God's Gift of Insignificance

While today’s scientists think we know so much about the Universe in our time as opposed to past generations, new things are continually revealed that let us know we are far from understanding this universe we are a part of.

The latest revelation is the discovery of the largest known body/structure in the universe. It is a grouping of 73-quasars which are the brightest objects in the universe and are fed by black holes (collapsed stars), which have a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape them.  This new found grouping is 4-billion light-years across at its widest place. To put that into perspective, the Milky Way galaxy, which is the home of our Earth's solar system, is about 100,000 light-years wide. And the Milky Way is separated from its nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda, by about 2.5 million light-years.

One light-year, which is a measure of distance not time, is 5,878,625 million miles. So this grouping is 4-billion times that in total miles at the widest point. To read more about this new discovery I found in a January 11^th, 2013 Fox News article by Mike Wall go to “Largest structure in universe discovered” at:   http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/11/largest-structure-in-universe-discovered/#ixzz2Hn7DiouG

This new discovery challenges much of sciences past understanding of the universe.  What was thought to be more uniform in layout when viewed as a whole, has to be looked at as a universe with an oversized hunk of quasars stuck in the middle of it. This changes man’s view of the universe going forward in study and research. Science will have to determine the significance of this new understanding.

Now, what does all this mean to us humans as we daily creep around on our little planet?  First off, we think how much more insignificant we are in the greater scheme of things in the universe. We are now an even smaller piece of God’s Creation.  Does this make us think we are more vulnerable than we thought?

As the Genesis creation story tells us, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.”

Maybe it doesn’t give us the more detailed descriptions given by the scientific community, but the Creation Story does describe a huge environment in which we were created by a loving God. Do we need to worry about how big is big? While some might be concerned that we are a smaller more insignificant part of creation than we thought, maybe we should realize that being a smaller part of God’s creation makes our gift of life on Earth even more special.

Let’s face it; with all the craziness out there in those billions of light years of creation, we have been pretty well protected and loved by our Creator God. Fire, heat, cold, explosions, flying objects are all around us, although some are light years away.  God must have had some kind of plan for us to protect his children in this place called Earth.

Yes, this human populated Earth is an insignificant spot when compared to the rest of the universe, but it may be the most special spot in the universe as it houses God’s children. Shouldn’t we do a better job in being thankful for what God has given us? Can we afford to leave Him out of these lives He has gifted us with?

As Psalm 95:2-3 tells us, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” God has given us free will. If our choices are poor in life, we reject Him instead of seeking Him and giving Him thanks for our special spot in His creation.

And then in 1st Timothy 4:4-5 St. Paul reminds us, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” We can make this life as hard on us as we choose, but in seeking the Will of God and experiencing His Grace, we can come to know how important our “spot” in God’s creation is to Him and to us.

 

Worry Is As Worry Does!

Our worry and anxiety about things in life can become self fulfilling prophecies. These traits can lead us to a path of fear instead of the road to strength. In any case, worry and anxiety certainly don’t help us deal with the challenges that confront us in this life. And it’s not just our own behavior that we need to confront, because those close around us can help push us in the wrong direction as they respond in a worrisome way to our challenges.

Jesus tells us, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life……   “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25 & 34

It’s easier said than done in this elimination of worry and anxiety in our lives.  We walk a tight-rope that makes our job difficult as we move through the bumps on the road of life.  Christian community is certainly a support in our lives and God uses each of us who seek Him in this life through community to help each other.

A number of years ago, my wife and I became quite close to an elderly widow lady in our church. She was very active and participated in church retreats at our church camp among other activities.  She had a great sense of humor and could always be counted on for a comment that would send everyone into laughter. She was an inspiration to all around her as she approached her old age with vigor.

One day I was chatting with her and she said, “I am very happy and relieved.” I then asked her, ‘what about?’ She said, “I’ve been worried all my life about getting cancer, and now that I’ve been diagnosed with it, I can stop worrying!” I’ve been pondering her statement ever since. What good did her worry do for her other than cause her displeasure for years?

Yes, we should take care of business in the challenges of our life.  We have our health to tend to, our finances to handle, our jobs to fulfill, but worry and anxiety don’t serve us well as we tend to everyday things. How then do we overcome the worries and anxieties of life?  We must turn them over to God.

As we approach each day of our lives, we must do our part in dealing with the challenges of our life, but we must let God do His part.  We can’t control the whole challenge. When we try, then the worry sets in and becomes an impediment to our dealing with things and with God’s help reaching a solution or outcome no matter what it might be.

 

Are We Naturally Aggressive People?

Americans have the good fortune to live in a free country that encourages good relations among its citizens and has a role in the world to stop tyranny where possible. In some sense our Founding Fathers set the clock in motion for our nation to resist the negative and aggressive behaviors that surround us in this world and test us from within.

Man’s innate ability to be aggressive and warring  has been the thinking of world psychoanalysts, humanists and philosophers over the years, but more recently, others have found that we humans are more aggravated from without than from within. 

