Shame on Senators - Pharaohs in our Midst!

This morning while I was on the treadmill at the gym, the flat screen dangling from the ceiling in front of me was featuring a news story portending the imminent failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction; also known as the “Super Committee” or the “Gang of 12.” Twelve senators sit upon this august body of seasoned politicians. Its remit was to do what other politicians could not do: find agreement across party lines and trim between 1.2 – 1.5 trillion dollars over the next 10 years from our staggering national deficit. Well, fail the Super Committee did and downward the stock market did tumble. Did we expect any other different? According to a Sunday, November 20, 2011 article in the Cincinnati Enquirer entitled, “All Of Us Will Feel Supercommittee’s Pain,” “If $1.2 trillion sounds like a lot, it is:  It could build 81,000 new elementary schools or put more than a million cops on the street for a decade.” 

When I was in ministry in Boston, a close pastoral colleague of mine once said these anointed or wise words of wisdom: “Leadership is always the problem; leadership is always the solution.” Having been in the business world for many years prior to becoming a pastor of a very successful congregation that he founded, my colleague friend knew this statement not just as a catch-phrase or truism, but as an encapsulation of what he had witnessed in the business world time and time again as a tried and true principle. Today’s failure of the Super Committee to find agreement was a very clear manifestation of “leadership is always the problem.” So what is the problem with our politicians that govern us? Well, it depends on who one listens to, I suppose. If you are Tea Party inclined, it is that our government has become too overly centralized, too focused on raising taxes, and lost its connection to an overarching set of guiding moral principles. If you are Occupy Wall St. inclined, politicians in Washington have become too cozy with big business and corporate investment houses, provide tax breaks to the ultra wealthy, and lost its connection to the 99% of those of us who are not millionaires or billionaires. Apparently, 2011 politics based on the assumption of an altruistic calling to serve our nation’s greater good is truly an illusion. Whatever, your party affiliation or political branding, it is clear that Americans are now very, very tired with being governed by an indisputably ineffective and chronic political system, be it at the national or state level, that cannot seem to heal itself. Seemingly, like bad addicts, today’s politicians are in denial that they need recovery. As I see it, our elected politicians remind me more of Pharaoh in the Old Testament book of Exodus (probably Thutmose III or Amenhotep II) : having given up on the Golden Dream (pick which pin burst your balloon:  today’s failed Super Committee or yesterday’s mortgage foreclosure crisis, or the bailouts of corporate houses ill-gotten gain; such as Lehman Brothers or Goldman Sachs) many Americans feel the intense servitude of unemployment and underemployment, poverty (now at a 50-year high), and the economic pressure that 40-50 million Americans with no health care insurance exert upon hospitals all around the nation. And so today’s new Pharaohs evidence the same repeating generational trait as the old Pharaohs did, i.e. they remain aloof and untouched by the cries of the people in their land.  

Although I am not a politician by trade nor particularly well-versed in politics, I am, at least, aware enough to see that the small cracks occurring in our ability to govern ourselves well have now turned into large fissures with the added pressure of a still soured economy threatening to drive the wedge even further between the haves and the have-nots. In the Old Testament book of Exodus (read the first fourteen chapters), it becomes very clear, very quickly what Pharaoh’s problem was. It’s not that he wasn’t schooled, a great master planner, a powerful commander in chief, or even an intelligent listener to his many advisors—Pharaoh was all this and much, much more! Pharaoh’s problem, as is the problem of all those who rule, is the refusal to give up or even share power. Pharaoh’s problem with Moses’ request—on God’s behalf—to let the People of Israel—slaves in Egypt—go was not that he particularly cared for the Hebrew people at all . . . or that he necessarily found the Hebrews indispensible to his empire building, but rather that to let them go would have resulted in an erosion of his god-like power. And it was at this point that his leadership was the problem. 

So what should our modern day Pharaohs do that sit upon Capitol Hill? :  They should again rediscover the second half of my colleague’s maxim that “leadership is always the solution.” What is destroying faith in American government is not that our politicians aren’t hard-working or lack intelligence; it’s that that they lack flexibility to make the necessary concessions for the benefit of Americans as a whole. I suppose what may be stoking the anger of most Americans (whatever party one subscribes to) is that the majority of politicians have lost sight of the larger purposes of our nation and the needs of its people. And this is exactly what Egypt’s Pharaoh did: his utter inflexibility and defiant attitude toward Moses greatly harmed his nation (through the 10 plagues) and resulted in the destruction of his formidable military machine—a telling end to his rule as Pharaoh. 

