with someone who cheated on their spouse or involved with pornography, yet deny a gay or lesbian any semblance of relationship?  What have we done to attempt to find common ground with those whom with we disagree? Or have we forgotten that  those faces belong to people too?

     We seem to have this notion that loving a person requires overlooking their wrong. And so, homosexuality and other sins remain unlovable because they appear so offensive. But loving a person is more than ignoring their flaws; it is accepting a person despite them. If we are to even approach culture, we must live with this sort of love.

     We cannot hope to persuade the world otherwise unless the world trusts us first. As it stands, the Church is not seen as trustworthy. Instead, it is viewed as a homophobic, anti-progressive, conservative base rife with stereotypes and fried chicken. Is this what is true? Yes, we differ from popular opinion and disagree with much of secular thought; however, we have allowed our disagreements to widen the already existing rift between the Church and the Culture. We have forgotten that a similar rift - the eternal separation between God and humanity - was bridged through the love of one man, Christ. Let us minister with that self-same love and bridge this modern, ever widening gap. Let us offer more to culture than a repeated condemnation. Let us work to find common ground upon which to build relationships.

     My brother and I have had our disagreements over the years. I was more often than not the overbearing, self-righteous firstborn, burdened with the maintenance of holiness and personal image. I saw him as the wayward sibling with whom I had been tasked to bring back to the sheepfold. For every flaw he counted in me, I would count twice as many in him, and remind him  to boot. And so, we tolerated each other, suspiciously watching the other's action, each convinced the other was wrong. In all those years, we had little affect in our attempts to conform the other to our standards.

     The day came however when I was to leave for college. We loved each other dearly, brothers in battle, comrades in life to the last. Yet that same suspicion remained. The separation of our lives for the next weeks effected a change though.  The suspicion passed away and was replaced by an irrepressible sense of honor. That Christmas was the first time we ever discussed life openly or considered the other's advice.  We replaced what had been a begrudging existence of disagreement with a grateful relationship of love. We loved each other as equals who cared rather than as disapproving competition.

     As I did for so many years, so we too as Christians have forgotten who our brothers really are, and we have forgotten how to love them. When you look into the eyes of a stranger on the street, you look into the eyes of your brother. When you gaze upon a crowd, you gaze upon a gathering of brethren. When you pass by a searching soul, you pass by a soul kindred to your own. 

     But do you seek to bring these searching brothers an answer? Then you must first love. For without love, there is no life to be given.

Finish...

Physics tonight. And a poem.

Finish.
What are you fleeing?
Running as if the Devil was right behind.
Kicking up little spurts of gravel,
In the recess of your mind.

Starburst, fireworks
Your breath comes heavy and hot.
Always looking for that finish tape
But never able to stop.

Going in circles
I can't seem to keep a straight line.
Running through the dark
Chasing the setting sun.
Twisting through the violent maze
God, when can I be done?

Colors burst, fireworks
Dead ends again and again.
The tar bubbles in the heat as I flee
My feet are black with stain.

Throw me down on the headshrink's couch
Drug me out with gin.
I'll still keep running, pounding on.
Flying forward, but I'll never win.

Blood burst, fireworks
Voices tell me to carry on
Gasping out my fleeting breath,
God, let me see the dawn.

Yes, to God I cry out my soul--
How dare He answer me not.
If He truly cared, loved at all,
He'd grant me peace to stop.

Rain burst, fireworks
Washes away the blood from my eyes
All this time, running the wrong way--
"It is finished," the dying man sighs

I take a step, and then I stop
Hope pouring into my veins.
Oh, this is peace, this is rest--
Letting go in my last death strains.

Lifeburst, fireworks
In death there's life I've found.
Not a grave but true paradise,
Now unchains me from the ground.

I began to walk, and then I run
Not from a fear but joy.
I've learned now its not a race
Not to a point, but to a grace
Not through a line, but through a grave
Now all a celebration of joy.

Starburst. Firework.
Breathe in. Love. Breathe out.
Sunrise, sunset--I see it all.
Fear? Its what I live without.

[all the times you ran away, love pursued you even more]

You say let it go...

      "I'm sorry. How could you ever forgive me?"
      Its a phrase that is always hard to say to a friend, and even harder to hear from one. Its a statement of complete remorse that painfully stitches up the wounds of a wrong.
       Forgiveness.
       Its tough to ask for and sometimes an enormous challenge to give to someone. We often hold on so tightly to our grudges against our siblings, against the world, stewing in the anger or frustration that we believe to be so righteous.

