Where Will You Go for Him?

Easter weekend begins in two days with Maundy Thursday. First comes the night of solemn remembrance, then the day of agony, and finally the morning of joy.

How many of these emotions will we really feel?

Will we come to church on Easter just to "go through the motions," reserving our real enthusiasm for the big meal afterwards? Will we grumble if it rains this Sunday and the only available parking spaces are four blocks from the church? Will we act as if God owes us a perfect day as a reward for showing up?

Many people do all of the above. Not all that surprising, considering that they act the same way on "ordinary" Sundays--and through the rest of the week. From the attitudes of many Christians, one would think that Jesus had said, "I have come that you might live free of trouble, and have all the possessions you want." (What He really said was, "I have come that [you] may have life, and have it to the full. [But] in this world you will have trouble" [John 10:10; 16:33, NIV]). Although few of us would dare state outright, "I owe God nothing, and He owes me everything," our everyday lives say clearly that we believe as much.

Part of the problem is our difficulty with focusing our attention where it belongs. We pat ourselves on the back for being law-abiding citizens and forget how much evil lurks within us. We wear crucifixes as jewelry and never give a thought to the cruelty and agony of that death. And we recite John 3:16 by rote without once considering how unbelievable, how utterly unreasonable, it is that God should love the likes of us even a little, let alone to the extent of enduring what He did--and that His love should continue even though the majority of us respond with appalling ingratitude. That includes those of us who said "yes" to His offer of salvation but whose favorite daily prayer is, "What have You done for me lately?"

If we truly appreciated what He has in fact done for us, we would be more than ready to do anything for Him.

He stumbled down that fateful road
And up that looming hill,
And bore that heavy wooden beam,
All of His own free will,
Among a jeering, cruel crowd
And to a fate so grim:
He went the road of death for you--
Where will you go for Him?

And though a whip had ripped His back
Until His blood ran red,
Though nails had pierced His hands and feet,
And thorns had pierced His head,
And though His throat burned raw with thirst--
Pain wracked His every limb--
He gave His very life for you--
What will you give for Him?

There was no power in all of hell
To stop Love's perfect plan;
There was no power in death itself
To hold the Sinless Man.
When evil's might had done its worst
And brightest hopes burned dim,
He rose up from the dead for you--
Will you rise up for Him?

Expanding Circle

How often do you do good things for others?

Most of us would have to say, "Not often enough!" The person who consistently puts others' needs above his own interests and preferences is a rare soul. A person who gives freely out of pure love, with no concern over whether her efforts are repaid or even appreciated, is even harder to find. The vast majority of humanity feels entitled to something in return, if only a verbal thank-you, for any favor done for another--and is quick to complain of others' ingratitude and to sever relationships with "all take and no give" people.

But much as we may wish otherwise, God isn't satisfied to see His people being only as good as the majority of humanity. As Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?... When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (Mt. 5:46-47; Lk. 14:12-14, NIV). Why? "That you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Mt. 5:45). If God turned off the sun and rain to punish people for taking Him for granted, nearly all of us would suffer from regular dark days and dried-out lawns.

But even more than that, giving only to people whom we expect will give back keeps generosity trapped within a rather narrow circle. Toss a stone onto thick ice and it may make a few cracks at best. Toss a stone into liquid water and the ripples expand on and on.

Who knows where a few random acts of kindness may lead?

A kindness returned is a wonderful thing
When it's done from a warm, grateful heart,
But a kindness passed on is a greater thing still,
For the power of the good it can start.
For a kindness returned, though it bring a great joy,
Will remain in a closed loop of two,
But a kindness passed on makes the circle expand,
And its ripples may reach the world through.

To help out a friend is a wonderful thing,
When a heart acts in love that is true,
But a greater thing still is to help out those souls
Who may never give equal to you.
For to help out the ones who will quickly pay back
Is a thing most will do if they can,
But a heart that can give with no thought of return
Spreads the love of our Lord through the land.

Sunday Christians

Happy New Year and welcome back!

