Battle Scars

My kids' best friend was driving home with us the other day from a soccer game. As we went along, I was listening to the three of them converse on a variety of topics. I always enjoy listening to the conversations of kids. Children have a way of talking about very mundane things in the most serious fashion! As we drove, the topic somehow shifted to the various injuries the three had suffered throughout their many, long years on the earth! My son (8) recalled how, as a toddler, his finger had gotten smashed and he lost a fingernail (which fortunately grew back). My daughter told the tale of having to receive an IV at the hospital when she was 2, and how she sledded into a brier bush a few winters ago, her cheek still bearing a tiny scar from the traumatic event! Their friend recalled many tales of bike crashes and apparent brushes with death!

As I held back laughter, I was reminded, as each tried to "up" the others' tales of survival, of the scene in the movie Jaws where the three men on the boat are drinking and showing off their scars from shark attacks, moray eel encounters, gunshot wounds and shell shrapnel. Finally, after raising their glasses and drinking a toast to one another's leg scars, the boat's gnarly captain, Quint, opens his shirt revealing his bear chest, and, pointing to the center, says "See right here?" "Yeah," the others replied, squinting to see. "Mary Ellen Moffet. . . She broke my heart!" Whereby, the three drunken men erupt in laughter.

What is it about humans that we seem to have a need to tell of the battles we've encountered, the wounds we have survived, and the scars we bear? When I was listening to the kids, I was fascinated by the fact that, at such a young age, they have this need to retell tales of traumas past! There was an air of pride in their speaking as they each tried to outdo the others' story. It was to me very clear what each was saying: "I suffered! I survived! Hold me in awe!"

As the conversation died down, I was reminded in a sweet way of how Christ bears the most awesome, inspiring, incredible scars of all, and how we should be telling the story over and over and over about how He suffered on our behalf, and then raise our glasses high around the Lords' table and drink the cup of blessing together! He suffered! He rose again! Hold Him in awe!

"Therefore, as it is written, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord!" (1 Cor. 1:31)

ET or not ET?

Stephen Hawking, widely known as one of the world's most brilliant scientific minds, recently stated in an interview that, based on mathematical probability alone, he believes that alien life likely exists on other planets or in some form in the galaxy. This is not a new thought by any means, but what he said afterwards was. Rather than enthusiastically endorsing our making contact with alien life (as we have been doing with vigor for years), he strongly discourages it!

"To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like."

Hawking goes on to say that any advanced, intelligent life form may pose a serious threat to us should we ever encounter them, and may only seek contact with Earth in order to raid our natural resources, devastating our planet and populous! He envisions more of a "War of the Worlds" versus "ET" scenario! But why?

"We only need to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we don't want to meet. If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans."

Do you see what the underlying acknowledgement is here? The core premise to all of his statements is one that the non-Christian world refuses to acknowledge and mocks Christianity for. . . that humans are at heart, basically evil, not good. At the very least, Hawking is saying that even life forms far superior and advanced to the human race that may exist on other planets would potentially pose a threat to us, rather than a blessing. In other words, intelligence, technological or educational advancement, even other-worldly life experience, environment, political and religious differences do not guarantee compassion, mercy, kindness, tolerance or love. Hawking need only look to own history to say that people (and hence any humanoid life forms) are ultimately self-serving, and capable of the morally unspeakable, regardless of how "evolved" they are. The notion that human beings are "basically good" is simply flawed. We can not assume that any other life form out there is any different than we. Mr. Hawking is giving what is likely an unwitting nod to this idea when he suggests that we should actually avoid at all costs making contact with alien life!

Of course, if mankind's core nature is flawed (that is, sinful), then this naturally leads to two questions:

1) Why are we flawed, that is, how did we get this way? and

2) What then shall we do?

For the first question, Christians know that no amount of education, science, technology, government program, tolerance counseling, happy thoughts, anger management or any other "self-help" course are going to fix our sinful natures. We also understand that "good" and "bad," "right" and "wrong" are not determined by majority, culture, experience, convenience, personal preference or any other humanly-based measure. What is good, bad, right or wrong can only be determined by the one who is in charge of the whole kit and caboodle -- the One who created it, God Himself. God tells us in the Bible how human kind became sinful. For non-Christians, there is ultimately no answer to the question, and they are left with subjectivity, because there is, in their minds, no ultimate source of truth. "Truth" is fluid. What is morally acceptable is subject to change. And if that's so, on what basis are we to tell an alien life form that destroying us for their benefit is "wrong?" Based on what?

For question #2, Christians understand that only God can solve our problem! We are unable. We look to Him and His plan of saving us from our sinful natures. This is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ! For non-believers, again, there is no ultimate answer to this question, for everyone will have a different "solution" based on their own experiences, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, agenda, . . . or even planet!