Alfie Kohn, author & lecturer, once wrote, “Biology does not condemn humanity to war, and humanity can be freed from the bondage of biological pessimism. Violence is neither in our evolutionary legacy nor in our genes. The same species [that] invented war is capable of inventing peace.” From: Are Humans Innately Aggressive?  By Alfie Kohn.

As we view the world in our time, it is hard for us to understand why so much of humanity is trying to destroy its neighbors and others. Whether it be for political, cultural or religious reasons for hurting others, it is hard to accept that we are biologically doomed to it.  We Americans are not completely off the hook, however, for we see some among us trying to hurt fellow citizens. Again though, is it just a biological matter?

In Matthew 26:52 we see, “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

The recent events of the murdering of innocent children in our nation are hard to understand.  Surely this has been done as a result of a mental illness and not something that God intentionally created in any of us.  We are still children of a Creator God that allows us to make choices in life.  If we are not in touch with Him in our lives, we can make some bad choices.

In Matthew 5: 38-39 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  These are tough orders for us.

By seeking the Lord our God to be in all that we do, we make it easier for better choices in life.  Non-forgiveness is our greatest enemy. In Hebrews 10:30, St. Paul reminds us, “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

It appears in Holy Scripture time and time again, that we must forgive others, so the Lord may forgive us.  Seeking violence in the world is not our nature as humans.  Instead it is the straying from our Creator God’s will, that we should love and forgive one another.  By making this choice in life we can change the world.  What a beautiful thought that our Godly nature is capable of making a real difference. We children of God are called to make this our purpose in life.

 

Humbled by Forgiveness!

In my retirement, I reflect on an amazing life story that took 43 years to evolve. In my senior year in high school, I was recruited to play football at an academically strong major college.  As with many players that didn’t quite have the high school course background needed to succeed academically at this engineering college, they would send their recruits for a year of prep-school to take courses that would enhance their being accepted while also playing football for the Junior College.  I was one of those candidates.

I was sent to a Military Junior College out West.  About 10 or 12 of us prep players began meeting as we arrived on that warm day in late June to begin football practice and get our class schedules setup for the fall.  We were assigned roommates and my roommate was a prep fellow from the mid-west. My new friend/roommate and I had a great year together studying, doing military drills and playing in football games all over the Western U.S. – from El Paso, Texas, to Long Beach, California, to Boise, Idaho.  We were one win away from playing in the Junior College Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, but it didn’t happen.

We both qualified academically to enter the freshman class at the sponsoring college in June of that next year.  Once at our new 4-year college, we became separated, living in different quarters on opposite sides of the large dormitory.  Our main contact time was at football practices.  After college and during my second year of marriage, my old roommate and friend made a trip to visit me and my wife for a few days.  We showed him around our historic city’s downtown area and we had some good meals and conversation together.  The night before my friend was to fly home, and my wife had gone to bed, he and I sat in the living room chatting.  The conversation moved into politics and before long it was obvious that he and I were on opposite ends of the political spectrum.  We had never before discussed politics.

I then allowed myself to become “politically” angry with my friend, saying some things and acting in a way that I regretted for the next 43-years. I stormed off to bed leaving my friend behind and barely spoke to him the next morning as we got up and went to the airport.  At that point I had written him off as a friend. It would be 43-years before I would speak to or see my friend.

The next twenty or so years I was busy with my job, marriage, community volunteering and helping my dear wife raise our children.  I didn’t think about my friend very much.  When I did, I was sure that he was probably happier than me that we disconnected, especially after the way I treated him on his visit many years before.  Fortunately, early in my marriage my wife led me into the church.  I soon became part of a Christian Community and started to grow and mature in my relationship with the Lord.  During the past 20- years, I have thought more about my friend and have suffered from guilt for my part in our long separation.

I started checking phone listings in my friend’s home town to no avail.  Phone calls became dead ends.  With the advent of the internet and its ability to provide people searches, I continued to look for my old friend and prayed that he would forgive me if I was able to connect with him.  I was afraid that he would reject me and had written me off as I had him.  By now we were separated by 43-years with not much hope of reconnecting.  I thought, ‘maybe in heaven we’ll reunite’, but wished it would happen in this life.  As far as I knew, he may have already died.

Then, in October of the 43^rd year, my phone rang.  I didn’t recognize the out-of-state number, so I didn’t answer.  I figured if it was important, they could leave a message and they did.  To my disbelief, the message was from my old written-off friend, asking me to give him a call.  He had also been searching for me and in his internet travels he saw something that connected with my name.  He had found my old work number and called there only to find that I had retired.  A former workmate that answered his call gave him my contact number.

As I began to return my old friend’s call, I rehearsed my apology, feeling that I needed to mend that fence immediately.  I was sure that he had been in pain for 43-years over the way I treated him.  To my surprise, as I awaited an opportunity in our conversation to apologize, my friend never mentioned that episode.  In fact, he referred to his visit all those years ago in a positive way, never indicating it had been anything but a nice visit many years ago.  He also reflected on our time together at prep school as roommates and how much it had meant to him.  Shocking me even more, he shared with me that he had always told his parents that there were three things that helped him more than anything in his life.  One of the three things was the year he spent with me as his roommate.  He said that I could look at a wall and find something funny or interesting about it!  He also said that the insecurity of his big step after high school, was greatly lessened by getting to know me.