The desire of most Americans, I would suspect, is not so much that we want our politicians to all walk in lock-step with each other . . . or to hold hands adoringly across a romantic table set for two. We do live in a pluralistic society that is quite accustomed to tolerating a great many differences within our land. Rather the hands-down longing across party lines that most Americans feel, is for our elected officials to again find the power that is contained in negotiation and flexibility. As I look at the world’s stage at present, this is the fight, be it in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, or the United States:  people are demanding two things:  participation in the processes that govern them and for those that lead to have the common sense ability to know that give and take is always greater than entrenchment and partisanship. 

Many centuries ago, in the barren wilds of the Sinai desert peninsula, a new government was born: that of the Hebrew people. Together they drew their disparate cords together to form a brand new nation—with brand new leadership—all springing from a Pharaoh who could not and would not agree to find a solution.

Cultures of Exclusivity (And What To Do About Them)

One could not be alive and living in America during November 2011 and not have heard about the sexual abuse case taking place at Penn State University. At one time I only knew the name “Sandusky” as being a small town in northern Ohio. Now, I know the name primarily as someone charged with having repeatedly abused young boys in and around the Penn State campus. As the media scrum reached its frenzied pitch, a powerful byline of the assault story emerged:  that Penn State and its multi-million dollar sports program actually fostered and maintained a culture of secrecy and exclusivity. It is alleged that while young boys were innocently victimized that “higher ups” at Penn State, and the larger community, in general, colluded to cover-up their criminal actions. Lots of people from coaches, to campus police, to university administrators, to educators in the community at large knew of or about the heinous crimes being perpetrated in their midst, but no one, for fear of reprisals from the all-powerful Penn State, would speak out. When those who could no longer keep their silence spoke out, the story, and the accusations brought forward, generated a deep sense of tragedy, moral failure, as well as a shocking view into the predatory behaviors of a high profile, public, serial pedophile. Such cover-ups are not uncommon in institutions where the power is so extreme that those who belong to the organization are set apart or immune from any systems of accountability beyond or outside the institution itself. Penn State, for example, is now considering a review panel made up of persons with no ties back to Penn State. More than likely, this is too little, too late. 

Those of us old enough to remember also recall the Watergate scandal of the 1970s. “The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. and the Nixon administration’s attempted cover-up of its involvement. Effects of the scandal eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974; this has been the only resignation of a U.S. President. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction and incarceration of several top Nixon administration officials.” [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal]. 

Still not convinced? Yet another example of a similar nature to the Penn State story is that of sexual abuses that have occurred in the Roman Catholic Church. The explosion of reports against the Roman Catholic Church allege a culture of exclusive secrecy dating back decades, in numerous countries, worldwide, involving thousands of victims. “In 2001, lawsuits were filed in the United States and Ireland, alleging that some priests had sexually abused minors and that their superiors had conspired to conceal and otherwise abet their criminal misconduct. In 2004, the John Jay report tabulated a total of 4,392 priests and deacons in the U.S. against whom allegations of sexual abuse had been made.” [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases#cite_note-newsweek.com-12] The last example is particularly noteworthy since the Church of Jesus Christ—no matter its branding or denomination—ought to be above reproach and beyond allegations where institutional power is used against the weak and powerless in a predatory fashion. But the fact that such crimes have occurred in the church only evidences that churches can also be cultures of exclusivity where those that are different from “us” can and are routinely marginalized, abused or mistreated. 

So, at Christmas, it is particularly important to ask what can be done about such “Cultures of Exclusivity” where others (children, the poor, minorities, the hungry, addicts of every kind, and the smelly) are kept out while people of choice and privilege (usually, but not always, middle to upper-class whites) are reified in their places of exclusivity. The exclusivity that I refer to is the intentional keeping out that those seeking a church home often have to face when visiting a congregation. The insiders maintain and protect their systems of privilege while simultaneously blocking and giving the cold shoulder to those who wish to enter and experience the grace of God. Of the majority of churches I have led over 20 years, most have told me that they wish their congregations to grow—what is usually meant by this statement is that they preferentially wish their congregations to grow with people who look like them, act like them, talk like them, have children like them, live in neighborhoods like them, etc, etc. The raw truth, however, is that this is usually never the case. Most people who are not “like us” are definitively not like us. We cannot want growth, on the one-hand, and then demand of God, on the other hand, the kind and quality of growth that it will be. 