Today, many Christians celebrate Epiphany, which commemorates the Wise Men's visit to the Christ Child or (to Eastern Christian churches) the baptism of Jesus. Either way, the word "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word for "make obvious," and the day marks an early revelation of Jesus's Messiahship to the larger world.

Especially since it occurs about at the time for New Year's resolutions, Epiphany is a good day to reflect on how well we manifest Jesus to the world. Are we living faithful, Christlike lives: lives that refuse to surrender integrity for the sake of earthly success; that overflow with compassion even for our enemies; that shine with joy even when circumstances give us no shortage of obvious excuses to fret and fume? When non-Christians look at us, will their first impression be, "These people know something worth finding out"?

Too often, it isn't. Society has no shortage of professing Christians who go to church on Sunday and live as materialistically as everyone else for the rest of the week; who sing "Joy to the World" at Christmas but wear perpetual expressions of misery in everyday life; who can quote John 3:16 verbatim but spew hate at the world. While it's tempting, and sometimes valid, to chalk up outside criticism of Christianity to "stubborn refusal to accept Christ's exclusive claims," the sad truth is that many accusations of hypocrisy are solidly grounded. Even most nonbelievers know that love was at the core of Jesus's teachings; yet all too many have been verbally abused, or snubbed when they most needed understanding, because their religions or lifestyles or past sins spelled "untouchable" to Jesus's professed followers. Sadder yet, some Christians treat other Christians no better. Many people have left their churches, even turned their backs on God, because they were mocked for their incompetencies or shunned for their failures.

Granted that we must not compromise when it comes to actual wrong, neither must we forget that God wants us to hate sin, not people. It was, after all, the super-religious, ultra-pure class who despised Jesus for loving the sinners they felt so superior to.

Being the light of the world means more than not being afraid to tell people we're Christians. It means more than exposing the wicked deeds of darkness. It requires that we make obvious, in our actions no less than our words, that there is a positive alternative.

There are many who "follow Jesus"
Every week in the church at prayer,
But, when busy at work on Monday,
Will give hardly a thought to Him there.

There are many who pray each morning
Because that's how it's always been,
But who treat it as mindless duty,
And can't wait till they get to "Amen."

There are many who claim they're Christians
If it feeds their own self-respect
To regard themselves "better people"--
But, when Scripture convicts, they object.

Are you merely a lukewarm Christian,
Or do you seek, in all life's tasks,
To be truly on fire for Jesus,
Set to do anything that He asks?

We Are Children of God

How many of us can honestly claim to follow, with any consistency, Paul's admonition in Phil. 2:3: "in humility consider others better than yourselves" (NIV)?

The era of oppressive colonialism may be over. Literal slavery may be history in most of the world. And officially sanctioned segregation may be rare. But bigotry is still far from dead--and it's not confined to extremists who spew hatred and advocate brutality. Nor is it always a matter of one ethnic group or social class considering itself too good to associate with another; the "I'm better than they are" attitude can manifest itself in a thousand ways. When someone is trying to maneuver a wheelchair through a narrow door ahead of us, and we fume because our time is being wasted; when we look at the homeless person on the street, or the arrogant teenager in the store, and see an annoyance rather than a human being; even when we're tempted to push past a dozen people "just like us" and grab the first place in line--we are in effect declaring ourselves a superior breed. One doesn't have to show consideration and compassion to one's inferiors!

If Christ had harbored that attitude, He never would have left Heaven for earth. Indeed, He spent most of His earthly ministry in conflict with people who did harbor that attitude and who "muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them'" (Luke 15:2). It wasn't the "bad apples" and the "rejects," but the pious, and "respectable" types--the "good" people--who most hated the Epitome of true moral perfection. The puncturing of their superiority bubbles was more than their pride could take.

The Crucifixion is the ultimate proof that "little" attitudes of superiority can grow into monstrous evils.

We are children of God, whether black or white,
All of us equal in His sight.

We are children of God, whether rich or poor,
All of us standing at His door.

We are children of God, whether young or old,
All who are gathered into His fold.