      But let it go.

     Oftentimes we focus so much on Easter Sunday, but we sometimes fail to recognize the magnitude of what happened today almost 2,000 years ago. See, today was the day that Christ died, the day that His blood poured out of His body satisfying God's demand for a righteous sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The price of man's sin had to be paid--and that price was death.
       A death that Christ gave Himself to willingly.
       Because of that death, the cost of every sin of the world--past, present, future--was fully paid. The ledgers of debt were cleared, the negative balance was erased. And every sin--past, present, and future--was forgiven.
       This is a fact that we so often overlook--that everyone has been fully and completely forgiven. You don't have to belong to a megachurch; you don't have to sing in the choir; you don't have to be the perfect father, mother, or sibling; you don't have to have a clean record; you don't have to be straight.
        It has all been forgiven.
       When I step out my front door, I sometimes can't help but look at the world with a skeptical eye, writing it off in my mind as a total, decadent, twisted loss. I turn and look into the mirror of my circle of friends and family, and see us as so much better than the world, those very special few who have a message of righteousness and love to bestow to those we choose. But I forget that Christians all were forgiven just as much as the rest of the world. We've just chosen to recognize the fact. But the fact that we ignore was that Good Friday wasn't about creating elitists, but about destroying the barrier between us and God's love.
      When Christ walked the earth, He didn't selectively pick and choose the righteous rulers to become His comrades; He spent His time and ate His meals with fishermen, with tax collectors, with prostitutes. His love was for the scum of society, the people that the righteous looked upon with repugnance. And when He died, He forgave them all. Even against the soldiers who provided His cruel and painful death, He refused to hold a grudge. "Father, forgive them."

      I firmly believe that you cannot be a Christian if you do not accept Christ's love for you. I firmly believe that you cannot be a Christian and refuse to share Christ's love for the entire world. Yes, God is just; consequences will come for where we all have abandoned Christ in our lives; but we get hung up on proclaiming God's great wrath and justice and forget to explain that every single one of us has been forgiven. We can't selectively choose to discriminate against people just because their sins stand out more or smell worse than the sins of the person next to them. We cannot shut the doors to the Church simply because someone has tried to find love in drugs, alcohol, pornography, or homosexuality.
       We so often urge unbelievers to not waste the gift of forgiveness that Christ's death provides, but I think it is often we who waste this gift by forgetting that every person is loved and is forgiven by Christ. We write the person off as a total loss, failing to see the forgiven soul under the sinful flesh.

        Friends, do not forget the reason for Christ's sacrifice.

       It is hard to forgive someone, yes. My brother? Its hard. Myself? Doubly hard. The world? The challenge of a lifetime.
     
But it all has been forgiven by Christ. Shall we do the same?

[You say let it go]

When you feel like you're damaged goods, broken by your past or by your life, remember: every fiber of your being is loved, and every wrong deed in your history was washed away by the crimson sacrifice of Christ today.

Grace...

Physics tonight. And a poem.

Grace

The drops spatter at the windowpane
Nose to glass, I watch the rain.
Water mixed with Autumn mold
A world for me that's bitter and cold.

A robin flits by, shaking its beak,
Escaping the frost that has left it weak.
A thought escapes as I dry my eyes,
An added cloud in my misery gray skies.

A wounded heart sits silently here.
No answer to this soul's shouted prayer.
Please; a way to run, to hide.
I can't handle this grief, I tried.

A bit of red in the now falling snow,
This broken heart bleeds out below.
A bit of coal amongst all the white,
Mars the beauty in the fading light.

The snow has stopped, and so have my tears.
The cold remains, and so do my fears.
Anger; tell me why did this happen?
The argument circle I'm still trapped in.

Tell me I'll be alright, that I'll be ok.
No, leave me alone--keep your cliches.
I can't do this myself--please let me be strong.
Something make my life right, its now so wrong.

The orange lines of sun split through the clouds
Warm on my face, the sunset glow astounds.
A ray pierces my heart, through the painful dark hue,
And I hear a whisper, "I painted this all for you."

[when I wiped the tears from your face / I called it all, Grace]

Rasa, Rasa...

Physics tonight. And a poem.

Rasa, Rasa

My heart beats,
As a man, as a drum.
Hear the lifeline of this earth
Dominion and destruction

Return to this paradise
Respite of the fallen
Roll the dice, pass the cup
Revel in this pleasure den.

If you fly higher
You shall fall all the more
Ten graves deeper down
Looking only to travel lower.

