Our Pastor, Eric Goff, preached a wonderful sermon the other day on light. Yep, you heard me right, light. It struck a chord with me because of my love of science, and my faith.
Light is a recurring theme in Christianity. Jesus spoke of it often, as did many of the different writers of the New Testament. In spiritual terms, light is an analogy for God. Yet, as anyone knows, light as we know it, was spoken into existence by God. He preceded light. Our existence is the direct result of life speaking into light which then illuminated the darkness. Darkness will never overcome light. It is impossible. Even the most super massive black hole is identified by visible and invisible light streaming to and out of it. Even if there was only one star in this universe, the light of that one star would shine brightly for all the universe to see. It isn't a war, and it isn't even a battle, darkness will never overcome the light. It may surround, oppress, and even suppress the light, but light will win.
While many Christians tend to look at light and dark in terms of a battle between good and evil, that isn't what God intended. This mistaken analogy is what drives people away from the truth of God's love and His plan for our lives. Darkness isn't some vast wasteland populated with the zombies of sin, anymore than the light is a bunch of hymn singing automatons repeating endless spiritual platitudes. Darkness is fear, and light is love. That is why the scripture says in 1 John 4:18 that there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out all fear..... This scripture in and by itself is what every Christian should live by. When we choose to live by fear, we walk away from love. The symptoms of fear are hate, envy, murder, and theft. I can distill all fear down to one sin, thievery.
The symptoms of love are life, peace, joy, tenderness, compassion, and most importantly, love. The power of love to light up the darkness is the power of the gospel. As Christians it is easy to forget this power exists in us as we see fear pressing in on us from all sides. Nothing made that more clear to me than what happened this last week with the Covington Catholic students at the Nation's capital. In less than a couple of months this crisis will be a vague memory as are all of the contrived political battle created by both side of the political divide. If you shine the light of love into the situation, there is no story. Yet, for many Christians this became one more example of the hatred of the left for people of faith. FEAR on the part of Christians. Can't we release our politics for just a few moments to state the obvious. A group of teenage boys went to the Capital to express their support for the lives of the unborn. It is part of their religious belief system. Being from Kentucky, I doubt seriously any of these teens knew about the perils of addressing adult concepts in the face of those who have different views. In defense of them, I believe they handled the situation much better than I would have. So what was the fear?
Could a bunch of Catholic teens in any way threaten the group of black protesters taunting them? How is a pasted on smile a smirk? How could love change the situation from one of fear into one of love?
Can anyone speak to the wisdom of a young teen boy standing stock still in the face of angry voices all around him? Will anyone admit that this young teen and his friends behaved admirably in a potentially volatile situation? I doubt it. Yet I want to scream at the top of my lungs, 'Well done!"
I don't think I've read too many articles that haven't mentioned the 'Red MAGA' hat. It was as if it was the trigger for everything that happened. How dare a young teen boy from a conservative Catholic school in Kentucky wear a MAGA hat to our Capital. Will anyone admit that even the word 'trigger' is an acknowledgment that fear is at work. Fear needs triggers. Fear is a trigger. We can choose to ignore the triggers or we can magnify them.
Yesterday, I went to visit my aunt in Oklahoma. She is in ill health, and at 80 years old, I know that her time on this earth is limited. She is a liberal, and I am conservative. Over the years we've had many fiery debates, but at the end of each one is a knowledge that crushes the fear caused by political differences. I love her with all of my heart, and she loves me just the same. The love we feel for one another doesn't remove our ideologies but it does soften the edges where we bump against one another. All through the day yesterday it would have been easy to bring up the issues that divide us, but we both laid aside our political passions to celebrate our love for one another. It is obvious from the passage of time that I will never make her a conservative, and she will never make me a liberal. Yet, we both mourned the climate of hate promoted by both sides respectively, and said as much.
Fear can't defeat love.
It would be easy to become fearful as I watch the tide of public sentiment turning against those who practice their faith. I'm not afraid of public opinion more than I am of God's opinion. I have to admit, that as a Christian, I am heartbroken by the insinuation of racism, phobias, and accusations of hate thrown at me simply because I choose to believe in Jesus Christ. I was a Christian at 10 years of age, and I do not have the power to change the foundations of my belief. I didn't write the book I believe in. The Word of God existed before me, it exists outside of my existence, and it will exist even if every Bible is burned in a huge bonfire. If someday, I am persecuted, tried, and jailed for believing in Jesus Christ, I will gladly continue to live by faith. I will also choose to live by love. I will choose to live out the light and shine it into the fear around me.
Maybe, just maybe something will happen that will unite our great nation once again. Sadly, I know enough to know that unity almost always comes at great cost.
Sadly, I can't even look to my little sparrows for hope concerning the unending struggle between light and dark. My little sparrow friends are out in the front yard pecking at the grass. I don't know what they are eating amidst the dead blades of grass on this winter's day, but every once in a while, one bully sparrow will push another one away. Then as if to accentuate the struggle, our resident cardinal suddenly scatters every bird in the yard. With a great flurry he takes whatever he swooped in for away to a tree branch. I assure you, the cardinal has a predator that scares him.