The answer, of course, to this rampant and damnable exclusivity, that subtly, but powerfully exists in the church is to remember that at Christmas Jesus Christ comes to the entire human race; indeed even to creation itself:  to lowly and meek Shepherds, to powerful political leaders, to earnest kings that seek, to working class inn keepers, to young children, to people of different races and creeds, and even the animals in the cradle stall. Into all that we would do to keep others out, Jesus comes as our Grand Provocateur to invite EVERYONE in. How dare He? But, despite our protests, He does! As it bothered the Scribes and Pharisees, it bothers us, too. Why should those who are different, difficult to understand. the lost or lower-class sit at the same table or share the same pew with me? Because love is not exclusive, that’s why? John 3:16 is a passage that speaks of the Christmas Incarnation. At Christmas, especially, we announce the Good News that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever . . . .” God’s love is not exclusive:  it is not just available for those who think that they deserve it. And it is certainly not denied to those on the Outside just because those on the Inside say that they can’t have it. God’s love is not selective based on race, gender, economic circumstances, etc. If God offers His love to all, are we to do any less? If Christmas isn’t just about “us,” but about “everybody,” should we not become the People of Inclusion rather than exclusion; the people of transparency, instead of secrecy, and the people of light instead of darkness? Christmas says, yes, we should.

Why I Am Not On Facebook

Very recently I attended a workshop at a denominational evangelism event entitled, “Becoming Bilingual: Learning to Tweet and Love our Tradition.” The presenter, a denominational leader from one of our state conference offices was inspiring, fun, and very well versed on her topic. While I enjoyed the workshop, the conversion that I was hoping to have about the importance of social media in my life just did not happen. While I went with a very open mind—wanting to change my disposition & views toward the use of social media—when it came to discuss some of the very real abuses that occur via social media (the White Elephant in the room)—such as careers & families that are instantly destroyed through falsely manipulated messages or images—I remained as convinced as ever of the problems associated with the need, or is it addiction, of being 24/7 connected. Largely, I remain unpersuaded that social media platforms are a necessary cultural inevitability that we must participate in lest we anxiously feel left behind. What I want to do is invite you to take some steps back with me to ask, is social media really “all that?” Here are some thoughts for our ongoing conversation together.  

First, I would vigorously contend that social media, alone, cannot build meaningful relationships. While social media is often touted as bringing people together & connecting people who, otherwise, wouldn’t be, it can also serve to do the opposite, i.e. it can allow for fabricated profiles of people to be constructed that make it virtually impossible to tell, without picking up the phone to hear their voice, if the long-lost college roommate you’re searching for is actually them or just a set of false details that appear to be them. In the world of cyberspace it is perfectly possible for men to be women & women to be men, for a 70-year-old to present themselves as a teenager; or for a teen to present themselves as being “of age;” for a person to invent life experiences that they have never had; to present fictitious career or academic standings not to mention presenting false geographical locations, i.e. the person who says they are living in Tucson may actually be the neighbor in the next street over in your subdivision. If cyberspace has succeeded in doing any one thing it has been to irrevocably blur the line between what is “real” & what is an illusion (as the Moody Blues once sang). Thus, if my experiences of social media are such that I am no longer convinced that people can be “real,” how might that impact my view(s) of God? Is God for real or just an illusion; the Grand Master Profile constructed to be whatever we wish God to be—devoid of any reality? Therefore, it’s important to remember, as many are quick to quip: “just ‘cause it’s ‘out there’ don’t make it so.” So what is “truth” in cyberspace? Unless, at some stage, you meet “a profile” in person, the veracity of Internet profiles is impossible to determine. Thus, while social media, by and large, is based on the assumption of “real” profiles by real living and breathing people, it nonetheless has stamped upon post-modern culture the exponential multiplication of the shadow side of life where false & untrue personalities & biographies are daily spawned by the millions.