So a couple of months passed and I got a second call from my old friend.  He said that he and his wife were driving halfway across the country to spend Christmas with their daughter and they could come through my town on the way.  He said he and his wife would arrive at their motel near town late in the evening and suggested we have breakfast together at an interstate exit restaurant the next morning.  I said yes, and I was really looking forward to seeing him again.  Nevertheless, my guilt began building up again. Even though he had not yet mentioned the probable cause for our long-time separation in any of our recent communications, I just knew that it would come up or that I would need to bring it up, apologize and try to get a good start on our future relationship.

My wife was working and couldn’t make breakfast, so I went alone to the restaurant to meet my old friend and his wife.  It was like a blind date, not knowing if he would recognize me or me him.  As I walked in the restaurant, I immediately spotted him and he spotted me.  We embraced and he introduced me to his wife.  She and I also embraced.  We got a table and sat down for breakfast. 

My friend already had a hint that my walk with the Lord had improved greatly over the past 43-years, as he discovered such in his internet search for me.  I immediately realized that his walk and that of his wife was strong.  After catching up on a few old memories, we decided to move the conversation to the now and the future. 

The three of us had a deep spiritual conversation, with no reluctance to share our faith.  There was a very brief conversation about the present state of our government, but we moved from that as fast as we could.  Nothing was ever mentioned about that time 43-years ago when we separated. 

I was so blessed that things turned out like they did, but I didn’t have a feeling that I had gotten away with my mean-spirited attitude of some 43-years ago.  What I did feel was a most wonderful unspoken forgiveness.  I had to suspect that our breakup 43 years ago troubled him, but he was happy to remove it from his mind and make me feel like all was well.  We made plans to keep our new life together alive, and my wife and I have since traveled to visit he and his wife.  My old friend and I trusted in God’s time in the healing of our relationship and we will continue in what was and is our eternal friendship in the presence of our forgiving Lord.  

 

Mom Always Liked You Best!

If you are not too young, you probably remember the comedy/musical team named     the Smothers Brothers.  While they are known for many things, both musical and comedic, they will always be remembered for brother Tom’s frequent comment to Dick that, “Mom always liked you best!”

Recently, my 38-year old son got married for the first time.  My wife and I are blessed with two sons, just 3-years apart in age.  Our older son and family are living in Europe and couldn’t make the wedding.  Up to and through the wedding event my wife and I thought about how much we love our sons, and also how different they are.  We have always been sensitive to the possibility that one might think we love the other best.  That continues from childhood through adulthood.

John 15:12 reveals the words of Jesus, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  However, don’t people tend to love some family or friends “best” over others?  How can we love everyone the same?

In focusing all my love and emotion on our son who recently married, it raised the question, “Do I love one son more that the other?”  After all, they are very different, so is it normal to love one more than the other?  And all my friends are each very different, do I love some more than others?  Aren’t some “best friends”?

Wait a minute, I thought.  God loves all those He created just the same.  He created each one of us different than all the others. The numbers of us He has created is staggering.  His family is a lot larger than my small family.  What can I learn from this?  We all are His creations and any disappointment we have been to Him has been due to our sinful nature.  And guess what, we are forgiven when we turn to him.  He sent “His Word & Son”, Jesus, to communicate and reinforce His love and forgiveness of us.

So how does this apply to my consideration of whether I love one son more than the other?  Do their differences just guide me to love them each just the same, but in different ways? Isn’t that how God loves each of us, according to our differences from each other? 

In I-Corinthians 12:18-20,22, St. Paul reminds us: “¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be?²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body.’²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.”

We must be like our Father, God, and love each and everyone the same according to the differences of each.  I love my two sons just the same in the beauty of their differences.  And so it should be with all of our family, our friends and acquaintances, and those we will meet in the future. 

If there are differences in some that we don’t like, we must put our judgment aside and love that person from the inside out, letting God work His way in that relationship.     

 

End of Innocence -- Beginning Of?

You probably remember the song written by Bruce Hornsby and performed by Don Henley, with some extra lyrics added by Henley, entitled The End of the Innocence.  In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, this song title moves us to think of the huge impact of that event.

The tune begins:                                    

“Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by
When "happily ever after" fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales….”

Yes, “happily ever after” failed in Sandy Hook and really it failed across the world through this heinous act of the slaughter of twenty of our youthful innocent and six of their caretakers. Similar events in the not too distant past return to our minds, causing us to wonder what it’s all about and if there is anything we can do to prevent these things from happening in the future.

The song continues:                                           

“O' beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening……”

Now our thinking deepens and we examine our country, our culture and our faith. All of our faults as a people start rising to the top of our thinking.  We ponder, ‘What could have been different that would have prevented this.’ Is this event more than just the act of a mentally ill person? How was this overlooked by parents, teachers, coaches, doctors and others.