We are children of God; we must not despise
Other souls precious in His eyes.

God's Letters to the World

"The Bible doesn't say anything to me," sneered the atheist.

Replied the Christian, "The Bible is God's letter to believers; so if you don't understand it, that serves you right for reading someone else's mail!"

Letter-writing--the kind that requires selecting attractive writing paper and a good-quality pen, and personally setting down the words in one's own unique handwriting--is something of a lost art in this age of word processors and e-mail. When you get a letter from somebody who took the trouble to do it the old-fashioned way, you know he or she considers you someone special.

God must consider us very special indeed. Even before He took the trouble to oversee the writing of the Bible, He created the whole world, carefully designed to fill our needs for beauty and sustenance. It must break His heart to see how many people--and that includes quite a few Christians--regard Scripture as "interesting literature" at best, ignore sunrises and flowers as we rush about our worldly concerns, and abuse Creation by tossing our litter about as though the whole world were a garbage can. People can learn to take anything for granted.

Including the privilege of being called to do God's work. Many believers have actually defended their lack of concern for the lost by quoting Scripture. "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20, NIV)--so why should we bother speaking about God to people who evidently won't listen to God Himself? Even many Christians who do speak about God never bother considering whether their everyday attitudes and actions project the image of someone who is saved and grateful for it. A quick reading of the Gospels should convince anyone that God hates a cold, selfish, holier-than-thou attitude perhaps more than any other sin. And vice versa.

As the old saying goes, "You are the only Gospel some people will ever read." If the Bible is God's letter to believers, we are His best letter to the rest of the world.

God writes His letters to the world
In fields of shining stars,
In all the beauty of the birds
Throughout this world of ours,
In rainbows arching through the sky,
In flowers at our feet,
In trees that dip with heavy fruit
That ripens fresh and sweet.

God writes His letters to the world
Through all who ever praised
His Name through poem or painted art
Or great cathedral raised,
And most of all throughout His Word,
In every chapter there
That ever moved a soul to weep,
Or lift a joyous prayer.

God writes His letters to the world
In human deeds of love,
In every little kindness shown
To honor Him above,
Through human hearts that mirror His:
And, Father, let me be
Another scribe to tell Your tale--
Dear Jesus, speak through me!

My Lord, Whose Name Is Wisdom

In many traditions, a name was (and is) considered powerful and significant, part of a person's vital essence. Some societies even had the custom of giving two names to everyone: an everyday name used by society at large, and a "real" name known only to the person's closest loved ones. Anyone who learned someone's "real" name gained power over the person.

Superstition and magic aside, throughout most of history parents chose their children's names for more than the beauty of the sound. A name could represent a father's hopes for his son, something significant that had happened shortly before or after the birth, or something about the child's physical appearance. The Bible reports many incidents of children being named (and of adults having their names changed) to suit various circumstances (see, for example, Gen. 32:27-28, 29:32; 1 Sam. 1:20; Hos. 1:6; Rev. 2:17). We still see vestiges of this when children are named after relatives or saints, and in baby name books that list original meanings for each choice.

The Bible also frequently refers to God's attributes in terms of His name. His name is holy (Is. 57:15). His name is mighty (Jer. 10:6). His name is to be feared (Mal. 1:14). The New Testament describes believers as doing things in Jesus's name (e. g., Acts 3:6, 9:27) and even refers to Christ as the Name (Acts 5:41).

Do we appreciate the real significance of praying "in Jesus's Name"?

My Lord, Whose Name is Wisdom,
Whose judgment never errs--
May wisdom guide my choices,
Your knowledge steer my prayers.

My Lord, Whose Name is Wonder,
Who brought the world to be--
May wonder rule my vision;
Lord, give me eyes to see!

My Lord, Whose Name is Justice,
Who always stands for right--
May justice rule my thinking,
My words reflect Your light.

My Lord, Whose Name is Mercy,
Who weeps for wandering feet--
May mercy guide my actions,
Your grace touch all I meet.

My Lord, Whose Name is Service,
Who wipes feet clean of sands--
May service lead my doings,
Your heart empower my hands.