That being said, while inventions such as texting can be an effective tool of communication in this “hurry-up-and-get-there, is-it-done-yet?” age, this, too can also disconnect human beings from one another. Take, for example, the parent picking up their teen from my home, who is working on a school project with my teen. Rather than pulling into the driveway, parking their car, walking to the front door & introducing themselves & having face-to-face conversation with me; now that parent merely texts their child’s phone who now knows that their mother or father has arrived to pick them up. Thus, the parent’s possible, meaningful interaction & relationship-building with me has been disconnected. All that glitters is not gold. My point here is to insist, restate, or shout from the rooftops if necessary that physical one-to-one conversations and relationships should never be relegated to a secondary role in human society and culture. Talking face-to-face always has greater value than texting, Tweeting, or IMing. It’s also the reason that watching worship on TV is never accepted as a total replacement for being in worship with other living, breathing human souls. It’s important to remember here that, theologically, we are made from the stuff of flesh & blood for a purpose—it is part of God’s perfect design for us. When creating the human person & breathing a soul into us (see the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis), God did not use as his raw material wires & circuits, microchips & screens—God choose to base personhood upon flesh & blood, taste & touch, presence and physical space. While wires & microchips have their place (and note the pent up need in post-modern Sci Fi to blend the bio with the synthetic), it’s worthwhile to occasionally remind ourselves that these “things” do not for us make. Tools they are, but they are not me! While I enjoy airline travel or driving my car, these inventions, ultimately, are not me—rather they are built to serve me. While one might argue that the same holds true for cyber-technology (i.e. it serves me), the subtle, unspoken assumption—often ignored—is that my IM profile or my Facebook status IS me! Only “me,” I would passionately argue, and not a construction or projection or a lie of “me” can build meaningful relationships. Further, only “me,” and not even a truthful profile, can adequately be said to be “me.” Admittedly, the problem with postmodern technology & culture is that less and less does it see a difference between the Self & the thing that the self created. Essentially we are seeing the Self & the projection of Self onto servers and avatars & profiles as being merged into one—the misunderstanding of personhood here is that the creation (technology) has become as important as creator (human beings). At one time, humanity once knew the difference between people & things; and ethicists & theologians would quickly decry any confusion between the two. Today, I would contend, this difference is slowly being lost as we no longer insist that what we create is no longer us. This, of course, has huge ramifications for what we understand as constituting “personhood.” 

Second, social media expression can be hugely time consuming and has shifted attention away from processing—if not distracting—our relationships in physical time and space. This is perhaps nowhere better evidenced than in texting and driving. The driver commandeers several thousands of pounds of metal moving at high speeds in a shared space with other drivers. With regret, texts can intrusively interrupt (if it is not a sacrilege to say so) a person at anytime, anywhere doing anything including driving or times of worship, doing chores or engaging in prayer. It goes without saying that we all have witnessed near misses or significant driver distraction; putting at risk others sharing the same open road. Some studies even equate the distraction levels from texting and driving with drinking and driving. Our need “to be available” to send and receive texts could mean the death of another. Is staying “connected” in this way, really all that necessary or important?

Essentially, social media platforms, especially texting and tweeting have collapsed or flattened time. Indeed, studying history may soon become passé as all events are instantaneously compressed (often with very little, if any, reflection—theological or otherwise) into the “now.” While an endless stream of “now” moments may be temporarily exciting and thrilling (perhaps like a drug that we become addicted to), it also tends to weaken if not tire our ability to reflect upon how past experiences integrate with the present to create a new possible future. Indeed, while our heritage, as Christians, does include the “now” moments of inspiration by the living Holy Spirit, this is never done at the expense of compromising our ability to think critically & reflectively upon the saliency of God’s messages located in the past. Reflection helps me to take these past moments and integrate them into my faith & personhood. I cannot forget the ongoing learning that takes place when I think of what others have learned from God in the past, i.e. all relevancy and all faith is not just predicated upon the “now” moment, but also vigorously built upon the “before.” As a believer, I cannot forget this. I must, as Jesus asked His followers at the Table, to “remember.” 