So, I am grateful to Mr. Hawking for finally stating what Christians have known for centuries -- that human kind is fatally flawed, at its core! We are innately selfish --self-seeking, self-motivated, and self-absorbed, often to the great detriment of others, and no amount of learning or advancement changes this. Only Christ offers us what we really need -- a new heart, and new spiritual eyes to see and love Him!

"There is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:12)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It's Not My Beach!

On a recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii, we were enjoying one of the beautiful beaches, when we saw, in the distance, an area of sand roped off with orange cones and bright nylon string. The approximately 20' x 20' space began at the water's edge and came onto the beach in front. When we got closer, it became apparent why this prime piece of sunning real estate had been fenced off. Right in the middle of the space was an adult female Monk Seal, about 8 feet long, sleeping soundly, the opening and closing of her sandy nostrils the only sign of life! Lifeguards and park rangers keep careful watch of the beaches in Hawaii and take very seriously the protection of the wildlife that use the shorelines for nesting and resting! Monk Seals will sometimes occupy the same spot on a beach for days, moving only occasionally to shift position, or sun a different side! The animals are roped off to keep curious spectators at a safe distance for both seal and human! Though generally docile, Monk seals can and do bite when they feel threatened.

As I was observing this marvelous creature, a woman sitting behind me in a beach chair began to talk to me. Apparently, she had been occupying the exact spot in which the seal was lying only moments before. She complained to me in a very loud and angry manner how she had literally been run off the spot by the seal! "I had just gotten my chair, my towel, my cooler and all my stuff situated in that exact spot when that @#$% seal came out of the water and ran me off! It nearly bit me! And that's the best spot on the beach! Can you believe it?" she griped!

I tried to be sympathetic, but found her irritation rather amusing and, frankly, perplexing! I said with a smile, "Well, I don't know about you, but the way I see it, this is her beach, not mine! And she's a LOT bigger than I am, so as far as I'm concerned, she can have any spot she wants!" The tourist shrugged and went back to her chair. It reminded me of the old joke, "Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit on an airplane?" Answer: "Anywere it wants to!"

Can you guess the analogy I'm going to make here? Don't we sometimes react to God the same way this woman reacted to the seal? Things are going along according to our plans, and then when God changes our course, or "moves" us in any way we had not intended, we get angry, or at the very least, deeply disappointed! We question God's motives. We question God's power. We question God's wisdom! We even question His love for us! We somehow forget whose "beach" we're on! We forget whose really in charge and whose kingdom we're supposed to be working for! Instead of joyfully and willingly giving up our plans, desires, and wants for what God has planned for us, we gripe and moan and miss out on the thrill of going in faith where God directs for His glory!

The woman at the beach was unable to appreciate the magnificent animal in front of her, and the privilege she had to be able to move graciously aside to make room for this amazing creature. (Now, true, the beach technically belongs to humans too, but it is a needful habitat for the seal, while a place of recreation for us.) She also failed to appreciate the potential danger her bad attitude put her in! Her foolishness could have easily ended with a serious bite! But, in comparison, how slow we are to be in awe of our God, the King of the Universe, and to make ourselves soft clay in His capable, loving hands -- going where He wills, and pleases! And how foolish we are to forget the power He wields. After all, this world is God's "beach" not ours! We are visitors here, and He gets to direct things, not us. Thankfully, He is a gracious and generous host!

"Weak Christians are very apt to three things -- to choose their mercies, to choose their crosses, and to choose their employments."

(Thomas Brooks 1608-1680)

Digging Deeper

My daughter had to recently recite a poem as part of school. Rather than a lengthy poem, she chose to recite several small ones. Her favorite was this one by Robert Louis Stevenson:

At the Sea-side

When I was down beside the sea

A silver spade they gave to me

To dig the sandy shore.

My holes were empty like a cup.

In every hole the sea came up

Till it could come no more!

We've all experienced digging in the sand at the beach, and noticing how, when you reach a certain depth, the hole rapidly begins to fill with water! My kids love seeing how far down they can dig, and then enjoy standing in the pool created! The deeper one digs the hole, the more water fills it up!

A fitting picture, I think, for the Christian life! The deeper we go in our faith, the more profoundly we seek to know our Savior, the more enthusiastically we dig into His word, then the more He is pleased to fill us up with His Spirit, His blessings, His joy, His peace. . . we find that we simply cannot avoid being filled with the goodness and wisdom of God! If, on the other hand, we are feeling empty, it may be wise to ask ourselves if we are taking the time to really dig deeper in our love for and knowledge of the Lord.

So grab your shovels, everyone, and lets hit the spiritual beach!