I hope and pray for the day when people no longer live in fear. I look for the day when we choose to live in peace with each other. I know how that day will come, but some people fear it.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
NEW YEAR, NEW THOUGHTS
The holidays are over and I'm wondering what the new year is going to bring. I've never been big on new year resolutions because they infer knowing that we have more than today. None of us know how long we have left in this life. I'm not morbid, or fatalistic, but there are some things that are simply the truth. I don't care who you are, how rich, powerful, strong, or healthy you are, you have no promise of tomorrow. So, New Years resolutions are a waste of energy.
What is the promise of New Years day? Why is it different than any other day? I think we make a big deal about it because we as human beings like to believe there is hope for something better. I used to view my days on this earth in terms of how old I am, and how many days I think I have left. With this new year has come new thoughts.
All I have is the next heartbeat, the next breath, the next thought. Everything I've framed my life in since I can remember has been focused on 'time.' Even my relationship with Jesus Christ is focused on time. Who I am is determined by time. To wax biblical, my days on this earth are marked by my white hair, and the wrinkles upon my face, but they don't define who I am inside. Still if someone were to see me, they would say I was 'old.' For a vertically challenged person like me, looking old was all I wanted to do. There was a day when it didn't matter how old I was, I was often viewed as being younger than 18. So, being old isn't something I'm worried about. Being at peace with God, myself, and others is.
Through faith in Christ, being at peace with God came a long time ago. Through that faith in Christ I have been able to live at peace with almost everyone around me. However, being at peace with myself is something that is a recent development. Even within that peace, I've been going through a major conflict in my life that has challenged me in every aspect of my life, even in my faith. I've alluded to it over the last few posts, but it seems to have come to a place where I don't think it will turn out the way I'd hoped. Time moves on, putting it's stamp upon every millisecond, minute, hour without seeing the resolution I'd hoped for. I wanted nothing but good in this situation, but it hasn't happened. For a long time I was walking around gritting my teeth, feeling helpless, and wishing for love to rule the day. Now I know I can only hope for this minute, this instant, this moment. I can't change others around me. I can only change me.
The first time I mentioned this in my blog I said it would be something I would look back on with an assurance that God has been with me throughout the whole thing. Even then I knew I would be at peace with the situation, but I wanted to be honest with my feelings as I went 'through' it.
It is time to reveal what I felt: First and foremost is a sense of deep disappointment with people I thought I knew as well as I know myself. I didn't feel betrayed, just disappointed. It's hard to judge someone when they disappoint you, because I know I've disappointed so many people in my life. I can't even be angry, just disappointed. Almost 60 years ago, someone I love made a fateful decision that has changed my life today. Nothing can alter the consequences of that decision, but I am determined to live every moment celebrating the love those consequences has brought into my life.
The other day I was discussing this with someone who is on the other side of the consequences, and they said something very profound that I'm going to hold onto for the rest of my moments. "Fear destroys Peace." I refuse to let fear, or disappointment control my life. Love is the best thing I can do, and I am determined to let love rule my life. Why? Because I don't have enough time to do anything else, I only have the next moment.
What is the promise of New Years day? Why is it different than any other day? I think we make a big deal about it because we as human beings like to believe there is hope for something better. I used to view my days on this earth in terms of how old I am, and how many days I think I have left. With this new year has come new thoughts.
All I have is the next heartbeat, the next breath, the next thought. Everything I've framed my life in since I can remember has been focused on 'time.' Even my relationship with Jesus Christ is focused on time. Who I am is determined by time. To wax biblical, my days on this earth are marked by my white hair, and the wrinkles upon my face, but they don't define who I am inside. Still if someone were to see me, they would say I was 'old.' For a vertically challenged person like me, looking old was all I wanted to do. There was a day when it didn't matter how old I was, I was often viewed as being younger than 18. So, being old isn't something I'm worried about. Being at peace with God, myself, and others is.
Through faith in Christ, being at peace with God came a long time ago. Through that faith in Christ I have been able to live at peace with almost everyone around me. However, being at peace with myself is something that is a recent development. Even within that peace, I've been going through a major conflict in my life that has challenged me in every aspect of my life, even in my faith. I've alluded to it over the last few posts, but it seems to have come to a place where I don't think it will turn out the way I'd hoped. Time moves on, putting it's stamp upon every millisecond, minute, hour without seeing the resolution I'd hoped for. I wanted nothing but good in this situation, but it hasn't happened. For a long time I was walking around gritting my teeth, feeling helpless, and wishing for love to rule the day. Now I know I can only hope for this minute, this instant, this moment. I can't change others around me. I can only change me.
The first time I mentioned this in my blog I said it would be something I would look back on with an assurance that God has been with me throughout the whole thing. Even then I knew I would be at peace with the situation, but I wanted to be honest with my feelings as I went 'through' it.
It is time to reveal what I felt: First and foremost is a sense of deep disappointment with people I thought I knew as well as I know myself. I didn't feel betrayed, just disappointed. It's hard to judge someone when they disappoint you, because I know I've disappointed so many people in my life. I can't even be angry, just disappointed. Almost 60 years ago, someone I love made a fateful decision that has changed my life today. Nothing can alter the consequences of that decision, but I am determined to live every moment celebrating the love those consequences has brought into my life.
The other day I was discussing this with someone who is on the other side of the consequences, and they said something very profound that I'm going to hold onto for the rest of my moments. "Fear destroys Peace." I refuse to let fear, or disappointment control my life. Love is the best thing I can do, and I am determined to let love rule my life. Why? Because I don't have enough time to do anything else, I only have the next moment.
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