Fall away, call away
What are you looking for?
Famed in the darkness
But starbright at the core.

Raise up, rise up.
Rasa, rasa, tabula rasa.
Rewrite your story,
Reclaim those you lost.

A man once paid ransom for you,
Heaven met Earth for your soul.
Death brought life: Ni kumaliza
Let your debt be paid in full.

See your deeds, failures, your scars
He sees them, knows where you've been
Where you've lived up, down, tried to let go
But calls you Saint, no more condemned.

Child, child, child
Why do you weep?
When Hope seems gone,
Joy destroyed,
Love has left,
Life at dead end.
Remember: you're the one I chose to keep.

[never stop living]

We Grieve...

     Yesterday, twenty children died. Twenty kids who hadn't even graduated from elementary school, twenty kids who were loved dearly by their families and community, twenty kids who just  the day before ran and played without a care in the world, gunned down where they stood.

 Yesterday, six adults died. Six mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends; six adults who devoted their lives to teaching and mentoring the future who will never see their work come to fruition; six people who gave all they had for the children they taught.

  We ask how this could have happened. Of all the towns in America Newtown, Connecticut is one of the least touched by crime and poverty, yet is now the site of the worst school shooting in our nation's history. "How is this possible?" we wonder. Of course it was the shooter's fault--Adam Lanza is responsible for every life that passed before his bullets; but we almost want to place the blame elsewhere as well--after all, Americans are normal, stable people. Surely Adam is not solely to blame for this tragedy. It was the legislators who have not passed strict gun laws. It was the US healthcare system for not providing affordable mental counseling. It was Adam's own parents that failed to raise him correctly.

     But why do we need to blame anyone else? This shooting has brought grief to every one of our hearts--why stir up more angst and frustration? For those of you who think this is political fodder, please cease. This is not a "prime piece of evidence for gun control." This is not the platform for more political pontification on our health system. This is where twenty-six innocent souls died. This is where mothers and fathers will never see their children again in this life. This is where children's blood stained the pavement.
     Do not be afraid to mourn those lost.

     Yesterday, I lived life as normal. I spent time with friends; I went and saw a movie; I celebrated this Christmas season with my family. Am I cold? Am I insensitive to the fact that for twenty-six families, Christmas will now be a funeral? Should I have stopped my life because lives ended yesterday? I mourn those killed; I grieve for the families and pray for their loss, however, America, do not be afraid to carry on. Grieve in your hearts but show strength in your actions. If we cease to continue, when shall we begin again? Dedicate the quiet parts of your life to remembering these children and teachers, but do not be afraid to proceed with life.  Courage is rising the the challenge and meeting adversity. Let us meet this adversity with resolve.
     We will remember these dead for decades to come.

     For the families of this tragedy, and all whose hearts were wrenched by this horror--look for hope. Look for peace. Look for joy.
     Look for Christ.
     I don't know why the shooting happened. I don't know how it fits into God's plan. Nay, I do not claim to have the answers. Remember this though: what Christ has to offer is far greater than what you are feeling now. We cannot bring them back...

One of the children wrote this note for his mother the day before dying in the shooting.

...but we can find peace in the arms of Christ.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." 

This sounds like a cliche answer, but it is a true answer. Christ grieves with you over your children. He loved your children. He loved every laugh and smile that came from their lips; He loved every time their eyes lit up with joy.
     America, find commiseration in Christ. He grieves with us today.

In Memoriam...

     Eleven years ago, I was six. I remember seeing passenger jets with terrorists at the controls and innocent civilians huddled in the seats slam into the sides of World Trade Centers One and Two. I remember watching the graceful glass and steel crumble into concrete and ash around the impact as the fireball enveloped the upper floors. I remember stoically watching the faces of panicked pedestrians and newsmen blurting out the story before the debris of Tower One filled the streets as the building fell.  Seeing the tower crumple in on itself like a card house, floor falling through floor, and hearing the announcer exclaiming "Oh my God! Oh my God!" I finally grasped what had happened, and realized that nothing was going to be the same.

  I continued to watch, eyes glued to the screen, as survivors who escaped the building told stories of the bloody chaos and destruction on every floor of the Towers. The anguished voices of wives and mothers filled the newscast, calling the station to ask about the welfare of their loved one, And above all of the mayhem, reports began to stream in that another plane with hundreds of husbands, wives, sisters, and brothers had slammed into the western side of the Pentagon.  The images of firemen at both sites carrying away the wounded and dead are pictures that I, nor America, can ever forget. I knew I was safe in my small-town Virginia house, but the terror of the moment touched me as well, as it did Americans all across the nation.
   