Finally, since all else has seemed to fail, we turn to our Creator God for comfort and understanding. This is the point when healing and spiritual redirections begin to move us in a more positive way.  We are reminded of and act out our call to “Love one another”. The whole world begins to wrap its arms around the Sandy Hook community. As we saw in the memorial service in Sandy Hook, multiple denominations and religions were represented and prayed in each of their ways for Godly comfort.

Jesus tells us in John 10: 27-30, “²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.³⁰The Father and I are one.”

My most significant experience in understanding God's Love and Grace came out of chaos. The prayers of my Christian Community and my own prayers brought about a revelation to me from God through His Spirit. He gave me a peace in which I was not concerned about living or dying, but joyful in the knowledge of His Eternal Kingdom. This was for me a blessing that confirmed His Word, the Gospel, that I may have sometimes doubted or questioned.  A greater sensitivity for my need to seek God's Will in my life and in the World came upon me and my listening skills began to improve greatly concerning Him.

St. Paul says in his letter to the Romans 8:38-39 “³⁸For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”                                                                              

We started with a song that ends with:         

“Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence.”

Maybe events like the Sandy Hook shootings are the end of the innocence for many children and for many of us, but the “Best Defense” is a new beginning of our lives and how we relate to our God and to one another.  Our innocence in some sense is our not including God in all things and only turning to Him when we’re hurting.  Either way He listens and guides us if only we will learn to listen to Him.

 

Christmas: The Birth of God's Word

There have been prophets throughout the ages. God has communicated with His people in many ways, as they have experienced their time on Earth.  Many individuals have had personal experiences of God’s Spirit talking to them in their lives as they have met the challenges of life. So mankind has not been alone in God’s created World and has had a sense of relationship with God in this wonderful gift of life.

Yes, we have all made mistakes in our lives that didn’t make us happy, but we hoped God was looking the other way or at least would forgive us.  In the centuries since our creation, God has known that His children aren’t perfect, but he loves us just the same.  As with Adam and Eve in the Garden, the free will He has given us allows us the choice to worship Him or not.  God didn’t want a captive family when he decided to inhabit the Earth with us.  He created children that would freely turn to Him as they came to understand His nature.

So it was, as time passed in our God created World for many millennia.  And, God had a desire to talk to His children directly.  That is, to be with us in a way that we could hear His Word as if He was standing beside us.  Our all-powerful God decided that he would come to us as God and man in human form, Emmanuel.

God accomplished this through His Spirit as he created in Mary, the Son of God and the Son of Man.  Jesus lived his life in blessing us with God’s Word to live by and died on a cross as a sacrifice to fully show God’s Love for and Forgiveness of us.  He became Christ to us through His Resurrection. This was God’s experiment to come even closer to those He had created.

The voice of Jesus, Son of Man, and Son of God was God’s Voice and Word speaking to us in so many ways.  Christmas then, is the celebration of God’s Word being born among us.  A Word delivered by one who looked like us, but was really Emmanuel, God with us. 

Through The Word’s life, death and resurrection, God has fully communicated to His people that he is a loving and forgiving God.  He has taken His Word back with Him as they are one with the Spirit, but we can celebrate each Christmas in the joy of His placing His Word in a remote and far away manger that has spread throughout the World and to each of us.   

Life Choices Led By Faith

The Christian Church Year consists of Feast days and Holy days. A Feast Day is a day set aside as a commemorative religious festival.

Primary Feast Days include Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day, Christmas Day and The Epiphany (manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles – the Magi). Several primary Holy Days, which include The Transfiguration, are also celebrated.   

 There is also a long list of other Feast Days that are celebrated during the year. I am writing this article on November 30^th.  Every year the Church celebrates this day as the Feast Day for             St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Andrew’s life is a model that our faith can help us attain, as did Andrew’s faith help him.

First of all, Andrew, a fisherman, heard about Jesus through his disciple relationship with John the Baptist. Andrew immediately recognized Jesus as the Messiah and quickly told his brother, Simon Peter. As the story goes they ultimately gave up their fishing trade and followed Jesus as “fishers of men.”

This familiar story may not have played out the same if Andrew had not been seeking God through his relationship with John the Baptist. We sometimes take such stories for granted, even though a change or twist here or there may have kept great things from happening. Unfortunately, many sacrifices were made by the early apostles in their commitment to spread Christ’s Kingdom around the known world. Nonetheless, their faith made those efforts worthwhile, even to the point of their own crucifixion on a cross.

During Andrew’s mission work, that extended along the Black Sea and up into Greece, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Thrace, and Byzantium among others areas, he was crucified in Patras, Greece. Legend is that Andrew requested not to be crucified on a cross similar to the one Jesus died on, as he proclaimed he was not worthy to so die.  Instead he was crucified on a cross that was in the shape of an X.  His hands and feet were bound, not nailed to the cross.  Today, this type of cross is known as a ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

How far does our faith take us in this life? Do we seek to strengthen our faith in our lives? Would we be willing to die for our faith? Like the young girl victim of the Columbine High School Massacre, would we die rather than deny God? Fortunately, we are rarely challenged like that in our country.