In the pre-email era, people would, in a focused fashion, sit down & “write” a letter. At the risk of dating my age, my wife & I once wrote letters back & forth to each other during our engagement. Did this take time? Of course, esp. since they were love letters. But once the letter was written and mailed—the task of communication complete—my focus again returned to the present circumstances and surroundings of my life; all of which required my undivided energy and attention. I want to be careful not to say that in a pre-social media world that distractions did not exist—because they did. But of concern today is the overwhelming nature of the legitimacy of intrusion that social media has made as the new norm! To be endlessly available to, & interrupted by, the messaging demands of others can leave us feeling pressured or bound to stop what we are doing in that moment of precious time & space to reply. There was a time when the store clerk did not answer the phone, if a customer was at the counter. The flawed perspective we must avoid is that the ‘incoming’ message has greater value & power than the activity which that message is interrupting; be that driving, sleeping, making love, walking in the park, being at the theatre, ball game, or spending time with one’s family. The question for today’s cyber-generation asks if there is any value in turning phones & PCs off altogether to journey into the self or enjoying the company of others without interruption? Perhaps this is a question of boundaries or balance, especially for the believer, that I will address by insisting that there is immeasurable meaning in not being connected to technology. Without a doubt such boundaries are forever blurred when some take their ‘Blackberries’ with them to the grave. See > http://apcmag.com/bury_me_with_my_blackberry.htm. 

Finally, let’s remember that Christianity, the world’s largest religion, has a great tradition of its followers finding time to draw apart to places of quiet to refresh the soul & gain fresh, new perspectives. From the Gospels, we find that this was a habit & way of life for Jesus (Mark 1, Mark 5, Mark 14, Luke 4, 5 & 6). And if Jesus had this habit, so ought also His followers so to do. From this emphasis was born the movement of eastern desert monasticism & Anglo-Irish hermits. Even today the spiritual practices of “quiet time,” daily devotions, and retreats away all reflect the importance of a singular reality: the believer must have times of quiet & uninterrupted space to reconnect with God. The purpose of the space is to give God the primacy of our time, and to hear God’s voice speak, lead, and guide our lives. If you’ve ever said to someone, “Shhh, I can’t hear the person on the other end of the phone,” you’ll appreciate how important it is to have a level of quiet and focus as The Other speaks. Sometimes it is only in the quiet that God can deal with our own demons; be they self-made or imposed from without. Of course, God doesn’t just speak exclusively in quiet places and spaces: mountaintops, open fields, and babbling brooks, God also speaks in cluttered, noisy cities & the din of urban sprawl. The quest or the spiritual discipline, however, remains the same: is there an interior place of the soul that can be uniquely claimed by God without interruption from demands, pressures or daily duties? The value of this, of course, lies in affirming that “something wonderful” happens to us in those spaces of the heart that are given completely over to God. In this holy space, we say, again that no created device can do for us what the uncreated God is able to do: take our lives, our pressures, & our stresses, and in the midst of all that, still affirm our worth, our purpose, our dignity & value as human beings. This is a message that no created device can “send” or convey. And it is a message that we must make the space to regularly hear, wrestle with, and eventually accept as being true. Faith in God largely lacks if we only bring our “things” to be blessed and not ourselves. Rather, because God’s image (imago dei) resides within us, it is we whom God wishes to bless with the capacity to live eternally—a boast that no created object can ever make. To intentionally create and make “spiritual space” that only invites God to intrude in upon is an expression that we believe God to be God. To be in a place of elevating the legitimacy of “distraction,” only serves to diminish God’s voice and marginalize His presence. Even when I attend the symphony or pay $10 to watch a movie in a theatre, I am politely asked to power down my “device” so that (1) my soul can enjoy the symphony or movie & (2) so that those attending the same event might also have the same opportunity. If by turning off/muting our phones during a movie constitutes a respect for the person in the seat ahead of me who has also purchased a ticket for $10, can I not show that same respect to God—or to those that gather for worship of God? That is not to say that God cannot use technology for inspiration, imagination, evangelism or mission—but it is to say that God does not “need” technology to make these things happen. The urge to always have our phone on or to “tweet” or to update our Facebook page does not for a complete human being make. So, we should never feel naked if we engage in prayer or live our hours with our cell phone turned off. By way of confession, if we had no model of Jesus valuing time away from others to be with His Father . . . or if I never felt that sense of restoration that having quiet time alone can bring, then I, too, would be tempted to post my profile on Facebook. What I know to be true is that if I were on Facebook & were I to “tweet” the stream of my many thoughts along with the movements of my monthly schedule—were I more overly connected to other people in a fashion of dependency or habit—I would without a doubt miss those opportunities to connect with God that I know my soul could never live without.