    We did not know anyone at the Towers or the Pentagon, but their pain and fear became our pain and fear. We did not know the people courageous enough to drag coworkers out of the inferno or attack terrorists in the cockpits, but those people became our heroes too. We rose up as Americans and vowed to endure, to rebuild, and to never forget. Though the road of rebuilding has led us through two bloody and stigmatized wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have never stopped devoting ourselves to the idea that never again will 3,000 Americans perish in an attack on their homeland. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave, but only because those who died fighting for freedom were brave enough to remind us how precious our liberty is.

    Many have asked, where was God at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, or on Flight 93? I will tell you that He was right there with every person who perished, His heart broken that so many of His children died in the space of five hours. Why did He allow 9/11? I must say that we cannot know for sure; as Isaiah the Prophet explains this in Isaiah 40:13, "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?" However, understand this, that the Lord's plan, while it may look destructive, is more beautiful than we could ever foresee.We cannot see the pattern of the tapestry God is weaving. We are on the other side of the loom looking at knotted threads placed seemingly without purpose. Occasionally we can catch a glimpse of the design,but then as soon as we think we have it pegged, a new thread or knot is placed that changes everything. Only when we meet God face to face in Heaven will we see his master plan. 

     Until we see this master plan however, know that there is a greater hand at work in the world than terrorist masterminds. Today is a day to never forget the patriots who died on 9/11, but also a day to never forget that there is more to the world than flesh, blood, and concrete. 


To those who saw the fire,
To those who felt the pain,
To those who were under rubble,
The places where loved ones were lain.
Your courage to face what had crumbled,
With patriotism, you took a stand;
Though through your hearts destruction rumbled,
And felt the evil planned.
Your sacrifices we shall never forget,
In the shadow of the Towers.
With tears on cheeks, but faces set,
You showed the world that Courage and Love still hold power.

911--never forget

The "Good" in this Friday...

    Two thousand and twelve years ago this day, a man died. He wasn't the only man to die on that day. He wasn't the most famous man to die on that day. Yet, his death changed the lives of millions.
     He was the King, yet was a pauper. He owned the world, yet had no place to lay his head. He was the source of human life, yet submitted to a common criminal's  death. He rescued his friends, yet his friends deserted Him in the end. He was a man, and He was God.

     On this day in history, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, died at the hands of the Pharisees and Romans, suffering to the last on a cross. He was a common man, with an uncommon heritage: His father was the Creator of the world, infinite master of the Universe. Christ stepped from the heavenly realm into human form, still imbued with His ultimate power and love.
     But He was killed.

     How is a day good if it marks the death of the Son of God?

     Because this was the day that you were you were forgiven. Today you were set free from sin.
 
     Throughout history, wrongdoing has always required a blood sacrifice for forgiveness; on this day in history, the  pure and sinless blood of God was spilled, covering and repairing the scars, past, present and future, caused by sin. There was incredible love shown on that cross; this God-man died on behalf of the entire world. Other religions have gods who died for various reasons, but never have any of those gods died because they loved every single person in the world.
      But Christ did. His bloody suffering washed you clean--He took the punishment that was yours from the day you were born. The thorns in his head, the nails through his wrists and his ankles, the shards of metal and glass left in his back by the executioners' whips; but at the end of it all He said, "Father, forgive them."

     Today, the Lord died, but today you were set free.

     Freedom from your sin is an incredible gift--go ahead and take it.
     We live because He loved.
   

Skylights...

     Another post, another poem. This one was written as a half-poem, half-song. If any of you have a possible tune for this, give it a go and let me know. Until then, it will simply remain words on a page. (Music really brings our language to life)

--Skylights--

You've got your money,

Drugs, drinks, and bling.

But you've never got your freedom,

A Liberty Bell to ring.

Your psychedelics, religious relics

Never brought anyone joy.

Existentialism is only detrimentalism.

Escape can't be found through the sky or ground.

Release can't read in fiction or Freud.

Success isn't gained through being paranoid.

You've only got Life through the Man on the tree,

Through the blood poured out to make other men free.

Though until now your existence seemed eternity,

Your Life has just begun.

The eternal grave has been turned back again:

You've been made aright--

You've been made alive.

--Today is the last day that you'll die--

Tonight is the night you begin to thrive

Tonight is the night you come alive

Like the current that flows to light up the skies

Is the joy of freedom that lights up your eyes.