The sacrifices made by Andrew and the other early apostles are inspirational, but it is their seeking God and spreading Christ’s Kingdom that is their message to us. I belong to a chapter of The Brotherhood of St. Andrew at my church.  As we open and close each of our meetings, we state our mission “to spread Christ’s Kingdom to others.” We do Bible lessons at a Drug and Alcohol rehab facility, some of us are involved in prison ministry and others are involved in all sorts of outreach in our community.

While we don’t plan on having to make a life sacrifice in our ministry, like Andrew did in his, we use his example of his faithful focus on his ministry.      

Here Comes the Judge; And It's Me!

 

We are among today’s living generations that continue, as those before us, to judge everyone and everything around us. Some would say, ‘It’s for my own protection and the safety of my love ones.’ Yes, God gave each of us an ego to be used to perceive things around us and adapt to that which affects our lives. It’s sort of a way of self-protection, but this God-given gift can be used negatively in our lives and prevent us from being God’s conduits for His Love and Grace to others.

In Matthew 7:3, Jesus says, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye.”  We miss opportunities for apostolic action in life when we’re focused on defects in others, rather than surrendering to God’s Will for us in His ministry. Defects are much more noticeable in others than in our own selves.

It’s like a father who badgers his son constantly about his behavior. Maybe he sees himself in his son and was not able to overcome his own personal fault growing up. He says, “I’m not going to let my boy ruin his life like I’ve ruined mine. So the son rejects the father’s badgering and becomes just like his father.

When we see the negativity of ourselves in others, is it just easier to strike out at them instead of working on our own problems?        Are we really called to love that other person and have patience with them? Maybe if they sense our caring for them instead of our judging, they will be positively influenced by the forgiving and loving way we interact with them. They may become their own critic and try to gain our confidence in and our acceptance of them.

In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus says, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

Have you ever taken a person under your wing that is not liked by most of the people around you? Others think you’re crazy for putting up with the person.  They have no time in their life for those type people. They feel no sense of responsibility to be a blessing to that person – a positive influence in that person’s life.

In Matthew 7:5 Jesus says, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”

Jesus leads us to work on our own personal flaws and seek Him in our every moment of life. He’s telling us to get our own act straight and then we can be apostles in this world, because then we will be able to see the other person’s speck more clearly. We will not judge others, but be a loving coach and mentor as we help others remove their speck. Removing the log in our eye will make us expert removers of specks in others eyes.

Our action for the Lord will be completed with the result of bringing someone to Christ who saw our log disappear and became willing to let us help them remove their speck.

 

Reining In Our Indifference

We must be on our guard at all times in this life. While we may think we care for others as we go about our lives as self proclaimed good folks, we are sometimes asleep at the wheel.  Even people with good ministries are susceptible to the curse of indifference in their lives.

We often think it is our privilege to have a lack of interest in a situation. We put our concern and sympathy only where we want to put it. This is the indifference we must rein in. It is not, however, an easy task to accomplish on our own. We must seek God in all things, not picking and choosing on our own as we live out our existence here on Earth.

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once wrote, “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” Wiesel surely understood indifference.

In our time, we can be fooled and think that things are so much better in life in our time that we can move about taking care of our own needs and ignoring those of others. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

In Matthew 11:16-17 we are reminded by Jesus as he and John the Baptist reached out to others, “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

So it is that indifference is our enemy.  Whether it is ignoring the inspiration of scripture and our present day spiritual teachers, and/or just being willing to block out those people and things we don’t want to deal with.

You probably remember the song written and sung by Bobby Gentry entitled “Ode to Billy Joe”. Through the years many have tried to figure out the real meaning of this tune. All sorts of things have been suggested as to what the daughter and Billy Joe were throwing off the Tallahatchie Bridge and why Billy Joe jumped off. A movie was made to tell the story, but it still didn’t solve the puzzle for most people. Bobby Gentry has always maintained that the song is about human indifference; a sort of unconscious meanness.

We must live our lives by not being so quick to judge others and by being sensitive to the needs and concerns that engulf us. We must dance to the flute and mourn to the dirge.

Touched by God During my Brain Surgery Event

After over a year of thinking I was having bad sinus headaches, the reality of my real illness came closer as I began to experience intermittent double-vision. As the fact of my brain tumor was being revealed and my diagnosis determined, I began a journey on which the ultimate revelation was unfolding.

First, I was lifted up in prayer by the Christian Community I was so fortunate to have been a part of for many years. Second, I was intentional about letting people know of my situation and not trying to keep it a big secret. Through all of this, God revealed Himself to me through His Spirit. I felt an overwhelming love and forgiveness. Even though I had been told all my life that I was forgiven through Christ's atonement, I never really felt it until then. I felt as if I had been brushed clean with a wire brush using the strongest cleaning compound. God communicated to me non-verbally that He loved me and I felt totally secure no matter what the outcome of my illness and surgery. Being with Him was the comfort and He gave me a glimpse into His Eternal Kingdom. I lost my fear of death and all worry about my family disappeared as He showed me the love that He has for them as well.