My Lord, Whose Name is Holy,
So pure and free from sin--
May I as well prove holy,
For You this world to win.

Thine Is the Power

Even more amazing, perhaps, than God's full control of the vast universe is the attention He gives each living soul. C. S. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain,"[T]he sheer difference between [God and ourselves] is one compared with which the difference between an archangel and a worm is quite insignificant.... But at the same time... the intimacy between God and even the meanest creature is closer than any that creatures can attain with one another."

And God went further--much further--even than wanting us for friends. The person willing to die for someone else is relatively rare. The person who would do it for anybody besides his or her closest loved ones is the extreme exception. And few of us would care to admit openly that we consider our own lives worth the sacrifice of anyone else's.

But by Christ's standards, not only was the lowest of human beings worth dying for, but we were worth the additional sacrifice of leaving heaven to spend thirty-plus years on this imperfect, troubled earth--and in poverty and service, under frequent misunderstanding and abuse, at that. The greatest paradox surrounding God's power is that its strongest display is through voluntary weakness.

Ours no less than His.

The Power of God
Is the Power that bore
All of earth's humiliation--
The Power of Love,
That which gives and gives,
That which bought our vindication:
That Power which won
Through renouncing all
Brought the crown of Life unending;
The Power that rules
Never showed contempt
For the weak He's still defending.

We who are His
Need not fear to bear
All the hate of those who mock us,
For through His Power
We can give our all,
And no power of earth can rock us.
If you would win,
Then surrender now--
Trust that He will bring you glory--
Bow your head to Him,
And absorb His love,
And go out to spread His story.

Though We Never Would Steal or Murder

Many people seem to think it possible to sin without actually being a sinner. The person who bluntly states, "I've never done anything wrong" is the exception--and even most of those will break down under cross-examination. But ask the average citizen on the street, "Are you a good person?" and odds are the answer will be "yes"--meaning, "I've never murdered anyone, stolen anything valuable, or disappointed anyone without good cause." Reserving the right to define "valuable" and "good cause" for oneself, of course. Many a self-proclaimed good person has used the company account for personal leisure, or tossed aside "till death do us part" marriage vows, or kept an accidental extra $5 given as change, without feeling a hint of guilt.

People like to think of themselves, and perhaps the larger part of humanity, as deserving only good things. More than one in four Americans disbelieve in hell, and many of the others consider it a place reserved for the most blatantly evil--definitely not for honest, hardworking, good-to-their-families types who haven't done anything worse than to consider God beneath their attention. Which is akin to saying God isn't really important, and the good-versus-bad sum of human deeds is all that ultimately counts.

Before we as Christians get smug about knowing better, let's ask ourselves: how many times have our actions professed exactly the same thing? Every time we snub a "worse" sinner than ourselves, or object to any but "respectable" people entering our churches, or get nasty at a call for reform without even giving it a hearing--we are in effect saying, "We are too good to admit we are still fallible or to associate with people who obviously are." If we consider it Christian to "keep ourselves from being polluted by contact with the world," we might remember that the Christ Who supposedly set the ideal example was derisively called a "friend of sinners" because He didn't object to hanging out with the "disrespectable" crowd--and that it was the respectable and religious people who most wanted to get rid of Him permanently.

We may be justfiably angry to see atheist books proclaiming "Religion Poisons Everything" from bestseller lists. But are we handing ammunition to the enemy by allowing pride and self-righteousness to poison our religion?

Though we never would steal or murder,
Nor be tempted to outright crime,
Yet we fail to see hardening of our hearts
Coming subtly in course of time.

It is not sins obscene and blatant,
Where forgiveness is quickly sought,
That so often leads on a gradual slope
Far away from the Path Christ taught:

It is pride in our sense of "goodness,"
And the love of a life of ease,
That will make our love for the Lord grow cold
Till we do only as we please.

Though Christ died for the open sinners,
Those who showed the most obvious taints,
It was not such kind who called for His blood
So much as the self-righteous "saints"!