There's a fire a'ragin', yearning for souls,

[It lights up the night, and love is its pull]

The flames fan across the full of the world

[Instead of ashes, they leave men strong and bold]

Light up the sky, light up the night

You've got freedom in Christ, He's won the fight.

Welcome to joy, the death of all strife

Welcome to victory, love, freedom, and life.

The Chosen...

Life is hard. We all can say that. But never forget who and what you are; how much you are worth:

Feeling left out, struggling through
The gray shell of the day.
Maybe pushed aside, maybe ignored
Humanity's mistakes, hunting you: the prey.


Not only theirs, but also yours;
Pains hanging on your heart. 
Whisper "Not loved," whisper "No good"
Between heartbeats miles apart.


But you're chosen.


He's pursuing you with open arms;
Pursuing you with His own heart.


You are chosen.


Full of love, ever enough
His head spinning for you.
The wounds in His hands drip with blood
That cries out:


You are loved.


Why doubt His Passion?
Why doubt His grace?
You're chosen as His bride
With Christ you have a place.


The gray tatters of life may press
Sorrows lie in wait for Joys.
But live like you've nothing left, 
Because He's chosen you.


[Chosen, and loves you.]

Doomsday...

     The Mayan calender caused consternation when it was discovered that the last date on the stone timekeeper was December 31, 2011. The general populace surmised that the end of the ancient civilization's calender meant that the world would end in 2012, the year not found on the calender. A movie was made, and the tale was immortalized (or at least magnetized), on DVD's all around the world.
The Mayan calender is not the only timepiece that may end this year though.
     Just yesterday, the "Doomsday Clock", a large clock face used by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to depict how close the world is to an atomic destruction, moved one minute closer to midnight, bringing the barometer of human fate to 11:55.
     Well, was moved, I should say. The minute hand has fluctuated back and forth over the years, being anywhere between 2 minutes til midnight when the Cold War began, and almost 17 minutes til when the U.S. and Russia signed the START treaty, beginning to destroy nuclear stockpiles. The recent reset is due to several factors, as the co-chairman of the Atomic Scientist board, Lawrence Krauss, says, "Faced with clear and present dangers of nuclear proliferation and climate change, and the need to find sustainable and safe sources of energy, world leads are failing to change business as usual. As we see it, the major challenge at the heart of humanity’s survival in the 21st century is how to meet energy needs for economic growth in developing and industrial countries without further damaging the climate ... and without risking further spread of nuclear weapons — and in fact setting the stage for global reductions."
 
 So a question: is this clock just hype over the nuclear situation of the world, or is the concern real?
     First of all, the mere change of the time on the clock has caused overt amounts of worry and consternation, and though the occurrence has raised awareness, awareness is useless if it is mixed with fear. It is a fact, however, that the world may very well be on the brink of a war. With Iran at some point of the nuclear weapon process, Israel darting suspicious looks at any military occurrence in the Middle East, and with the U.S. still acting in the world as the major keeper of the peace, anything could happen. Russia is sitting back on it's laurels apparently disinterested with the world, yet the laurels it rests upon cover a nuclear arsenal to match the U.S. The end of the world could be right around the corner.
     However, the Doomsday Clock has forgotten one variable to the equation, one that cannot ever be defined. Though the nations involved are large and powerful, the God involved is in control of them all. And while leaders may bluster and threaten, they are powerless to kill and destroy until the appointed time. And when that appointed time comes, they will fight. But, being the end of the world, Christ will return in His glory, and the Doomsday Clock will be reset all the way back to the beginning, though never to tick again.
 
  If the end is near, then so is Christ.

Claus or Christ?