God Showed me through His Spirit that I'm already in Eternal Life and that I need not draw a line between life and death. Yes, I can begin to experience His Kingdom right here and now. This is only a snapshot of His revelation to me. There were many images that helped build this newfound reality. The impact on me was that all doubt was removed concerning God's existence and I now can freely celebrate His Kingdom and my part in it , as I seek His Will in all things.

Marcus Borg comes very close to describing what I experienced during my brain surgery event. He says, "Enlightenment as an archetypal religious metaphor belongs to a mystical way of being religious...........Such an experience leads to seeing everything differently. It is not simply an intellectual or mental 'seeing', as when we say, 'Oh, I see what you mean.' Rather, enlightenment as a religious experience involves communion or union with what is, an immediate 'knowing' of the sacred that transforms one's way of seeing." Borg goes on to say, "The language of enlightenment connects to John's emphasis upon knowing God. For John, such knowing is the primary meaning of 'eternal life', not a future state beyond death, but an experience in the present. To know God is eternal life: 'This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God.'" Add a touch of forgiveness and you've got it.
[Marcus J. Borg, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, (c)2001 by Marcus J. Borg. Part Three, The New Testament, 8-Reading the Gospels Again p. 214.]

Barkey the Godly Dog

My Friends,

My name is 'Barkey' and I'm a dog of God. Like human babies, I was born into this world with a sense of innocence. Unlike human babies, I haven't lost my innocence as I've gotten older. I continue to love all humans, even when they treat me badly. I figure that my best path is to continue to love those who hurt and bother me, hoping that they'll change someday through my example of love.

We have so much fun together when they're not in the 'hurt mode'. Even at their best, though, my human friends slip up and behave poorly around me. I wish I could give them a bone or something when they do good things, like they do me. Yes, a reward for good behavior. God tells me that He has a reward for them. It's kind of a package deal, which includes forgiveness, love, grace and eternal life.

I admit I'm not perfect. I sometimes have trouble loving my neighbor dogs. I guess us dogs and humans are more alike than I thought. I guess dogs and humans need to live in ways that earn each of us our own kind of bone.

In His Kennel,

Barkey

Romans With Paul Eight-Six-To-Eleven

In this we call the life of our desire,

Where beauty lies but cannot stand the heat,

For in this life we must not touch the fire,

And we should see our soul develop sweet;

But if in life we choose as St. Paul said,

To seek none but the flesh in all we do,

A bed not fit for man to lay his head,

Nor to his Lord and God to be so true.

Paul is the one that helps us find the way,

As Jesus struck him down in awesome light,

He learned to seek the Spirit all the day,

For that's the only way to get things right.

We have to make a choice in life at last,

To be not in the flesh, but Spirit cast.

I Am A Human Being, Ipso Facto, I Am A Child Of God

There's no way out of this life we've been given. We can fight it to the end, but we are children of God. Continued denial that we are His children is a painful way to live life. We are His Eternal Children and if we choose to ignore His Light, we place ourselves in darkness. In order to live our lives in the best way possible no matter the bumps in the road, we must give up our fear of death, enjoy our gift and give thanks for God's Love & Grace. The icing on the cake is the eternal life that is ours with our Father Creator.

We make it such a rough walk as we move away from the innocence of our childhood to the challenges of our natural world adulthood. Trust in God is swallowed up by our ego's and our need to be in control. The many masks of success are all around us and we try to put on our mask, which is demanded by the natural world playwrights.

Trusting in God always wins out over the other options. We are home-schooled by God our Father and as our teacher, He will give us our grades. The grades given by the 'masked' people are not accepted, authorized or accredited by God.

Science and our Creator God

In a Cosmic Census (click on post title for more info) scientists have estimated that some 50-billion planets are in our Milky Way Galaxy. 500-million of those planets are not too hot and not too cold to sustain life. There are 300-billion stars in our Milky Way and there are 100-billion galaxies like our Milky Way in the cosmos. So where do we take this info from here? I guess we could say as many scientists say, 'there's a good chance for life somewhere else in our Milky Way Galaxy, not to mention the other 99.99 billion galaxies in the cosmos.' Well whoopty-do! I don't doubt that God may have given the gift of life in other places in this vast universe, but that doesn't change the significance and the blessing of the life he gifted here on Planet Earth. All these Astronomical numbers just confirm an orchestration by our loving Creator God!

Present Moment, Forget Domani

There's an old popular song entitled "Forget Domani" (click post title above). Domani is Italian for tomorrow. From a life-living point of view, 'forget tomorrow' has some merit when you think about it. Spiritually speaking, living in the present moment and surrendering to God in all things is a 'forgetting about tomorrow' kind of attitude. If we seek God in our lives in all things and in every moment, tomorrow takes care of itself.

As I think more about 'forget tomorrow'; images, metaphors and the like start popping into my mind. Is it safe to say that we really only live in the present moment? Does God have a clock He goes by, or is that just a human invention? Can we imagine that all of 'Creation' is just functioning in the present moment? Was Einstein on target with his Theory of Relativity?