On Valuing All of God

On Valuing All of God ©

Dr. Daniel Meister

At the beginning of this spring, I undertook a project to enhance the accommodation of wildlife in our backyard—I decided to install a bird house on a select tree that was visually in range to the house that I might enjoy the wonderful comings & goings of our fine feathered friends. The box I selected from the DIY store was, as the label indicated, intended to attract Blue Birds. I can only assume that the type of bird attracted has to do with the size of the hole as the entryway into the house. After buying the house, my daughter helped to hang it upon our chosen tree. She climbed the high heights to the top of the ladder & fastened one of the screws through the back of the house firmly into the bark of the tree. We completed our task with a sense of togetherness and pride. All we needed to do now was sit back and wait for those beautiful Blue Birds to spot the box and begin building their family nest. Think of all those beautiful little Blue Bird chicks that would soon hatch! As I contemplated the still empty bird house, I thought that “nature always exploits an opportunity.” It is never long between when I fill our bird feeder that “somehow” the birds know that it’s full and one bird tells another who tells another and then they happily eat themselves silly until, within the span of a short day or two, the feeder is found to be swinging in the wind, empty again. It would not be long, I thought, and a loving family of blue birds will soon inhabit the cedar home we had attached to the outstretched Ash.

The following day I had found the notion about “nature exploiting an opportunity” to be absolutely true. In the short space of 24 hours, new residents had indeed moved into their new dwelling place. But to my utter frustration, the family that had arrived were simple Sparrows!!  Small, brown, boring, and devoid of any enlivening colors these “Plain Jane’s” of the skies had, without any invitation, moved into my Blue Birds’ house. The nerve! Should I evict them? Should I grab the ladder, run quickly to the box, open the flap door and empty the contents of whatever nesting they had begun, in the hope that they would depart?! Didn’t they know that the bird house had come with the label saying that this box was for Blue Birds? Apparently, these Sparrows had not read the label. Brown, boring and stupid, I thought! This was to be a “high rent district” box with only the finest blue plumage on display, and instead, I had become a bird box slum lord. I defensively reasoned, “It’s not my fault if nature is all screwed up . . . if these brainless birds couldn’t fathom that the circumference of that opening was meant for a more gorgeous and gallant species of aviators.” In disgust, I disowned the project. In disgust, I would peer out the kitchen window and curse the banal flights of these winged immigrants without approved visas.

As I watched, I observed that these small short-rounds of the sky couldn’t care less how I felt about their unlawful habitation. Indeed, they considered themselves not squatters, but entitled, privileged and happy to have such a fine box to call their own. If they knew me, perhaps they would thank me. Then again, if they did, they might not. There is a straightforward rule in nature I came to observe which is: What’s mine is mine and it’s not yours! Clearly this house was their home, not mine, nor was it going to be that of any upwardly mobile family of Blue Birds. The responsibility of respecting this rule was mine alone. And come to respect it I slowly did. Doesn’t God value the Sparrow—the least of all birds? And doesn’t He value me? Indeed, this is what makes God great! What I miss, God perfectly makes Grand! What I complicate, God makes sublimely simply. Perhaps God, who orders and holds sway over all creation, had directed the trajectory of their flight plan to that very box of many splendorous blessings: the warm nest to make, the fresh worms to catch and, yes, those soon to be plain speckled eggs? Before I bought the box, God had seen its occupants there. I valued what I deemed to have value, but God values what I do not, and confronts me about what I cannot. And so I came to a place of ‘letting go and letting God’ with these Sparrows. The box was theirs to have. Since God brought them, I was required, by Divine Decree, to accept them. Could I keep out what God had allowed in? I would allow God to be God; if that is really mine to allow and I would respect and find space to appreciate the immense complexity of His mysterious world that daily is on display before our eyes.