 
 One comes on reindeer and a sleigh; the other comes on the clouds with fire. One is rotund and hale of health; the other is omnipotent and immortally eternal. One knows if you have been naughty or nice; the other knows your sins, your good deeds, your thoughts, your future. One offers toys, candy, or coal; the other offers life and eternity. One lowers himself down dirty chimneys to deliver gifts; the other lowered himself down to dirty earth to be killed. One lives at the top of the world; the other lives above and beyond the universe. Yet, despite the glaring differences between the two, Santa Claus and Christ compete every year for possession of the same day: Christmas.
     Although the character of Santa Claus originated in a Christian man's gracious act of love and kindness (see the story of St. Nicholas), the jolly, tuft-bearded man is now a competitor for the attention Christmas originally was created to give to Christ. Over the years, as secularism has become a part of all Christian holidays, Santa has become the main focus for Christmas; Claus has become the celebrated emblem of everything Christmas'y: jolliness, warmth, gift giving, and plenty of food (His waist size is a 50). Unfortunately,  Santa is the accepted emblem, and the true focus of the holiday is missed.
     As the name implies, Christmas is about Christ. The name derives from the Old English of Christ's Mass. Christmas originated with the early church, who looked for a day to celebrate the miraculous occurrence of God coming to earth. Since the beginning of the holiday, Christ has always been the main focus of Christmas; at least until several decades ago.
     But what is wrong with letting Santa take some of the limelight? After all, he is a harmless old man who has elves as personal slaves, right? (Alright--the elves are not his slaves...and he pays them. But they probably came over the border somewhere, right?) The crux of the matter is that Santa represents consumerism, and Christ represents eternity. The nature of Santa is gift giving, and we all know that he doesn't make anything himself; no: the parents buy all the loot, then give him the credit. Buying, buying, buying is the requirement for Santa to stay in business: if the parents don't buy for their kids, then Santa obviously didn't deliver on Christmas Eve. The problem with consumerism? Toys, games, chocolates and wine last no more than a few years. However, Christ is eternal. Celebration of Him requires no money, no toys, no surviving of Black Friday pepper spray. The joy in celebrating his arrival on earth never grows old or rotten.
     Another thing: why do we celebrate Santa Claus on Christ's birthday? After all, we don't celebrate Bill Clinton on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, do we?

   A man cannot serve two masters--choose this day whom you will celebrate: Claus or Christ?
     

A Speciality...

     Describe outer space. Go.
What did you say? Maybe you mentioned that it's a vacuum, and that planets, stars, and asteroids hang suspended in it, and its infinity. Close to what you said?
    But back up for a minute. You said that space was infinite. Describe infinite.
Can you describe infinite? Can you really and truly wrap your mind around what it means to go on forever...and forever...and forever? It would be nice if our universe was like George Lucas' "Star Wars", where everything is categorized into "Inner Rim", "Outer Rim", etc; but it's not. Think about it though, how incredible is it that we live in houses on earth (which to us seems huge in itself), and that earth just floats in space, and that space goes on for infinity. We have no full reference points in space, so we can't even tell where in the universe we live. How scary is that? But, how amazing is it?
    The entire universe was created just for us. The entire, infinite, boundless, limitless, indescribable universe was given to us as a gift. We must be something special, huh?
     Daily life can seem like it is the only thing in front of us, and it is the only thing in life. Emotions can tell us that we are not cared for, loved, or special. But take a step back and see the whole picture. Look up, and realize that the blue sky above us goes on forever. Suddenly, our troubles seem rather insignificant, don't they? Look up, and realize that everything we see and cannot see was made especially for us by our loving Father. Suddenly, our lives seem rather significant, don't they?

    You are special.

Falling...

     C.S. Lewis was an incredible man. From his grasp on allegorical literature to his complete understanding of the Gospel simply laid out in Mere Christianity, Lewis impacted Christianity and Christian literature greatly. But he did not start out as a spiritual giant; instead, as he put it, "I was the most stubborn of all atheists." And indeed, he was. During his college years before World War I, he openly mocked religious students and used his writing ability to create papers debunking God. Yet, Lewis changed after the War: it was then that he turned to God. One of the reasons for his conversion was the deep losses he experienced in his life. When he was nine, his mother died suddenly, leaving Lewis and his brother to be brought up by their dad. During WWI, he became close friends with another soldier. Unfortunately, Lewis' friend was killed suddenly in an attack. These losses decimated Lewis and he looked for comfort. Ultimately, he found the comfort in the arms of Christ. After so many years of feeling out of control, he was able to rest.

Falling down
I never stop.
Til the ground
Stops my feet.

And the ground I now rest upon,
His title is The Rock
Though times again I slip anon
He always stops my feet.

My grasp on Life
Is losing its hold.
My control is rife
With a lack of grip.

I clung with all strength, but in vain;
Losing grasp, I fell.
But His hands caught me, without pain;
And now I'm in His grip.

Falling ain't like flying
Because there's no control.
It's helplessness and crying,
Until you hit the ground.

But falling in life doesn't have to be
The current status quo.
In God's hands, rest eternally
And from there, you'll never fall.

Securely rest
Without fear.
His grasp is the best,
And you'll be surprised by Joy.

Falling ain't like flying,
Because there's no control.
But if you give up trying,
He'll catch you before the ground.

     C.S. Lewis is someone to admire and imitate. Though he lost so much in life, including the wife of his later years, he remained focused and true to Christ.
     Falling isn't like flying; so let God catch you.

lightbulb...