Man vs. Wild vs. Faith

Discovery Channel hosts one of my kids' favorite TV shows -- Man vs. Wild! In each episode, former British Special Forces soldier and survival expert, Bear Grylls (yes, his first name is Bear), pits his wits against the worst that nature can dish out and demonstrates for us couch-potato viewers how to survive in some of the world's most dangerous places (should we ever suddenly find ourselves lost in an anaconda-infested Brazillian swamp on our way to Food Lion).

Once a location is chosen, Bear is airlifted in and dumped (often literally) on the scene, far from any civilization. He is typically equipped only with a small hunting knife and the clothes on his back. We watch in amazement as Bear endures the most dangerous, and often nauseating, of circumstances! (As I type this, Bear is "peeling" a frog in order to eat it -- raw! In an earlier episode, he used the rotting, fly-ridden carcass of a dead camel as a shelter!) He eats bugs, makes fire with sticks, sets traps with rocks, builds shelters in trees, navigates roaring rivers on make-shift log rafts, and has demonstrated everything from making fishing spears with bird skulls to the necessity of staying hydrated, no matter how you have to do it to survive (yep, he's even done "that")! Is it any wonder why this is my 8-year-old son's favorite show!?

So, why would ANY human being do all of this? He obviously risks his life each week to promote the advantages of preparedness, not to mention the shameless entertainment of people who will NEVER be in a position even close to having to ingest stinging ant larvae for the protein! Does Bear Grylls simply have serious thrill issues? Well, maybe, but probably not! He likely does it for two reasons: 1) He loves it and 2) He gets paid handsomely for it! Take away one of those two things, and he would probably instead be back in Britain working as a bodyguard for Hugh Grant or something.

So. . . what on earth is my point? Well, I was thinking. . . if Bear Grylls is willing to put himself at such risk for something he loves (the thrill of survival) and for the reward (presumably a large paycheck), why are we as Christians often willing to risk so little for our deep love of Christ, and the eternal rewards He offers us? Why is our passion for Christ and His glory so dim? Why is mine? Why are we so afraid? What is lacking -- our love for Christ and His work (which is far more exciting than any Man vs. Wild episode), or do we lack the belief that there really is a reward awaiting us? Or both? Are we afraid, perhaps, that if we take risks for God's kingdom, He will not protect us?

Well...there's one other thing that you may not know. Bear Grylls does not really go into all those snake-infested, leach-filled, putrid-bog-laden environments alone. No. He has a camera crew with him, who are also expert outdoorsmen. They go where Bear goes. If Bear climbs a steep cliff, they do too. If Bear plunges into the icy waters of the Arctic Sea, so does his crew. They are instructed to interfere ONLY if Bear gets into a life-threatening situation. Once, Bear fell into an ancient Bedouin well in the desert and had to be pulled out. Yes, Bear was risking his life, and does every week, BUT he has protection! Are we so different? Don't we have God's divine protection --His Sovereign will for our lives that will not allow anything to happen to us outside His providence? And unlike Bear Grylls, we are equipped to the hilt! No 3-inch bowie knife for our wilderness trek! We are equipped with all of the resources of the King of the Universe! Whatever we need to complete our mission, God will provide in abundance! We need only bring one thing along -- faith.

So. . . my prayer tonight is for God to give me the courage to be a Christian with serious thrill issues! I need to get off the couch and into the game! Help me, O God, to take more risks for your glory, for I know that you are with me, and my reward in heaven will be great -- an eternity with the God of glory, who is love itself!

Standing the Heat

I haven't been posting to my blog lately. It seems that the busyness of life, and the rise of Facebook, have trumped my ability and sometimes my desire, to be creative in thought. But my creative juices just aren't being met on FB, so I'm going to attempt to begin posting again on a fairly regular basis. This may come as welcome news to some, while raising a collective groan among others! LOL

Our small group has been watching a video together about living the Christian life. David Powlison, a counselor with CCEF, often uses an effective illustration to talk about how people react to the circumstances of life. Challenges and trials are depicted at the top of his chart as a blazing sun, and he calls it the "heat" of life. From there, people can take one of two routes. The "heat" can either produce a "thorny," ungodly response from us, or we can view the "heat" in light of the cross of Jesus Christ and bear godly fruit, rather than thorns that entangle us, and harm others.

As I was thinking about this (and feeling quite conviceted in my own life), a picture came to my mind. On our recent trip to Hawaii, there was a lovely flower garden beside the condominium where we were staying. In this garden grew an enormous cactus which was loaded with lovely pink and yellow flower buds! My daughter wanted to take a picture of it, and as we came closer to it, we noticed something very interesting. This large, prickly-pear-style cactus had something very obvious missing. Thorns! We searched high and low, but found no thorns, only flowers!

What a picture of how I want my life to be, I thought, -- able to withstand intense "heat" like a strong cactus, yet producing beautiful "fruit" and no thorns!