On Letting It Go(d)

On Letting It Go(d)

Once upon a time there was a very old man from the lovely island of Crete in the Mediterranean. He loved his land with a deep and beautiful intensity, so much so that when he knew that he was about to die he had his sons bring him outside to lay him on his beloved earth. As he was about to expire he reached down by his side and clutched some earth into his hands. He died a happy man. He then appeared before Heaven’s Gates. God, as an old white-bearded man, came out to greet him.

                “Welcome,” He said. “You’ve been a good man. Please come into the joys of heaven.”

                But as the old man started to enter the pearly gates, God said, “Please, you must let the soil go.”

                “Never!” said the old man, stepping back. “Never!”

And so God departed sadly, leaving the old man outside the gates. A few eons went by. God came out again, this time as a friend; an old drinking crony. They had a few drinks, told some stories, and then God said, “All right, now it’s time to enter heaven, friend. Let’s go.” And they started for the pearly gates. And once more God requested that the old man let go of his soil and once more he refused. More eons rolled by. God came out once more, this time as a delightful and playful granddaughter.

                “Oh Grandad,” she said, “You’re so wonderful and we all miss you. Please come inside with me.”

The old man nodded and she helped him up, for by this time he had grown extremely old and arthritic—in fact, so arthritic was he that he had to prop up the right hand holding Crete’s soil with his left hand. They moved toward the pearly gates, and at this point his strength gave out. His gnarled fingers would no longer stay clenched in a fist, with the result that the soil of Crete sifted out between his fingers until his hand was empty. He entered heaven, and the first thing he saw was his beloved island!

A Beautiful Thing!

A BEAUTIFUL THING ©

Rev. Dr. Daniel Meister

April 28, 2011

Back in 2002 I had some problems returning home to Great Britain after a visit back to the States. I had a rather “faith-stretching” return flight during the hot summer month of August. It all started in Boston.; the arriving flight from Paris being delayed due to “immigration problems.” This late departure from Boston caused me to miss my connecting flight from Paris back to Newcastle. The suggested “fix” was to put me on a flight from Paris to Dublin & then Dublin to Newcastle. “Okay,” I said, “make it happen!” So Dublin bound, I was sitting on the jet on the tarmac in 30C heat (that’s around 90F) when the captain announced that the plane still needed to be refueled. The fuel truck must come from the other side of the airport we were told – a 20 minute delay. Then the pilot reported that the air conditioning wasn’t working & a technical team was on its way to fix it. Forty-five minutes later, with regrets, the air conditioning can’t be fixed. Finally, the captain announces that a “radioactive material” has been found in someone’s suitcase in the airport & all flights will be grounded while it is investigated and disposed of. Three hours later we are allowed to finally deplane and are returned to the terminal. Of course, catching my connection to Newcastle went out the window.

In the middle of all of this, I met a 30-something couple from England, John & Sandra, who shared my exact circumstances all the way from Boston. Tired & exhausted, the airline put us up overnight. As our arrangements were being made, Sandra despaired about having a clean change of clothes & something to eat . . . until . . . she realized she had three apples in her carry-on luggage. Three apples for three people! Hmm! Coincidence? I don’t believe in them. No, these apples were no ordinary applies. They were modern manna (Exodus 16:31ff). They were contemporary fish & loaves (Matthew 14:14). These apples were a sign – a surprising sign – even to John & Sandra, of God’s ability to provide, not too little & not too much, but just exactly right. If worst came to worst, we would have, at least, eaten! It is God’s desire that we are content with His “just exactly right" (Phil. 4:11). So the next time you are in a frustrating situation (whatever it may be) remember God will get you through with exactly what you need in that moment or situation to enable you to carry on. He will provide! P.S. even though I didn’t make it to Dublin, my suitcases did! “It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” (Philippians 4:11, The Message Version)

Reflections on the End of the World

Friends, I have posted a blog on the topic Reflections on the Coming End of the World. Use the link below to access it at Google Docs. You will need to create a Google Docs account to access this post. ~ Blessings.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9Gb6hFMNEIYNDU3OTRjMzUtMjZiYy00ZDIwLTljYTMtMzNhMjRmYTY1YWI4&hl=en&authkey=CMWi0P4C