Humans and animals can't live in the past or in the future. Living is always a "now" thing. Yes, as humans we can make plans for the future, but nothing is guaranteed. We can look at the past for experience to help us in the present and future, but all of that takes place in the "now". If we make bad choices in the "now", our future is affected, but the determining action is now. Sometimes we get away with something in a natural world sense, but not in God's sense.

This 'Present Moment' way of thinking can help us see our lives as they relate to eternal life. Think of the present moment as a line that runs through the center of eternity/creation. Our present moment living and the living of those before and after us is a tiny space in the greater scheme of things. Imagine spirits coming out of this eternity, being born and living in a constant present moment life-line until they die in a human sense. And then, just as they came to a natural life as a spirit of eternity, they leave this present moment living as a spirit going back into eternal life as a spirit.

If we can accept this present moment way of living, our whole outlook on life is influenced positively. In our moments we ask for, receive and appreciate the love and grace of our Eternal Father who is waiting for our joyful return to His Greater Presence for Eternity. AMEN.

Accepting & Using The Strength God Gives Us

In today's fast pace living we have come to want quick service and quick fixes in our lives. We hardly have time to ponder our needs before we get impatient about their fulfillment. Our time schedule for things in our lives is way ahead of God's timing. In relationships we want instant love and gratification. In our actions we want immediate success, praise and thanksgiving.

In all of this we tend to leave out the Lord. We're too busy and frustrated to take time to invite Him into our situations in life. Surely our quick decisions and actions will get faster results than waiting for God to get involved! He is very busy dealing with all of us humans, you know. And that's in addition to managing His whole creation second by second. He doesn't have time to mess with me. If things get any worse, I'll give Him a shout.

Faith and patience in the Lord at all times and in all things is what we must achieve in our lives. We must put our worldly pressures on hold and let God do his work for us. Then we can do our part under better control and get a good result and acceptance. Isaiah says, "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31


I experienced this in my brain tumor removal surgery and the months of recovery. I was blessed to have felt God's presence in all of the chaos surrounding my surgery. After that 10-hour surgery, 2-weeks in intensive care and a 30-day stay, I was released from the hospital. I was 50-lbs. lighter and had recovered from pneumonia and multiple blood clots. I faithfully and patiently continued my life, not knowing exactly what it would be like. Not knowing what disability I might have to deal with. Eleven months after my surgery, I hiked to the highest peak in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Mt. Elbert (14,433-ft), with my brother and a neighbor friend.

Our "quickness" should be in turning to God. When we do that first, he prepares our spirit so we have faith and patience. The quick expectation we should seek is a faith in God's comfort, peace, and grace in our affliction. David sang to the Lord, "On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. Psalm 138:3

Things That Lie Above (click here for photo info)

In many old primitive cultures, ascents to the tops of major mountain peaks were not made by people, even though it was possible. Those high peaks were thought to be where God(s) lived and were forbidden to humans. If only we could look up today with our binoculars and see our God on the mountaintop. Or maybe, since we imagine God as creator of the universe and beyond, we will one day be able to see God somewhere out in the Universe with one of our fast-improving telescopes fixed to a rocket.

God saved me a mountain climb and lots of rocket fuel when he visited me in the hospital during my brain surgery some years ago. His presence through His Spirit was so powerful that He convinced me that He did exist and that I would spend my time in His Kingdom for eternity. As we live out our lives here on His Planet Earth gift to us, we don't need telescopes or binoculars to connect with Him. He is at our side in every moment that we live. We must be sure that we turn our attention to Him in every moment, so we don't miss an opportunity for a blessing in all aspects of our lives.

Making Today A Good Ole Day!

A preserved historical place along with a knowledge of the activity among those who lived there touch us in a special way and challenge our thoughts about eternal life. Looking at this present day photo of the General Store and Post Office in St. Elmo, Colorado, (click on posting title for more history) we think about the lives of those who lived and worked here along America's Continental Divide. The town was founded in 1880 as a base for gold and silver mining. It reached a population of 2000 people before becoming a "ghost town" in the 1920's.

The buildings that have been preserved in St. Elmo, help us to identify with those who have gone before as we ponder what their lives were like and if their spirits are with our creator God as we hope that ours will be. All of history and preserved historic sites affect us and challenge us in this way. What will our legacy be? What will the future generations say about us? What will we do in our time that sets a standard for those who follow and shows our love for the Lord? Will the interest of future generations be in what we stood for or just what our buildings looked like? We have a good example in St. Paul the Apostle whose life in the Lord exploded throughout the World. His persistence in spreading the Gospel in spite of the road blocks changed the world. As he said, "..........So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." II Corinthians 12:9-10 NRSV

On The Edge Of Good And Evil

Good and Evil are sometimes so close that we have a hard time knowing what to do in life. We can only seek and trust God to show us the way to go. A close friend's daughter is on a missionary visit to an African country. Obviously, she is exposed to many things she is not used to seeing in America. On her blog (click on this posting title above) she tells about little children with bowls or containers being all around the markets and other public places begging. The containers are used to hold the money they beg for on behalf of Islamic leaders and teachers to whom their parents have given them. The leaders exist on this money collected and if a child comes back to them with no money, they are severely beaten and not fed. My friend's daughter choses to give money to each child that asks. Her goodness overcomes the evil, in that the children will be saved from beatings and starvation. So it is in our lives in this World. We are constantly challenged as to how to react to things around us. We are in conflict to judge or not to judge, complain or not complain, help or not help, forgive or not forgive, sin or not sin, give or not give. This human predicament is only resolved through a close relationship with God in our daily living. He will guide us if we allow him to do so. This is our ultimate choice: to trust Him or not trust Him.