It has now become an incorrigible habit of mine to write poetry during our history TOG meetings. I pay attention, but verses just seem to come. Anyways-- here is tonight's poem--it's a summation of an analogy of my life. My life is like a lightbulb. If you still wonder what I mean after finishing reading, just ask.

lightbulb.

In the middle of a room
Stands a lamp--with the lightbulb on.
Shining into every dark corner,
Dispelling any gloom.

Despite the brilliance given,
There is still fragility,
A split second of off and on,
And failures in the living

Let my life resemble
This light; for You.
I may break easily
But Your hands assemble
Anew.

Your power is pulsing, flowing,
Lighting me up for the world.
Coursing through my veins and heart,
In the middle of the room I am glowing.

If I lose hope; shatter into pieces,
The light grows dim; darkness returns.
I'm human, I'm fragile I know,
But Your love for me still reaches.

Let my life be a light for You,
Though I break, You make anew.
In the middle of the darkness, surrounded
I'm nothing, lest in Your power am founded.

 five: millions of pieces.
 four: come together again.
three: power to shine bright.
two: darkness reaches.
one: ___ ___ ___
       light.

Alive...

Another poem spurred on by History last night....


Welcome to my world
Everything is up and down.
Blacks and whites look more like grays,
And there's no direction in this town.

Why can't everything be crystal clear?
My thinking isn't straight.
Looking for a note in all the noise,
Can anything change my state?

I've tried and I've tried, but I still am lost.
I've lied and I've lied, but the truth still haunts me.
Reason only leaves dead ends and confusion to life;
I thought I was living, but is there life in me?

I've looked at everything under the sun,
And yet, the answer hides.
My eyes are open but I don't see,
The Truth that's on all sides.

You surround me; lifting my life up
Yet I ignore Your love and focus on my day
Life is senseless when You're not involved
I choose Your light, Your life--
And in Your arms I'll stay.

Nothing is true unless the Truth is real.
Nothing is living unless Life has awakened it.
Direction is circular without the Way that is Straight
And the One who redeems your life from the pit.

Come awake and come alive,
By taking the hand held out to you.
There's love overpowering and sweet.
There's Christ that makes all new.

Amen.

Monkeys or Equality...

The other day, I made my yearly trip to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Yes, the one and the same. As the name implies, it deals, not with the history of our nation (that is the museum a few blocks down), but with the history of our world, and most importantly: nature. In the wax figurine caveman displays, and the new, several thousand dollar "Origins of Man" exhibit, the museum also kindly informs the innocent tourist that yes, this shortish, ape-like, less-than-handsome man, was his or her ancestor from 8 or so million years ago. Talk about long-lost relatives. Essentially put, man evolved from monkeys; the same theory that has been furthered for decades by much of the scientific community. In another section of the museum, the curator has constructed another new exhibit, about race. This well put together exhibit concerns itself with informing the visitor about the ins and outs of racial segregation and bigotry. As I perused the hall of the "Race" exhibit, after having looked at the "Origins of Man" displays, a thought came to me: both of these displays contradict each other. How? Let me explain.

Several of the Natural History Museum's displays propagate the theory that all of mankind originated in Africa. This claim is based on the fact that most of all of the 'transitionary' ape fossils such as Lucy have been found in Africa, specifically in the Kenya/Tanzania region. Also propagated is the decades old theory that man evolved, an idea originated by Charles Darwin in the 1800's. This type of evolution refuses a God as the Creator of the world, and as a being in the world. To sum up--the museum states that man evolved, thereby disallowing any action of God, and thereby arguing against the existence of God.
So where's the contradiction? I came across the contrary argument in the 'Race' exhibit.

The essential argument made by the displays on race was that all men are created equal. The info boards took a quote directly out of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal..." But wait a minute, look back at the quote: "...that all men are created equal..." Created? Yes, that is what the Declaration states. If man is created, that denotes a Creator: God. So despite the fact that one wing of the museum denies a Creator and a God, another portion of the museum claims a Creator and a God in order to have equality. Contradiction? I think so. But wait, you say, the word 'created' is just semantics. Evolution creates as well. In that case, look at the first part of the quote: "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." The interesting thing about self-evident truths is that there are none, apart from God. Why? Look at Stalin's Russia in the 1900's: Stalin's communist regime rejected any and all parts or references to God. Alright, so what? In his nation, was equality, or any other individual right for that matter, respected? No. Obviously, the truth of equality was not self-evident to Stalin. Why? Because he rejected God. Only God is the Truth, and only God is the Self-Evident Truth.
This leaves the museum in a quandary: should it elevate the evolution of man in the interest of keeping a more atheistic view, or should it be concerned about the equality of man in race, and admit there is a God?

Keep the monkeys, or keep equality, but you cannot have both.

Don't forget how to live...

     As we go about our daily business, be it school, work, or chores, we oftentimes end up focusing on the things right in front of us. Of course, we have to focus on the work at hand, or else nothing will get done. But how often do you sit back and think about the future, think past what is right in front of you?  Think past college, marriage, and your life, and consider where the world is going. If the world will eventually burn, then what point is there to being creative, being innovative, and being smart? If you think this outlook is pessimistic, you are correct, but this is the mindset that Christians find so easy to fall into. Challenge yourself to think deeper than that. Find the things that do have eternal ramifications, and pursue those. If we have the shallow view that all is eventually nothing, then there is no point to life. But that is the catch. There is a point to life, one that Christians and non-Christians so easily miss and forget.
     Man was created to love and be loved. Love whom? There is only one that we can love, and perfectly be loved in return. His name is Christ, Elohim, God, Elyon, Jehovah, Abba, Father. He is the purpose of life; He is life. When we focus on the horizontal, on the day that is ahead of us, and forget that there is another dimension to our toils, we have forgotten how to live. Of course, when you forget how to live, death and pessimism set in. When you look at the future, ponder the world, ponder life, ponder marriage, ponder college. But never forget that the only way to ever live life is to pursue the Creator.
    Run hard.
  

Follow You...

Our Tapestry of Grace history meeting was very good tonight. Inspiring, in fact. Not that I wasn't paying attention, but the Lord gave me words for a poem/song. Its really more of a psalm though.

A Psalm of Trust

I will rise up on Eagle's wings
But where should I fly?
I have refuge in the cleft of the Rock
Does that mean I should hide?
Following, listening, looking for Your voice,
I hear you calling, but to where should I go?

Shall I turn to the East
Or move to the South.
I know you lead me, but where shall I follow?
Do I go to the world,
Or is home the place to be?
I follow your call
Though I cannot see

Doors open and close, do I step through?
I'll wait and again, I depend on You.
Say move and I'll move
Say go and I'll go.
There's a plan You have laid out
A plan for me and the world.

I'll follow to the ends of the earth--
Your ways are not my ways, O God.
There is nothing unknown to You:
Why would I trust my knowledge
As faulty as it is?
Follow is a simple word,
And follow you I will.

Who shows the sparrow how to fly?
Should I follow You? I will not ask why.
High above all else
You reign in all and create all.
Though I do not know the direction,
I will follow You.

When I cry out, You are there.
You catch my every tear
You have shown Yourself true
Through and through.
If I trust You with my strife,
Why not give You all my life?
The way is unclear....
...but Your way holds no fear.

Acquitted and free...

     Last night, Amanda Knox was acquitted of a crime, which the Italian court believes she did not commit. Watching the news this morning, all of the news anchors were ecstatic for this American citizen to be able to come home. The reporters showed shots of the family celebrating at their home in Seattle, WA, as the verdict was read. It was a joy to see the relief and gladness on their faces as they realized that their daughter, niece, cousin, aunt, was able to come home after four years in an Italian prison. Read the full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/world/europe/amanda-knox-freed-after-appeal-in-italian-court.html
     One can only imagine what the press response that the Italian court and judge are receiving looks like. They clearly (or maybe not so clearly) convicted an innocent person and created an international case, not to mention uproar. Was this acquittal due to pressure, or was it due to the facts? Sometimes, the two are almost the same for some courts, and yet, let us believe that it was Justice that was served here, not popular opinion.
   Interestingly enough, two thousand years ago, the entire world was acquitted of a crime that all did commit. The Supreme Court of God loved us so much, that through His grace, He signed a "Not Guilty" verdict. The full story can be found here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3:16&version=NASB However, God did not just give sway to His love. No. Justice had to be served, and so, a perfect, sinless, righteous man was sent to be murdered and take the punishment in Humanity's place. The only person who is perfect enough to be the sacrifice for the entirety of mankind's sin, was the son of the Judge. Jesus Christ filled and finished mankind's sentence of death, so that Justice might be served, and that true love might be shown. Indeed, there still has yet in history to be another occurrence like this one.
    Acquitted and free. Celebrate the acquittal of Amanda Knox today, and accept the gift of your acquittal as well.