COACH GOD

In reading quotes from Thomas Merton recently (click on title above to view), I was reminded of the simple fact that God is inside of me in my spirit. As my creator, he is intimately with me and interested in me. He loves me as a work that he intentionally created. The "free will" that He gave me upon my creation allows Him to stay on the sideline while I play the game of life. Like most sideline coaches He runs out on the field sometimes in enthusiasm or dismay. I must learn to understand His joy and His dismay and react properly to both. As He continues to coach me through His Spirit like a worldly coach, I must seek to understand what He envisions for me in the game of my life. For me to reach my potential is important to God, my coach. He sent His Son to help me know the rules of the life game and the way it should be played. If I ignore the fact that I can't play the game without His coaching, then I am alone and out of my league. There will be no championships. Unlike our worldly coaches, God resides in us and leaving the locker room doesn't separate us from Him. God is a package deal in that He is also our Cheerleader.

All Ears For The Holy Spirit In Our Believing

In Acts 19:1-7 we follow Paul on a journey to Ephesus. There he found some disciples and he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit". As the conversation went on, the disciples said that they had been baptized by John. Paul explained that John had baptized them into repentance and to believe in the one who was to come after him. When Paul later baptized them in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them.

We have much in common with these disciples, even though most of us have heard of the Holy Spirit. Living our lives in Christ is difficult for us as we try to connect with how he would want us to live. Our calling seems so obvious, but we have a hard time living into it. When we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, we get a special gift in the Holy Spirit. Unlike most gifts, however, we're not sure what to do with it.

That's when we need to remember that in order to benefit from the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we must surrender our control in all things and trust in the wonderful communication gift we have with the Lord, through the Spirit. The Lord will guide us through His Spirit, but we must learn to listen for this communication with all of our senses. The more we can do this, the better our life in Christ.

Don't Go It Alone -- Seek Christian Community

We underestimate our value to each other. We search for a relationship with God and don't understand why He doesn't seem to answer. We don't think that these folks around us can be of any use in our lives. Many are annoying and opinionated. Many just don't appeal to us and don't seem to have anything in common with us. Even the folks we are drawn to seem a little superficial and we are afraid to open a deeper relationship with them.

Those who have placed themselves in Christian Community know the blessings received when things go wrong in their lives. God continues to use each of us to bless others when we turn to Him and recognize our role. God does His work, but we have to do our work in order for things to jell.

Christian Community is a means of raising the spiritual experience and connectedness of individuals and groups of individuals. Community is one of the ways of living that helps us in seeking God in our lives, and in so doing allowing God to use each of us to communicate His Love, Grace and Will to His Children.

Covering Our Negatives With Positives

The Bible is full of instructions on how we should live our lives in a good and just way. One of many examples is in Leviticus 19:11: "You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord."

In a recent Bible study and reflection, I was reminded of a way that we can deal with all the negatives that come out of our sinful nature. I have accidentally used this method to overcome anger, dissatisfaction, criticism and other afflictions in the past, but I have not thought of it in such a broad and intentional way. The more I have tried to abandon to God in every aspect of my life, the more I have been able to use positives to overcome negatives in my life.

We should approach every moment in our lives as a wonderful gift from God, no matter what is going on at any given time. It all begins with compassion for or forgiveness of the another person. We must be abundant in love if we hate or are angry. We must acknowledge another's needs when we are full of selfishness. We must look for the good in the people we dislike. There is a family story credited to my Great Grandmother that is a good example of positivity: There was a man that was considered an odd-ball troublemaker in my great grandmother's small town. The fellow had recently died and my grandmother was at a gathering with some town friends discussing the life of this fellow. After listening to all the negative talk about this fellow and his life, my great grandmother spoke up with her thoughts. She said, " You know, he was a good whistler." We need to look for the "good whistler" in everyone and everything.

Choosing Where To Put Down Our Roots

"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious and it does not cease to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17: 7-8) One would think that everyone knows when they make a choice in life that is bad. Our farmers know when and how to plant. Yet, our prisons are overflowing, society and politics corrupt, marriages and families are breaking apart. Why do we keep putting our roots down in the desert? We know there is no hope of bearing fruit in the desert soil, but we keep trying to control the uncontrollable. Our history is full of stories concerning bad choices; poor human planting places. We just can't trust in the Lord in all things. It's like playing the lottery with a one in a million chance when we decide to test the dry soil one more time. What is it about our minds that allows us to continue to repeat bad planting times and places? Jeremiah goes on to say in 17: 9-10. "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse--who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings."